These Are The Career Tips You Need To Stand Out At Work

So, you’ve started your first real job and kicked off your career. You go into the office each day and try your hardest to do a great job. You’re on time and do what your boss asks of you. But, pretty soon, something becomes apparent: that’s not going to be enough to set you apart from the crowd.

If you want to be more than just a great employee and actually advance your career, it’s going to take more thoughtful effort. And that doesn’t mean sucking up to your boss every day.

Here are five tips to help you distinguish yourself at work, as well as help the organization achieve its goals.

1. Find your calling.

It’s a cliché because it’s true: If you really want to stand out, do something that you’re not only good at, but that you love doing. Having a true passion for what you do reflects positively in your attitude and in the quality of your work. And that can help you get noticed in a good way.

First, you need to refine your idea about what you want to do professionally. When you’re first starting out in your career in an entry-level position, there are a thousand opportunities to try different things. Seize as many of those opportunities as you possibly can while still excelling at your core responsibilities. To take full advantage, you need to know which ones are most conducive to your professional development.

Consider taking a personality test or using a career exploration app, like my company’s PathSource app, to narrow down your options. That way, when a new project comes along and offers you a chance to shine, you’ll recognize it and be able to jump right in.

2. Pick a leader’s brain.

One of the best things you can do for your career is to learn from those above you, even if they’re not your direct managers. They may have a deep understanding of what it takes to make it in the industry and in the organization. When you find a leader you admire, ask to take them out to lunch or for coffee.

Ask what traits or qualities have been instrumental to their own success. Find out what they think makes someone a valuable team member. Even if they’re just a project head and not a high-up boss, you might be surprised by the valuable insights they have to offer. If they’re working on something that is particularly interesting to you, see if there’s a way for you to get involved in your free time so you can get some hands-on experience. Just take the time to clear your involvement with your current supervisor so they don’t think you’re neglecting your duties.

3. Know the organization’s priorities.

Something that a lot of young professionals forget is that their personal career goals aren’t on the same level as those of the organization. Yes, it’s important to set and reach for your own professional mile markers, but not at the expense of the company’s goals.

Make sure that you truly understand the organization’s mission, values, and priorities. Then, find ways to make those things overlap with your own goals and values. If you focus on incorporating those aspects of the organization into your actions and work, you’ll be a lot more likely to be noticed than if you were just trying to achieve your personal goal of getting a promotion.

4. Be a team player.

This might seem obvious, but in practice it gets difficult. There are going to be days when you’re overwhelmed and a co-worker asks you to lend your expertise and proofread their work. It’s going to be the last thing you want to do, but it will pay off in the long run.

If you’re willing to lend a hand to your co-workers — without expecting a favor in return — they’ll remember it. It’ll help you build stronger connections within the company that can really come in handy down the road.

5. Focus on process-oriented ideas.

Young professionals spend a lot of time trying to come up with that big idea that will set them apart. Whether it’s a new product or a marketing campaign, they want to be the one that came up with the game-changing idea.

But then they forget the most important part: how to implement that idea.

With every great project, the how is just as important as the what. Finding ways to organize people and get them on the same page goes a long way in contributing to a project’s success. Not to mention, making people’s jobs easier is something they’ll thank you for.

If you’re trying to distinguish yourself at work, in many cases, you’ll need to take the focus away from yourself. It might seem counterintuitive, but helping others and becoming a valuable member of the organization is key to career success.

What other career tips are there for young professionals trying to stand out at work? Share in the comments below!

Aaron Michel is the co-founder and CEO at PathSource, a career exploration solution that has helped thousands of students and job seekers make better career choices through its free iOS app. To navigate your infinite career possibilities, connect with Aaron and the PathSource team on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Featured photo credit: Unsplash via pixabay.com

The post These Are The Career Tips You Need To Stand Out At Work appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/1MLQA6U

How To Fix An iPhone Unrecognized By iTunes On Windows 10

When it is about iPhone, the excitement level goes up to multiples. Now, imagine you plugged USB cord to computer to connect your iPhone to iTunes, but it suddenly fails to recognize your device. The issue you just encountered might be new for you, but this is a common problem that most Apple users come across.

Yes, this is when iTunes deny recognizing iPhone device and it is not the iPhone that creates problem here; in fact, the iTunes is the actual culprit. This problem is comparatively common when you are working on Windows 10 platform. Don’t be panic your brand new iPhone is perfectly fine, all you need to do is trying some workaround procedures that might resolve the persisting issue.

Try Connecting to iTunes Manually

Step 1: Make sure that you installed the latest version of iTunes and it is compatible to your system

Step 2: Next, make sure that latest Windows software is installed on the machine and your device is turned ‘ON’

Step 3:  You might see ‘Trust this Computer’ alert; if so, unlock your iPhone device and click on ‘Trust’

Note: You might require reset your lockdown folder, if the ‘Trust this Computer’ continues to appear.

Step 4: Unplug all connected devices except the iPhone. You can also try each USB port to ensure if any of them works. Trying another Apple USB cable can also work.

Step 5:  If it still not work, restart the machine as well as iPhone device. It is recommended to try another machine if this attempt fails.

Path to Locate Apple Driver

If you are trying to connect to iTunes on Windows 10, you may follow the under mentioned procedure to locate Apple Drivers

Step 1: Tap on the Search box (available in the left corner of bottom screen) and type Device Manager.

Step 2: Then press ‘Enter’.

Step 3: In the then appeared list, under ‘Universal Serial Bus Controllers’ click on Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. Then based on the criteria, select either of the given options:

• If a down arrow sign appears next to the Apple Mobile Device USB Drive, it is suggested to right click on the enlisted Driver and then select ‘Enable’ option.
• If, however, no down arrows sign, question mark symbol or exclamation mark appears on the Driver; there might be third party app conflict exists. You can restart the Apple Mobile Device Service, if desired.
• If question mark or exclamation mark exists, it is required to install Apple Mobile Device USB Driver.

The above mentioned procedure to fix iPhone unrecognized by iTunes is quite lengthier. It can also put your valuable data on stake. However, there are third party apps that can help connecting device to iTunes in a few clicks. One such app is Tenorshare iPhone data recovery Pro that can be utilized to fetch data from iPhone. Those who can’t wait for long recovery procedures, the tool may prove to be helpful as it offers quick and safe access to data in 3 recovery modes.

Since, due to wide usage of mobile devices that store and retain bulk data, there can be a number of files and the file formats. Tenorshare software is known to support around 20 different file formats. It helps synchronizing data such as videos, contacts, audio files and text messages to iPhone.

Final Thoughts

Since manual workaround procedures can put data on stake, this is not the case with professional tools. The third party software apps are integrated with strong functional algorithms that magnetize data, retain and store it to user defined locations. Although, users have to pay for the commercial tool, but if the tool can help you retrieve your important data even from corrupt state and that at an affordable price, it is worth spending.

The post How To Fix An iPhone Unrecognized By iTunes On Windows 10 appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/1qFMTpc

5 Intelligent Ways to Make Enough Side Income to Ultimately Quit Your Job

Are you planning to initiate a side income? Is the plan good enough to quit your full-time, decent-earning job? Yes, the renowned novel idea of making money in your spare time has now become a source of generating mainstream revenue and shall continue to rise. “By 2020, more than 60 million people, will be independent workers—freelancers, contractors, and temporary employees,” according to the Fast company. But that said, a good deal of efforts, skill, and passion are required for earning enough profit to achieve success and pay off your bills.

Whatever you plan to be—an entrepreneur, freelancer, artist, film maker, dealer or home maker—you will have to discover yourself before you wave off your job. In order to have a good start, it is wise to know if you have secured any backups or savings and a decent spending plan, that can let you survive through the transitional period, and also, in case a sudden decline in overall income jeopardizes your plans.

Any potential side business ideas, even after passing the trial and errors session, can carry certain risks; therefore, it depends on how innovative your idea is. Here are some brainy self-employment ideas to give you a head start in case you have an itch to say goodbye to your 9-to-5 job. These ideas are surely going to provide you financial securities and a happier life, but remember, the secret of success hides in the statement: “Make the process your goal and you’ll succeed no matter the ultimate outcome.” —Corbett Barr.

1. Online Marketing

Internet marketing or digital marketing is an attractive yet easy way to market or sell various products and services merely with the use of digital world assets, entailing social media, search engine marketing, or even online advertisement.

Sign up an account on social media website and start offering your services in a way that attracts major brands, big companies, and known organizations. The more followers you will have, the greater the chance to earn will be. An estimate of about 500 USD to 5,000 USD can be earned per post, depending on the size of your sponsoring brand. See this famous fashion Instagram-er making significant income.

2. Investing in the Market

Investing in the stock market may seem quite simple when it comes to maximizing returns. Investing in bank stocks and the stock exchange is relatively easy and safe for earning a profit, and the price-to-book ratios are normally very low.

Investment in major banks is safe as well, as these banks are too crucial for the government, so the chances of them failing are extremely low. This means that your investment will likely remain safe. You can expect rising profits and good price-earning ratios. Investing in the stock exchange, though it requires a bit of skill, can very effectively help you gain a profit, if you know to how move your positions.

3. Gig Economy

Gig economy, a promise to empower future and boundless innovations, is increasingly becoming the only income source of many homes. The Internet is one of the blooming economic engines of our time which has fulfilled the ultimate specialized consumer demands in lesser time and with much more efficiency.

Today one can easily afford his living by relying on what once was only a known feature of web developing, photography, or journalism freelancing. Not confined to high computer or English skill, Gig economy has now expanded amazingly in all other sectors of life. Working as a taxi driver for Uber or selling your art online can help anyone earn reliable income.

4. Franchise and Multi-Level Marketing Opportunities

If you have a bit of capital, investing in the world of franchise companies is a very sound idea. The franchise businesses are all around us, from McDonald’s to 7-Eleven stores. Owning a franchise of any business can be a highly profitable work, especially if you have a passion for the type of franchise you purchase.

Many of the kinks have been sorted out as the brand name has already been established and a consistent customer following can be expected in most of the cases. The parent companies also offer their valued support, including marketing strategies, technical help and sourcing.

On the other hand, MLM or Multi-Level Marketing can prove to be an effective source of income, especially in the times of cut-backs or when launching a new business. However MLM does have its fair share of disadvantages, including neglecting the customers and over-selling the idea.

5. Online Teaching

Teaching languages and tutoring for major exam studies like SAT,IELTS, ACT or many other college exams remotely or online is a definitely a great way to make a solid side income. There are people who are ready to pay as much as 25–100 USD/hour to tutors for language classes over Skype or through different website platforms. One can easily look out for an online teaching job on websites such as Learn4Good or Indeed. Whenever you think you have reached your set income goal from this side business, you can follow up with it as your main full time job.

Final Thoughts

While there is abundance of ideas, the most important thing is to identify and pick the one that you feel most passionate about. One other thing that you must not forget is the availability of time; for instance if you can only work during the weekends, then probably Gig economy is the best bet for you! Pick the right battle.

If you want to take a shot at investing in the stocks or setting up a website online, remember it might require some initial funding, that you can secure by savings or by taking a loan. If you take a loan, make sure you keep up with payments and make the best out of the money that you have borrowed.

However, make sure you are not digging a hole for yourself borrowing money from banks. According to a research, 70% of people who take out loans end up having more debt in couple of years. To avoid this, you can ask your family members to lend you some interest-free capital to begin with, so that you don’t have to face banks.

Featured photo credit: VirtualWolf via flickr.com

The post 5 Intelligent Ways to Make Enough Side Income to Ultimately Quit Your Job appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/1MLQxYP

How To Profit From And Cash In On The Economy Of Ideas

If you’re like most people, you’re interested in leading an enjoyable life. If you share even more in common with most people, you’re interested in making more money. Let’s face it: Money problems are something the majority of people face, and even when you’re making enough to survive, there’s always the allure of being able to accomplish something even more fulfilling, with a bit more dough.

However, it can seem like making money or starting a business is even more difficult than it used to be. And on one level, this is kind of true. But on another level, it’s never been easier (or more worthwhile) to get a business started. But in order to stay in the game long enough to truly be a business, change lives and make some cash, the new economy of ideas must be embraced.

Old Versus New

Let’s back up for just one second before we dive into the meaty stuff. The idea economy isn’t exactly “new”, but for the majority of people who have the desire and ambition to get a business going, it’s definitely still fresh. Exchanging ideas as goods and services, instead of the thousands of other products the world has known for much longer, is an enthralling opportunity.

Over the past 100-150 years, most of the developed world has been used to the “industrial revolution economy” – in other words, an employment system where individuals are monetarily compensated in exchange for their time as they produce some kind of service, product or task for a company. The world has seen large firms and small businesses, but one thing has been increasingly pervasive: The scarcity of time and money has thrust its way into the working class.

Little by little, growing numbers of people have become discontent with this scarcity, and rightly so. Before 1971, money in the United States was real money. In other words, all printed money was backed by gold, giving it real value. When you spent money and exchanged it for another good or service, this was as close as it got to real bartering.

Money Changed In 1971

When Nixon took U.S. money off the gold standard in 1971, money became a currency, and its value has steadily dropped ever since then, because more and more has been produced. Any time more of something is produced, the value plummets. Just look at cars, many homes and pieces of artwork. Hundreds of examples of rare or exclusive (and therefore highly valuable) items in all three aforementioned categories can be found, because given examples in each category are regularly produced with value aforethought.

When people grow dissatisfied enough with something, they typically look for or build a new solution. If you can create primarily intangible products and services and enact a new economy on them, you can in many ways leave the old one behind. Enter the new economy of ideas. (Remember; “new” is relative here, because certain individuals and groups have been engaged in the new economy for years.)

For the typical American that relies on a job for their paycheck, it can be daunting and downright painful at times to learn about how to approach the new idea economy. This article seeks to break down the fundamentals of the idea economy, and how anyone can figuratively and literally profit from it.

Ideas Are The New Economy

Alright, we’ve talked enough about the changing pace of things; let’s dive into what ideas actually are, and how they can improve the lives of humans. An idea is a nugget of possibility. There are good ideas and bad ideas.

Obviously the good ideas are what improve the world, and that’s what you should be aiming for. Ultimately, the best ideas are translated into action, and receive enough reinforcement to bring about better results in the world.

Ideas can be used as “currency” in the new economy, because ideas can be productized and applied to other businesses. In other words, one business or venture can benefit from the ideas of another. Ideas are ways to help other people (and occasionally yourself) patch up broken spots.

Most importantly, ideas provide opportunity for freedom and expression. The light bulb was a new way to increase productivity and time for enjoyment. The Internet was a new way to bring people together, store information, disseminate information and deliver products and services. There are hundreds of new ideas around the corner; all we need to do as a global society is enact the discipline necessary to bring about good results from them.

Information Products Are The Future

Info products are, in many ways, hybrids of two types of economic vehicles: The desire for info from an expert, and a commodity that is easily transferable and readily consumable. Hundreds of information products are already being made and thousands more purchased every day, and this trend will only swing upward.

An info product is convenient because it can be highly customized to the end user’s experience. Examples of info products are eBooks, audio recordings, online courses, videos, membership sites, interviews and podcasts.

Now Is The Time To Become An Expert

All of that being said, there’s no better time than today to become an expert. The best part is, you likely already are! But hold on. You’re probably saying something like, “Hey Brad, my friends have never labeled me an expert, and I certainly don’t consider myself one!” The truth is a bit more gray.

When taking the concept “expert” at public face value, most people equate that with a college professor, an esteemed medical professional or perhaps a popular entrepreneur. In other words, someone who has spent the vast majority of their life pursuing one corner of the world, so to speak. Reality tells a different story. In truth, everyone’s an expert, because expertise is relative.

Where Are You An Expert?

For example, if you love gardening and have been recreationally growing fruits and vegetables in your backyard for even five years, you know tons more than someone who shows passionate interest but is just starting. Obviously, this is even more true if you’ve been gardening 10 years or longer.

Utilizing this knowledge, everyone (in accordance with their hands-on experience and longevity in their given field) is an expert to most other people in the world. As another example, I’ve been drumming for close to 17 years now (most of my life). I’ve taught drums in formal and non-formal settings, as I’m able to provide reliable information for people who are presently dipping their toe into music. I’m positive the same scenario is true for you, give or take a distinct field of expertise.

There Are No Excuses For Following Your Dreams

There is more opportunity today than there ever has been in the history of the world combined. If you want to profit from and cash in on the new economy of ideas, you must start today. It’s true that seemingly every year there are more business opportunities than the last year, but this is no excuse to get lazy. Those who succeed are those who give themselves no other option.

Grandparents of today could have only dreamed of the freedom, fluidity and empowerment that comes from today’s entrepreneurial and technological landscape. You have to utilize the freedom you’ve been given, or it will pass you by unannounced.

Begin Developing Your Ideas And Creating Products Today

The time to act is today. Those who live the life of their dreams are the ones who recognize that today is the only day they’ve got. So how do you actually make money from the new economy of ideas?

Simply begin creating info products about what you’re already an expert on. As long as you’re passionate about it and committed to seeing it through, you will be able to reap the harvest of what you’ve already planted.

Sometimes it takes longer than expected, but if you commit to the long haul, there’s always an opportunity to use what you’ve already created. Once you’ve built some products that can serve a market, start bringing it to them. Share what you’ve done with your niche and openly receive feedback.

Get out there and make your dreams happen!

The post How To Profit From And Cash In On The Economy Of Ideas appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/1Wgk26V

Stressing Over Final Exams? You Wont Be After Reading This

Ahh, finals, the doomsday of every student! Chances are you’re currently reading this while hoping for the best but preparing (hopefully by studying) for the worst. It doesn’t have to be that way. Finals aren’t the end of the world; they mark the end of the semester — the final push before a well-deserved vacation. It’s indeed a stressful time, as you must go through a lot of material. However, you may also feel anxious if you don’t have the right tools to tackle your exams. Here are three studying habits and techniques you must adopt to nail your final exams.

Study properly according to your class

There are two type of classes in university: technical classes and non-technical classes. You must recognize the category in which each of your classes fall and adopt the appropriate study methods.

Non-Technical Classes

Largely reading-based, these are classes that involve little or no mathematics. They’re heavy on essays and discussions about theories or concepts. English literature, psychology, and political science are few examples. If one of your classes falls in this category, here’s how you should prepare for your final:

• Create a bank of questions that are most likely on your exam and challenge yourself to answer them with flashcards.
• Make a quick summary of the readings that are on your exam and compare them with your class notes.
• Have a discussion about the various concepts and theories you need to know with classmates and people unfamiliar with the subject.

Technical Classes

Math-based, these classes involve the application of theories and concepts through exercises. On a weekly basis, you most likely get exercises from your professor, online, or through assignments. Economics, applied mathematics, and finance fall under this category. If this sounds like one of the classes you’ve had this semester, here’s how to study properly for the final:

• Ditch note-reading and focus on doing exercises.
• Collect every assignment and piece of homework given by your teacher that is relevant to your exam and complete them all. Make sure you can do them without your notes.
• Have conversations with friends to test if you understand the concepts and theories and can interpret the results you get in your exercises.

Choose the appropriate study location

The environment you’re studying in makes a big difference to how well you study and ultimately perform on your final. Chances are your main location is your school library or a coffee shop, but these might not be optimal spots for you. Here are a few pointers on how to choose the right study spot:

• Study in the library in the silent section if you’re sensitive to noise and if you’re easily distracted. This works well if you have a short attention span.
• Have your study sessions in the area of the library where talking is allowed if you can study well despite ambient noise. This allows you to work in teams and consult classmates if you need help. It works well if you have a long attention span and can control urges to procrastinate.
• Study in a coffee shop with a lot of natural light and beautiful scenery. This can positively affect your mood and increase your motivation to study. This works well if you’re sensitive to your environment and if the amount of lighting is important for you.
• Study outside! A beautiful landscape is a great motivation booster. This works well if you don’t mind the ambient noise, regardless of your attention span.

How to study efficiently for a long period of time

Finals mean crunch time. Whether you’ve been up-to-date or behind during the semester, you still have the feeling that you need to put in more hours in order to nail your finals — and you’re right. It is necessary to dedicate more time to reviewing your course materials and ensuring that you understand them completely.

If you’re a student, just like me, you know that there are two ways of doing this. You can either put in an insane amount of hours that are inefficient, or you can adopt smart studying techniques to make the best of your time. If you feel like the former applies to you and you’re about to step into the library with the goal of spending the next 12 hours studying, follow these few steps:

• For every 60 minutes of study, take a 15-minute break. This allows you to recover and increase your long-term concentration.
• Frequently change tasks; don’t study the same material for hours. Boredom is a killer, so make sure to stimulate your brain by covering various classes on the same day.
• Tag along with classmates to have some assistance when needed. They will also give you some extra motivation!
• Bring only the essential materials you need. Leave any electronic devices at home if you know they frequently distract you.

The end of the semester always requires more energy, and it’s not easy — no one said that it would be. But you can make it easier by adopting the right attitude, habits, and techniques. Allow yourself to make mistakes and always push yourself further. Like anything worth learning in this world, this is a process that you must go through to attain the grades that you deserve!

The post Stressing Over Final Exams? You Won’t Be After Reading This appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/1WJ59dR

The Difference Between Looking Good and Feeling Good

We all have very different standards when it comes to what we define as pretty and I never really knew how to define beauty. Of course I had plenty of time over the past twenty-something years of my existence to form my own opinions on what I believed to look nice and what I thought of as plain ugly. Yet, as years passed by, my what-is-pretty-or-not checklist kind of changed as I realized that looks can’t be limited to a few clothes put together in a way that society defines as ‘fashionable’.

I think it really hit me when I came across the #ChooseBeautiful ad campaign from Dove last year and how it kind of made me realize that despite our differences, we have at least one thing in common: insecurities. I know we all experience them in different ways and on different levels but as this world is full of a lot of very confident people, it is also filled with not-so-confident humans.

So then I started to wonder where confidence was coming from and so I began by looking for a definition. According to the Oxford Dictionaries, it is:

‘A feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.’

So, who teaches us to appreciate the person we are and trust the idea that it is actually okay to just go out there and be totally ourselves without fearing judgment or potential harm?

Looking at someone who’s dressed nicely or simply matches all of our ‘pretty’ criteria is a pleasant thing to do. It’s not as if we were all granted with the closet of one of the Kardashians or gifted with the ability to shop all the right items needed to pull up a stylish look. Yet, it doesn’t mean that we too don’t want to be labeled as pretty.

I always find it surprising how some people can breathe of absolute confidence. You can easily tell how good and comfortable they feel. Perhaps it’s something about the way they walk or the way their body moves when they speak. There are times when I find it so complicated to simply try to connect all the dots of my body just so the way I feel on the inside wouldn’t interfere too much with how I look on the outside. Yet, for the looking-confident people out there, it seems so easy to just navigate through the staring crowd.

Perhaps is it because they master their appearance and will only let it show what they want it to. We all have our days when getting out of bed already seems like an insuperable challenge so we just figured that since we’ve been brave enough to ditch our blanket, we’ve deserved the right to put a minimum amount of effort in getting dressed.

The truth is that the idea that ‘we are what we wear’ is often a misconception. I’ve seen people looking impeccable from head to toe when I knew very well about how miserable they felt on the inside. Because at the end of the day, no matter how confident you feel about yourself, it always has something to do with the outside world. I know a lot of people happily like to brag about how they couldn’t care less about what other people have to say about them but still, I can’t help but think that to a certain extent, it always has something to do with society, social media or even friends and family.

If you think about it, it takes us years of trying out styles. We go from one to the other, trying to make it the best reflection of where we stand right now in our lives. It’s our best protection, like a shield made of cotton and at the same time our most vulnerable item. It remains the first thing we let the world see of us. So perhaps, instead of trying to cover it all up with piles of accessories and make-up, we should try to start from within so there wouldn’t be so many layers needed to disguise what we are on the outside.

Maybe the difference between looking good and actually feeling good lies in these tiny bits of thoughts and efforts we decide to bring together no to let the world see how great we are but to push ourselves a little higher. It’s about the way we decide to treat ourselves, our body and as they often rightly say, our temple.

As Precious movie star Gabourey Sidibe once said:

‘People always ask me, ‘You have so much confidence. Where did that come from?’ It came from me. One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl … It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see. Your body is your temple, it’s your home, and you must decorate it.’

If home is where the heart is then I think it’s time we love ourselves so much that we feel like our heart will always be in the right place.

Featured photo credit: luigi morante via imcreator.com

The post The Difference Between Looking Good and Feeling Good appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/1qFMTpb

Tips for Increasing Employee Motivation

All employees, sometimes even the most hard working ones, need motivation from time to time. Employees who lack that motivation are often the ones that don’t receive deserved recognition, don’t have an open line of communication with a boss or manager and/or aren’t given the opportunity to refresh their mind or engage in other activities. This plays a significant role in employee motivation, which further impacts the company overall. In order to better both employee motivation and productivity, take these tips into consideration and incorporate them into your own place of work.

Employee Recognition

Whether big or small efforts, employee recognition is important. Some employers choose to recognize their employees with kind words, while other employers acknowledge their employees with corporate gifts and awards. It’s not to say one choice is better than the other, part of it depends on budget and part of it depends on what the employer wants to give the recipient, but some form of recognition is the key for showing your employees that they’re valued.

Express Trust

Employees not only need to feel appreciated, they need to feel trusted. To increase employee motivation, employers should convey this to their employees. This could be accomplished by assigning leadership roles and allowing employees to take on larger responsibilities. Employers can also include their employees in on brainstorming sessions and important meetings. This proves to employees that their opinions matter.

Team Building Activities

Team building activities can be held during work or outside of work. Some companies set aside time to play engaging and creative team building games together, and some companies schedule events for outside of work. Both have benefits. Engaging and creative games can get employees thinking and working together like they never have before. Scheduling events outside of work allows coworkers to learn about one another on a new level. So whether it’s decided to do one or both, spending time together helps employees to feel more comfortable around each other and more encouraged to work together. Take Archways & Ceilings for example, they have a whole page dedicated to a project they did together for fun!

Acknowledge Individuals, Not Just Teams

Acknowledging a whole team for their performance is recommended, but so is individual acknowledgment. Every individual is unique and brings something different to the table, so the occasional personal spotlight is important. This has a larger impact on motivation and shows each employee that their work is noticed. It’s also important to be fair. If one employee receives recognition for a specific task or project, then any other employee should also receive recognition for performing similarly.

Attend Industry Events

Industry related events are beneficial for a couple of reasons. One reason is experience. Events allow for experiences that being in the office cannot always provide. New experiences lead to new knowledge and new knowledge leads to new confidence. After attending events, employees may be motivated to bring what they have learned into the workplace. Another reason is networking. With industry related events comes other professionals from the industry. Speaking with other professionals and hearing different perspectives can inspire employees. Sometimes all one needs is a new spark of inspiration. Take Huemor Designs for example, their event experience opened their eyes to some new industry improvements.

Have an Interest in Employees’ Careers

Providing employees with occasional mentoring, suggestions and guidance shows them that there’s an interest in where their careers are headed. Conversations about the future and what they can do to keep improving can be motivational, as well as encourage them to continue working their hardest.

Increasing employee motivation isn’t so difficult, and it could even be fun! Take these tips into consideration if your employees need a motivation boost.

Featured photo credit: http://ift.tt/1oxjxGK via freeimages.com

The post Tips for Increasing Employee Motivation appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/1SxglXS