Archive for December, 2012

Reach Your Goals in 2013!

When it comes to career success, direction and focus are crucial. But beyond direction, how effective is it to have goals?

Requirements for Effective Goal-Setting

Much has been researched and written about the effectiveness of goal setting.

The findings say:

Difficult goals lead to higher performance than easy goals.

Difficult goals lead to higher performance than “do your best” goals.
Setting specific goals results in more precise performance than setting “do your best” goals.

Just having the goal is not enough. You must develop a strategy ...

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31
DEC

Finding Joy in Your Work – Your Bucket List

In the movie, The Bucket List, two men (Jack Nicholson as Edward and Morgan Freeman as Carter) with quite contrasting and differing lives find themselves sharing a hospital room. Both men have a terminal illness and only a short while to live. This unlikely pair develops a friendship and in the process creates a list of things they want to do before they die. As they proceed on this journey, they each experience life changing revelations.

One of the things on their list was to see the ...

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21
DEC

Employers Maintain Upward Trend in Hiring Confidence for Q1 2013

According to a survey by the Manpower Group, U.S. hiring decision makers predict a slightly increased hiring pace is expected for Quarter 1 2013. After seasonal variations, the Net Employment Outlook for Quarter 1 2013 is +12%, a 1 percentage point increase from Quarter 4 2012 and slightly elevated from +9% during the same period last year.
This quarter’s research concludes:

Strongest First Quarter Outlook in Five Years: The Quarter 1 2013 Net Employment Outlook is the strongest first quarter data ...

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17
DEC

For Life Balance

Take time to think – It is the source of power.

Take time to play – It is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read – It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to pray – It is the greatest power on earth.

Take time to be friendly – It is the road to happiness.

Take time to laugh – It is the music of the soul.

Take time to give – It is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to work ...

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11
DEC

The Slow Hand of Progress

Whether it is being frustrated with organizational issues or beauocracy, not getting that promotion you hoped for, being unsure of what direction you want to take with your career, or starting a new business, may of us are unsatisfied with the slow hand of progress. ”For everything there is a season and a time for everything purpose under heaven,” scripture tells us. But believing and living this is something else indeed.

The important things to remember are to make sure that every day you ...

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11
DEC

Gain Focus & Improve Productivity by Reducing Multi-Tasking

More companies today are focusing on mindfulness training to help improve productivity. According to an article in Workforce.com, research shows that 49% of the time our mind is not focused on the task at hand. Especially with the bombardment of constant technology, we are driven to distraction by email, phone(s), iPads and other technology.

According to Basex, a research firm, the estimated cost to companies from lost productivity is $997 billion and 28 billion hours.

Mindfulness is the opposite of multitasking. It is most ...

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11
DEC

US Added 146,000 jobs in November & Unemployment fell to 7.7%

The jobs growth number was better than expected and the jobless rate was the lowest since December 2008.

Many expected a lower number of jobs because of hurricane Sandy which crippled the NE last month.

The Labor Department revised its job growth figures downward for October and September .

But November’s net growth in payrolls was below the average of 170,000 new jobs added monthly over the course of August, September and October.

Manufacturing jobs fell by 7,000. Economists speculate that causes include lower demand ...

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7
DEC

Can Your Boss Change?

A bad boss is one of the top reasons that people leave their jobs. Of the 595 employees responding to a Society for Human Resource Management job satisfaction survey, only 39% said they were “very satisfied” with their relationship with their immediate supervisor. Bad bosses can be toxic for an organization and result in high turnover, lower productivity, more absenteeism and higher medical costs due to employee stress.

The skills needed for success in a leadership position involve vision. But managers need ...

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4
DEC