Management Blog

Seven types of busy

Being busy does not necessarily equate to being efficient according to a recent Flying Solo blog post on the benefits of taking time out to reflect on personal productivity.

The post outlines seven types of busy and offers tips on how to overcome some of the barriers that unrecognised habits can present to your progress. In summary, here are a few from the list:

• 'Badge of honour' busy – when professionals jam pack their day to feel a sense of achievement; the solution – don't over-commit and focus on strategic outcomes
• 'Nobody does this as well as I do' busy – suggests an avoidance of delegation; the solution – understand the value of freeing up your own time
• 'Running away' busy – doing less important tasks as a way of avoiding tricky or large problems; the solution – be more realistic about priorities
• 'People pleaser' busy – when saying yes to everything results in an over-packed schedule; the solution – learn the value of a polite and honest no

The full list can be found here.

SME workplace motivation tips

Small businesses can tackle the back-to-work-slump experienced by some employees after the Festive Season break by introducing a range of non-monetary motivators, according to this Open Forum article.

A number of morale boosting tactics based on the book Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know by Jill Geisler are offered. In summary, these include:

• Talk about employee strengths – it's suggested managers provide positive feedback and thank employees when expectations are met
• Add a little flexibility – allowing staff to have some control over their work environment, such as their work schedule, can act as a motivating factor
• Feel good factor – get to know what employees want out of their work (beyond pay day) and find ways to fuel this sense of purpose
• Share the good news – communicate the ways in which a team effort has resulted in the success of the SME and take an interest in personal goals

Handling emotions at work

Rather than hoping staff will turn off their emotions when they arrive at work a growing number of workplace commentators are advising managers to look on the bright side of emotional responses to difficult situations.

In this Harvard Business Review video, Anne Kreamer, author of It’s Always Personal: Emotion in the New Workplace, offers a series of best practice tips on how to deal with emotions in the office.

The benefits of practising your job

If a promotion is on your to do list for 2013, this Wall Street Journal article suggests you should think like a sportsperson and practise your job to improve your performance.

The report cites new research that suggests highly successfully people understand the difference between 'working hard' and 'training hard' to deliberately increase work-related outputs.

A number of tips on how to use this strategy are included. In summary, these are:

• Clarity required – set clear goals and develop a specific list of actions required to achieve them
• Seek feedback – ask a mentor or trusted colleague for frank feedback and keep notes on your own performance
• Hard yards – the approach requires you "to stretch yourself beyond where you're currently comfortable"

Making yourself heard

Getting your point across when interacting with a group of people calls on professionals to not just think about what they say, but also how they say it according to the Art of Small Improvements blog.

The post says the majority of people communicate in the same way when they are speaking to one person as they do when talking with fifty, a habit that can diminish their ability to hold the attention of a group.

To help professionals excel in a group discussion or meeting situation the following tips are offered:

• Break sentences into chunks – pausing between phrases can help listeners more easily digest information
• Highlight key words – place your vocal emphasis on the important words in a sentence to help make your point, but don't do it too often
• Quick breaks – pause just before delivering the most important information to build a sense of anticipation
• Numbers game – say numbers slowly to allow people to process this information
• Pitch perfect – don't maintain the same tone; vary your pitch to keep listeners interested

Is conscientiousness the ultimate secret to success?

A growing body of research suggests conscientiousness is the one-trait-to-rule-them-all when it comes to both professional and personal success, this news.com.au Executive Lounge story reveals.

According to the article, conscientiousness can be best understood as the state of being thorough, careful or vigilant; in other words, it implies the desire to perform a task well.

It's claimed you can spot (or become) a conscientious person as a result of a series of characteristic behaviours, including an efficient, organised, neat and systematic nature.

Citing research from How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough the article argues that job satisfaction, a healthier life and a long marriage all come down to a conscientious approach.

Going back to work with a returnship

A small but growing number of companies in the US are offering "returnships", recruitment programs that encourage 40-plus people back to work, Time reports.

According to the article, returnships – a play of the word internship – were originally designed for women wishing to return to the workforce after raising children but have now spread to men wishing to change careers.

The arrangement often requires 40-plus employees to volunteer or work for very little in order to determine if they enjoy the job and can meet employer expectations.

The benefit to returnship employers, including Sara Lee and Goldman Sachs, is said to revolve around the ability to hire people with a level of maturity and experience that is not found in younger candidates.

A number of specialist websites are emerging to take advantage of the trend including encore.org and irelaunch.

How body language can boost career success

We might not think about if very often but body language is a key determinant of how the world views our credibility, according to social psychologist Amy Cuddy.

In this TED Talk Cuddy reveals how "power posing" can trigger a rise in testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain and, as a result, help professionals boost opportunities to succeed.

Jargon watch: The rise of utilitarian marketing?

Marketing is not just about messaging and brand loyalty, it should also respond to the fundamental rule of giving customers what they want, Harvard Business Review blogger Mitch Joel argues in this post.

At a time when many marketers are preaching about the power to new media to engage or converse with consumers, Joel provides a different perspective by calling on brands to delivery greater utility.
 
"Brands can create a utility. Something that people don't just want, but need. Something that would earn this brand the covered spot on the homescreen of their consumer's smartphones and tablet," he writes.

Joel advises marketers to tune into the mobile technology trend by developing a branded app that makes the consumer's life easier rather than developing a 'parlor trick' that's only used once.

LEGO and Procter & Gamble are described as brands that understand how to bring utilitarian apps to life using a strategic rather than gimmicky approach.

In addition, this Reuters video reveals how US retailers are using apps to deliver successful utilitarian outcomes.

The key to expertise

It's the label every up-and-coming professional would love to be given but just how do you become an expert in your chosen field, this Age article asks.

The answer, according to experts on the topic of expertise, is to build the credibility required to earn the respect of peers and to develop a voice that sets you apart from others in your field.

Speaker, author, consultant and researcher Dan Waldschmidt advises aspiring experts to start a blog that showcases thought-leadership in an original way.

"To set yourself apart, you need to have a specific voice, but don't stress too much on holding onto this voice because, at some point, your voice will change," he tells the Age.

Waldschmidt suggests the key to developing a good blog post is to develop a title first that offers a clear direction and then to complete the body text.
 
A good dose of hard work is also the key to building a profile with Waldschmidt claiming his "relentless pursuit of getting it right" has help to build his personal brand.