Flexible Schedules Make Time for Good Causes

Flexible Schedules Make Time for Good CausesFlexible Schedules Make Time for Good CausesCompressed workweeks, setting your own hours, working off-peak hours, or working part-time No matter how you do work it, flexible schedule jobs kind of rock. And one of the biggest reasons that we love flexible schedule jobs is because they leave us mora time for the other priorities in our lives family, friends, travel, education, random interests, good causes, and hobbies. Those belastung two, good causes and hobbies, are some of the big reasons why Jeremy Anderson, Director of Client Services, loves his flexible schedule so much.Keep reading to learn how work flexibility makes it possible to be involved in good causesJeremy is our resident runner, and recently he participated in The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia 5K Run and Walk in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. supported Jeremy and his group of runners and walkers by donating bright lime green t-shirts, which the team members were able to de corate. We had a virtual sit-down to discuss his run, flexible jobs, and why he loves being able to make time for both.What is the cause for which you ran and why is it important to you?My wife and I have a friend who had Preeclampsia during her second pregnancy and we wanted to support her and her daughter, Nicole. Nicole has Cerebral Palsy due to the complications resulting from Preeclampsia. Nicole is one of our daughters best friends. There is a need for more research because so many moms and babies have died from Preeclampsia complications.It sounds like this run is able to raise awareness for a good cause for so many people. Who else did you run with?We had 11 runners and walkers in our group, all friends of the family who we were running or walking to support them.It can be hard to commit to a hobby like running, which requires continuous attention. Has having a flexible workschedule helped you pursue your running passion?Having a flexible work schedule has helped me to be ab le to train for events like this. I can schedule my training runs for different times throughout the day, they dont always have to be in the pre-dawn hours, although sometimes they still areDid you get any fun reactions because of your gear?The lime green t-shirts donated by really stood out and people know we were a team. We heard lots of encouragement for Team NicoleCongratulations to Jeremy and Team Nicole

Why Setting Short-term Goals Can Help You Succeed

Why Setting Short-term Goals Can Help You SucceedWhy Setting Short-term Goals Can Help You SucceedMany people develop 10-year plans and five-year plans. These long-term goals are powerful tools to motivate yourself to reach your potential. But, while you are planning your future, dont overlook the benefit of platzsetting short-term goals along the way. What Is a Short-Term Goal? A short-term goal is anything you plan to achieve in less than a year. Most short-term goals will be set three to six months in the future. Usually, a short-term goal will be somewhat easier to attain than larger, multi-year targets, for example, I want to be chief sale officer (CSO) within the next 10 years. An example of a short-term goal might be, I want to increase my commissions by 25 percent within the next six months. Short-term goals are less transformative than their long-term counterparts, but they are just as significant- and the fact that you can attain them in less than a year is motivating i n itself. You can also use short-term goals to propel you along your chosen path. In other words, you need both. Benefits of Short-Term Goals When you choose a goal and set yourself a time limit, you increase your odds of achieving that goal- otherwise, you may get sidetracked. Just setting a specific target for yourself helps to motivate you to put in those extra cold calls during your break, to churn out thank-you notes for every prospect, and to perfect your presentation. In each case, your extra efforts move you further along your timeline, and you experience another boost in morale. A short-term goal might also be a stepping stone to a larger goal. For example, if you want to become chief sales officer, some reasonable short-term goals might be finishing courses in sales management, applying for sales management positions, and finding a career mentor. If your big goal is to become a millionaire within 10 years, your short-term stepping stone might be to shadow your sales te ams best performer and apply their strategies to your sales. Of course, your short-term goals can also be something unrelated to a larger goal for example, saving enough money to buy a new car within six months. Compiling Your List If you are not sure what goals you want to set, sit down and write out some of your ambitions. Be as honest as possible even if you think your dreams are frivolous. Theres nothing wrong with a secret desire to tour Peru by jeep or own a fire-engine red Ferrari. Write down anything and everything you can think of, and then set that list aside. After a day or two, read over your list. See if there are any items that youd like to add or remove from the list, and youll have your final list. Dont try to accomplish all of your goals at once, because youll be splitting your energy in too many directions. Pick two or three goals that are your highest priority and start with those. Write them down, and put that priority list somewhere where you can see it freq uently. By your bathroom mirror, for example. On another sheet of paper, write down the steps you will take to reach those goals. For a career-oriented goal, you might write, Attend three networking events per month or Send out 10 emails to new prospects every morning. If you are aiming for a major purchase such as a new car, figure out how much money you will need to set aside each week and decide how you will find those funds. For example, switching to a cheaper cable package for a few months. By writing these things down, it will be easier to stick to your plans because there is something about the written word that encourages commitment.

How can I retain talent despite budget cuts - James Caan

How can I retain talent despite budget cuts - James CaanHow can I retain talent despite budget cuts - James CaanHow can I retain talent despite budget cuts James CaanI know that many companies understand the fact that retaining good people is less costly and far less time consuming than recruiting good new people. And that issue generally worsens when budgets are tight. But its amazing how many companies dont actually practice what they know to be true or have a strategy in place to try to keep their best employees. When you lose a good person, youll have to find another and in the meantime your geschftliches miteinander may suffer a lack of performance which, right up until the time youve got the new person in place, can prove very costly.As a small to medium sized geschftlicher umgang , I believe that keeping your best people is even more important in a recession. A large organisation can pay high salaries to get in the best people when they feel they need to. Sm all businesses rarely have that luxury so your business is going to find it hard to compete. Here are a few areas that Id be looking as part of my retention strategy and these arent a matter of budgets, but more about policy and culture. FairnessThe bottom line in retention is fairness. Being fair to all your people and making koranvers there are equal opportunities and no irrational promotions or favouritism is a starting point. Also, you should make sure salaries reflect performance. These are all situations that can result in people wanting to leave. If your organisation is unaware of these issues and does nothing to change it, then the steady drain of good people will continue until your company fails. Unsung TalentAnother problem is that sometimes your best people arent always the ones on show. They may be doing a great job without shouting about it. It might even be someone who goes the extra mile for customers, or someone who gets the best out of other people in your organisation. You need to spot these people and reward them somehow. This reward does not always have to be financial by the way. Sincere acknowledgement and recognition of good work can go a long way. If and when the situation for your company improves you can always reward these people retrospectively, and thats something that really builds trust and loyalty.Opportunity and RewardAlternatively a lot of talented employees might be easy to spot. They will be ambitious and money-orientated, they want to progress and they want to be acknowledged. These people will always be looking at whether the situation is better elsewhere and that means you need to be reviewing it too. You need to look at what your competitors are offering and doing, whether its money, opportunities, benefits etc. Where money is tight, why not offer training and mentoring. Your top performing salesman is probably goal and money-orientated but your back-office employees may wan t training and new responsibilities. You have to review these things constantly as part of your overall business strategy.Take an honest look at your company, and ask yourself if you are doing enough to retain your top talent. Dont forget, just because you havent lost many people it doesnt mean employees are happy to stay, it may just be circumstances keeping them onboard. Morefrom James CaanTop 5 tips on attracting talent for small businessesIs waiting to respond to a candidate after an interview recommended?How to form a social media strategy for your brandHow can I help ease a candidates nerves