Author: Pixel

Why Do Online Students Need Time Management?

It’s easy not the take online learning seriously. With regular classroom learning, you have a specific place you need to be at a specific time. But, learning online requires you to set aside some time on your own to study and go through the lessons. This requires discipline and a real understanding about how to wisely use your time throughout the day.

The truth is that time is just like any other finite resource. If you don’t learn how to manage your time wisely, you won’t be able to get things done as efficiently as possible. You may miss out on meeting your goals, fail to study often enough, and get too far behind on your lessons. Even if you don’t have those specific problems, time management is also about helping you avoid stress while juggling everything.

If you’re always wishing you had more hours in the day, you don’t know where all your time went, or you feel stressed by everything you need to do, learning time management might be a solution to all of those problems.

Can Anyone Learn To Manage Their Time Better?

While some people may be naturally gifted in organizing themselves, time management is a skill that can be taught and learned. It’s the same as any other resource management. You’ll put a little time investment in at the beginning to plan and strategize how to use your time efficiently. If you’re diligent to learn this skill well, your little investment will help you reap enormous benefits in your online learning by making you more efficient and less stressed.

It’s useful to learn time management sooner rather than later. Take this skill seriously. Learning time management can keep you on top of your classwork, help you stay ahead of assignment deadlines, and free up some extra time you didn’t know you had for extra studying or relaxing. It’s something anyone anywhere can learn at any point in their life, even if you’ve never been good at it before.

Time Management For Students – Strategies And Tips To Maximize Time Utilization

Do you find your child overwhelmed with the tasks to be finished in the few hours left after school? For school-going children, juggling between homework, the other tasks like hobby class, project work, play, and routine activities is a bit too much. On top of it, if exams are approaching, time management for students becomes even more essential.

Not only for the kids, it is overwhelming for you as parents as well, when you see your child struggling between different tasks. This, in turn, makes you push your child to hurry up, making things even more complicated for them.

How To Improve Time Management Skills

Wondering how to begin? No worries. Let’s start by observing your child’s daily activities as to what activities they are involved in and how much time they take to complete those tasks.

Another valuable source of feedback is through Parent-Teacher Meeting. Regular interaction with your child’s teacher can help you get some understanding of the essential concepts and lessons they teach, so that you can make the school year’s schedule more manageable and help your child prioritize their work for the long term too.

1. Let The Child Prepare Their Planner

Let’s start with the simple activity — by helping your child prepare their calendar-planner that’ll list the dates, and a schedule of activities to be completed each day. Prepare a planner that is easy to understand for your child by using different colors for each subject.

With their planner – calendar, your child will understand the importance of days and timelines better. The sooner your kids learn to prepare and follow their schedule, the sooner and more independent they will become. Know more about various tools of time management.

2. Set Priorities

The master schedule or the planner calendar will help your child to set some specific goals each day, like which particular chapter to be read in an English subject today, or how many mathematical sums to be solved from a particular chapter, and so on.

3. Set Time Aside For Important Projects

4. Set Realistic Goals For Each Study Session

Students sometimes overestimate what they can accomplish each day. They include too many activities for a day in their daily planner, that it might not be realistic to achieve in one single day. Consequently, unable to manage to complete everything as intended, leaves them discouraged and demotivated to study.

To prepare a realistic schedule,

It may not be possible to follow a schedule to a minute. But your child will be far more productive by using the schedule for keeping a track of work to be done, rather than not using it at all.

5. Begin Early After The School

Make it a point to have a look over your child’s master schedule as well as their school diary daily. Find out what homework or assignments need to be completed and if there are any other assignments to be submitted the following day.

Encourage your child to start working on their homework right after school so that no work is left unfinished. This will help them to keep their work up to date on a daily basis.

6. Leave No Scope For Procrastination

The vicious cycle continues until the last moment when it is urgently required to be completed. And consequently, completing the assignments haphazardly, could lead to deteriorate the quality of their work and impact their grades.

To avoid procrastination, try this:

• Keep a track of all your immediate tasks and the ones which have a due date later.
• Create a calendar or schedule with all the deadlines and due dates for submission of homework, assignments, or projects so that you can see the big picture.
• Now make your daily To-Do List with the help of this calendar.
• Break down the larger tasks into smaller ones that can be quickly achieved.
• For example, if your child needs to submit their Science Project in the following week, help your child allocate some time aside for the science project each day.
• Before they know it, they will be ready with the project, way before the date of submission, without straining themselves at the last moment.

7. Work On One Task At A Time. Do Not Multi-Task.

It might appear being tactful and accomplished by multitasking , but it is the other way round. Splitting your attention to more than one task at a time will divert your focus and deteriorate the quality of your work.

8. Take Short Breaks

Working or focusing on one particular topic for too long is likely to cause students’ minds to lose concentration and wander more. Tiny breaks between the tasks is a good way to give your child some time to get recharged and come back focused.

Depending upon your child’s attention span, decide a break time for them, and allow them to relax. For example, for every 45 minutes of school work, let your child take a short break of 10-15 minutes to recharge.

Resource:

https://elearningindustry.com/time-management-in-online-learning-importance
https://peppyzing.com/time-management-for-students/

Top 7 Career Options in Management To Choose [For Freshers & Experienced]

Today, both young aspirants and working professionals are attracted to management careers, and rightly so. Besides promising a host of exciting and rewarding career options, a management career allows you to take over people-centric roles, gain a respectable position in the workplace, and take home a hefty annual salary package.

After pursuing a management career, you can rise to top management positions in companies where you can make impactful changes powered by data-driven business strategies. For instance, you’ll be better equipped to create meaningful changes in a company, such as enforcing better utilization of resources, streamlining business operations, supervising staff’s performance, planning business campaigns, and so much more.

Typically, organizations offer a wide range of managerial positions, ranging from front-line supervisory positions (Sales Manager, R&D Executive, General Manager, etc.) to the top executive level such as CEO, COO, and CTO. Managers in all tiers within a company are together responsible for its smooth functioning as an efficient and successful business entity.

This is the first step in the career management system and provides self-introspection. What are your interests, what is essential for you, what are the things you value, what are the things you like, what are your unique skills etc. are some questions that need to be answered in this phase for discovering specific things about yourself.

• Career values – It is essential to integrate work values with overall life values to know what is necessary for you in life. It is the work values that acts as a guiding force and helps to focus on the essential things. An individual who is happy and satisfied in personal life will quickly achieve better productivity. Remember, work values keep on changing at intervals, and it becomes essential to keep on reassessing them regularly for overall job success.
• Work preferences – Work preferences play a significant role in career development planning. It is a personal choice, and it is quite natural for two people to have different work preferences in life. Dig deeper to assess and identify work preferences and, if necessary, take the help of assessment tools for your purpose.
• Strengths – Understand your strengths if you are interested in career exploration/career development planning. Look for positive qualities like hard-working, detail-oriented, excellent communication skills, and also specific traits like good at decision making, soft skills, etc. to develop your full potential. The more specific your abilities and qualities are, the more you will be successful in the job interviews.
• Weakness – Just like strengths, it is also essential to identify your weakness if you are interested in career exploration/career development planning. Hiring managers pay special attention to the weakness of the applicants, and often one of the job interview questions is what do you consider your weakness. An honest understanding of your weakness will help you in overcoming them in time so that you are not embarrassed by it at any moment. Do not be overly self-critical as this step is designed so that a person can call attention to perceived weaknesses and take matters in hand to eliminate them.

Technology is reigning supreme in all the spheres of our life. All the technical devices like tablets, phones, and computers have become necessary in the workplace and often determine how we are managing our work life.

One of the most critical aspects of career exploration/career development planning is effective networking. It is an essential asset that can take your career a step further. Develop and hone your ability to connect and interact with important people.

Weird Advice For Young Designers

I recently worked on a pro bono project for a friend, and it reminded me of a time early in my career and how lucky I was then to get such great advice from the more seasoned pros around me. Advice that ultimately saved me from some major pitfalls. I made mistakes here and there over the course of nearly 20 years of projects, but with each hiccup came a lesson. Here are some takeaways from my lessons learned and all that sage advice.

Questions Equal Clarity

Clients come to us designers for our expertise, and it is our job to guide them through the process. We are helping them find clarity about their vision and goals for their project. To do that well means asking questions! It is important to remember that not all clients are going to be good at communicating their vision—and that’s okay. You can still work with them and get amazing results by asking them lots of questions and following up on those answers with more questions until you’re both on the same page. This dialogue will help set clear expectations for project scope, deliverables, and everything in between while avoiding frustration for both parties.

Think about the word ‘classic.’ Now think of five things that could be described as ‘classic’—it probably varies wildly, right? So, which version does your client imagine? You could guess… or you could clarify with more questions like “Can you show me an example of what ‘classic’ looks like to you?” or “What makes this classic?” And so on. It’s a silly example, but it illustrates just how subjective descriptions can be and how necessary it is to have good communication between you and the client. Remember that your clients don’t do this for a living, so asking questions will help you get to the root of any issue quickly with less time spent guessing. And no, it won’t look unprofessional if you ask a lot of questions, but it will make you a better creative.

Collaboration For The Win

On one side of the table, you have a designer with knowledge and experience. On the other side of the table, you have the client who knows their business, audience, and goals. As creatives, we have to remember that we are on the same team as our clients and aim at collaboration over confrontation. Design should be a collaborative process: both parties are at the table with different perspectives and different knowledge to contribute. It is this diversity of viewpoints that will make the creative stronger and your client ultimately happier.

When you work collaboratively with your clients, they’ll often tell you what they need before even realizing it themselves—and sometimes, those needs are things that they didn’t even realize they wanted until after having talked it through with someone else! This is because people often have trouble articulating what they need out loud (even if they think they know exactly what they want), so getting clients involved in the process can help ensure that everyone’s needs and project goals are met.

It all boils down to communication. Everyone at the table, both clients and designers, want to feel heard and respected. Good communication and listening skills are a way to ensure that clients understand that they don’t need to be designers themselves, but they are still contributing meaningfully to the project. This helps keep them fully invested in a great outcome.

Contracts Are Your Friend

Contracts can help you set clear expectations for both parties. The best way to protect your business and make sure you don’t get burned by a client is to have a signed contract before doing any design work. If you’ve ever been burned by a client (or had to fire one) it’s probably because you didn’t have a contract in place when you started the project with them.

As a designer, it can feel a little awkward to send a contract and you may be tempted to just dive right into the work even when a client hasn’t signed a contract. But there are several reasons why you should always, ALWAYS get a contract signed before doing any design work.

First, this will help you protect yourself from scope creep. Clearly defining the project scope is essential. If the client wants to add extra elements or changes their mind four times about what they need to be designed, it’s much easier when you have a contract and clearly defined deliverables to say, “Sorry, but we have to go back and renegotiate the scope of our agreement.” This way, you won’t end up doing more work than you agreed on.

Resources:

https://www.upgrad.com/blog/career-options-in-management/
https://www.marketing91.com/career-management/
https://www.workitdaily.com/career-management-defining-process-purpose
https://www.mbaknol.com/human-resource-management/career-management-definition-and-meaning/
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/is-management-for-me-2275352

How to deal with difficult coworkers

There may come a time in your career when you find yourself working with a difficult and even confrontational coworker. You may try to avoid them, but that’s not always possible when you work together. So, how do you successfully deal with difficult coworkers? How do you resolve difficult situations and make it bearable to work with them?

Dealing with a difficult coworker can be especially frustrating if you don’t know why they’re being difficult in the first place. Does their personality rub you the wrong way or are they purposefully trying to make you miserable?

Take some time to think about what’s happening. Is it only happening to you, or are other coworkers feeling the same way? Once you understand the reason behind the actions of your coworker, begin thinking of solutions. Is this something you can solve? Or, will you need help from your manager?

The one thing you cannot do, is nothing at all. Just ignoring the problem isn’t going to solve anything. Understanding the situation may help you find a solution that’ll make work a little more enjoyable.

Be kind

It’s not easy, but whether someone is unknowingly bothering you or purposefully trying to get a rise out of you, it’s best to be kind. Don’t indulge difficult coworkers by reacting to their comments or actions. Acting kindly may eventually lead to the coworker being kind back which will result in a much happier workplace.

If being kind to your coworker doesn’t stop them from making your day miserable, walk away. Do your best to avoid them whenever you can. If you don’t have to work with them directly, then minimize your interactions with them. Continue to be nice, but don’t be baited. It may be tempting to have it out with the individual who’s bothering you, but inevitably this’ll only lead to more problems. If tensions seem to be getting high or you feel yourself getting irritated, then walk away.

When Things Don’t Change

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the difficult person may continue being difficult. It happens. If that’s your situation, there are still ways you can work with a difficult person without damaging your professional reputation.

— Don’t Take It Personally

Easier said than done, but try not to take things personally. Often difficult people treat everyone the same way. So, try to remember that it’s not about you. It’s about them and their behavior.

— Ignore Them

Whenever possible, ignore the difficult person. Go out of your way not to interact with them. If that’s not possible, consider only communicating with them in writing. Or, have a trusted coworker attend all of your interactions with that person. This can not only help keep your responses in check, but it can also act as a buffer. The difficult person may not be quite so difficult when it’s not just the two of you in the room.

— Let It Go

— Take It Up a Level

Finally, be prepared to get your manager or even HR involved. This should only be used as a last resort, though. But if you feel you’re out of options, bring it to the appropriate higher-ups. Use facts and figures, not feelings or emotions, to make your case. Just bear in mind that HR or your manager may not get involved and instead tell you that it’s up to you and the difficult person to “figure it out.”

Make sure to focus on their behavior rather than making it too personal

You may want to know if their behavior is intentional or not and work from there to either remedy the situation or talk it out. Depending on the type of coworker you’re dealing with, whether they take credit for your work or give you a hard time, you never know what may be the underlying reason for their behavior.

If someone is complaining too much and is stalling progress, you can redirect their perspective or change the subject while encouraging them to better their circumstances. There’s always a possibility that your coworker doesn’t mean to come off rude or condescending and doesn’t realize they are stalling or hurting you in any way.

However, if it becomes clear that there is a particular dislike between you, you can discuss why and how you can resolve the issues and decide the best course of action. Sometimes, opening up the conversation for positive discourse is all you need to clear up any discontentment.

There isn’t a complete workplace without the certainty of coworkers – therefore, you can’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and make any concerns known to ensure you’re able to work at the best of your abilities.

Source:

https://blog.jostle.me/blog/how-to-deal-with-difficult-coworkers
https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/5-tips-for-working-with-difficult-people/
https://upjourney.com/how-to-deal-with-a-difficult-coworker

As coronavirus cases surge, many employees will likely continue to request time off to quarantine and isolate. Although COVID-19 is not yet a recognized disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rochester said employers must reasonably accommodate employees’ COVID-related disabilities that may create new or different circumstances for them in the workplace.

10 Ways Human Resources Will Change in 2022

A great human resources (HR) department is of utmost value to any company. These are the individuals responsible for fielding job applicants, bringing in the most qualified ones and retaining talented employees once they’re hired. The tactics that HR departments use to recruit and retain employees are always changing – especially during the “new normal” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice efforts highlighted in 2020, many employers and HR teams have changed tunes when it comes to prioritizing diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace. Having a diverse and inclusive workplace is not only the right thing to do, it can also benefit your business. Properly implemented diversity and inclusion training programs and initiatives can help with talent acquisition, employee engagement and productivity, company reputation, and employee retention.

HR departments will lean on technology for automated HR processes.

Jared Rosenthal, CEO and founder of the automated onboarding and screening system StaffGlass, said HR departments have recently experienced a massive acceleration in the push towards the use of cloud software to automate and manage their workflows – and this trend is expected to increase in 2021.

Although many companies already use software for some of their recruiting and onboarding services, the coronavirus pandemic created a bigger need for digitizing these processes. HR teams in 2021 are expected to embrace virtual HR processes like remote recruiting and automated onboarding.

“The end of the pandemic in 2021 will not stop the push toward automating HR services,” Rosenthal told Business News Daily. “It’s simple: If you’re going to compete in the post-pandemic world, you need to move as much to the cloud as possible, including seemingly offline HR activities like drug testing and pre-employment occupational health testing.”

Small business HR processes are not immune from the need for efficiencies, technological innovations, and cloud-based computing, he added. HR management should analyze the possibility of remotely hiring and onboarding new employees.

7 Key Talent and HR Trends: Research, Case Studies, and Insights for the Year Ahead

One of the toughest parts of identifying trends is getting caught up in what the "cool" companies are doing. Every firm doesn’t have the budget of a Google, Facebook, or Apple, so what are the real trends in talent acquisition? In this webinar we will examine the research that supports key trends in the world of recruiting, from the increased focus on hiring from within and greater exploration of experience design to the expansion of the recruiting technology "stack" beyond the applicant tracking system, and how AI is losing its luster for some employers.

AI in employee management

Talent management is a hectic process with lots of last-minute changes, requests to monitor, and openings to fill. To streamline employee management, hiring teams actively turn to artificial intelligence. In the future, artificial intelligence will be one of the most influential human resource technology trends. It’ll help automate most monitoring operations, leaving managers with more time to plan, strategize, learn, and work on personal development. AI is also gaining ground in the actual screening process where companies can potentially gain a massive efficiency boost by using AI recruiting tools. Many vendors are claiming their AI-driven systems can help reduce a pool of several hundred applicants down to a shortlist of the 5-6 with the highest potential.

Company brand perception impacts a lot of the processes inside and outside the company. It is essential for the recruitment process, as it can influence the type of applicants interested in the company, their skill ceiling, and cost-per-hire.

That’s why one of the notable human resources technology trends is the inclusion of specific social media branding tools, integration of HR and management software with social media, and the inclusion of advertisements into HR companies’ conduct. Another one of the best HR tech trends worth noting is the encouragement of employee brand advocacy.

Resources:

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9383-future-of-hr.html
https://www.humanresourcestoday.com/hr-trends/
https://www.techmagic.co/blog/top-10-human-resource-technology-trends/
Human resources trends

In market segments linked to technology and innovation, the home office format has been a reality for at least a decade and a half. But if the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything — in terms of labor relations — it is that this model is the future of the labor market.

Advanced feedback tools

Surveys are no longer simple questionnaires to play an important role in the development of people: to contribute so that contractors and contractors are really connected towards common goals, seeking profitability through communication and engagement.

Composing a high-performance team is a current challenge that will not cease to exist in the next decade. And the role of leaders is fundamental for human capital to reach this level, especially in a complicated and competitive scenario like the current one. Trends in human resource management

The problem is that market uncertainties do not only affect entrepreneurs. Leaders, who should maintain engagement at work , may also have difficulty recognizing their ability to lead teams and transform the organization’s results.

It is necessary, then, to think about training these professionals. And we are talking about going beyond training: betting on innovative strategies to improve the skills of these professionals.

The highlight is the complementary leadership, a model that bets on the partnership between two or more leaders so that they can act in an integrated way in managing teams, enhancing the quality of the projects created and solving problems.

HR mobile

Whether on the subway, waiting for lunch or in the waiting room for a doctor’s appointment, the technological resources of the new cell phones are keeping us company. They will be an increasingly present reality to bring dynamism to the activities of the human resources sector.

Recruitment through applications and atypical work formats – such as the home office and co-working spaces – are increasingly desired by a generation of talented professionals who grew up with the technological evolution.

And in this scenario, the traditional office hours can lose space. Companies that recognize the positions that can have their routines easily relaxed, and apply this concept, will guarantee the formation of the best teams in the market. Keep an eye! Trends in human resource management

13 Human Resources Trends Expected In H2 2020

To say the field of human resources has gone through a few changes in 2020 is somewhat of an understatement. HR has gone through a sweeping transformation that has turned it into something better and more efficient at meeting the modern workforce’s needs.

Even so, as with all industries, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Trends are still one of the most critical tools for an HR department. Knowing what trends will be popular before they pick up can be eye-opening for any HR department. Here, 13 experts from Forbes Human Resources Council predict the trends they see rising in the second half of 2020 and explain why they’ll be so popular.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) will become a bigger trend in the coming months. The world is changing right before our eyes, and HR practitioners will need to support the positive and not-so-positive changes that are occurring. DEI is not new, but the lens by which HR practitioners will have to manage this topic will require fresh ideas and strategies that speak to the now. – Tina R. Walker, California Community Foundation

With the global health pandemic, racial injustices and inequality surrounding us, it is even more important for organizations to look inward and take a clear, public stance on social issues. As a result, diversity and inclusion initiatives will be of paramount importance now more than ever, and employees will hold their companies accountable to such initiatives. – Sarika Lamont , E3/Sentinel

I think it’s back to the most fundamental aspects of our shared humanity and that’s caring about people and putting them first. I think we will see a heightened interest in workplace culture and climate surveys, employee listening sessions and town hall meetings. Further, the diversity, equity and inclusion work of HR will be front and center as we strive toward anti-racist work environments. – Courtney Peterson, Sidwell Friends School

Empathy Is The Most Important Leadership Skill According To Research

We expect to see improvements in workplace technology systems. With the drastic changes that organizations had to implement recently, having better collaboration tools, remote connectivity platforms (i.e., VPNs) and stronger IT infrastructures will be key. Additionally, enhanced employee training will be essential, so that employees are better equipped to transition both in/out of office effectively with little to no disruptions. – Jennifer Beezer, SPHR, SHRM-CP, FOREO Inc.

Human resources leaders will elevate more broadly to culture champions. There’s a surprising percentage of executive leaders that do not feel HR has a place championing organizational culture even though they’re often relied on as the front line defense against hiring those who do not fit culturally. Company culture is an employee relations and retention tool, after all. – Bryan Passman, Hunter + Esquire

COVID-19 will force much-needed change in employer-sponsored health plans — a fundamental change in how employers and employees share in both cost and benefits’ value. The incentive for change is strong, and the data and technology we need to do it exist. As a result, more employers will embrace better plan design based on the tenets of personalization, choice, flexibility and cost certainty. – Jenna Obrycki Upgren, Bind Benefits, Inc.

The caution in hiring will continue. The recent pandemic has significantly changed business models, forcing some organizations out of business and requiring others to significantly adjust. It has driven home the possibility that all your revenue sources can dry up overnight. No employer wants to go to a point of layoffs, and hence organizations will be cautious over the next few months in hiring. – Amee Parekh, Uber Technologies

Companies will continue to allow employees to work from home as uncertainty regarding the resurgence of the coronavirus and the creation of a vaccine continues until 2021. Additionally, working from home may be an enduring outcome from the pandemic as companies are able to see that productivity and engagement has not suffered and they are able to realize cost savings from lower office expenses. – Phyllis Wright, Ph.D., Council for Inclusion in Financial Services (CIFS)

A focus on mental health and well-being would become a central part of the HR agenda. Emotional well-being — not just financial incentives — would be a factor a prospective candidate would look for in the employer value proposition. Emotional well-being, not onsite perks, would define what a great place to work would look like. – Vineet Gambhir, Contemporary Leadership Advisors

Employee experience will increase remarkably. In today’s economic climate, employees must be prioritized without compromise. That means understanding what motivates productivity, recognizing and allowing diverse versions of work/life flexibility, reimagining traditional work processes — for instance, adopting on-demand pay so employees can have easier access to earned wages when they need them. – Susan Tohyama, Ceridian

In the next several months, there will be more focus on the remote work experience and how to make working from home part of the new norm as we transition into the next stage of COVID-19. Companies will need to balance revenue and commercial forecasts with a workforce that may still be uncomfortable with commutes, meetings and being back at their desk. – Polina Wilson, Unruly ®

Learning and development will take on more importance for HR organizations. Remote working and flexible work schedules are no longer the competitive differentiators they once were. HR teams will need to ensure their ability to grow and develop employees is an organizational priority so you can attract and retain top talent. – Jessica Adams, Brad’s Deals

We expect to see a greater and intentional focus on the human at the center of work. There is an awakening happening due to the pandemic and societal injustices that are inspiring more leaders and cultures to take a brand stand that puts humans first. People leaders that back up their brand stand with actions will result in creating better business outcomes and, at the same time, support overall well-being. – Keri Higgins Bigelow, LivingHR, Inc.

Your Career in Human Resources

I recently completed a diploma in business and a diploma in management & leadership. I felt my assessor Marissa Litonjua was amazing and help me in every aspect throughout my journey. It was well structured and I was able to complete the course at a pace that worked well with my busy lifestyle.

I haven’t been doing my course for long. It’s been challenging but I find it frustrating when getting a response. I don’t get a lot of time as I am working full time and I only get limited time to work on my assessments, so if I’m having issues I am waiting one to two days for a reply. I have had issues with getting answers to my questions a lot of the time I get the same question repeated to me with no answer to what I was actually asking. I can ask the same question in a different way in case it’s my wording but still getting the question repeated to me without an answer.

The college for Adults Learning has really helped me with my full time schedule with work and being a new mum, I love the fact that it’s self-dependent learning and is flexible. I would highly recommend it for those who want to challenge themself while juggling everyday work/life balance. It’s great and the coach support are all so lovely too.

I just completed a double diploma of business & leadership and management with CAL. Marrissa, Kerri and all of the team were so helpful throughout the entire course. If your looking to complete a diploma which works around your own schedule/lifestyle, whilst still having first class support and coaching then College for Adult Learning is the perfect choice. Thank you again CAL.

I have just completed the Dual Diploma of Business (Operations) + Leadership and Management. I would like to say a special thank you to the following CAL individuals that made this year of studying an amazing experience, thank you for your support and expertise throughout my study journey with CAL:Alec CottonKerre BurleyMarissa LitonjuaI found CAL to be highly professional, assessments were marked on time, role plays were fabulous, I can not fault CAL in anything and i would highly recommend them as a study institution.

First the bad: I found the language used in the tasks/assessments to be a little vague and confusing. On talking with my coach, things were cleared up, but it’s that initial confusion that was slightly disheartening.It was usually a 48hr wait to speak to a coach.Now the good: My coach Marissa was great at helping me work through the issues and keeping me motivated to get through the assessments, especially during the simulations. She gives clear and concise feedback.That you can do this in your own time, is really great and if you’re running behind, as I did, they’re open to a discussion on extensions or what can be done to help you get through the course.There is now a new format and it’s much easier to use, clearer on segments and progress.Warning: the quiz’s use a lockout software that are not always compatible with a work laptop (as I was using), so keep that in mind 🙂

CAL has been a great institution to study with while working full-time as it is self-paced. The support from the coaches has been fantastic, and the ability to use real-work situations and RPL towards assessments cuts the workload down dramatically. The main downside to their programs is the overload of required work. Learning journals, quizzes and assessment tasks with 25+ pages of instructions are not uncommon. A special thanks to Marissa for being a wonderful coach who has kept me on track to the end! The rest of the admin staff have also been excellent – always following up issues and providing a great experience. Thanks CAL team!

I did my Diploma in Business Administration. I had a lot of support throughout my journey. Marissa was the best educator anyone can ever had as she has helped me so much when I was struggling with my journal work. Big Thanks to Megan as well as she was very helpful and thoughtful.

These people are absolute angels. Helping you through in every way. I joined a course last year in lockdown and couldn’t pay for it because of Covid – they helped me a lot and then I decided to change courses, even that was a piece of cake. highly recommend.

The worst decision I ever made.Paid to teach myself.Enjoyed the course when Mike was my supervisor as he always explained and contextualised things making the unit relatable.I have a new supervisor Darren and the course became a nightmare. No support but very high expectations and very quick to say not good enough without providing any support.

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Resources:

https://englopedia.com/trends-in-human-resource-management/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/08/03/13-human-resources-trends-expected-in-h2-2020/
https://collegeforadultlearning.edu.au/human-resources-career-trends-of-2021/
Human resources trends

Burke and Ng (2006) observed that modern organizations are grappling with a number of emerging issues in regard to the management of employees. These include diversity, the issue of an aging workforce, and the deficiency of skills in the modern work environment.

Trends in Human Resource Management

Collings (2009) opines that human resource management can be well understood by dividing it into five main areas. These include staffing, human resource development, employee compensation and benefits, employees and labor relations, and safety and health.

Staffing is a critical function of human resource management as it entails practices and processes that ensure that organizations attract and acquire highly skilled and competent employees. Without the attraction of the right skills and competencies, then it becomes quite difficult for organizations to establish flexible working systems that are vital contributors to the fulfillment of organizational goals (Collings, 2009).

Collings (2009) observed that human resource development goes hand in hand with staffing. Organizations are supposed to channel these skills and competencies towards organizational achievement after they have acquired the right skills and competencies. Therefore, it is important for human resource management to embrace training as a way of ensuring that the skills and competencies are applied in the right way for the sake of organizational performance.

Most organizations now embrace strategic management, where the equation of organizational performance largely comprises of the inputs of the employees as defined by the organizational managers. The most desirable way through which the employees can fully dedicate themselves to organizational work is by ensuring their financial and non-financial needs are met. This takes place through the schemes of employee motivation, such as compensation and benefits (Brown, Sturman & Simmering, 2003).

Employee compensation and benefits are labor practices that characterize labor relations. Labor relations entail the steps that are taken by the organization in ensuring that the employees maintain positive relations with the organization. In other words, labor relations go beyond the normal compensation schemes as organizational managers are supposed to dig deep into all the policies and legislation that lead to best labor practices, which in turn position organizations strategically in the labor market (Collings, 2009).

Collings (2009) opined that the health and safety of employees have to be guaranteed if employees have to dedicate their energy towards organizational success completely. Most organizations are embracing diverse schemes with the aim of assuring employees of better consideration of their health and standards of safety, something that is contributing to lesser worry among the employees and motivating them to perform better.

Federal equal employment opportunity laws

Among the most renowned equal employment opportunities in the United States are the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It is important to mention that these laws are safely guarded and enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.).

Contrary to the early times where less attention was paid to people with disabilities in employment, organizations are now compelled to consider people with disabilities in employment following the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For example, the organization where I work has developed special stairs for employees with disabilities, which help them to move without difficulties.

Cases of intentional discrimination have subsided in organizations because of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, where organizations have been forced to embrace non-discriminatory practices. With the Equal Pay Act, women in the workplace have been empowered as women no longer have to fear to compete for positions with men (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.).

Machine Learning & Hiring

Let’s say a major corporation receives ten thousand of resumes every year. Let’s say they make a thousand hires every year. Let’s say that 500 of those work and 500 do not. Let’s say that this large corporation keeps all the data surrounding these 10,000 applications and 1,000 hires.

They keep track of who saw the job ad where. They keep track of all the applicants’ resumes and they come up with a way to categorize all the data contained in those resumes. They even include applicants’ social media activities in the data they obtain and keep. They keep track of their standardized, structured interview process. They keep track of the language used in the correspondence. They keep absolutely every piece of data that pertains to the applicants.

The software discovers that a certain job ad website yields more successful hires. A certain interviewer is better at identifying the right talent than other interviewers. People who use a certain type of social media turn out to be better employees. The possibilities are endless, especially when you factor in combinations of individual factors and patterns.

A software that utilizes machine learning is the only kind of entity that can hope to analyze all this data and find the patterns. A human HR professional could never do something like this. A traditional, coded piece of HR software could never do this.

It should be pointed out, however, that some of the patterns and tendencies will turn out to be false positives and that a human will need to have the final decision when all is said and done. This kind of advanced analysis and pattern recognition can greatly increase the success rates of hiring decisions.

10 – Striking a balance between machines and workers

New technologies pose a new challenge for all employees, and also for human resources leaders. What kind of jobs can be replaced by machines and what ones should be performed only by people? The answer to this question calls for a redesign of jobs, the organization of companies and, indeed, the future of the company itself.

Deloitte believes that the key lies in identifying “essential human skills” and combining them with the best machines, robots and automation technology. While many companies may be worried about the negative impact of the technological revolution, they should see it as a huge opportunity: combining workers and machines (which some people call the “augmented workforce”) may create new jobs, boost productivity and allow workers to focus on the human aspects of work.

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any easy analysis and reference for my current assignment “emerging trends in Behavioural Sciences”. The work has given greater insight and direction to perfect the work, Am so glad to visit this page. *** Solomon Ebhoaye, Nigeria.

Resources:

https://studycorgi.com/trends-in-human-resource-management/
https://towardsdatascience.com/machine-learning-in-human-resources-applications-and-trends-7f7a1473b222
https://www.game-learn.com/en/resources/blog/10-trends-that-will-shape-the-future-of-human-resources/

One of the key challenges of issues management is to resolve the problem quickly and then move on, with as little impact to the project as possible. The framework provides a structure for making decisions when issues arise. Remember to consider your team’s needs as you develop the framework.

Project Issue Management

In the life cycle of any project, there will almost always be unexpected problems and questions that crop up. When these issues arise, you have to be ready to deal with them – or they can potentially affect the project’s outcome.

Since most issues are, by their nature, unexpected, how do you make sure you’ll be able to deal with them quickly and effectively? Ideally, you need an issue resolution process in place before you start your project – to make sure that you stay on schedule, and meet your objectives.

Issue management is the process of identifying and resolving issues. Problems with staff or suppliers, technical failures, material shortages – these might all have a negative impact on your project. If the issue goes unresolved, you risk creating unnecessary conflicts, delays, or even failure to produce your deliverable.

Issues Versus Risks

Issues and risks are not quite the same thing. However, the exact nature of both is largely unknown before you begin. With risks, you usually have a general idea in advance that there’s a cause for concern. An issue tends to be less predictable; it can arise with no warning. For example, being unable to find qualified staff is an identifiable risk. However, when one of your staff is in a car accident, and hospitalized for three weeks, that becomes an issue!

It’s important to identify risks before the project begins. A Risk/Impact Probability Chart provides a useful framework to help you prioritize your risks. You can then develop a plan to manage those risks proactively with solutions that you’ve already thought through and prearranged. However, when it comes to issues, you have to deal with them as they happen. Issue management, therefore, is a planned process for dealing with an unexpected issue – whatever that issue may be – if and when one arises.

When you don’t identify and reduce risks at the beginning of a project, they can often become issues later on. Make sure you understand your risks early. Learn from previous projects, and benefit from the team’s past experiences. This way, you’ll have fewer issues to manage as you move forward.

Top Ten Problems Faced by Business

We never like to rely on one source to fuel our analyses of the problems facing business today, so we’ve integrated our own interviews with corporate CEOs along with other inputs, research and thinking to create this list of the top 10 problems for businesses to solve.

1. Uncertainty

All human beings, but it seems business leaders in particular, find great discomfort in uncertainty. Uncertainty in the global economy, uncertainty in the credit markets, uncertainty in how new regulations will affect business, uncertainty about what competitors are doing, and uncertainty about how new technology will affect the business—these are just the start of a never-ending list. The bottom line is that uncertainty leads to a short-term focus. Companies are shying away from long-term planning in favor of short-term results, with uncertainty often the excuse. While this might feel right, we believe that a failure to strategically plan five years into the future can end up destroying value. The problem to be solved, therefore, is to balance the need for a more reactive, short-term focus with the need for informed, long-term strategies.

2. Globalization

In interviews conducted by the Lean Methods Group, seven of 10 Fortune 500 CEOs cite the challenges of globalization as their top concern. Understanding foreign cultures is essential to everything from the ability to penetrate new markets with existing products and services, to designing new products and services for new customers, to recognizing emergent, disruptive competitors that only months earlier weren’t even known. The problem to be solved is to better understand international markets and cultures through better information gathering and analysis of what it all means.Similarly, the incredible degree of government intervention in nearly all major economies of the world is leading to much greater uncertainty (see No. 1 above) in the global marketplace, making international operations ever harder to manage.

3. Innovation

Interestingly, we haven’t found that many companies are looking to create more innovative cultures. At least not the big companies (Global 1000) anyway, though that changes some as companies get smaller. This finding was a big surprise when we did our first studies in 2009 and little has changed since. It seems big companies are struggling with innovation and a better innovation process is at the top of the agenda for most CEOs, but the idea of a more innovative culture appears too frightening to many. The problem to be solved is how to become more innovative while still maintaining a sense of control over the organization.

4. Government Policy & Regulation

A changing regulatory environment is always of concern in certain industries, but uncertain energy, environmental and financial policy is complicating the decision making for nearly all companies today. It’s true that things seem to have settled down over the past couple of years, but have they really? We find that they haven’t; it’s simply that dealing with an unknown regulatory environment is fast becoming the new normal and companies are deciding to get on with it—whatever “it” may be—despite the angst. Whether a demand from customers or shareholders to become more “green,” the threat of increased costs due to new carbon taxes, constant talk of changes to corporate tax rates, or the impending healthcare mandate for businesses in the US, much is unsettled. The problems to be solved are to understand the meaning of regulation and government policy in your industry, its implications for your business, and to develop the skills necessary to deal with it.

5. Technology

The pace of technological improvement is running at an exponentially increasing rate. While this has been true for several decades, the pace today makes capital investment in technology as much an asset as a handicap because a competitor may wait for the next-generation technology, which may only be a year away, and then use it to achieve an advantage. Of course waiting to be that competitor can be equally risky. What’s a CEO to do? Similarly, the ability for even the best of technologists to stay informed about emerging technology is in conflict with the need to master a company’s current technology. The problem to be solved is to develop a long-term technology strategy while remaining flexible enough to take advantage of unforeseen technology developments.

6. Diversity

A particular subset of human capital planning is found so often in our research that it is worth its own mention. Diversity brings many challenges, as it makes it far more likely that people do not agree, and the lack of agreement makes running a business very difficult. At the same time, the lack of diversity within many large company leadership teams leads to a narrow view of an ever-changing and diverse world—contributing to groupthink, stale culture and a tendency to live with the status quo for too long. The problem to be solved is to first define what diversity (and we’re not talking about satisfying government statisticians) really means in your company, then foster the expansion of differing ideas and viewpoints while ensuring a sufficiently cohesive environment that efficiently gets things done.

Help Server for India preview missing files

Problem

Impact

Workaround

Impact

When you try to use the Tenant node in the Business Central Server Administration tool, you get a message: The MMC has detected an error in the snap-in and will unload it. This message is followed by:

Value cannot be null. Parameter name: objectToValidate at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.BaseCollection.OnValidate(Object objectToValidate, Boolean testForDuplicate) at System.Collections.CollectionBase.System.Collections.IList.Add(Object value) at CallSite.Target(Closure , CallSite , NodeSubItemDisplayNameCollection , Object ) at System.Dynamic.UpdateDelegates.UpdateAndExecuteVoid2[T0,T1](CallSite site, T0 arg0, T1 arg1) at Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.ManagementUI.NavTenantsListView.RefreshWithNodeStateChangedCheck(IList1 tenants, ResultNodeCollection currentResultNodes) at Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.ManagementUI.NavTenantsListView.RefreshCore() at Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.ManagementUI.NavTenantsListView.OnInitialize(AsyncStatus status) at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.View.ProcessRequest(Request request) at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.ViewMessageClient.ProcessRequest(Request request) at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Internal.IMessageClient.ProcessRequest(Request request) at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Executive.RequestStatus.BeginRequest(IMessageClient messageClient, RequestInfo requestInfo) at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Executive.SnapInRequestOperation.ProcessRequest() at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Executive.Operation.OnThreadTransfer(SimpleOperationCallback callback)

Workaround

Authorship:

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_69.htm
https://leanmethods.com/resources/articles/top-ten-problems-faced-business/#:~:text=Top%20Ten%20Problems%20Faced%20by%20Business%201%20Uncertainty.,Diversity.%20…%207%20Complexity.%20…%20More%20items…
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/upgrade/known-issues

Alison Doyle is one of the nation’s foremost career experts and has counseled both students and corporations on hiring practices. She has given hundreds of interviews on the topic for outlets including The New York Times, BBC News, and LinkedIn. Alison founded CareerToolBelt.com and has been an expert in the field for more than 20 years.

How Many Hours Per Week is Part-Time?

There are a few key differences between full-time and part-time jobs. For example, depending on the employer, part-time positions may not qualify for the same perks and benefits as full-time positions. Fewer hours per week typically results in more flexibility, however, allowing you to work additional jobs or invest in your education.

There are no official federal guidelines that determine whether an employee is considered part or full-time. While the Fair Labor Standards Act establishes legally binding requirements for hours, overtime and wages U.S. businesses must follow, this law does not specifically state how many hours per week an employee must work to be considered full-time.

recognizes individuals working at least 35 hours per week as full-time employees, but this number is for statistical purposes only with no legal meaning. Many employers do, however, use this number as a guideline when developing their policies.

Pros and cons of part-time hours

There are many factors to think through before choosing a part-time position. While you should certainly consider the company, role, commute and compensation, it’s also important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages common among part-time positions.

Pros of working part-time hours

Greater flexibility. Part-time jobs are typically more flexible than full-time positions and sometimes allow you to create your own schedule. This is beneficial if you have other obligations such as caring for a loved one, working another job or attending school.

Supplemental income. Part-time jobs are a good source of additional, steady income that can supplement other full or part-time jobs. You might also acquire a part-time job to support your lifestyle while pursuing other goals like starting your own business or going to school.

Cons of working part-time hours

What Is a Part-Time Job?

Generally, a part-time job is one that requires a person to work fewer hours per week than an employee who is considered full-time. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers determine how their employees are classified. That said, there are a variety of ways employers (and the law) can do so.

Legal Definitions

The definition of a part-time job can vary. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics considers workers who work less than 35 hours a week as part time. However, that’s simply for statistical purposes. The Internal Revenue Service, on the other hand, considers more than 30 hours per week or more than 130 hours a month as full time. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act uses the same 30 hours per week standard as the IRS for eligibility for benefits under the act.

Company Policy

Many employers incorporate a definition of a part-time employee into their company policies, which will designate the number of hours per week part-time employees work. For example, Amazon has three categories it uses to determine which employees are eligible for certain benefits: part-time workers work 20-29 hours; reduced-time employees work 30-39 hours; and full-time employees are those who work 40 or more hours per week.

Part-Time Job Work Schedules

Part-time work schedules vary. When you’re hired for a part-time position, the hours and days you’ll be expected to work may be specified in advance (often through the job posting), or your schedule may be flexible and be set on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis as determined by your employer.

Before agreeing to part-time work, it’s important to understand what is required of the role and if it fits you. Below are some ways to figure out how many hours you’ll be working when you’re hired for a part-time position.

• Review the job posting: Carefully read the job description before you apply for a position. You may be able to tell how flexible the job is, and how many hours and days you are expected to work per week.
• Know your availability: You may be asked when you can work (days/hours) on a job application, so know your availability before you apply. Many employers are flexible and will work around the schedules of students, parents, retirees, and people with other time constraints and commitments.
• Ask during a job interview: If a schedule isn’t mentioned in advance, it’s acceptable to inquire about the work schedule during a job interview if the interviewer doesn’t ask you about your availability first. Have a list of when you’re available (and when you won’t be) to share. Flexibility is always a plus because it makes it easier for the employer to schedule coverage.

What are the disadvantages of working part-time?

Working more or fewer hours than expected

Often, part-time position hours can be unpredictable and cause a potentially erratic work schedule. Because your employer isn’t obligated to provide a set amount of hours, your working hours may fluctuate from week to week. This can cause scheduling challenges or affect your paycheque. Ways to overcome this disadvantage are to find a part-time position with consistent working hours or speak with your supervisor to express your concerns.

Eligibility for benefits

Typically in Canada, part-time employees don’t qualify for health, insurance or company retirement benefits. If you’re working a part-time position and a full-time job, then you are likely covered with your full-time company. However, if you only work part-time, then you can ask your employer about eligibility for healthcare and life insurance or any retirement benefits that may be available. In Canada, all employers must pay into Employment Insurance (EI) and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). These deductions come off of an employee’s paycheque and submitted on your behalf. However, additional benefits are not guaranteed for part-time workers. Be sure to ask about this during your interview process.

Fewer advancement opportunities

While a part-time position can expand your professional network and your transferable skills, the chance of you moving up in a company decreases. Typically, management and supervisory roles require a full-time schedule. This means that unless you work a full 35 to 40 hours a week, they might overlook you for a promotion. If you’re willing to move into a full-time role, have an open and honest discussion with your employer and let them know you’ll consider full-time employment for the right opportunity.

Feeling left out as part of a bigger team

If you enjoy the social aspects of work, then a part-time position may make you feel left out. As a part-time schedule always requires fewer hours than full-time employees, social gatherings and team-building activities may not present themselves as often. This can lead to feeling disconnected within the group. This does not affect everyone equally, and if you’re introverted you may love the part-time relationship with your colleagues. However, it’s important to know that you may feel disconnected if you value socialization and work friends.

Part-time job examples

If you’re interested in working a part-time job, begin by looking at how many hours you want to commit per week and the type of work you want to do. Assess your skills and abilities and then begin your job search by looking on job boards

Administrative assistant

An administrative assistant offers support within an office environment. Filing, preparing documents, answering emails and data entry are typical aspects of the role. Many organizations hire a part-time administrative assistant during a busy time of the year, during special projects or to cover vacation or extended leave of staff. Administrative assistants may also freelance their services virtually, then known as virtual assistants, allowing even more flexibility of hours and working location.

Bookkeeper

A bookkeeper maintains financial records for a company or organization. Using either a manual or electronic accounting system, they organize and record payables and receivables, complete bank account reconciliations, write payment cheques and submit tax and other mandatory documents. Bookkeepers may be self-employed and offer their services to other companies or may work for one organization.

Graphic designer

A graphic designer creates visual content and collateral for businesses and organizations. The graphic content includes social media posts, advertising materials, product and packaging concepts and print materials. Graphic designers may be self-employed while working on several projects or directly employed by a company, such as an advertising firm.

Translator

If you have a fluent understanding of a secondary language, then a part-time role in translation is something to consider. A translator takes written material in one language and translates it into another. Having a sound foundation in a particular area, like medical translation, is in even higher demand. Companies often hire translators to create accurate translations of documents, articles and reports, offering freelancing and project-based work.

Tutor

A tutor specializes in a particular area of education, such as elementary school, high school, university or college-level subjects. They work individually or with small groups to help students understand the subject and improve their comprehension and grades. A tutor may also provide pre-exam preparation. Tutors work part-time hours in the evenings and on weekends for educational organizations, tutoring businesses or are self-employed.

Writer

Writers commonly work part-time, freelance or are self-employed. A writer can work for various industries and organizations to offer content from general articles and novels to precise technical writing. Blogs, magazines, newspapers, social media managers and website developers all hire writers to create unique content and documents. Becoming a writer is an ideal job for someone who wants to work part-time with flexible hours and in any location.

Sources:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/part-time-hours
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-many-hours-is-a-part-time-job-5206437
https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-many-hours-is-part-time

Using cloud solutions can take some of the burden off of your in-house IT team, since your provider is responsible for the software, and allow them to focus on supporting your employees instead of a bunch of different apps and tools.

Tips on How to Scale Your Business From Successful Entrepreneurs

The difference between a small business or startup and a successful and profitable company typically boils down to time and experience. But, there are certain factors that play a big part in how those companies grew to be successful — things like timing, having the right people, focus, and intensely hard work.

Even though statistics, researchers, and the media tell you that the odds are stacked against you and the probability of failing is high, there are plenty of opportunities to succeed. One of the best ways to steel yourself against the hard times and tough decisions is to look at successful entrepreneurs and CEOs who have already blazed those trails.

They’ve learned the hard lessons and are willing to share knowledge that you can apply to fuel sustainable growth. Here are some insights from a few of them who learned how to overcome the odds and successfully scale their businesses.

Keep Processes as Simple as Possible

Successful business leaders are often so because they learn how to be good at simplifying things. They take the complex and make it less complex. This philosophy and approach to business is used in everything from product launches to developing workflows.

Complexity sucks time. It requires more meetings, more explanation, more refined communication with the customer, more people in the workflow, and more cogs in the machine. Complexity slows businesses down and inhibits growth.

“As businesses grow and scale, the key dynamic that slows progress and, at the extreme, impairs a business, is the creeping effect of complexity,” says Arnab Mishra, President and COO of Transera. “Complexity rears its head as products evolve, organizations grow, and business strategies change. CEOs of growing companies need to be aware of the impacts of growing complexity, and take actions to continuously simplify the operations and strategy of the organization.”

“CEOs that are most effective in reducing complexity tend to have a clear and well-communicated vision of the business’ goals, an ability to lead employees towards that vision, and a willingness to change course when it becomes clear that certain strategies are not providing the required results.”

“Simplicity is really important,” says Dan Horan, CEO of Five Acre Farms. “It’s got to be simple, and sometimes to make something simple you have to really, really study everything about it. It might turn out to be complex, but you have to present it simply, particularly when it comes to people: when people buy something, they don’t want a lecture.”

When is it time to scale? 3 signs to look out for

You might be asking yourself: “Should I scale or should I grow?” (as The Clash didn’t quite sing). It’s a tough decision—74% of startups fail due to premature scaling, so you have to pick the perfect time to take the plunge. There are a few key indicators that your business is ready:

When employees can’t handle the workload. Even though you have a strong cash flow due to repeatable sales, you might find yourself turning down new opportunities or letting customers down because your team is swamped.

When long-term business goals are unattainable. You may have smashed your short-term goals, but what about the future? If long-term success looks impossible (or really challenging) because you don’t have the right people or resources, it’s time to consider scaling.

Tips for how to scale a business

When we talk about scaling a business, we’re referring to strategies for growth that align with your original business vision while managing the impact of growth on your company. Implementing the following tips for how to scale a business form a sustainable scaling strategy you can rely on.

1. Know your purpose

Scaling a business is reliant on creating customer loyalty . The best way to create customer loyalty? Focus on employee loyalty first so they can spread the word and pass their enthusiasm for your company on to those they serve. Employees are loyal to companies whose purpose and values align with their own so they can feel their careers have a higher purpose. Learning how to scale a business will ultimately fail if you don’t first start with your “why” of going into business in the first place. Knowing your purpose and successfully communicating that to your team is the way to make them raving fans of your company and drive growth in an organic manner .

2. Develop a business map

Most entrepreneurs have a business plan, but have you thought about developing a business map ? Business maps are an effective, comprehensive way for scaling a business and meeting its goals. Creating a business map prompts you to ask foundational questions such as: What business are you really in? What was your reason for getting into this business in the first place?

Business maps encourage and challenge you to look at where you came from, define your purpose for starting this business and look ahead: What’s next for your business and where does your company ideally end up? Having this sort of documentation of your goals is a crucial part of learning how to scale a business and will be a helpful reference for when times get tough.

3. Perfect your product or service

With their focus on massive growth, many business owners forget to ensure that their product or service is solid. They often figure that they will just fix it after getting more users or more distribution. However, if you don’t work out the kinks and get rid of the bugs now, they will only get worse when you are scaling a business. This is why learning how to scale a business before pursuing growth will save you headaches and money in the long run. The early years of your business is a time to listen to feedback, find issues and improve your offerings until they meet your customers’ expectations. When you focus on creating a product or service that is of excellent quality, many of your growth issues will take care of themselves. Working on the issues in your first version also helps you assume more control when you scale your business because you will have a deeper understanding of what you and your customers want and need your product or service to be.

4. Create thoughtful processes and operations

How to scale a business doesn’t just involve growing upward and outward – it also means ensuring that your internal processes and operations are functioning seamlessly. The last thing you want is to start losing customers you’ve worked so hard to acquire because some part of your infrastructure is weak. While perfecting processes, keep in mind that some of the systems and processes that work when your company is in its early stages won’t work on a massive scale. This is where adaptability and flexibility come in, as you may need to tweak processes as you grow. Establishing a framework of what works and keeps your business running smoothly in the early years is key to scaling a business because it forms a solid core. While you can always improve on this core as growth occurs, it’s much more difficult to go back and create it once you’ve grown past a certain level.

5. Establish your team

It may seem obvious that establishing a strong team is a prerequisite for scaling a business – you can’t handle everything on your own. Developing a management team that is flexible and can grow with the company is an important component when it comes to learning how to scale a business.

Your team is not just about your employees, though. To master how to scale a business sustainably, you must work on developing external relationships with suppliers, partners and other outside organizations who will be part of your overall growth.

One of the best things about operating a small business is the ability to establish intimate relationships with your customers. You get to give them the experience that you want from beginning to end. And the goal should always be to create a raving fan – someone who will be a staunch advocate for your brand and help you scale your business by spreading the word.

Remember, the community that you create around your business can bolster your foundation so that you have even more strength and leverage as you grow. Having a solid network is so important it’s part of the definition of scaling a business. So take the time to really build the “team” that will propel you into the future.

References:

https://blog.wagepoint.com/all-content/9-tips-on-how-to-scale-your-business-from-successful-entrepreneurs
https://www.dialpad.com/blog/how-to-scale-a-business/
https://www.tonyrobbins.com/career-business/mindful-scaling/
https://www.tonyrobbins.com/business/scaling-a-business/

Psychiatry is the medical field that analyzes the complexity of the human brain. It attempts to define and comprehend disorders, and pinpoint the most efficient treatment, whilst focusing on the rehabilitation of mental illness. Its fundamental goal is to enhance the mental wellbeing of the patient.

It’s worth noting that biological and environmental factors alike can trigger symptoms of distress. At the same time, each person reacts differently to the same factors. But, statistically speaking, brain abnormalities lead to a higher risk of mental illness. Psychiatry can be intriguing and scary, at the same time. The specialists that work with schizophrenic patients, for example, are exposed to unusual incidents. This is what we’ll talk about today, namely wise or horrible stories from psychiatrist patients.

Demons Crawling on the Wall

A psychiatrist has gotten a client transferred to his case – he suffered from schizophrenia, having a long history of polysubstance abuse. Fundamentally, a person who employs polysubstance abuse willingly consumes a mix of psychoactive substances, one of them being alcohol. Diagnosing this client was challenging; considering that, most of his life he has been homeless.

Therefore, he didn’t follow a treatment for more than one or two months – tops. As the social worker introduced the patient to the psychiatrist, the patient seemed to aimlessly stare at the wall. The medical practitioner assumed that was pretty much expected, considering that it was the first they met. Nevertheless, when he was asked what he was looking at, the answer came as a surprise: the demons are crawling, which is okay.

Schizophrenic Child Telling True Things about People She Never Met

This definitely falls into the category of weird stories. A guy had a sister that suffered from schizophrenia. The odd part is that she would tell him all sorts of truthful things regarding people she never actually met – details such as an uncle’s middle name or what a specific person would do at a given time. And the weirdest part about that is that she was right. 

The Wisest Piece of Advice

This story has been told in one of the forensic psychology essays by a mental health professional that started to work in a community mental health center. The woman who had been assigned to show him the company said to him that there is a particular patient who is really crazy; therefore, as a mental health professional, he should be interested to meet him and analyze his condition. Evidently, this built a lot of anticipation.

Eventually, when he finally got to meet the patient, he was surprised, as he told him the wisest thing. He actually advised the mental health practitioner not to work there, as that place was a prison that treated both patients and staff members equally. He added that everybody felt miserable there.

Therefore, in spite of the appearances, the craziest guy there gave the wisest piece of advice of the day.

The Voices in His Head Were His Only Friends

Understanding schizophrenia is a huge challenge, as this is a mental disorder that has been proven to advance with age; therefore, it is continually changing. This story is about a particular schizophrenic patient that presented the usual symptoms – namely disheveled appearance, auditory hallucinations, and the lack of an expression on his face.

This person actually communicated with the voices that spoke to him. When asked what the voices would tell him, he refused to talk about that. Therefore, he was given medication in order to stop the voices from further disturbing him. Nevertheless, his behavior was unchanged, in fact, he looked even more depressed. When he was asked why that was, the answer was hit hard: the voices were my only friends.

The Woman That Wanted to Be a Better Mother and Wife, Even If She Had No Children or Husband

This story was told by a mental health practitioner that volunteered to help people continue their treatment. Therefore, she helped them to develop goals, which would keep them motivated throughout the process. A particular woman, when asked what her motivation was to get better, convincingly said that she wanted to enhance her health in order to be a better mother and wife. She gave specific motives, such as the fact that she wanted to have the energy to run around and play with her children.

As the healthcare professional mentioned this to another therapist that worked in that facility, she was told that that women never had children, and she was never married either.

In short, the realm of mental illnesses is fascinating at it is scary. When dealing with people struggling with mental disorders such as schizophrenia, you come across unusual stories and experiences. Of course, these are only some of the many stories and experiences out there. If you have any you’d like to share, feel free to do so in the comment section!

Choosing a university is not an easy thing to do. Why is that? Because you may feel unsure about it. You may think that maybe you don’t want to go through the university circle, and the very next second, it doesn’t sound like a bad idea after all. It feels like the Wizard of Oz right?

Well, it is normal to feel that way before making this kind of decision. Many students say that their first big decision in life was the one regarding the university. But how do you know if it is the right one for you?

The Yellow Brick Road

Since I brought “The Wizard of Oz” into the discussion, let’s make an analogy that may help us understand how choosing a university can really feel like.

The road to the university is quite similar to the yellow brick road that Dorothy walks on. You don’t really know anything about where you will end up at the end of the journey. However, if you started walking down this road, you already made a decision about your academic future.

The Scarecrow

In the novel, Dorothy first encounters a scarecrow that tells her that he wants a brain. In our case though, the scarecrow would express our indecision. It’s normal to feel a bit insecure when walking along this path because you go into the unknown.

Human beings are naturally nervous when going through something that they don’t know anything about. You might not know if you can cope with this situation, or if you will choose the right specialization.

Anyway, if you ever feel unsure about these things, you should try and trust your gut. Have faith in your power of choice. Also, if you feel obliged to go to the university when your heart tells you that your place is not there, then follow your instincts.

The Cowardly Lion

The Cowardly Lion symbolizes your fear. This feeling is tightly bounded by your insecurity and lack of self-trust. Don’t let these feelings prevent you from going on with your decision though. If you decided that you want to go to the university, then you will have to get past this phase.

Don’t forget that, even the Cowardly Lion found its courage in the end and killed the giant spider, becoming the king of the animals. Therefore, if you really feel like this character, then be the Cowardly Lion from the end of the novel.

The Tin Woodman

Another character that the protagonist of The Wizard of Oz meets on her journey is the Tin Woodman. If the scarecrow wanted a brain and the cowardly lion wanted courage, the Tin Woodman is asking for a heart.

I believe that the Tin Woodman may symbolize your indecision of going to the university. It is ok if you don’t want to do so. After all, it’s your future we are talking about here. Only you and you alone have the power to decide whether you want to take this path or not.

Another thing that the tin woodman may stand for is the change of heart that you may have during the university. This happens if you discover during the academic year that you chose the wrong university. In this case, you can ask for a transfer.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, choosing a university can really make you feel like Dorothy in the novel “The Wizard of Oz” because her journey is similar to yours. In any case, it’s safe to try and do a research about your potential universities before making any decisions. And last but not least, don’t forget to trust yourself.

We all like to say that we can manage our own time, that we don’t need a computer o an app to remind us of what we have to do. Yet, at the same time, we all seem to either forget or “conveniently postpone” an activity until we are forced to pull an all-nighter.

In these scenarios, you might want to put a stop to your pride and use a few useful time management apps to keep track of your time. This way, the projects will no longer pile up, and you’ll be able to enjoy free time while you are also being productive

Evernote

Regardless of where you look for apps, Evernote will always be the first to show up. This app will allow you to gather your thoughts, notes, and ideas all in one place – and you may connect them through multiple devices.

This way, if you forget your tablet at home one day or don’t have your computer on you, you may access the notes from your phone. Plus, you may also check all of your assignments in, their due dates, and a work plan – all of which can be accessed with just one click.

Focus Booster

The purpose of Focus Booster is to take up the bigger tasks and break it down into smaller chunks while also leaving time for breaks. It’s known as the “digital Pomodoro timer,” and it works based on the Pomodoro method – one which says for every 25 minutes of work, you need a 5-minute break.

Plus, after 4 Pomodoro cycles, you will also get a 20-minute break for your brain to regain its focus. Once the cycle is done, you may return to the task that you have noted into the app.

Listastic

Do you tend to make a lot of lists? If so, Listastic is very much up your alley. This app functions pretty much like a digital to-do list, reminding you of things that you need to do on a particular day.

Regardless if you need a reminder of the groceries or the names of the books that you have to get, this app can help you keep track.

Super Notes

SuperNotes is an Apple app that allows you to save images, recording, notes, and even more. This way, you will not have to write every single thing you hear in class. You can simply record your professor as they are talking, or you can take pictures of the important slides without losing precious time.

Plus, it also has a fun interface that makes note-taking entertaining. Everything is color-coded, so it will be very easy for you to organize your calendar and your lectures into categories.

Remember the Milk

It may have a funny name, but this app is known as the Swiss army knifeof time management apps. You may access your lists from your phone, your tablet, your computer – anything that has the app installed on it.

You can also add entries from your email, and it makes it very easy for people to add to the list while they are on the moo-ve (sorry-not-that-sorry).

Do

Any.Do is another versatile app that allows you to manage your time the way you want it. It has everything from to-do lists to reminders, notes, and calendars if events where you can see your deadlines.

Like any other time management app from this list, you may transfer the data across devices – so you’re not only stuck to your phone or laptop if you want to check your schedule.

In the end, what you’ll need to follow a schedule is determination – and a fair amount of willpower. If you give in to procrastination, even the best time management app won’t be able to help you.