What does a video game like Minecraft have to do with project management? A lot more than you might expect. It is, after all, a game all about creativity and collaboration. And it can teach you a great deal about how to lead, motivate, and streamline your team. Minecraft is a phenomenal game. Who would have thought a simple java game could ever enjoy such far-reaching, explosive popularity? Who would have expected a game about playing with digital Lego could find uses ranging … [Read more...]
4 Effective Tips to Encourage Remote Team Engagement
Remote work, work-from-home and work during travel are all popular workplace trends that help employees shape their work schedules to suit their needs. As remote work technology becomes more accessible and affordable, all companies - from small businesses to large enterprises - are offering flexible work as an option. Although off-site employees are equally or even more productive than those working in the office, ensuring that your remote team stays engaged and effective … [Read more...]
4 Valuable Leadership Lessons From My Google Days
I believe that Google is one of the best big companies to work at. They do a great job of building an amazing culture and they really care about their employees. It’s very impressive how they’ve been able to maintain a small company feel, in terms of speed and agility, by keeping the teams small and breaking up the company into several parts. Culture is hard to define in a company, but if everyone seems to have something in common, has the same goals, and functions as one unit, they probably … [Read more...]
Why Managers Love it When their Teams are Uncomfortable Working Together
When you think of teamwork, do images of comradeship, triumphs, and smiles come to mind? On the surface, that's exactly what great teams look like. What you don't see, however, is the effort it takes to paint such a picture. Good teamwork doesn't just happen. It takes careful direction and full participation from every person on board. Even then, you may still have people who don't always get along. If that is the case, your team may be positioned to become the best team yet. Yes, you read … [Read more...]
How UnitedHealthcare is making Small Business Insurance Simple and Affordable
This is a sponsored post by UnitedHealthcare. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Let's face it. Small businesses have a lot of trouble attracting and retaining good talent. The most talented people still prefer to work for larger companies. And it's not always about a higher paycheck or a about the reputation of working for a bigger firm. The Staggering Insurance Gap One key reason is that smaller businesses don't offer the best health benefits. Only 54% of SMBs (with less than 200 … [Read more...]
Why Women Need Impression Management to be Successful at Work
The most important markers of a successful career are challenging, skill-enhancing assignments, recognition as a talented, highly motivated individual, and ever-increasing responsibility and visibility. A career with these characteristics depends in large part on the people controlling your workflow, exposure, and training having very positive impressions of you. Hard work and first-rate work product are essential, but make no mistake: unless your supervisors, colleagues, and customers/clients … [Read more...]
6 Tips to Develop a Winning Execution Plan
Whether you are launching a new business or implementing a new sales plan, a 90-day execution plan that details what needs to be done week by week and by whom provides a structure that delivers successful results. This post is essentially the “deep dive” into how you are going to deliver on the plan. Why 90-days? It’s important to allow enough time to deliver a successful project, keep the team focused, allow for unexpected challenges to be resolved and time to pivot all while having a clear … [Read more...]
How Short Term Results Obsession Damages Business Productivity
The heat is turned up, the pressure is building, the board or your boss is pushing for action. For many of us the last economic down turn was a memorable struggle that tested our short term vs long term priorities. Do the values on the wall of the corporate headquarters really matter? Do those speeches during orientation or at the annual staff gathering really count? There is usually a big gap between the short term, not exactly values driven solutions and the long term goals. The short … [Read more...]
Want Better Productivity? Focus on Your Health
Want to be more productive? Want to being your 'A' game to office everyday? Keen on tackling your daily tasks with motivation? The solution is simple: Give importance to your health! It may sound unimportant or downright silly, but what you eat, how much you exercise, whether you smoke or not, all directly impact your productivity levels. A healthy diet promotes good health, and employee wellness is tied so closely to worker efficiency that 77% of lost productivity is attributable to … [Read more...]
How to Simplify Buying Small Business Healthcare Coverage
This is a sponsored post by UnitedHealthcare. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Let’s face it! Health care is not something that most of us prioritize. Few of us appreciate the likelihood and ramifications of the health risks we face. Around 80 percent of Americans admit that they delay or forgo health care in favor of other priorities like family or work obligations. Moreover, a large percentage also turns to Google and WebMD to self-diagnose and treat themselves at home when they do … [Read more...]