Leadership
is about what you know and how you apply that
knowledge. Some people are born leaders but for the rest who aren't that lucky, here are some of the best books on leadership so you can have an arsenal of great information to build your skills upon.
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Become Valuable in Your Career
When dealing with an extremely difficult
economic climate where thousands of people lost their jobs, it’s
important to try and put yourself in the strongest position possible to
remain in employment in such a situation.
Here are a few powerful ways to make you indispensable at work. Next time there is a restructuring; you want to make yourself “restructure-proof” to ensure that you keep your job.
We live in a digital age and there are literally thousands of blogs and resources that you can read to help widen your understanding on particular areas. A good habit to get into is to set aside an hour each day to keep up to date with the latest industry news. You’ll find that you start to develop new skills in no time!
If, through continued development, you can establish yourself as someone that your manager can rely on, you’ll find that you’ll become indispensable should the company have to go through a restructuring.
With this in mind, make sure you are sociable and if there is a chance to help a key decision maker within the business, grab it with both hands! It again goes back to making yourself seen as someone who can be relied on; it is through this that you can be seen as truly indispensable.
Let’s say that your company is going through a restructuring and they need to find a new office. Why don’t you go in and suggest that they look into serviced offices. Serviced offices are fantastic if you are looking for a sociable space that comes fully furnished. Your manager won’t need to worry about having to find Internet providers or search for a maintenance man; the office is ready for your company to move into.
No manager wants their team to be unhappy and if you are seen as the person who is causing the boat to rock, you won’t be seen as indispensable at all. Learn to show others respect while being accountable and it will come back to you in more ways than one. Treat people like they matter, what they say and do and your business relationship will improve immensely!
If there is the opportunity to do a bit of extra work that will benefit the company, don’t shy away from staying a little later that evening to get it done. Even if your manager doesn’t come over and tell you, they will notice that you are staying late and appreciate the extra input. Good people who are genuinely passionate about the company they work for are hard to come by, and your manager will know it. Therefore, it is essential that you show your boss how motivated and passionate are, it will certainly help you in your goal to become indispensable.
If you make a conscious effort to implement the things mentioned within this page, you’ll put yourself in a strong position to become indispensable in the workplace.
Here are a few powerful ways to make you indispensable at work. Next time there is a restructuring; you want to make yourself “restructure-proof” to ensure that you keep your job.
Focus on developing yourself
Managers love it when they can see that a member of their team is constantly developing and learning new skills. Those who are able to rise in the midst of a crisis and can be lent on heavily often become invaluable.We live in a digital age and there are literally thousands of blogs and resources that you can read to help widen your understanding on particular areas. A good habit to get into is to set aside an hour each day to keep up to date with the latest industry news. You’ll find that you start to develop new skills in no time!
If, through continued development, you can establish yourself as someone that your manager can rely on, you’ll find that you’ll become indispensable should the company have to go through a restructuring.
Build strong relationships with key decision makers
As the old saying goes, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It is not unheard of for someone to be able to climb up the ladder if they have built strong relationships with higher-level management.With this in mind, make sure you are sociable and if there is a chance to help a key decision maker within the business, grab it with both hands! It again goes back to making yourself seen as someone who can be relied on; it is through this that you can be seen as truly indispensable.
Use your initiative
One thing that many employees fail to do is use their initiative. If you can see that your manager would benefit from your help on something, don’t be afraid to use your initiative and knock on their door to present an idea.Let’s say that your company is going through a restructuring and they need to find a new office. Why don’t you go in and suggest that they look into serviced offices. Serviced offices are fantastic if you are looking for a sociable space that comes fully furnished. Your manager won’t need to worry about having to find Internet providers or search for a maintenance man; the office is ready for your company to move into.
Treat your colleagues with respect
This could seem like an obvious one, but if you don’t show your colleagues respect and are potentially detrimental to the success of the team, you can guarantee that your name will be one of the first on the list if the company has to think about making redundancies.No manager wants their team to be unhappy and if you are seen as the person who is causing the boat to rock, you won’t be seen as indispensable at all. Learn to show others respect while being accountable and it will come back to you in more ways than one. Treat people like they matter, what they say and do and your business relationship will improve immensely!
Show a passion for the company and what you do
If you are working in a position that can be considered more of a career than just a job, it is important to show that you are passionate about what you do and that you genuinely care about the well being of the company.If there is the opportunity to do a bit of extra work that will benefit the company, don’t shy away from staying a little later that evening to get it done. Even if your manager doesn’t come over and tell you, they will notice that you are staying late and appreciate the extra input. Good people who are genuinely passionate about the company they work for are hard to come by, and your manager will know it. Therefore, it is essential that you show your boss how motivated and passionate are, it will certainly help you in your goal to become indispensable.
If you make a conscious effort to implement the things mentioned within this page, you’ll put yourself in a strong position to become indispensable in the workplace.
Expand your
knowledge and enlighten your mind with tools to help you excel in life.
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New Years Resolution: Embrace Stillness!
People everywhere will tell you, the pace of modern life seems to be constantly accelerating. We seem to be always rushing -- to our next appointment, our next business meeting, our next errand etc. When we have a few precious minutes of downtime, we fill it on our phones, swiping from email to social media and back.
It is hard for us to slow down,
unplug and to try to sit alone quietly with our thoughts. So many of us are
racing around these days, from text to phone call to Twitter to breaking-news
update, that we never have time to collect ourselves, to direct ourselves
towards what we love.
Stillness is a cousin of mindfulness, another concept that
encourages people to live in the moment. But where mindfulness focuses mostly
on calming stress, stillness seeks to bring insight and perspective by stepping
back from one's daily existence.
It can restore our sanity and
balance; it can remind us of what we really want to be doing -- and what we
care most about. People should take a few minutes every day, or at least every
week, to be alone without distractions and let their mind wander.
Of course, this can be difficult in
2015, when digital devices are constantly competing for our attention. But we
don’t have to give up our phones and laptops or go backwards away from the technology
that has made our lives so much brighter and more fun. Instead, it's up to us
to take conscious measures to make sure we're not lost in the rush.
These ideas are also catching on in
the corporate world as tech workers are unplugging with Internet Sabbaths, companies are adding stress-reduction programs
for their employees, and mindful practices
such as yoga and meditation.
This concept of detachment has
struck a chord with people who feel overwhelmed by the demands of the digital
age. People are drowning in information and running around so much that they
often times get nothing done.
By stepping back to ensure that
you're making a life, as well as a living one will help you lead a fulfilling existence.
Stillness can restore our sanity and balance; it can remind us of what we
really want to be doing.
True intelligence operates silently.
Stillness is where creativity and solutions to problems are found. ~ Eckhart Tolle
Start the New Year right…. Learn how
to Practice Stillness in 2015 and open the door to your mind. http://ouh.es/ebooks-collection/Spirituality/Eckhart_Tolle_-_Stillness_Speaks.pdf
Get on the right path to achieve
your full potential! Focus on personal development to improve your life. Book a
complimentary session at http://www.denisedema.com
The Road To Happiness
We always think that the life will be easier after you
finish studying, get married or find a good job…. But when you’ve already
accomplished that, you’re controlled by so many worries again and again… We are
usually unsatisfied, when our life is not the same as what we wanted. For some
reason nothing can make us truly happy or happy enough…
Are there many people who recognize that the happiest
time in their life is the moment we are living in? Life contains many
challenges and difficulties, troubles and losses… The way to adapt ourselves to
the life we have – is accepting it the way it is and believing in ourselves.
Anyone knows what happiness feels like, and it’s a great feeling! So why don’t
we let it in our hearts?
Don’t wait for any miracle or anybody to bring the
happiness to you, don’t wait until you are graduated, don’t wait until you can
earn more money, get more success, get married or retired to see what happiness
is. Feel happy now. Why not?
Happiness is a road, an itinerary… Let’s enjoy each
moment on that itinerary. Let’s spend the time to take care of other people and
ourselves. It’s never too late to start
feeling happy for no particular reason. Start with the knowledge that you are
alive, healthy and have some loving and caring people around you. Embrace these thoughts and all the good in your life. If you think about it, you will probably find a hundred
and one reasons, why you should feel happy right now.
Let’s love and live with all our hearts today, right
now and focus on this very moment.
You will sure find true happiness if you learn to enjoy
every day of your life no matter what it brings.
Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep
happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.
- Helen Keller
Get on the right path to achieve your full potential!
Focus on personal development to improve your life. Book a free strategy
session at http://www.denisedema.com
Professional Development is a Lifelong Activity.
How often do you set aside time to
learn new skills? Chances are, not as often as you'd like! If you're like many people, you're
keen to learn, but you struggle to find the time. So, how can you make this
time, develop your knowledge, and increase your value, both to your
organization and to future employers?
Why
Make Time for Professional Development?
If you're a manager, you'll know how
important it is to ensure that your team members are given plenty of training
and development opportunities. However, it's just as important to focus on your
own learning and development. To do this, it's essential to set aside enough
time.
There are several reasons why you might
not make learning a priority. Volume of work is the most obvious reason: with
work and personal responsibilities competing for your attention, it can feel
impossible to find room in your schedule for learning.
As well as this, you may feel guilty
about taking time out for personal and professional development; after all,
this could be used to work on urgent or important tasks, or even to be with
your family.
It can also be difficult to make
learning part of your routine. In the course of a busy, hectic day, tasks like
"Read leadership book," and "Complete online course" can
easily slip to the bottom of your To-Do List.
This can lead you to feel
disappointed about not living up to your own expectations, which can affect
your self-confidence and make you feel less positive about your career.
You can also suffer if you don't stay up-to-date with changes to your industry
or profession. For instance, you might miss opportunities to make a greater
contribution to your team or organization, and other people may become more
effective than you in the workplace.
However, when you make learning a
priority, you increase your value to your organization. You're more marketable
as a professional, and you're in a better position when you apply for a challenging
project or seek a promotion.
Continuous learning can also help
you develop expert power. If your boss, team members, or clients see you as an
expert, they're far more willing to respect your opinion and follow your lead.
This can make it easier to win support for your projects, negotiate a contract,
or manage change.
Personal
Learning Strategies
There's no doubt that it's important
to make your own professional development a priority. But how do you find time
to do it?
1.
Set Learning Goals
If you don't recognize the
importance of what you're doing, it will be easy to give self-development up
whenever you're pressed for time or lacking energy and motivation.
So, your first step is to identify
your learning objectives, and visualize how these will help you achieve the
other professional goals that you've set. So, what do you want to get from your
learning? And why are you making time to learn?
It's important to set smart, realistic
goals from the beginning, and to break these down into long- and short-term
goals that you can add to your daily to do list.
Then, write down why you are
devoting time to this activity and how these learning activities are going to
make your life better.
2.
Identify Obstacles
Next, identify possible obstacles
that might make it difficult to stick to a learning schedule, and come up with
strategies to overcome them.
For instance, imagine that, over the
coming week, you've committed to spending half an hour reading a book when you
get home. One possible obstacle is that your kids may want to play with you as
soon as you walk in the door. To overcome this, you'll need to explain to them
why you need time to study alone. Promise them time as soon as you're finished,
and then sit in a quiet room, so you won't be disturbed.
Go through the possible obstacles
that might prevent you from spending time on your learning, and write down the
strategies that you'll use to overcome each one.
3.
Think Small
Many of us assume that we'll need
large chunks of time to devote to learning. However, short blocks of time can
be just as effective, if you focus.
The key to learning effectively is
to maximize the impact of every moment that you have available. Look at your
To-Do List, and see what you can achieve in the time available. Make sure that
you minimize distractions, even if you only have just 10 minutes free, and concentrate
on what you're reading or learning.
Tip:
Think about how you can use your mobile device to learn when you're on the move – by using appropriate apps, by listening to podcasts, or by storing information that you want to memorize on the device's notepad.
Think about how you can use your mobile device to learn when you're on the move – by using appropriate apps, by listening to podcasts, or by storing information that you want to memorize on the device's notepad.
4.
Learn at Your Best
Many people schedule their learning
for a time when they've completed everything else. However tempting this may
be, think about how you feel when you've accomplished everything on your to-do
list. You're usually exhausted, right?
Everyone has different peaks and
valleys in their energy levels. It's important not to schedule learning, which
requires a fresh, open mind, for the time of day when you have the smallest
amount of energy. Explore how you can better schedule learning to take
advantage of the changes in your energy throughout the day.
5.
Make Learning a Habit
You'll only be able to sustain your
learning if you make it a habit. Developing any habit takes work and self-discipline.
To build a habit, look at your
schedule and see how you can work time for learning in every day. Could you get
up an hour earlier, or learn on your lunch break? Could you study after
everyone else has gone to bed? Take into account the energy levels we mentioned
earlier.
Think of a reward that you can use
to motivate yourself through, say, the next two weeks. This will help to keep
you going when you don't feel like studying, or when you're tempted to skip a
day because you want to do something else instead.
Once you've made it through the
first two weeks, take time to congratulate yourself! That first step is always
the hardest. Next, commit to spending the next 30 days learning every day.
Reassess the time slots you've carved out for yourself: are they working? If
not, what tasks could you move around to make learning more practical?
Remember, habits start out as little
daily activities that you force yourself to do. They only become habits with
time and persistence.
6.
Choose the Right Learning Style
Do know how you learn best? For
instance, some people learn and retain information best when they can read and
take notes. Others are active learners; they need to learn by doing something
themselves. Still others learn best when they're presented only with the facts
and with none of the theory.
It's important to identify your personal
learning style so that you can tailor your learning to fit what works best for
you.
7.
Collaborate
It's often easiest to learn in collaboration
with others; after all, if you know that there are people who are always
available if you need help or advice, you're more likely to turn to them
instead of giving up. When you join a community that makes learning a priority,
these people can also hold you accountable for your learning goals.
One of the best ways to do this is
by joining a class or doing a course with others. However, you can also network
on LinkedIn
and Twitter to
find other professionals in your industry who are interested in learning. You
can also talk to colleagues to see if they routinely devote time to learning.
If so, perhaps you could form a study group, or simply spend time reading or
learning together?
8.
Delegate Tasks
Your day is likely full of tasks
that you're responsible for. So, how are you going to fit learning in?
Look at your professional and
personal responsibilities to see if you can delegate any tasks to someone else,
for example by giving new tasks to team members, or by hiring someone to clean
your house. If you can clear even a half hour from your schedule, you can use
this time to work on your learning goals.
Tip:
See this time management article for tips on managing your time.
See this time management article for tips on managing your time.
Key
Points
Lifelong learning is essential if
you want to stay "in demand" in a changing business world. However,
many of us feel that we don't have time to devote to regular learning, in spite
of the many benefits it offers.
Start by setting small goals with
your learning; commit to devoting time daily for the next two weeks. Identify
your learning goals, so that you know why and what you want to learn.
Try to delegate activities to open
up your schedule, if you can. And consider forming a support group with others
who are also interested in learning.
Get on the
right path to achieve your full potential! Focus on professional and personal development to
improve your life. Book a free strategy session at http://www.denisedema.com
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