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Gideon Looy--Personality Traits and How it Correlates to dogs. 

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Gideon Looy--Personality Traits and How it Correlates to dogs. 

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I think this study can include more than just dogs. I grew up training horses, and it was neat to see how the trainers attitude was reflected in the performance of the horse. Very interesting article and eye opening how our pets can pick up on our attitude and feelings so easily.

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You may joke that your pooch knows you better than anyone else in the world, but science might back the punchline up.

Human owners can share a special, intense bond with their dogs. Perhaps a little too intense, according to a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, which finds an interesting relationship between human stress and dogs' stress levels - depending in part on breed type and personality factors.

"The owner and her [or] his long-term stress levels seem to affect different breed groups to different degrees," Lina Roth, a co-author on the study and a senior lecturer at Linköping University, tells Inverse.

Do dogs and pet owners share personality traits?

Much like how human couples tend to act alike, are there also shared personality traits between humans and dogs? Put another way: how do human and dog personality traits influence each other?

In her team's recent study, Roth asked owners to complete a Big 5 personality test, which surveys five key personality traits in dogs and humans. These are:

Agreeableness

Openness to experiences

Extraversion

Neuroticism or emotional stability

Conscientiousness

Roth's study looks at three kinds of domesticated dogs, including solitary hunting dogs, herding dogs bred for human companionship, and ancient dog breeds that are more closely related to wolves.

Roth didn't find considerable personality differences among the owners of the different dog types - with one exception. Openness varied considerably among dog owners of different kinds of dogs, with owners whose pet dog came from an ancient dog breed scoring highest on the scale for openness to experiences. Essentially, these owners seemed to be most predisposed to trying new things or new ideas.

Curiously, high scores for openness in owners were linked to higher stress levels in hunting and herding dogs, suggesting perhaps that humans with this personality trait may be best-suited to - and naturally seek out - ancient dog breeds.

Hunting dogs come with their own unique personality-stress pairings, the study also finds.

"We also found that owners to solitary hunting dogs that scored high on the trait 'agreeableness' had dogs with low long-term stress levels. Hence, more friendly hunters might have calmer dogs," Roth says.

Ultimately, Roth's study found that human personality traits don't influence the relationship between pet owner and dog all that much, but her study seems to be an exception to past scientific consensus. Previous research suggests that human personality traits affect dogs much more than dog personalities affect their humans.

There is evidence of a more direct link between human personality types and dog behavior. A January 2021 study, for example, found the following links between some of the same five human personality traits listed above and dog behavior:

Owner conscientiousness was linked to less aggressive dog behavior toward strangers

More extroverted owners had dogs that displayed less fear

Humans that were more open to experiences also reduced their dogs' fear levels

From this study, it seems an ideal owner may be one that is conscientious, outgoing, and open to new things. But of course, we can't all be perfect.

How does human stress affect dogs?

Researchers have known for a few years now that human stress can negatively affect pet dogs.

Roth's own research has shown that dogs tend to mirror their human owner's emotions.

"We suggest that dogs, to a great extent, mirror the stress level of their owners," Roth's team writes in the previous research.

Specifically, they found that herding dogs, in particular, synchronize their long-term stress levels with those of their owners. Roth's more recent study describes this relationship between human stress and dogs as "emotional contagion."

Since dogs mirror human emotions, our emotional stability - or lack thereof - can significantly affect our fluffy friends.

One study finds that dog owners with higher levels of agreeableness also have higher levels of variability in cortisol - the stress hormone - which indicates greater emotional stability. The opposite was found in owners with greater degrees of neuroticism.

Another study of dogs found that the pups performed worse on tasks when their humans scored higher on the "neurotic" trait measure of the Big Five personality test. Conversely, Roth's previous study found lower stress levels in dogs whose humans scored higher in "conscientiousness" and "openness."

Finally, Roth's recent research suggests that human "stress-related personality traits such as fear and aggression influence" dog stress.

How do you help a stressed dog?

Stressed or anxious dogs will express certain behaviors, which can include:

Panting

Excessive barking

Aggression

Urinating or pooping around the home

If your pet is exhibiting any of these behaviors, it's best to try to calm them down and call your vet.

Since we now understand how dogs mirror human emotions, one of the best things you can do for your distressed pup is to keep your own stress levels in check.

But reducing your own stress may not always be possible. Or perhaps your dog is stressed for reasons unrelated to your moods, such as medical illnesses or a change in living situation.

In that case, pet experts suggest a few tricks and good habits that can help to calm down a stressed dog.

According to Roth, her previous research "found significant associations between play and low stress levels," so regularly playing with your dog may be a good first step to alleviating canine stress. It will also help boost your own relationship with your dog.

On a similar note, exercise is a good catch-all recommendation for reducing stress in dogs, according to the VCA. Try taking your dog for longer or more regular walks if at all possible.

Music therapy, calming T-shirts, and massages are also recommended to help with short-term stress in dogs. Studies are also being conducted now on whether CBD oil - cannabidiol - could have a similar calming effect on dogs as it does for humans.

But when in doubt, consult a veterinarian before trying out any new treatments or regimens on your pets. Veterinarians may prescribe anxiety-reducing medications for your dog in certain circumstances.

How do you choose the right dog for your personality type?

Of the three dog types examined in Roth's study, one dog type was most susceptible to their owners' personality types. Her study finds that: "Owner personality traits influenced the solitary hunting breeds more than ancient breeds."

Common hunting dog breeds include beagles, retrievers, pit bull terriers, English setters, and German shorthaired pointers.

Hunting dogs, bred for hunting and not human companionship, score significantly higher on one metric Roth used in their study, which is known as "perceived cost." Perceived cost correlates to higher long-term stress in dogs.

Roth says:

"These results could be important in these days when more people buy dogs while working from home. If not aware of the extra 'work' that comes with keeping a dog the p erceived cost might be high and negatively affect the dogs long-term stress and hence, welfare."

"While the ancient dog breeds are least affected by the owner, the stress levels of solitary hunting dogs show significant associations to the owners' personality traits," she adds.

So, if you're not willing to put in some extra work and emotional labor in raising your pet, then you may want to refrain from choosing a hunting dog breed.

An ancient dog breed may be better suited for you since they are less affected by the volatility of human nature. But herding dogs also have their benefits, as they have been specifically bred for human cooperation, according to Roth's study.

Finally, as far as dogs in general go, Roth's study found close associations between emotional closeness - between dog and human - and dogs that score higher on excitability on the personality questionnaire.

When in doubt, consider looking up information on a dog's breed type on a reputed site, such as the American Kennel Club, and decide whether a breed is right for you. A personality mismatch could lead to long-term stress for you - and your pup.

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How does human stress affect dogs? 5 personality traits to consider

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You may joke that your pooch knows you better than anyone else in the world, but science might back the punchline up. Human owners can share a special, intense bond with their dogs.

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Don’t Underestimate the Power of Kindness at Work

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Don’t Underestimate the Power of Kindness at Work

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I feel this relates to the material covered this week because although we all have different personalities, we all can make the effort to be extra kind! Especially with all the chaos that COVID-19 has brought, going the extra mile to be kind makes a huge difference in the workplace.

-Cinthia Espinoza

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Don’t Underestimate the Power of Kindness at Work

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Organizations benefit from actively fostering kindness. In workplaces where acts of kindness become the norm, the spillover effects can multiply fast. When people receive an act of kindness, they pay it back, research shows — and not just to the same person, but often to someone entirely new. This l…

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Introverts and Extroverts in the Workplace

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Introverts and Extroverts in the Workplace

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As an introvert, my favorite part of this article talked about not mistaking introversion for lack of motivation.  I feel that we are often misunderstood.  It's not that we lack motivation, we just struggle with the spotlight and speaking up really pushes us out of our comfort zone.
Marissa Johnson

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With such a diverse mix of personalities in the workplace, managers are presented with the sometimes-difficult task of adapting their leadership styles to engage, motivate and create a productive environment for various types of personalities.

As you consider the different personality types within your organization, your mind probably immediately goes to introverts and extroverts. While we're likely aware of the characteristics of each, businesses, and more specifically managers, are often challenged to create an effective work environment that caters to both types of personalities. But managers can't get there alone. Human resources has a unique opportunity to educate managers on the most effective ways to work with introverts and extroverts.

Identify your employees' passions - what motivates them. For example, extroverts might jump at the chance to be part of a young professionals' initiative. Introverts might prefer to be part of a smaller group, say a focus group dedicated to uncovering insights around a particular problem or challenge. But we're just scratching the surface. In this article, we'll deep dive into the most effective ways HR can help organizations create a holistic work environment that appeals to different types of people and motivates them to become involved in the day-to-day life of your organization.

Working with Introverts

Never mistake introversion for lack of motivation. No, your introverts are not going to be the ones who are super-jazzed about making a presentation to a large group or participating in a team-building event with people they've never met. In fact, those scenarios are things they typically dread. Introverts may take a bit of time to warm up to the group setting, so they'll likely be hesitant to share their ideas at the onset. These employees are simply more comfortable flying under the radar. Introverted employees are just as smart and tenacious as their extroverted counterparts, so don't overlook them. Sure, your more assertive team members are probably heard and recognized more, but the contributions of introverts shouldn't be discounted.

How to Communicate

When it comes to communication style, introverted employees prefer email, instant messaging, and texting as opposed to face-to-face meetings and conversations. They definitely do not like surprises or being put on the spot, so an unexpected phone call can be anxiety inducing for them. It pulls them away from what they were focusing on, breaks concentration, and makes getting back on task difficult. They want to have the time and space to think things through and provide a thoughtful response rather than an immediate, off-the-cuff answer.

Ideal Work Environment

Introverts can have a tendency to feel "lost" among their more extroverted co-workers. It's important to their motivation to help them feel connected to the team. Make sure you specifically ask them for their feedback. Appointing them to serve on task forces or work on special projects can help them feel more linked in to their more outgoing teammates.

How to Recognize & Reward

Reception to feedback is another area where these two types of personalities vastly differ. Even if it's for a positive occasion, such as receiving an award, most introverts dislike being the center of attention. Private praise, or a congratulatory email they can read and save to their "kudos" file are more appreciated.

How to Manage your Extroverts

Unlike the introverts on your team, your extroverted employees adore talking and being in the spotlight. They're less risk averse and are typically the first to volunteer for pretty much anything. They also love sharing their opinions. So, while it's not a bad thing that extroverts occupy more time than your other team members, make sure they don't steal anyone else's thunder.

How to Communicate

On the communication front, extroverts thrive on talking to and interacting with others. Collaborating with their colleagues and thinking out loud gives them energy. And, they think nothing of picking up the phone for a quick call when they have a question or want to discuss a project. In fact, the phone and in-person conversations are their preferred methods of communication. Their thinking is, "Why send an email or IM when I can just call or drop by their office?"

Ideal Work Environment

When it comes to office spaces, a bull pen at a newspaper or a spot on a trading floor are the ideal working environments for the more gregarious employees. If you're, like most companies, not in either of these businesses, having an open area where your extroverts can work together to collaborate and bounce ideas off one another is a perfect solution.

How to Recognize & Reward

Naturally, your extroverts also appreciate praise. A 2013 study conducted by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that extroverts weigh external motivational and reward cues more strongly than introverts. These team members respond very positively to public compliments and praise for a job well done. Positive feedback motivates your extroverts to keep doing what they're doing, increasing productivity and engagement.

Introverts vs Extroverts at Work

Preferences

Introverts

Extroverts

Work Style

Never mistake for lack of motivation

Enjoy the spotlight

Communication

Email, instant message, text

Phone calls, in-person conversations

Office Setting

Privacy

Open area

Recognition

Private praise, congratulatory email

Public praise, recognition in team meetings

Conclusion

Good managers know that it's important to work with employees' strengths and weaknesses to manage the team dynamic. HR should encourage and train all managers to make it a point to get to know their employees and understand their unique personality types, communication styles and motivators. It will help both managers and the entire organization make better decisions about structuring a team and creating an effective work environment that yields involved, motivated and productive employees.

Immersing your employees into the culture of the company is just one step in building a culture of engagement. For more advice and inspiration, check out this article on what goes into creating the ideal employee experience or visit our resource hub.

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Introverts vs. Extroverts in the Workplace

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With such a diverse mix of personalities in the workplace, managers are presented with the sometimes-difficult task of adapting their leadership styles to engage, motivate and create a productive environment for various types of personalities. As you consider the different personality types within your organization, your mind probably immediately goes to introverts and extroverts.

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I remember walking into Meijer just over a year ago in the beginning of the Covid Pandemic.  Shelves were completely bare of essentials.  This article describes how the "panic buying" was a form of emotional contagion.

Marissa Johnson

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The fear of catching the novel coronavirus has sparked a shopping frenzy that one New York City newsradio station aptly described as "Purell panic." Nationwide, stores from Target to Costco to Kroger have seen shelves stripped bare of hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, rubber gloves, toilet paper and anything else that shoppers think will help them prepare for possible quarantines against the virus, which has spread across 97 countries and killed at least 4,000 people.

In the United States, the number of cases has risen to 647 with 25 deaths as of March 10, according to the CDC. Trading was briefly halted on Wall Street Monday after stocks plunged 7% within minutes of the opening bell amid reports of an oil-price war linked to the outbreak and the looming threat of lockdowns. It was the first halt since the depths of financial crisis in 2008.

To be sure, there is plenty to worry about with the COVID-19 virus, which at present has no vaccine and is easily transmitted through respiratory droplets. But experts contend that shouldn't warrant an unprecedented run on supplies. Adobe Analytics reported online sales of hand sanitizers, gloves and face masks jumped 817% from January to February. The hoarding even prompted U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams to angrily tweet a public warning last week: "Seriously people - STOP BUYING MASKS!"

Wharton management professor Sigal Barsade believes the widespread panic is a form of emotional contagion. Simply defined, emotional contagion is the transfer of moods and feelings from one person to another. It happens all the time on a micro-level and is usually harmless, like a baby smiling back at a smiling adult, or a yawn that ripples from one person in the room to another. But at the macro-level, emotional contagion can be dangerous because it can interfere with making sound, logical decisions.

"I would argue that emotional contagion, unless we get a hold on it, is going to greatly amplify the damage caused by COVID-19," she said during a segment on the Wharton Business Daily show on Sirius XM. Even though the vast majority of people won't contract the virus, a much higher percentage will experience emotional contagion, she said. That can lead to a surge in worry, anxiety and fear - unpleasant emotions for individuals that can compound in the broader context.

"One of the things we also know from the research literature is that negative emotions, particularly fear and anxiety, cause us to become very rigid in our decision-making. We're not creative. We're not as analytical, so we actually make worse decisions," she said. "Emotional contagion affects everyone, which means that it can also affect leaders. It can affect policymakers. They have a little bit more protection because at least the policymakers and experts really have good knowledge of the facts. But if you're not aware that emotional contagion is influencing you, you could make poorer decisions."

"I would argue that emotional contagion, unless we get a hold on it, is going to greatly amplify the damage caused by COVID-19."

Emotional behavior within organizations is a research focus for Barsade, who has written numerous papers on the topic. One of those papers, "Emotional Contagion in Organizational Life," published in 2018, created a foundational model to better understand emotional contagion, although she and her co-authors advocate for much more research in this area.

According to the paper, one of the most intriguing aspects of emotional contagion is the lack of awareness about it. People don't realize the social influence they are under or how it may affect them because the spread is often based on physiological and automatic responses (like the baby mimicking a smile). Perhaps not surprisingly, this "affect spiral" can lead to greater cooperation and less conflict within groups when the emotions are positive rather than negative. And people don't even have to be in physical contact with each other to spread their feelings; nascent research shows that emotions easily transmit across social media platforms.

"In the absence of face-to-face communication, individuals are still able to sense or infer cues about emotions based on textual and behavioral indicators, which leads to diffusion of the emotion," according to the paper. That effect can be amplified by disinformation and what scholars describe as "echo chambers," where individuals only expose themselves to online information that they agree with and disregard other points of view.

If the research seems to point to an inescapable black hole of negativity, take heart. "The good news is that you can be inoculated, to a certain degree, against emotional contagion," Barsade said. She outlined three steps to help prevent the spread of unchecked emotions:
1. Be Aware
An understanding that emotional contagion exists is the first step in managing it. Awareness makes the process less automatic, which helps in resisting it. Barsade recommends putting feelings on pause for some self-examination.

"If you're feeling incredibly anxious or fearful, ask yourself: Do you really have a reason to feel this way? Or is it your friends, or your social media feeds, or news from non-expert sources that is leading you to feel that way?" she said.
2. Reduce Feedback
The big news of the day - whether it's the coronavirus or the economy - is a natural topic of conversation for friends, family, co-workers and strangers alike. But Barsade suggests that individuals limit the amount of feedback they let into their lives, especially from non-expert sources. That advice is critical when the news is short on facts and long on conjecture.

"Emotional contagion affects everyone, which means that it can also affect leaders."

"There's not a whole lot to say about [coronavirus] at this point, so most of what's said about it involves fears or stories that are interesting, which are mainly negative," she said. "I've been hearing from people all over the country where their co-workers are talking about, 'Well, we shouldn't let anybody in who comes from a state that has had the coronavirus.' Or complaining that they can't buy Clorox wipes. Or how they woke up in the middle of the night and had a little bit of a sore throat, and took their [temperature] immediately because they were afraid of it. What that does is, again, just feed into the emotional contagion."
3. Don't Ignore the Problem, but Be Purposeful

Barsade emphasized that limiting feedback doesn't mean that "you should put your head in the sand" and ignore what is happening. On the contrary, she advises people to stay alert and purposeful in both their words and actions.

"But be judicious about the conversation that you're taking in," she said. "Try to turn to health care and health policy experts and behavioral science experts, and even go to multiple experts. Look at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and the World Health Organization and the NIH (National Institutes of Health). That actually can also help with contagion, because you're feeding in other affective information and cognitive information that's going to help you."

When it comes to action, Barsade said, take the necessary precautions, don't do more than is needed - and don't panic.

"Be judicious about the conversation that you're taking in."

"The thing that is dangerous about emotional contagion in a COVID-19 situation, or any public health or other situation, is that it can lead to really problematic second-order effects both personally, in the form of fear and anxiety, but also societally," she said. "For example, the surgeon general is entreating people to not hoard masks that they really don't need, but health care workers do need." The Great Recession provides another example, where people whose finances were not directly affected still became anxious and took unnecessary steps.

Still, Barsade acknowledged that feelings are real and powerful, particularly during national events. Studies have found that Manhattan residents have lingering psychological effects from Sept. 11, for example.

"I should make it clear: You really feel this way. It's not cognitive, and you really feel this way," she said. "Of course, it does get even more intense when it becomes closer to you. And the reason for that is because you hear more and more, and you do have more of a legitimate fear that something might affect you."

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Coronavirus: How Emotional Contagion Exacts a Toll - Knowledge@Wharton

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The fear of catching the novel coronavirus has sparked a shopping frenzy that one New York City newsradio station aptly described as "Purell panic." Nationwide, stores from Target to Costco to Kroger have seen shelves stripped bare of hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, rubber gloves, toilet paper and anything else that shoppers think will help them prepare for possible quarantines against the virus, which has spread across 97 countries and killed at least 4,000 people.

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Team Charters for Better Remote Meetings

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Team Charters for Better Remote Meetings

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This article discusses the reasons behind a team charter and how to form a team charter. Forbes suggests using a team charter to have the best possible communication with virtual meetings. This relates very well with COVID causing many work places to change to remote working. I think that this article might have been more effective if it came out more towards the beginning of the pandemic as opposed to a year after the pandemic hit the United States. Overall, I think this is a beneficial article because it is what we are starting to introduce in this class and it allows a good ice breaking assignments for all groups that are made up of strangers.
Morgan Avink

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Despite the move to remote work, many teams have not fundamentally changed how they run and approach ... [+]
getty

Who enjoys meetings? Even before Covid-19 upended how we work, meetings were one of the most dreaded aspects of the working day. Since Covid-19, we have been having more meetings, but they have been shorter, with the net effect that we spend 11.5% less time in meetings every day. That is welcome news!

But we still need meetings. To ensure that meetings occur in an atmosphere of productivity, clarity, and enjoyment, teams need to discuss how they will run their meetings. This discussion can be done by verbal agreement or summarized in an email, but the best approach is to create a Communication Charter.

A Communication Charter is a short document that sets out how the team will communicate to get its work done. It defines what tools the team will use in meetings and other communications, how those tools will be used and explains the norms and behaviors expected among team members.
Communication Charters Are More Vital In The New Normal
By getting agreement and buy-in on how a team should communicate, the entire team can work together more smoothly and with less friction. Creating a Charter can surface assumptions about what team members see as the "right" way to do things and challenge those assumptions.

A pressing reason to create a Communication Charter is that many teams have not fundamentally changed how they run and approach such meetings despite the move to remote work. They run meetings the same way over Zoom as they did when the team was in the same room. Remote meetings need to be run differently; more trust, more psychological safety, less micromanagement and more purposeful communications from the team leader. Creating a Communication Charter allows for a reboot of the team and a fresh approach to how it operates.

With the rise in remote work, we may find ourselves in remote meetings with geographically-dispersed teams. We may be working with new parts of the company with different ways of doing things, so a communication charter can help recognize and minimize cultural differences.

Communication Charters are particularly vital for hybrid teams. When we have some members collocated and some remote on hybrid teams, the Charter can set out the processes and behavioral norms needed to ensure that the remote team members feel included and as much a part of the conversation as the members sitting together.
Involve the Team in Creating the Charter
For maximum buy-in by the team, make the Charter an activity for all team members. Getting their involvement results in something more reflective of how the team works; ideally, it reflects each team member's communication styles and preferences as much as possible.

More importantly, involving the team builds a feeling of ownership in the Charter. This is a great secondary benefit, building team cohesiveness and making everyone feel like their voice has been listened to.
What a Communication Charter Needs to Contain
While each remote or hybrid team has a very different context, some essentials are included in any Communication Charter. Ask these questions and use the answers to create the Communication Charter.
1) When will we meet, and who needs to join?
How often will we meet? What topics are best discussed in real-time versus offline?

This is a fundamental discussion that can reduce the number of unnecessary meetings.

Depending on the topic and the outcomes, who needs to join the meeting? Avoid the assumption that everyone needs to join every meeting. Ensure team members will only join a meeting if they will be contributing.

Make sure to set rules on when the team will not meet outside office hours to maintain work-life balance. If the team is global, set some guidelines around meeting times and time-zones to minimize the number of people who need to join at odd hours. Remember, not everyone needs to join every meeting,
2) What tools will we use, and for what tasks, to shorten meeting times?
While corporate IT policies may bind us, get agreement from the team on what tools will be used. What tools will be used for high-priority issues? What will we use for synchronous communication versus asynchronous? The key here is to ensure that we are using the right tools for the right tasks and that everyone agrees only to use those tools, so we have no interoperability issues.

Note that this includes all collaboration and communication tools, not just what we will use in meetings. Thinking about all tools can help identify ways to reduce the time spent in meetings.

Discuss what tasks can be done asynchronously, before or after a meeting. For example, create a rule that meeting time will not be used to give PowerPoint presentations, instead send the slide decks to the team to review them in advance, so the team comes to meetings with questions and ready to discuss. Use online collaboration tools like Mural or Miro to discuss and share opinions on virtual whiteboards outside meeting times.
3) What are our team norms and behaviors in meetings?
This is where the team needs to focus. It doesn't matter how good the meeting tools are or how they're used if the team lacks consensus on expected behaviors. When creating this, reflect the existing team culture and pre-existing norms.

Discuss how team members should act while on a call, e.g., no multitasking, will we use cameras on or not.

Define how to build team bonds on each call; e.g., every meeting kicks off with an icebreaker or a catch-up on what's going on outside work.

Set guidelines on how the team will make decisions, plus how to record and share those decisions. Ensure everyone has a written meeting summary, so there's no scope for misunderstanding.

Set an expectation that everyone on the call must contribute, but create some ways to help introverts or those who are not confident in English speak up and express themselves. This can be done asynchronously.

Once the Charter has been created, have the team review it, agree to it and put it into practice. If there's disagreement, refer back to the Charter and resolve disputes that way. Consider the Communication Charter as a living document, and update it as needed.

A Communication Charter will not do away with the scourge of bad meetings, but it will help guarantee better outcomes from the meetings that do take place.

... Read More

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To Have Better Remote Meetings, Create A Team Communication Charter

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Despite the move to remote work, many teams have not fundamentally changed how they run and approach online meetings. A Communication Charter allows for a reboot of the team and a fresh approach to how it operates in the New Normal of remote work.

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These 5 steps can help protect you from burnout

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These 5 steps can help protect you from burnout

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This article relate to emotional contagion because it discusses workplace burn out, how it can be contagious and how to protect yourself from it. It is scary to think that not only can you feel burned out for your own personal reasons but your co-workers struggling at work with burnout can also pass it on to you! This is a good article worth reading. -Cinthia Espinoza

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Reports of people feeling burned out seem to be everywhere these days. One unexpected ingredient to this proliferation of burnout is how the malady may actually be contagious.

In other words, you are more likely to suffer from burnout if you're around others who are burned out or are operating within circumstances that create the conditions for burnout. During the pandemic more people are struggling with both work and life circumstances, feeling burnout themselves, and sowing its symptoms in others.

But there is good news: There are ways to protect yourself against burnout. Moreover, it's possible to reduce the likelihood you'll face it while at the same time contributing to others' well-being.

THE CONTAGIOUS NATURE OF BURNOUT

Burnout tends to start with feelings of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that eventually progress to feelings of shame or doubt about your capabilities.

Moreover, burnout can develop into cynicism, when you feel a sense of negativity about circumstances as well as helplessness and a lack of motivation to solve problems or move forward. New research from City College of New York also finds that burnout aligns significantly with depression in terms of symptoms and effects. In the study of 1,386 people, 86% experienced an overlap between burnout and depression. This is especially true when stress is due to life events, job challenges, or a lack of support at the workplace.

And burnout isn't just an individual experience; according to a study by Michigan State University, it can actually be something you catch from others. Researchers found that burnout is spread among close colleagues and when people work in a culture where there are greater conditions for burnout. In particular, when connections in people's social networks are struggling, they are unable to provide support in the form of knowledge, time, resources, or emotional coaching. In short, when people are personally tapped out, they can't help others and the whole network is affected. In terms of context, burnout is typical when people feel a loss of control, when they feel ineffective, when they believe they've been treated unfairly, or when they feel disconnected from others.

THE HIGH COST OF BURNOUT

The costs of burnout are heavy. For individuals, burnout is associated with cardiovascular disease, immune disorders, and insomnia. In addition, the American Institute of Stress finds that burnout-in the form of absenteeism, employee turnover, reduced productivity, and associated (such as legal, medical, insurance) expenses-costs U.S. industries $300 billion per year.

Burnout is so prevalent that researchers have come up with a wearable device designed to monitor it. The device senses cortisol levels in the blood. Cortisol is the chemical released by our bodies when we're under conditions of stress, pressure, or challenge. The hope is that the device will help assess stress (and subsequent burnout) to manage its ill effects.

REDISCOVERING YOUR DRIVE

It should be a relief to know it is possible to guard against burnout. First, pay attention to your needs and the characteristics of your job. Research from the universities of Zurich and Leipzig finds that burnout is more prevalent when people don't get their unique needs met through their work. Most important are needs for leadership (influencing others, making decisions, setting direction, etc.) and affiliation (feeling close and connected, sharing common goals with others, etc.). Find a role where you can express the leadership and influence that are important to you and where you can get the connection you desire from colleagues.

The key here is focusing on a "match," since "more" is not necessarily better. So if you prefer not to take the lead or be in the spotlight (in other words, you have a low need for leadership), then find a role where you're not pushed to the front of the decision-making process. On the other hand, if you crave the ability to guide, direct, assert, and manage at work, find a role where you can do more of those kinds of activities. If your needs for connection are lower, find a role where you can work with more autonomy. If you're not in the perfect-fit role, express this to your boss in case there are ways to adjust your responsibilities. Also volunteer for projects that are a better match or consider seeking a new role that is more aligned with your preferences.

HOW TO FIGHT BURNOUT

You can also avoid burnout by focusing on personal characteristics associated with more resilience. Research published in the journal Current Psychology finds there are key ways to address burnout.

Focus on solving problems. Rather than avoiding problems, find ways to address them. If you're having a conflict with a coworker, sit down with them and talk through the issues. If you're over your head with a project at work, let your boss know and ask for help. Overall, seek to take action rather than sidestepping or evading issues.

Believe in your own abilities. Of course, you're not perfect, but having confidence in your capabilities will go a long way toward your success. Burnout is characterized by shame or questioning your effectiveness. Remind yourself of all you've accomplished. Make a list of your skills and talents. Focus on what you want to learn and where you want to go from here-identify the class you want to take or the person you want to get to know and learn from.

Identify the big picture. When people feel burned out, the world tends to appear smaller and solutions seem nonexistent. Focus on the bigger picture of your efforts. For example, you're not just caring for your children; you're contributing to their happiness and fulfillment. You're not just working in the accounting department of a company; you're ensuring the financial health of your organization. Focusing on how your role matters and how your work contributes to something greater can significantly reduce feelings of burnout or depression.

Nurture your relationships. Burnout can be isolating, and people who report burnout tend to feel disconnected from others. Nurture a few close relationships: Reach out to friends and colleagues and invest time in staying connected. This step can work for two reasons. First, people can support you-offering coaching, input, a listening ear, or resources. Also, when you focus on others, you expand your view away from yourself and this tends to contribute to feelings of positivity. Realizing you're not the only one with challenges and reminding yourself how much you can offer to others are great antidotes to feeling down or alone.

Keep perspective. Give yourself some slack and don't expect perfection. Maintain a sense of humor and remind yourself that you're always learning, and you won't always get it right. You may be down today, but you can pick yourself up and move forward with optimism.

Burnout doesn't have to be a life sentence, and it is possible to manage it. Even if you're feeling your brain is slightly fried, you can focus on the future and find a way through to happiness and fulfillment.

Tracy Brower, PhD,is a sociologist focused on work-life, happiness and fulfillment. She works for Steelcase. She is the author of two books, The Secrets To Happiness At Work and Bring Work to Life by Bringing Life to Work.

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These 5 steps can help protect you from burnout

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Reports of people feeling burned out seem to be everywhere these days. One unexpected ingredient to this proliferation of burnout is how the malady may actually be contagious. In other words, you are more likely to suffer from burnout if you're around others who are burned out or are operating within circumstances that create the conditions for burnout.

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8 Reasons to Consider a Team Charter
Team charters have a number of benefits, including increased productivity, helping people become more equipped to be successful and serving as a team checklist.  They hold everyone accountable and encourage togetherness.
Marissa Johnson

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How using a Team Charter drives success

Here are 8 reasons to consider using a Team Charter:
1) Guidance & Support
One of the key components of an effective team charter is the identification of a team sponsor or a person outside of the group who can give support and direction to the team. By bringing in an external or independent sponsor the team is offered objective support and direction. Many smaller companies don't have an internal employee who can perform this role. This is another area where Sprigg's team of HR experts can help. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.
2) Team Direction
A good Team Charter provides the rationale and goals for the group and, in turn, the necessary direction to drive a team forward and gain a clear competitive edge.
3) Transparency
A charter can ensure transparency within a team-leading to greater alignment, accountability, and actions. The document creates an opportunity for a team to build agreement around how they operate, make decisions, the regularity of meetings, and many more logistical issues.

4) A Well-Prepared Process Will Pay Dividend s

A team chartering process helps make sure a team plans successfully before moving forward. The charter is your team's checklist and action plan to ensure a smooth road towards high team productivity and collaboration.

It sounds simple but many companies forget to take the time at the start to fully craft a charter - including getting the all-important buy-in from all team members.

We suggest that the time spent in planning initially will be repaid both in time saved and frustration avoided.

The time spent in planning initially will be repaid many times over during the life of the team - both in time saved and frustration avoided.
5) Roles and Responsibilities
To get the most from a team charter, you should ensure that it encourages regular input from all team members.

Make the most each team member's interests, work styles, and skillsets by allocating roles and responsibilities to individuals based on what they can add to the overall team goals.

Utilize your people in the best way and you'll drive alignment and ensure much greater levels of accountability.
6) The Team Remit: Boundaries & Scope
Often teams wonder what's inside of their control and what is actually expected of them.

When done correctly a chartering process helps a team understand their boundaries, limitations and the parts for which they are responsible.
7) Authority and Resources
Teams often wonder about their level of authority.

Use your chartering document to clarify your team's level of authority and set the resource requirements needed for successful results. This helps to answer questions such as:

Can we get additional resources from within the organization?

What's our budget?

Can we hire consultants?

Can we bring in outside experts?

8) Improve Productivity & Chances of Success
When done correctly, the importance of a team chartering process is very significant. When you invest the time to do a team charter, you will inspire individuals and help the team as a whole be more successful through measurable goals and agreed types of accountability.

Conclusion

Creating a team charter is an effective and feasible way to ensure alignment with corporate and/or team objectives and help to drive both individual and company success.

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Here are 8 reasons to consider using a Team Charter: 1) Guidance & Support One of the key components of an effective team charter is the identification of a team sponsor or a person outside of the group who can give support and direction to the team.

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Employability in 2021 After a Global Pandemic

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Employability in 2021 After a Global Pandemic

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This article discusses the struggles that 2020 college graduates are going through when looking for a new job. With almost every company being shut down due to the pandemic, there are now more people looking for jobs than ever before that are straight from college. There are many job seekers stating their frustration with companies that are focusing on the gap in employment rather than their actual ability to do the job, their social skills, or their ambition. As a student that is going to be done with college in the next few years, I am making sure I do everything I can to address this shift in thinking, hoping people will go back to focusing on the individual's fit for the job rather than their lack of work within the last year or so.

Morgan Avink

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Almost a year after college graduation, 45% of the class of 2020 are still looking for work, according to a survey from career website Monster.

New graduates will join them in May.

While the economy has improved since last year, the employment outlook is still far from pre-pandemic levels. There were almost 7.9 million fewer Americans counted as employed in March 2021 than in February 2020.

"At the end of the day, we are still in the hole and we are still in a pandemic," said Nicole Smith, chief economist at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Meanwhile, younger workers are lagging behind. The overall unemployment rate for March was 6%, but 20- to 24-years old are facing a 10.3% unemployment rate.

The 2020 grads aren't eligible for unemployment benefits, although those who worked part-time may have qualified through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, created by the CARES Act. Benefits through that federal program have been extended through Labor Day.

If they have a gap in their resume, they should realize that is not uncommon during such an unprecedented pandemic.

The weak outlook has led many to take a job out of desperation, with 73% of recent or pending graduates saying they've done so, according to Monster's survey, which was conducted with Wakefield Research. It polled 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18-24 who are recent or upcoming grads, and 500 U.S. adults ages 18-24 who are non-graduates, between March 16 and March 26, 2021.

Kylie Mastricola, who graduated from Bethlehem, Pa.-based Moravian College last spring, saw many of her friends desperate just to get job interviews. The 23-year-old majored in psychology and women's, gender and sexuality studies and had been thinking about finding a corporate job, possibly in human resources. The pandemic changed all that.

"I felt extremely defeated and a little depressed," said Mastricola, who lives with her parents in Jefferson, N.J.

"Starting a career is a huge stress as it is, let alone the fact that the world had just shut down."

She had a hard time finding jobs she was qualified for and getting interviews. Other jobs she saw didn't even require a college degree and there was still stiff competition to land a meeting, she said.

To make ends meet, Mastricola has spent the past year giving private swim lessons, nannying and reselling clothes on her Instagram account.

There is cause for some optimism, said Monster career expert Vicki Salemi.

According to Monster's the Future of Work 2021 report, 82% of employers plan to hire this year.

"If they have a gap in their resume, they should realize that is not uncommon during such an unprecedented pandemic," she said.

Instead, employers mainly focus on evaluating first-time job seekers on their interview presence (61%), internship/work experience (55%), and cultural fit (34%), the Future of Work survey found.

That means job seekers should focus on practicing their interview skills, Salemi said. They should also think about different types of jobs, even freelance or temporary, to at least get their foot in the door.

"Once they get a job, they can always keep looking for a new one," she said.

While employers may want to hire, they are being cautiously optimistic, said Georgetown's Smith. Typically there is a lag between improvement in the economy and hiring. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the number of people employed won't return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

Those graduating this year may have a leg up on their predecessors. Employers project hiring 7.2% more new college graduates from the Class of 2021 than they did from the Class of 2020, according to a report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

They new grads may also have another advantage. Those who are long-term employed tend to have harder time getting jobs, and some of it is psychological, Smith said.

"Because the new graduates are coming in with all this energy, they might even have better outcomes just based on their own expectations, their grit and their drive," she noted.
More from Invest in You:
How creative 2020 college graduates are launching their careers
How to manage your money, boost your savings and start investing
Bobbi Brown, other CEOs share their advice for the next generation of women
The best thing for everyone to do is to not focus on anyone else, and just focus on the job search and acing the interview, according to Salemi. Look forward, and not backwards and apply for jobs as soon as they land in your inbox.
Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in .
"Employers are looking for dependability, adaptability, and problem solving skills," she said.

"Your communication skills can reflect that in an interview."

Mastricola has decided to pause her job hunt and instead is turning her clothing side-hustle into a full-time gig. She's now turning a profit of about $1,000 to $1,200 a week reselling clothing and is even looking for some retail space. While she is hopeful, she is still uncertain of where the future will take her.

"I am struggling with my mental health," she said. "I feel like I am transitioning out of college, even though I'm out almost a year now."

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Out of work and desperate: Here's what college graduates are facing and what they can do about it

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Almost a year after college graduation, 45% of the class of 2020 are still looking for work, according to a survey from career website Monster. New graduates will join them in May. While the economy has improved since last year, the employment outlook is still far from pre-pandemic levels.

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The hidden trap that I can most relate to in this article is fear of upsetting the balance.  I have watched many managers in my company come and go.  It's been a revolving door.  They were trained that "this is how we do things", on some level there must have been a fear to rock the boat and try something new.
Marissa Johnson

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Image credit: Shutterstock

8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Being a strategic leader isn't easy. Every day you are faced with multiple decisions, knowing that a single mistake can damage both your company's fortunes and your own. These choices can also have a serious impact on team morale, with studies showing that poor managerial decision making is the number one reason for employees handing in their notice. Meanwhile, scientific research has revealed several psychological traps hardwired into our brains can affect the decisions we make. So, let's look at these pitfalls and how you can avoid them.

1. Sticking with the status quo and the fear of upsetting the balance
People inherently fear change. Either consciously or subconsciously, we don't want to upset a perceived balance in business or life. So, we are more inclined to make decisions that maintain the status quo. This stems from our self-preservation instinct. We share a natural aversion when it comes to taking actions for which we may be held to account. Yet allowing yourself to fall into this trap can have far worse repercussions for the wider business, because you will end up avoiding the sometimes difficult adjustments needed for your company to grow (or even survive).

How you can avoid this trap: Maintaining the status quo could be the correct course of action, but you can't let fear dictate your choices. Strive to explore and compare alternative approaches to make sure your choice is the right one. Always analyze the options on offer with a view to their business value in the future, not just in the present. Turn the decision on its head: would you choose your current approach if it wasn't already the status quo? Break down the decision into how well it meets your goals and targets, and how the options on offer align with your business strategy.

2. Anchoring and relying on first impressions
This trap is the tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information we receive when trying to make a decision. For example, when negotiating a deal, we are inclined to allow the first offer that is put on the table to set the limits of our subsequent decision-making. This means we are more likely to make counter-offers that don't stray too far from this initial figure. This cognitive bias is known as anchoring. It can lead us to ignore specific business contexts (rapidly changing market, economic pressures, etc.) in favour of limited information 'anchors'. This means that our decisions are not taking advantage of all the data available and are less likely to be successful.

How you can avoid this trap: First impressions matter but set aside that initial piece of information for the moment and seek other approaches and perspectives. Recognize that you need to create a more rounded context and you will be able to build a clearer picture of what is needed. Quite simply, the more information you have to work with, the better your decision will be.

Author Lars Kirchhoff has suggested that a good way to debias anchoring is by instantly setting multiple anchors when faced with this trap, to confuse the brain and snap out of the hardwired thinking. For example, you could try mentally throwing out a range of arbitrary figures when the aforementioned offer is placed on the table. When looking to others (consultants or colleagues) for advice, be careful not to offer up too many of your own thoughts on the subject, so that you avoid providing unintended anchors for them.

3. Refusing to leave your echo chamber
If you've been paying attention to world affairs, you might have already seen how this trap works. It's especially prevalent on social media, where it's easy to find and connect with people who share your views, likes and dislikes. Great for socializing but incredibly dangerous for business. Operating from the safety of a bubble -or echo chamber- means you will only see and hear your own reflected biases and preconceptions, 'confirming' what you already thought. It will also make it far easier for you to dismiss conflicting evidence, despite any validity it might have. The best decisions are made based on rational and objective examination of all available evidence.

How you can avoid this trap: Studies have shown that those with a better balance and diversity of ideas in their network could benefit from up to 30% higher ROI. So, be a social explorer, connecting with new people and ideas to expose yourself to a wide range of thinking. Get in the habit of willfully seeing the opposing view when it comes to decisions. Is there evidence that supports making a different choice? Can you identify an approach you've dismissed for reasons of instinct rather than merit? Have you considered all the available evidence or only that which you've received from within your business bubble? Ask for advice from people you trust to be objective and honest, not someone who you know is likely to support your point of view. Hiring smart people who don't necessarily agree with your world-view can work wonders for breaking down that echo chamber.

4. Not framing the question properly
When faced with a problem, you will often have a range of solutions to choose from and it's up to you to pick the best one. But did you know that the nature of the question - and the way it is asked - is just as crucial to making a good decision? As an example, psychological research has shown that people are risk averse when facing a dilemma that talks about 'potential gains', but more inclined to take a risk to 'avoid losses'. So bear in mind that how you frame your question or problem can affect your instinctive decision making and act as a barrier to making the correct choice.

How you can avoid this trap: Take some time before making the decision to ask yourself the question, or try posing the problem in several different ways. For example, is the glass half full or half empty? Reframing it might bring to light some areas of subconscious bias that could affect your choices and help you bring more balance to your decision making. Always consider and challenge the framing imposed by others to make sure their presentation of the question or problem isn't going to sway you into making the wrong choice.

5. Being held hostage to the past
Once you've made a bad decision, it can be embarrassing to cut your losses and run. It might be the right thing to do, but it's difficult to hold up your hands and admit you made a mistake (especially if there are serious penalties). Consequently, people often avoid this approach and double down on their past decision instead. When this happens, they end up being held hostage to previous poor choices, which reduces the chances of any future decisions being good ones.

How you can avoid this trap: Take advantage of advice from people unconnected with the past decision, as they will be able to offer objective feedback and help you understand when it's time to move on. Similarly, it doesn't hurt to delegate responsibility to a party who isn't held hostage to a past decision. In their Harvard Business Review article 'The Hidden Traps in Decision Making', the authors talk about this 'sunk cost' trap and present the example of bankers who gave loans to companies who got into financial difficulty. They found that that the same bankers who originated the loan were more likely to continue throwing money at the problem than somebody new who could be more objective. And be aware of your employees falling into this same trap and encourage them to own up to their mistakes. Make sure that the penalties for admitting mistakes are not so severe that you're actually encouraging people to double down on their past poor decisions.

Learn to recognize these traps and you will improve your decision making
The psychology behind making decisions is fascinating and well worth further exploration, especially for those whose companies rely on them to make the best choices possible. Admittedly, you won't make the right decision every time, but by acknowledging the traps you will give yourself the best chance possible.

Related: Why Data Analytics Can Help Drive Sales For Your Business

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Five Hidden Traps That Can Affect Decision Making

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8 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Being a strategic leader isn't easy. Every day you are faced with multiple decisions, knowing that a single mistake can damage both your company's fortunes and your own.

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This article is very interesting to me because information power is not one that is defined within our textbook. I do think that have the power of information is a very helpful thing when trying to run a business because it gives you an advantage. Like the article says, knowing about different advances early and being persuasive enough to implement these new actions really will benefit a company. The risk-taking aspect of this really related to the reading from this week and how as leaders with power we are more likely to take risks. I believe this article proves that statement.
Morgan Avink

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Getty

There are lots of ways to leverage and gain power in an organization. There's reward power (rewarding people for following directives), coercive power (punishing those who fail), legitimate power (having a managerial title), referent power (being well-liked or charismatic), and expert power (doing things better than others).

But there's another source of power, information power, and top executives are more likely to employ it than leaders lower in the organizational hierarchy (like managers and supervisors).

More than 10,000 people have taken the online test " Which Types Of Power Do You Use? " which assesses which of the six major power types you prefer. And based on the data, we know that top executives are about 20% more likely to use information power than managers and supervisors. And ironically, top executives are about 28% more likely to use information power than frontline employees.

Information power typically comes from two sources. First, it results from having information that others haven't seen. If you've read the latest industry forecast, and no one else on the team has read it, you've got information that they don't have. And that gives you power.

Second, information power comes from delivering persuasive and compelling reasons why someone should do a particular thing. Imagine that your company is implementing new technology, and people are generally resisting the change. If you can provide convincing reasons for why this change is necessary, perhaps with information others don't have, you're again using information power.

Now, here's why it's a bit ironic that top executives use this power more than anyone else, from frontline employees through middle managers. Information power doesn't require having a high-ranking title to use; it only requires a willingness to acquire and share information that would be useful to others.

Imagine you start tracking trends in your industry or functional area, and you find a few interesting articles or videos. Then, maybe once a week, you send them over to your boss and the rest of the team. As long as you do it with a genuine desire to be helpful, and not in an I'm-smarter-than-you way, your boss and team will likely start coming to you for answers and insight. And that dramatically increases your information power (and thus your influence capital).

And yet, even though this power is easy for anyone to obtain and use (including frontline employees with no formal authority), it's top executives who use it most frequently.

We might have expected that top executives would be more likely to use legitimate power by virtue of their lofty ranking in the organizational hierarchy. It's not hard to say, "I can ask you to do this task because I'm the boss" when you are, in fact, the boss. Yet the fact that it's not the primary power used by executives tells us that it has some drawbacks.

Among those drawbacks is that power based on title isn't as soft as power based on information. It's pretty easy to imagine that hearing, "follow my orders because I'm the boss" would get pretty tiresome after a while. It might even start to feel autocratic. And in a recent study on autocratic leadership, we discovered that fewer than 20% of people responded well to an autocratic leadership approach.

We might also have expected top executives to frequently employ referent or charisma power. But surprisingly, frontline employees are about 50% more likely to rely on charisma than their company's senior executives.

But again, there must be some drawbacks to charisma if executives are using it less frequently. Among the biggest drawbacks of relying on charisma is that it's hard to develop. There are certainly techniques that can improve one's charisma, but they take time and practice. By contrast, gathering data or interesting articles that benefit the team is comparatively easy.

There's an abundance of easy-to-gather and insightful resources available to everyone. And yet, the test "Which Types Of Power Do You Use?" tells us that senior executives are far more likely to gather and share that information than any other level in the corporate hierarchy.

I recall giving a speech to a group of 1,000 technology employees who were frustrated because they felt blindsided by the company's recent shift in strategy. But the new strategy had been detailed extensively in the previous year's annual report. So I asked the employees, "How many of you have actually read your company's annual report?" Only 80 hands went into the air. And that shows just how few people are really availing themselves of easy-to-procure information (and thus informational power).

We live in an era where information is power. So if you want to acquire more power, start by following top executives and acquiring more information.

... Read More

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Top Executives Are 20% More Likely To Use This Type Of Power (And Everyone Should Try It)

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More than 10,000 people have taken the online test "Which Types Of Power Do You Use?" which assesses which of the six major power types you prefer. And based on the data, we know that top executives are about 20% more likely to use this particular type of power.

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In short, the answer is yes.  All people have needs that must be met in order to be happy and successful. This article does point out that Maslow's Hierarchy may not be all-inclusive though because different cultures have different views on which basic needs are most important.
Marissa Johnson

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Most resources for entrepreneurs are aimed towards older people.
But what about young adults or even teenagers?
Entrepreneurship is a great way to learn new skills, develop connections, and hopefully make money.

For those who don't find the traditional go-to-school-and-find-a-job route appealing, entrepreneurship is a great alternative path.

I've written this guide as a high-level outline of how to be a successful young entrepreneur, including some resources to help you get started.

It covers all the areas that you will have to at least be aware of, and I've linked tons of resources that have a lot of depth on specific topics that are relevant to you.

What Does It Mean to Be a Young Entrepreneur?

Keeping a business alive, let alone making sure it's profitable is a tough challenge.

That's why around 20% of businesses don't exist after the first year.

Of the remaining 80%, many are losing money or just breaking even.

Add youth into the mix, and it's even harder to be a successful entrepreneur.

On top of the usual challenges, you have a few more obstacles to overcome:

Age - Being young means that you have a lot of time ahead of you to learn and build businesses. But it also means that many people won't take you seriously.

Lack of money - It's a lot easier to build a successful business if you can invest some money in it at the start. Most young people have very little that can be put into a business.

Small network - Having a strong network of intelligent and powerful people makes starting a business much easier. You may be too young to know anybody that can help you.

Little experience - We learn through experiences, and being young means that you don't have much in the way of business experience. Your initial chances of succeeding go way down because of this.

I don't say all this to scare you but, unfortunately, that's the reality of the situation. Entrepreneurship is hard, especially for younger people in general.

Now, take a second to think about what success means to you...

Success may not mean making tons of money. Maybe it's about learning how to run a business right now and developing skills?

The biggest benefit to being young is that you have lots of time to fail - and learn. It takes most people several businesses before they achieve their version of success.

The good news is - you're starting early and it's okay if you don't build an incredibly profitable business right away.

How to Become an Entrepreneur

I'm not going to assume you have any business experience (even though you might) in this section.

Let's take a step-by-step look at the core steps in creating a business:

Step #1: Brainstorm Ideas

Every business starts with an idea.

It doesn't have to be an idea that you commit to for the rest of your life, or a world-changing idea for that matter.

Most successful small businesses are not going to be the next Facebook or Tesla.

Your idea only needs to meet 2 requirements:

1. Be something that provides value to others

2. Be something that you're at least interested in

In order to provide value to others, you will need to have skills of some kind. It's okay if you don't have them yet so long as learning them is achievable. For example:

Have to learn how to create a landing page? Reasonable.

Have to learn how to perform surgery? Not reasonable, it takes several years of school to do that.

You may have certain skills that you enjoy using and can be the focus of your business.

Skills like programming, video editing, and photography are great skills to have but are not incredibly common.

Here is a quick list of business ideas that require skills that just about any young person has or could learn in a reasonable amount of time:

You'll notice that most of these are service-based businesses. They require hard work but are doable for most young people.

If you ever drive around a college neighborhood, you'll see signs for house painting and lawn cutting and these businesses are run by students.

These businesses are in demand, have a proven business model, and you can carve out your own space because they are so dependant on location.

I also included a few online businesses (graphic design) because these are skills that you can learn for free - online. They also cost next to nothing to start, plus, you never have to reveal your age if you don't want to.

Step #2: Do Market Research

Regardless of whether or not you picked an idea from the list above or came up with another, you need to do some basic market research.

You need to prove that there's demand for your service or product and find a way for your business to stand out from the crowd.

To do this, look for competitors.

At first, competition may seem like a bad thing but it's the complete opposite. It shows that people actually want that service or product and are willing to pay for it.

Start by making a list of all close competitors. You can typically do this with a simple Google search, for example:

Add the area if appropriate.

Then you need to learn more about each of them.

What do they do well? What could they improve? How much do they charge? Where do they get their customers?

Create a spreadsheet or Word document where you'll write all this down as you do your research.

You'll find this information in a variety of places, depending on the type of business idea you have:

Their website

Google and Yelp reviews

On forums

What you're looking for are comments or reviews like this one:

From there it's already clear how you could make a better dog walking service:

1. Meet the dog in person right away during the initial consultation

2. Always be available through phone and email during business days

3. Keep customers informed of any delays in their service

4. Pay attention to the needs of the individual dog

And that's all from one review.

By the end of your list, you'll have a detailed picture of your ideal business in the words of your target customer.

Step #3: Consider Funding

How much money, if any, will be needed to start and fund your business until it's profitable?

Businesses need money for:

Stock (if selling a product)

Skills training (e.g. dog training course)

Business requirements (e.g. dog walking permit)

Insurance

Supplies

A website

Some businesses are cheaper than others to launch and sustain. If you don't have access to much in the way of funding, try to find a low-cost idea.

Make a list of all the things your business will need, as well as the cost of each.

You'll need to raise this amount before you launch your business, and, ultimately, before you can bring any money in.

If you aren't able to, start back at step #1 and pick a different idea.

As a younger person, it's likely you'll have limited options:

A job

Parents and family

Friends (rare, but possible)

Investors (again, difficult for young people)

Grants

So how do you raise money?
I know the appeal of entrepreneurship may be to avoid the dreaded 9-to-5 job, but sometimes you need to work a bit to raise money for your own projects.

I've included more detailed funding resources later on in this guide.

Step #4: Create a Business Plan

A business plan is important to show your family and friends that you're serious about your business. It's also a basic requirement if you're trying to get funding from an investor.

But, it's also important to give yourself the best possible chance of success.

A business plan is a way of summarizing the key aspects of your business and ensures that you have a clear path to profit, including validating your business model.

It doesn't need to be a huge book at this point, even a well-written one-page business plan is a great start.

Step #5: Prepare for Launch

With your market research done, a business plan in place, and funding achieved, you should have a clear picture of what your business will look like.

Now it's time to do all the necessary work to get from your current position to the one you have in your mind.

This may include:

Buying supplies

Learning any necessary skills

Registering your business if necessary (more on that later)

Creating a website

Developing forms (if customers need to fill anything out)

Once you think you're ready, it's likely that you're not quite there.

The next step is to do a dry run.

Find a customer, even if you have to do the work for free. You can even get a friend or family member to pose as a customer - who they are doesn't matter at this point.

Go through the entire transaction seriously and treat it as though it's real. You'll likely run into situations and problems you didn't think of beforehand and this will help you figure out how you can solve them.

Repeat this cycle as many times as you need before you feel comfortable launching your business.

Step #6: Launch Your Business and Adjust

To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions. - Steve Jobs

At this point, you have a long list of things that you've done just to get the business ready for launch.

But now the real work starts, especially once the excitement of launching wears off.

You'll need to:

Find your first customers

Collect feedback

Tweak your services and processes

Find a way to become profitable

This is easier for some businesses than others, but it's never easy.

Running a successful business takes a lot of persistence and willingness to fail and learn.

That concludes our high-level overview of starting a business, but I've put together a few sections below of specific resources that will help you overcome common problems.

Mentorship for Young Entrepreneurs

In most cases, a mentor is someone you respect that gives you advice. Typically, they've done something that you want to do. In this case - run a successful business.

Since you lack experience as a young entrepreneur, finding a good mentor can make up for it.

But let me make one thing clear - y ou can be successful without a mentor.

Often, they will increase the chances of your success but they are not mandatory. If you want to do this all on your own, that's fine - just skip ahead.

If you are interested in finding a mentor, there are 4 main places you can find one:

1. A family member

2. A friend of the family

3. Local business owners that own a business you respect

4. Business owners looking to give back

But before you look for a mentor, it's important to understand what a mentor is.

A mentor is not going to do everything for you or tell you what to do. Typically, they will answer questions and point you towards topics you that you need to research and learn about.

A mentor doesn't get much out of helping you, just the satisfaction of giving back and helping a young entrepreneur succeed. Be respectful and take their advice and you'll soon develop a strong, ongoing relationship with your mentor.

I'll also add one caution: If they ask for money, that should be a red flag that you might want to find a different mentor.

Resources to Find a Mentor

If you have successful entrepreneurs in or close to your family, that's the best place to start.

Otherwise, you're left with options 3 and 4.

If you choose 3, make a list of businesses in your area that you like and know are successful. Track down the name of the owner of each of them.

For 4, you can find them at local business events, or use these websites that help connect entrepreneurs with mentors:

SCORE - An American based network of volunteer business mentors. It focuses on small businesses, which is perfect for the business ideas we looked at before. It's extremely reputable as it's backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and has been in service since 1964.

MicroMentor - A free social network that lets entrepreneurs and volunteer mentors connect.

MentorCity - Another online mentoring matching program that connects entrepreneurs to mentors for free.

The people who join this network as volunteer mentors are actively looking to give back to less experienced entrepreneurs and can be great mentors.

Once you've identified some mentors you're interested in getting advice from, you need to get in touch with them.

Here's how to get mentored - the right way.

Step #1: Do Work Beforehand

Don't get a mentor just for the sake of getting a mentor.

You should try to find one because you are feeling lost in your endeavor to start a business. You have a good idea of what you'd like to do and have done all the research you can but are clearly missing a few pieces.

Write down all the specific things you'd appreciate advice about.

Step #2: Ask For Specific Advice

Remember that you're not offering much value to a potential mentor.

They're trying to do a nice thing for you or others, so make it easy on them.

If you ask general questions, ramble on, or just say "teach me how to run a successful business," it shows that you haven't done the work beforehand.

Do everything you can to solve your own problems and then ask for help. That's what will impress potential mentors.

Nicholas Reese has a great article and video about how to ask for advice effectively. He shares the following short, simple, and effective template.

Step #3: Apply the Advice and Follow Up

Successful business people have no shortage of people wanting help from them.

Many are generous people who take the time to help as many people as possible. But they quickly stop if it's clear they aren't being respected. This is how people are in general, not just where business is concerned.

If you ask them for advice initially and they give you some, follow up with them, thank them for the advice, and show them how you've implemented it. Show them that you actually care about and respect their opinion.

Only then should you ask for more advice.

Over time, this is how you build a closer mentor-mentee relationship, and your mentor will get more interested and involved with your success.

Financing for Young Entrepreneurs

Beyond the obvious sources for funding, there are some small business grants that you may be able to get to start your business.

While some of these are geared towards young entrepreneurs, don't limit yourself just to them.

It will depend a lot on where you live so you'll need to do additional research. However, here are some sources for grants along with other funding information:

Conclusion

Being a young entrepreneur is not easy but it can be incredibly rewarding.

Not only does it give you the chance to grow as a person and explore your passions, but it has the potential to enable you to create a life that you love. No arduous 9-to-5 job, earning money for yourself, growing a team of dedicated employees, serving customers' needs, and becoming a force to be reckoned with in your industry.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

FAQs About Becoming a Young Entrepreneur

At this point, there are probably a few final questions going through your mind.

Let me try to answer them.

There are some big negatives to being young but also some big positives:

1. You have no big financial responsibilities (no dependents or debt)

2. You have a lot of freedom to try new things

3. It's easy to fall back on school if you change your mind

4. You have minimal living expenses, so immediate profit isn't necessary

What are the benefits of starting a business when you are young?
As we've looked at in this guide, there are many business ideas that require very little capital to start up.

If you do come across big expenses, developing an app, for example, it may be worth learning the skills and doing the work yourself to save money.
Do I need a lot of money to start a business as a young person?
A business plan can be anything from a paragraph to a thousand-page report. There's no right or wrong way to make one.

It just needs to outline what your business will do, how it will profit, and how it will be marketed, at the very minimum.

Here's a detailed guide to creating a simple business plan.
How do I write a business plan?
It depends on the business you choose to start. In many cases, depending on where you live, you can skip the business license and operate as a sole proprietor.

Refer to this guide to choosing the right business type for more specific information.

Further Reading & Online Resources
As a young adult do I need a business license?
There are a bunch of general business topics that you may not have experience in. I've put together a list of resources that will help point you in the right direction.

Here they are:

Hopefully, all of the above has given you a good understanding of how to start a business, whether you are a teenager or young adult.

Using the resources in this guide, you'll be able to dive in deeper and get to work on your business, making sure all of the necessary steps are in place as you launch your business to the world.

Good luck!

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Got an Idea? Here's How To Become a TOP Entrepreneur Today - Digital.com

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Most resources for entrepreneurs are aimed towards older people. But what about young adults or even teenagers? Entrepreneurship is a great way to learn new skills, develop connections, and hopefully make money. For those who don't find the traditional go-to-school-and-find-a-job route appealing, entrepreneurship is a great alternative path.

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Interesting article I found about SMART goal setting. It provides a slightly different perspective on this practice than the textbook. One thing that I find very informational is that it provides tips as to how to accomplish each different step of the goal making process.
Morgan Avink

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How to write SMART goals (with examples)

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SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Here, we work through an example of how to write them.

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Growth Mindset Definition and How You Can Use It In Your Job

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Growth Mindset Definition and How You Can Use It In Your Job

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This article is a great read related to this weeks material. A person with a fixed mindset will avoid any challenges and give up when faced with obstacles, a growth mindset likes to develop new skills and knowledge. This articles gives great information on how to develop a growth mindset in the work place.
-Cinthia Espinoza

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Developing your knowledge, learning new things and adapting to changes are a few definitions of having a growth mindset.

Being a better person, especially in your workplace, can equal success. And it all boils down to having a positive attitude toward things.

In biotechnology, where change is constant in terms of development, having a progressive mindset is essential to improve life through science.
RELATED: Set Post-Pandemic Career Goals with These Tips
Definition of Having a Growth Mindset

Dr. Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford University, revealed in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success that having a growth mindset allows improvement and development in your brain, intelligence and talents.

At the same time, the person who is willing to grow develops for the better. They are more likely to become better people as their skillsets are improved through training, hard work and perseverance.

They improve on their failures and learn from their mistakes to become better people.

She also concluded that humans have two types of mindsets -- a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.

Growth Mindset Vs. Fixed Mindset

The opposite of having a growth mentality is having a fixed mindset. If a growth mindset thinks about developing new skills and knowledge, having a fixed one has their intelligence stuck at a more static state.

A person with a fixed mindset avoids challenges, gives up easily when faced with an obstacle, is emotional about negative criticisms and is threatened by other people's success.

People like this don't develop growth in their career and experience a plateau by not allowing themselves to improve and reach their full potential.

Having a fixed mindset doesn't mean it's the end of the road for someone. Small and progressive changes can be done to turn it around.
RELATED: 7 Out-of-the-Box Strategies to Advance Your Career
How to Develop a Growth Mindset?

Here are some of the ways you can improve yourself and develop a growth mindset.

1. Embrace Failures

Failure gives a person the ability to learn from any mistake. Embracing failure is a way to be a better person. This way, you'll see the things you need to improve on.

Ignoring your failures can inhibit your ability to reach a state of success.

2. Challenge Yourself

Pushing yourself to the limits makes for a very good learning experience. For some people, a challenge could be a negative experience. But when you have a growth mindset, a challenge should be a way to grow and learn.

3. Be Open To Changes

Doing the same tasks over and over will prevent you from learning new things. Change can be difficult for some since it will let them out of their comfort zones, but it is a way to improve your skills and gain new knowledge.

4. Grit

Fostering grit can help you move forward and be focused on your goals, even if there are obstacles that you have to face along the way.

5. Set Your Goals

List down and set goals to give you an idea of what you need to pursue. This activity will allow you to move forward.

Crossing out a goal and moving on to the next one gives you the mental capacity to finish and go through things in an orderly way.

6. Be Curious

Have an open mind and be curious about everything. Don't think that if you know about something, then you'll have to stop learning.

Explore even further to give yourself more knowledge about things. You'll be surprised at how much more you'll learn. Never stop learning.

7. Add "Yet" To Your Vocabulary

Adding "yet" to your vocabulary helps you overcome anything despite any challenges or struggles you face.

8. Have a Can-Do Attitude

You need to alter your attitude of being an "I can't do it" person. Having an optimistic attitude helps you do anything and be an inspiration for people around you. Infect other people with positivity.

9. Welcome Feedback

Listening to feedback and adjusting yourself lets you grow and learn new things. Stop being a "know it all," and instead be open to criticisms since it will help you become better and change yourself from your mistakes.

10. Mindfulness

It is not just about adjusting your way of thinking, but also about helping yourself become mentally and physically fit.

Physical activities such as jogging or stretching and mental activities like meditation can help you focus on things and clarify your mind.

Examples Of Having A Growth Mindset

Here are some examples of having a growth mindset in the workplace.

1. Workplace Criticism

When being corrected or criticized, a person should use the feedback to improve themselves instead of being hurt or ignoring the comments.

2. See How Everyone Works

In a team, learning how your teammates work can help you learn new skills. It can also be a way to develop a more efficient work environment because everyone will know how each member works.

3. Hiring

When picking a new member for your team, look at a person's strengths and see how you can learn and grow from each other. Doing this can help improve the work environment and let that person adjust easily. It can be beneficial for you both.

4. Fight Insecurities

Insecurities may arise when facing new tasks. Instead of having the mindset of failing because of the lack of experience in one field, let it be an opportunity to learn new skills and grow.

5. Experiment

Experiment or consider new strategies. It could open a whole lot of ideas to improve your workflow and learn new things.

In biotechnology, constant learning and being open to other people's thinking can spark innovative concepts to develop new ideas.

In the working world, having a growth mindset can lead to success. Continuous learning and being a better person can be contagious and can equate to a healthy work environment.

And in life, being optimistic and always thinking about growing is a great way to improve yourself and be a better person.

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growth mindset definition and how you can use it in your job

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Growth Mindset Definition and How You Can Use It In Your Job | BioSpace

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Developing your knowledge, learning new things and adapting to changes are a few definitions of having a growth mindset. Being a better person, especially in your workplace, can equal success. And it all boils down to having a positive attitude toward things.

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What Makes a 360 Degree Review Successful?

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What Makes a 360 Degree Review Successful?

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This article states that many companies are missing an opportunity to use these peer reviews to their advantage.  It says that most of the time, the reviews are completed and then tossed aside leaving many missed opportunities for growth and improvement.
Success comes from: candid observations, there are a variety of respondents, and there is follow-up for accountability.
Marissa Johnson

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Too many companies don't take the 360-degree feedback process seriously enough. Often it goes like this: After shopping around and deciding on a 360-degree feedback instrument, talent professionals administer it to the colleagues of each participant. After aggregating the data, those same professionals send a summary report to the leader, who then reads through the report with some interest and puts it away. Sometimes, it's never discussed again.

The outcome? Little, if anything, changes. The mindset of the leaders who received the feedback report isn't altered. They don't change their behavior toward others. In most cases, this process doesn't do any damage (other than wasting time and money), but it's a missed opportunity - for the leader and the company.

Organizations that take the process more seriously, of course, get much better results. The 360-degree feedback instrument itself may be exactly the same, but the way it's administered is completely different. This approach stands in contrast to what we've described above - and is what we strongly recommend. Here are some of the key differences:

The leader helps choose who among their colleagues should respond to the survey.

The leader personally communicates with those respondents, asking them to provide their candid observations.

The report is presented to the leader, either in a group setting (if multiple people are taking the instrument at the same time) or in a one-on-one coaching conversation.

The leader is provided with context and guidance to understand the data.

The leader also receives a customized set of developmental recommendations, mapped to the company's leadership competencies, to help them create a personal development plan.

There is follow-up from the talent professionals to ensure accountability.

There are many reasons to follow a process that looks more like this one. In our 30 combined years of helping organizations and leaders implement 360-degree feedback instruments, we've seen the following benefits of using this process.

Expanded self-awareness.

This is one of the most important outcomes of any feedback process. People with little self-awareness are often puzzled by the behavior of others toward them. They might wonder, "Why do people not include me in their casual conversations?" "Why do I end up in heated arguments?" "Why was I not chosen to lead this project? I know more than the person they selected." When a 360-assessment is carried out as described above, the leader is able to compare their self-ratings to the ratings from others. Having ratings from multiple people (we recommend at least a dozen) provides greater evidence that this is much more than just one person's opinion. Combined with accountability, this evidence serves as a strong impetus to change.

In our experience, leaders are sometimes pleasantly surprised by the differences between their own opinions of themselves and the observations of others. There are usually a few pieces of feedback that are confusing and cause the leader to question, "Why would someone think that?" All of this is part of the expansion of their self-awareness, as they learn more about their strengths and weaknesses. Their world makes more sense.

Reiteration of important messages.

Leaders who go through a serious 360-degree feedback process will often reflect on a comment or piece of feedback and say something to the effect of, "I've heard that before. My (husband/wife/partner/roommate) has told me that, but I didn't think it was that important." But now, when a dozen or more people collectively observe that the leader isn't a good listener, for example, the message is louder and clearer. The 360-degree feedback process underscores the seriousness and credibility of the feedback.

The anonymity of process means that the feedback was given by colleagues with the understanding that they would be confidential. The result is far greater honesty and candor. And, we're happy to say that after decades of conducting and reviewing thousands of 360-degree feedback reports, we almost never see messages that are intentionally barbed or mean-spirited.

Increased likelihood of change.

Improving your leadership effectiveness requires behavior change. A 360-feedback process, when done right, greatly increases the chances that change will occur. When leaders find out that others see them differently than they intend or want to be seen, they have a simple choice. Either they redefine how they see themselves, or they change their behavior. For example, if others tell me that I'm rigid and don't listen to a different viewpoint, the next time I'm in a discussion about a controversial topic, I'm more inclined to catch myself and listen. And if I continue to argue and hold tight to my views, I'll be faced with the realization that the others' perceptions of me were correct.

There's also an increased likelihood of change if several leaders go through this process together. Social reinforcement makes it easier for everyone involved to be more receptive to new ideas and feedback. This is the same reason that working with a coach can help a leader to change; the coach holds leaders accountable for their commitments to change their behavior, and follows up to see if they did.

Our research has shown that there are specific behaviors that are highly correlated with any competency a person is seeking to improve. For example, our data reveals that people who receive high scores on strategic thinking are far more prone to do the following:

Visit their customers

Emphasize innovative solutions

Analyze trends

Communicate with stories, illustrations, and parables

Establish stretch goals

Correlation, we all know, does not prove causation; but knowing specific behaviors that go hand-in-hand with a competency you want to improve provides useful clues about non-obvious ways to become a better leader.

Links between business outcomes and leadership behavior.

Another motivation for a leader to change their behavior is seeing the impact on measurable outcomes, such as employee engagement and effort. When they understand that altering the way they lead can result in better performance, they're much more likely to follow through.

For example, the best 360-degree feedback assessments measure the current level of engagement and commitment of the leader's direct reports. When the connection between the leaders' behavior and an important metric like engagement is made visible, they better comprehend the consequences of their actions.

We know from hundreds of studies that as leadership effectiveness increases, so does the retention of valued employees, customer satisfaction, profitability, productivity, and employee engagement. The graph below shows the assessment results from 97,617 leaders. Each leader was rated by their direct reports on 49 behaviors that differentiate poor leaders from great ones. The horizontal axis is the average score on these behaviors - an overall leadership effectiveness index. The vertical axis shows employee engagement (e.g., satisfaction and commitment) for the leader's direct reports. Note that for every decile of improvement in overall leadership effectiveness, engagement increases by more than five percentile points.

Performance improvement beyond a single leader.

When a leader improves their effectiveness, it doesn't just benefit them or their direct reports. Other people throughout the organization benefit, too. We've seen that as one leader improves others are motivated to do the same, creating a ripple effect that lasts over time.

In fact, all levels of leadership in an organization are influenced by the collective capability of the top team. We've seen in our research that if the top team scores just above average in overall leadership effectiveness, each successive layer below them will have lower scores. In contrast, if the top team has aggregate scores at the 80 th percentile, it creates an "updraft" in the organization, and scores are higher at every level. This, of course, means that investing in leadership development at the top can pay big dividends. What better influence can a senior team have on a company than to make clear that the top team is collectively working on becoming more effective in their roles?

Companies have continued to use the 360-degree process throughout the years because it works. But for it to have the outcomes we've outlined above, it has to be implemented in a way that engages leaders in the process so they are compelled and motivated to become better leaders. When leaders learn through feedback whether others' perceptions of them are different than their own, identify a weakness to fix or a strength to build, and understand if their leadership is affecting the productivity and engagement of their direct reports, they can use - and act on - that information, improving themselves and the company in the process.

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What Makes a 360-Degree Review Successful?

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Too many companies don't take the 360-degree feedback process seriously enough. Often it goes like this: After shopping around and deciding on a 360-degree feedback instrument, talent professionals administer it to the colleagues of each participant. After aggregating the data, those same professionals send a summary report to the leader, who then reads through the report with some interest and puts it away.

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Remote Work Might Force Us To Be Better Cross-Cultural Managers

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Remote Work Might Force Us To Be Better Cross-Cultural Managers

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This article is a brief explanation of how COVID has had the possibility to enhance our cross-cultural management capabilities. With being able to have remote learning access by many different people, it allows smaller companies to expand to greater extents. It also helps larger corporations that have locations all over the world be able to communicate easier than traveling to face-to-face meetings.

Morgan Avink
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/01/14/remote-work-might-force-us-to-be-better-cross-cultural-managers/?sh=5cedf2ee6bac

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Stress Management Techniques for Leaders

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Stress Management Techniques for Leaders

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I whole heartedly relate to this article.  It's my life in writing! For me the biggest take-aways are to delegate when I can, and not to be afraid to ask for help.  Those two things have always been a struggle.  I hate asking for help when I know I will get to the task "eventually".  Another suggestion they have is to pick a hobby.  It settles the mind and gives a much needed break.
Marissa Johnson

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Leadership can take a toll on the best of us. No matter how strategically or how effectively you manage your business, at the end of the day, if you don't learn to take care of yourself, you could be accelerating your stress levels. Business leaders of small businesses or startups often face the brunt of leadership as they struggle to keep their company profitable and the team motivated. It requires quite a diligent mind to juggle multiple demands in a day's time and pretty soon, before they know it, these leaders work over 50 hours a week to get things rolling. The stress gradually builds up as the body and mind give way to sleepless nights and high doses of caffeine. And one fine day, the stress finally takes its toll and you are left in shambles.

According to an article on the Business Insider, high levels of stress could cause a negative influence on your leadership and ruin your productivity to an alarming extent. What's an even more worrying factor is the easy and unnoticed slip into the stress trap as leaders try to resolve day to day issues using their best abilities. From dealing with disgruntled clients to managing difficult employees, from seeking new prospects to maintaining current prospects - there are multiple things that can cause unnecessary (and often unnoticed) anxiety and worry.

Avoiding the stress trap is surely not an easy task for someone who takes their leadership role seriously. However, being able to prioritize mental well-being and physical health over any other task is an important step that leaders must take if they want to remain effective and positive. It takes conscious effort, practice, and the willingness to improve your life to deal with stress and to prevent it from disrupting your life and your business.

To assist you, here are a few tried and test stress management techniques for leaders

Prioritize Yourself for Yourself

Most leaders are selfless in their pursuit of company goals and objectives. They give up their personal time, they seldom take time off, and they work way too many hours than needed. If you want to be an effective leader, you need to keep your mental and physical well-being first. Take out time to exercise, to pursue a hobby, to be with the people you love, to do everything you can to keep yourself sane and happy. Keep yourself first because you need it.

Delegate Tasks and Narrow Your Focus

A common mistake leaders make is trying to do it all. Ever seen, "The Intern"? Jules (Anne Hathaway) is trying to juggle everything at the same time and in the process loses her core focus. When you lose focus, you invite more stress, and when you are more stressed, you are counterproductive to the organization. Know the strengths and abilities of each of your team members and delegate tasks accordingly. Trust that they can do their job well and avoid getting into the nitty-gritty details of things that unnecessarily affects your time. Narrow down your focus by prioritizing your tasks for each day and adjust the task within productive working hours.

Keep a Work-Life Balance

The Work-Life Balance mantra is new and for Baby Boomers generation leaders, this may seem weak hearted. But we need to see that work and the economy forty years ago was quite different than today. We have a stronger economy but an even more tough competition especially since there is a constant demand for innovation and keeping up. Therefore, in today's world, we need a work-life balance where specific hours are given to work and the rest for personal, leisure, family time. We need to take time out to balance our lives now more than ever and must avoid trying to achieve too much in too little time. In fact, one of the leading causes of stress in leaders is said to be the need to do more in less time, and if you are looking to de-stress your life, you need to cut down on extensive work hours and strive to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Don't be Afraid to Ask for Help

We live in a world where there is always a conflict of interest. We try not to let anyone close because we are afraid it would not work well for us - for leaders, it's an even more excruciating process because they assume that if they ask for help, it will not play well for them. This leads to additional stress and causes sour relations for all those involved. To cope with stress, the first step is to ask for help; if not from someone you know then from a professional therapist or mental health specialist. At the end of the day, we all need someone to talk to, someone to encourage us to believe in ourselves, and someone who can assure us that it will be Ok. More than anyone else, new-age leaders need this form of encouragement and support just so that they can continue to do the good that the world needs without losing their mind over it.

Learn to Say No

One of the preliminary steps to beating stress is to be able to say no and to prioritize both people and things in your life. You don't always have to say YES to be the good guy (that's an essential problem with good leaders), so keep your health, your time, your mental well-being, and your life first. Everything and everyone else can come later.

Stay Fit and Active

Sitting for hours on end with no activity level has caused us to become obese and unfit. Know that your health has a direct impact on your mood, your mind, your ability to perform and even your relationship with everyone around you. Why? Because exercise enables your body to be at its functional best. Scientifically, there has been hundreds of research studies that proves the numerous benefits of exercising and you don't even have to spend money on getting fit. With amazing mobile apps and free exercise routines out there, all you need is willpower. Thousands of leaders and entrepreneurs have repeatedly attributed a healthy lifestyle to lower levels of stress and frustration. When Arnold Schwarzenegger asked Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook on his exercise routine, Mark responded saying, " Staying in shape is very important. Doing anything well requires energy, and you just have a lot more energy when you're fit." Now, ready to exercise?

Meditation and Yoga

If exercising is not your thing, you can opt for milder forms of physical activity such as yoga or tai-chi. These are forms of exercises that benefit both the mind and the body, not to mention the spirit too which in turn would give you a boost in your productivity. Yoga, however, is only effective if you get in touch with a trained yoga specialist instead of trying to do it on your own and the same applies to meditation. We often mistake that meditation is simply sitting in Buddha pose and staying quiet, but that's not it; there is a complete process to follow that only trained meditation experts can help you with. So, book an appointment with your closest meditation and yoga expert.

Pick up a Hobby You Love

We're so busy working that we forget to do things we love. Leaders need to stay happy and motivated by doing anything else other than work. Of course you love what you do, but if you had any childhood passions such as drawing, painting, music, or even gardening, you might want to think of taking it up again and have a great time. It pays to keep your mind off work and a lot of people have reported that picking a hobby they loved has helped them be creative, innovative, and also bust off the constant stress that caught up with their life.

Start Reading a Book

Unlike technology, books help us relax, but we're not talking about management books here! Read books that can take you away from your current environment and helps you destress and gives new perspectives on life. Replace the time you pick a mobile (which could induce more stress) with the time you read a book. Reading takes you away from the current world and activates your imagination. Nothing beats stress better than a great book.

Eat Healthy and Limit Caffeine

If you are working 50 hours a week, caffeine is your best friend. But did you know that excessive caffeine (anything more than two cups a day) creates anxiety and accelerates stress? Add to that the munching of unhealthy saturated fats such as chips and fries and you've got yourself a recipe for disaster. To beat stress, eat healthy, limit caffeine, and replace fats with fruits!

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10 Effective Stress Management Techniques For Leaders

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Leadership can take a toll on the best of us. No matter how strategically or how effectively you manage your business, at the end of the day, if you don't learn to take care of yourself, you could be accelerating your stress levels.

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Why Employees Resist Organizational Change

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Why Employees Resist Organizational Change

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People are creatures of habit. The unknown can be scary and lead to employee resistance.  Fear of change is especially true from staff members when there isn't clear directives on why the changes or occurring or if management hasn't built a solid foundation of trust within the team.
Marissa Johnson

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The Truth About Resistance to Change

With the exponential growth of computer processing in this Information Age and its impact on an ever evolving global economy, change is now the normal state of business.

Despite the presence of change all around us, organizational change does not come easy, however. In fact, many organizations fail to make the changes that are necessary for their survival.

Senior sponsors of organizational change often blame implementation failures on employee and middle manager resistance to change. At times, this is true. More often, however, senior leaders and managers over-estimate how much change they can force on the organization. Some also do not understand how difficult it is to lead and implement change effectively.

Leading and implementing change requires people skills!

As I coach managers on their change management efforts, I explain that resistance to change is rarely irrational. Keep in mind that if your employees (or even your peers or boss) are resisting your change efforts, their resistance comes from a perspective that makes perfect sense to them.

This is because of the following truth about change:

People do not resist change that they believe is in their best interests. Click To Tweet

Why People Resist Change

In practice, there are 8 common reasons why people resist change:

(1) Loss of status or job security in the organization

It is not our nature to make changes that we view as harmful to our current situation. In an organizational setting, this means employees, peers, and managers will resist administrative and technological changes that result in their role being eliminated or reduced. From their perspective, your change is harmful to their place in the organization!

Forcing a change on others has its place. Over time, however, when this is the only approach that you use to make change, you'll find that your change results suffer. If you overuse this approach, you will harm your effectiveness over the long term as others will find direct and indirect ways to resist you. Without a thoughtful change strategy to address resistance to change, you will trigger strong resistance and organizational turnover.

(2) Poorly aligned (non-reinforcing) reward systems

There is a common business saying that managers get what they reward. Organizational stakeholders will resist change when they do not see any rewards.

When working with managers, I will ask them, Where is the reward to employees for implementing your change?

Without a reward, there is no motivation for your team to support your change over the long term. This often means that organizational reward systems must be altered in some way to support the change that you want to implement. The change does not have to always be major or costly. Intrinsic rewards are very powerful motivators in the workplace that are non-monetary.

(3) Surprise and fear of the unknown

The less your team members know about the change and its impact on them, the more fearful they will become. Leading change also requires not springing surprises on the organization! Your organization needs to be prepared for the change.

In the absence of continuing two-way communication with you, grapevine rumors fill the void and sabotage the change effort. In fact, ongoing communication is one of your most critical tools for handling resistance to change. But, it's not just telling! The neglected part of two-way communication - listening - is just as powerful.

Change that is poorly communicated will only stir up organizational resistance. Click To Tweet

Whether we are introverted or extroverted, we are still social creatures. Organizational stakeholders will resist change to protect the interests of a group.

You might see this among some of your team members who feel compelled to resist your change to protect their co-workers. If you're a senior executive or middle manager, your managers who report to you may will resist your change effort to protect their work groups.

As the psychologist Abraham Maslow discussed, the need to belong to a group is a powerful need in the workplace. If your change effort threatens these workplace social bonds, some of your team members may resist your change effort.

Meaningful organizational change does not occur in a climate of mistrust. Trust, involves faith in the intentions and behavior of others. Mutual mistrust will doom an otherwise well-conceived change initiative to failure.

If you are trying to implement your change effort in an environment where most of the people working with you mistrust each other, you'll have limited success. You'll need to spend some time rebuilding trust if you want better results from your change effort.

Trust is a fragile asset that is easily harmed.

It's hard to get employees to support the changes that leadership wants to make when all that the employees see for themselves are negative consequences. Click To Tweet

(6) Organizational politics

Some resist change as a political strategy to "prove" that the decision is wrong. They may also resist to show that the person leading the change is not up to the task. Others may resist because they will lose some power in the organizational. In these instances, these individuals are committed to seeing the change effort fail.

Sometimes when I work with managers they become frustrated with the political resistance that they encounter from others. Political obstacles are frustrating when you are trying to implement needed change. My advice to you is to acknowledge what you are feeling and then take positive steps to counter the organizational resistance you are facing.

Politics in organizations are a fact of life!

Sweeping changes on the job can cause your team members to doubt their capabilities to perform their duties. What is known is comfortable! Your team members may be resisting these changes because they are worried that they cannot adapt to new work requirements.

Fear is a powerful motivator that can harden people's intent to resist your efforts to implement change. If you want your change effort to be successful, you'll need to help your team members move beyond these fears.

(8) Faulty Implementation Approach (Lack of tact or poor timing)

Sometimes it is not what a leader does, but it is how s/he does it that creates resistance to change! Undue resistance can occur because changes are introduced in an insensitive manner or at an awkward time.

In other words, people may agree with the change that you want to implement but they may not agree with how you are going about making the change.

For any significant organizational change effort to be effective, you'll need a thoughtful strategy and a thoughtful implementation approach to address these barriers.

So, the next time you hear someone say that people naturally resist change explain to them that this is a myth. We change all of the time.
People in an organization will always evaluate the benefit of any change. Will the change make their organizational lives better? Or, will the change make their lives worse? Click To Tweet

Case Study: Do People Naturally Resist Change?

OK, you're making me work hard here! Consider the following story that I share in my leadership training:
After the end of a tough week in the office, you arrive home and eat a quick meal and collapse on your bed. Early the next morning, you check your mailbox and find that you have a registered letter at the postal office. You get annoyed and reluctantly get dressed to go pick up this "special letter" on what is supposed to be your day off. On the way there, you say to yourself that this better not be another trick sales offer from that vendor trying to sell you something for your house. You arrive at the postal office and you stand in line for what seems like forever. You finally get to the representative who has your mail and you grumble that you are there to pick up a registered letter. He gets your letter, gives it to you, and when you look at it you can't believe what you have received. You say to yourself that this can't be what you think it is. You start visibly shaking as you quickly open the letter. As you read the letter, your whole attitude changes. You go from being grumpy to being excited. By the time you get to the end of the letter you are jumping up and down and yelling with delight. You just won a national sweepstakes contest and the award is one million dollars. Now I have just one question for you:
Are you going to resist this change?

People do not resist change that they believe is in their best interests. Click To Tweet

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Organizational Change: 8 Reasons Why People Resist Change

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With the exponential growth of computer processing in this Information Age and its impact on an ever evolving global economy, change is now the normal state of business. Despite the presence of change all around us, organizational change does not come easy, however.

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Change Management Is Key To Guiding Your Business Towards A ‘New Normal’ In 2021

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Change Management Is Key To Guiding Your Business Towards A ‘New Normal’ In 2021

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The pandemic has forced many businesses to undergo changes almost over night. This article discusses why change shouldn't just happen when needed and should be part of their "DNA" in order to create a strong foundation that can guide them through the next unknown challenge.
-Cinthia Espinoza

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Nearly all businesses around the world have undergone organizational change in one way or another during the last year. As nations begin to heal, talks of the "new normal" beyond the pandemic are starting to look like a realistic possibility rather than a far off dream. For many businesses, it is unclear what this post-pandemic working world might look like. However, change is on the horizon and managing this next stage effectively will either make or break an organization. In order to make this transition as smooth as possible, businesses need to implement compelling and practical Change Management strategies that can guide them through this next phase in 2021.

What is Change Management?

Change Management is the general term used to describe the approaches that businesses take when making both short and long-term organizational change, both of which are often necessary for businesses that want to survive and be successful. Change Management assesses the stages that a company goes through when it evolves and uses various methods that aim to optimize the use of resources, improve businesses processes, and reallocate budgets where necessary to help push an organization forward.

When starting to implement Change Management within an organization, it is best to look at the models that already exist. Some common Change Management models include: Lewin's Change Management model, The McKinsey 7-S model, Kotter's theory, and ADKAR. This list is by no means exhaustive and the benefits of using one model over another depends entirely on the business's preferences and its needs at the time. However, it is important for business leaders to recognize that simply implementing a Change Management strategy is not a fix-all solution. In fact, it has been recorded that more than 70% of organizational change management process initiatives actually fail to meet their goal, and this is without the added challenge of a global pandemic and a dispersed workforce.

Where To Begin

All around the world, businesses have been forced to transition online in one way or another. With this shift, employees have started to realize the benefits and pitfalls that come with remote work and, as a result, the expectations of the workforce have shifted, too. Now, many businesses are in limbo, not knowing what their "new normal" will look like once pandemic restrictions ease. For Change Management to be truly successful, businesses must make a firm decision as to how they would like to proceed.

The fact is, it is no longer an option to simply just return to the office and expect staff to carry on as if nothing happened. Equally, having an entirely remote workforce may not be a practical option. It is likely that many will choose to adopt a hybrid working model (a blend of office-based, semi-remote, and remote employees).

Regardless of which option businesses choose, when kicking off any form of long-term organizational change, there are some fundamental first steps that must be undertaken, the biggest of which is to pinpoint the needs of the workforce.

Immediate hurdles may present themselves, such as the fact that some members of the team may have joined the company remotely in the past year and may not have experienced the old normal in order to know what they want from the new normal. However, unlike back in March of 2020, businesses have the luxury of time. In order for any Change Management strategy to be successful, it is crucial that business leaders take the time and use the plethora of digital communication tools available to them in order to really listen to the concerns of the workforce and ensure that all voices within the business are being heard, regardless of whether they have been at the company for ten years or ten weeks. Change Managers (those chosen to spearhead the transition within the company) should start by approaching employees about the potential for upcoming change within the business and put channels in place to allow for open and transparent conversation.

By engaging with the workforce before undertaking any transition, it will become much easier for Change Managers to find the pain points that the organization as a whole, but also individuals within the company, are struggling with and provide a strategy with actionable solutions that can help to push the business forward.

Change Management, particularly when implementing something as novel as a hybrid office, requires businesses to do the near-impossible and plan for how to overcome both the obvious and the yet-to-be-discovered challenges. Given there is so much uncertainty ahead, simply having one plan may not suffice. Organizational change of this scale will require businesses to embrace agility and flexibility as core principles, creating multiple strategies and ensuring that no stone is left unturned. By planning for every possible outcome, businesses are putting themselves in the best position to tackle the many changing versions of what the "new normal" might offer in 2021.

Take It Slow and Set The Right Expectations

As with all things in life, change - and particularly organizational change - does not occur in a vacuum. Change Management teaches us that change on a grand scale such as this does not have to and should not occur overnight (unless, of course, a global pandemic hits). Being prepared, ensuring that employees have a realistic expectation for time-frame and execution, and having the flexibility to allow the business to transition over time, is key for any change to be successful.

Through its inherent focus on structure and consideration for everyone within the organization, Change Management aims to minimize any potential issues that employees might have with a proposed change. However, it goes without saying that every decision made will have a ripple effect throughout the business. Consequently, inclusivity and transparency need to play key roles in any plans that are put in place.

For businesses facing change this year, it can be a scary prospect, but utilizing Change Management to foster transparency and openness within the workforce does not have to be so daunting. Small changes in the short term can have a big impact in the long term. Transparency, for one, can be incorporated into company policy fairly easily, as long as it starts from the very top. This might mean implementing "ask me anything" sessions, where employees are given the opportunity to ask management questions they would not normally have the opportunity to ask (this is especially important if they have concerns about the upcoming changes in the business and their role moving forward). Additionally, business leaders can promote inclusivity by supporting active listening within teams and empowering employees to get involved with decision-making where possible. Even remotely, this can be achieved through the use of interactive polls and surveys, all designed to enable leaders to make better, more widely supported decisions for the organization. Business leaders should also make a habit of sharing important company information, whether that be new clients or financial results, and ensuring that sufficient communication channels have been established through the use of new technology. All these small changes will prove invaluable in helping to push the business forward as it moves towards new and exciting ways of working, whether that be hybrid or fully-remote working.

In the past, Change Management was traditionally seen as an isolated project, actioned only when change is needed. Now, more than ever, it is important that businesses embrace change as part of their DNA, utilizing the different models available to implement all kinds of changes, not just large organizational ones. As we push forward into 2021, Change Management will become an essential tool in guiding businesses through all sorts of new and undiscovered challenges. Implementing Change Management to help businesses embrace change and create an environment that welcomes transparency and openness will, in the long run, enable organizations to become more agile when approaching change in the future and will create a strong foundation to guide them through the next stages of the pandemic and, hopefully, past its eventual end.

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Change Management Is Key To Guiding Your Business Towards A 'New Normal' In 2021

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Nearly all businesses around the world have undergone organizational change in one way or another during the last year. As nations begin to heal, talks of the "new normal" beyond the pandemic are starting to look like a realistic possibility rather than a far off dream.