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âWhat is your dream job?â is a question that gets asked in job interviews often, so you need to be ready to answer it. But coming up with a great response is not as easy as it seems. This guide will help you come up with a great answer that connects your dream job to […]
The post How To Answer “What Is Your Dream Job?” (Samples Inside) appeared first on Career Sherpa.
Lindsey PollakBest-selling author, millennial career expert, and spokesperson for The Hartfordâs My Tomorrow campaign.
Founder of The Hired Group, star of Hired on MTV, and author of Hired! The Guide for the Recent Grad.
CEO & founder of InternQueen.com.
Co-founder and board member of DeVry Universityâs Career Advisory Board. Author of They Donât Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Somethingâs Guide to the Business World.
Millennial expert, resume writer, career consultant, and owner of InterviewSnob.
Former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine and NYT best-selling author/career expert/keynote speaker.
Certified resume writer and president of The Aces Company.
Social media marketing strategist, international speaker, and the author of The Social Media WHY.
CEO of Revolutionary Club.
Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and president of Rise Above Resources.
Internationally known thought leader, speaker, and author of Untapped Talent: Unleashing the Power of the Hidden Workforce.
Author of Destination Real World: Success after Graduation and Interviewer Success.
Chief branding officer at Be Unforgettable Media, Inc.
College instructor, consultant, and author of the Amazon bestseller Get the Job: Optimize Your Resume for the Online Job Search.
Associate director of employer outreach and career support at the University of New Hampshire.
Co-creator of The Gateway Method.
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) for the state of CT and administrator of the blog CT Career Guidance.
Entertainment career expert, veteran hiring executive, and founder of YourIndustryInsider.com.
Social networking coach, author, public speaker, and Certified Career Transition Coach (CCTC).
Award-winning event planner, author, and speaker.
CEO of the award-winning public relations firm GolinHarris.
TORI award-winning resume writer.
Career and job search coach to students, recent grads, and professionals. Author of 3 Steps to Your Best Job Ever! and 3 Steps to Your Job in the USA.
Leadership & management career coach.
Award-winning Top 100 Small Business Champion, Top 100 Small Business Podcast, and Top Small Business Book by SmallBizTrends.com.
President & managing partner at Right Executive Search LLC.
Certified Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC).
CEO of Curran Consulting Group, and a career consultant and author.
Leadership coach & mentor.
Career coach, management trainer, workshop speaker.
Career expert & author.
There’s a pretty steep learning curve when you are new to looking for a new job. Get up to speed more quickly by diving into this week’s Summary Sunday. In this week’s Summary Sunday of curated articles you’ll find: Follow these smart resources and talented authors! LINKEDIN LinkedIn has a built-in unemployment bias | Lisa […]
The post Summary Sunday: Issue 359 appeared first on Career Sherpa.
After working from home or in a different environment for a while, it can be difficult to enjoy office life or adapt to it. If you used to work in an office and are thinking of returning, or you have always worked from home, and the concept of working in an office is daunting, this […]
The post <strong>Tips to Get Used to Office Work Again</strong> appeared first on Jobacle.com.
Within seconds when youâre speaking in public, other people decide whether to listen to you and trust youâ¦or not. Your voice and physical presence are extremely potent tools for communication, which makes succumbing to stage fright so unfortunate for many of us. It causes some to not even try climbing on stage in the first place.
Did you know that even though stage fright is instinctual, you can actually trick your brain with an easy mind shift and plenty of practice?
The Neuroscience of Stage Fright
The root of stage fright lies in our body’s ancient fight-or-flight response, a natural survival instinct. When faced with something we perceive as dangerous, our brain provides our body with an extra burst of energy to either confront or flee the assumed threat.
The fight-or-flight reflex releases hormones that prepare the body for battle or escape, increasing our heart rate. In turn, we have shortness of breath, sweating, and trembling muscles.
What’s truly intriguing is that this extra surge of energy is a GIFTâa source of power that we often misinterpret. We unnecessarily attach negative emotions of fear and panic to how our bodies become primed to protect ourselves.
These symptoms are signs of heightened alertness and POWER, not signs of failure and distress. Ruminating on any negative associated feelings can then trigger a spiral of self-doubt. The result: youâd rather not even get out of bed that morning.
Think About it This Wayâ¦
Imagine if you were getting ready to compete in an athletic competition and your heart rate DIDNâT pick up in anticipationâseems like a sure signal of defeat, right?
To conquer stage fright, you need to change your mindset. Start by understanding that the physical symptoms you experience are similar to the excitement you feel before something thrilling, like riding a roller coaster, attending a live music concert, or playing a sports match. By reframing your feelings as EXCITEMENT to deliver your speech, you can transform fear into a positive force.
So when you start to feel nervous, take a moment to thank yourself. Thank your body for giving you this extra boost and sharpened edge to perform at peak condition. Just like an athlete posed for the starting signal, you are primed and ready for your greatest performance.
The Importance of Preparation
Insufficient preparation is a significant factor in pre-speech nerves. Doubts about your voice, appearance, or content can intensify the fear. To overcome public speaking anxiety, thorough preparation and practice are essential. These ensure you’re ready for any situation that may arise, boosting your confidence.
Embracing Imperfections
If you still feel inadequate, consider embracing your nervousness and imperfections as part of your stage presence. Openly admit your nerves to your audience; most of them have experienced the same thing. They will appreciate your authenticity and courage in acknowledging your vulnerabilities. This transparency builds human connection and support from your audience.
Thatâs a Wrap
Stage fright is conquerable and it’s a dragon worth slaying. Thereâs no doubt that using your voice to its fullest potential is a powerful tool for achieving your goals. By understanding the science behind stage fright, shifting your mindset, thorough preparation, and embracing your imperfections, you can overcome public speaking fears.
Don’t let a primitive fight-or-flight response hold you back from sharing your message and passion with the world.
Discover the incredible power of public speaking, a core skill that can transform your career and elevate your everyday interactions. Don’t worry, it’s totally achievableâanyone can conquer the art of speaking and presentations through practice. If you want to level up in this area, join me (on LinkedIn or visit my website) for some seriously cool techniques rooted in behavioral science, marketing strategy, and the performing arts. You deserve to be heard.
A major part of job search is getting yourself out there. What better way than to attend a career fair? First, there are usually open jobs at companies that attend career fairs. Second, you’ll have the chance to meet employers and others face-to-face! If you are going to go, do some serious preparation. In order to make the most of […]
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If you are an employee looking to get ahead at your current job, you need to start managing up. Managing up is not difficult and the benefits are worth the time and energy it takes to master it.
Managing up is not manipulation either. It’s simply understanding how to create an exchange that is mutually beneficialâand this kind of exchange cannot occur without trust between both parties.
Here are three rules to successfully “manage up” in your job:
To manage up, you must embrace the idea that you are selling your professional services. You are a business-of-one. It’s time to act like a salesperson, and great salespeople take the time to learn about their clients’ histories, experiences, perceptions, and, subsequently, what it might take to shift those perceptions. I emphasize the word “time” because many of the professionals I work with come to me after making the initial mistake of not getting the detailed information they need to manage up.
A great salesperson is actually a really gifted teacher, someone who patiently and creatively navigates pupils, enabling them to reach the right conclusions on their own. Yet everyone knows teachers can’t make this happen for their students without first determining what the students need to understand. Thus, understanding our managers to the point where we know how to get what we want means doing our homework.
Here are just a few questions we should be seeking the answers to:
That last question is most important because the answer tells us what our manager thinks we’re capable of. How can we begin to convince managers we can do more without first knowing what they perceive our limits to be?
Doing extensive research on our manager not only keeps us busy but also provides us with a gold mine of information we can use to help connect our own professional goals to those of our manager. And we all know presenting evidence-supported, win-win strategies produces some of the best and fastest results.
Yet, while the “everybody wins” approach is a solid start to being heard and respected by management, we must now explore another sign of a truly successful salesperson, and the next key element to managing up: knowing when NOT to press the sale.
The most impressive, unforgettable salesperson isn’t the one who closes the big deal. Rather, it’s the one who upon listening to the needs of its client realizes their product or service actually isn’t a good fit and then tries to help by suggesting viable alternatives.
Now, that’s someone we can trust and respectâsomeone whose honest opinion we would seek again.
The value in thoroughly exploring the what, why, and how of upper management is that we may also get a “heads up” as to why some of our ideas might not work at a certain time. Is pushing a personal agenda worth jeopardizing our credibility?
It’s easy to get caught up in the sale of our professional services, especially when we are dissatisfied on the job. But even when we want something, we must recognize our managers may not be able to meet those demands right away. The timing might be off, or the right pieces might not be in place. And, like that unforgettable salesperson, it’s the employee who recognizes and graciously accepts what can’t be at the moment, and who willingly goes back to the drawing board to come up with another plan, who gains the respect of management.
Now, before you say, “But management is too self-absorbed and busy to even give me the time of day,” or “Why would I bother when my boss doesn’t listen to me or respect my opinions,” let’s take a look at the final key element of effectively managing up that has quantum leaped the careers of many professionals I know: a willingness to speak their language.
The best salespeople are engaging communicators who care seriously about what they say and how they say it. The old cliche, “You get more flies with honey than vinegar,” is paramount to managing up. If you are a professional looking to get ahead, then learning to speak to management on their terms will be your ticket to success.
Let me share a story.
I was recently speaking to a group of managers who had to hire a lot of younger professionals in the last year. Their first comment to me? How inconsiderate these new employees could be when expressing themselves on the job. One manager even shared a story of how, when she made an effort to commend and recognize a new employee’s efforts with a creative token gift, instead of a “thank you,” the employee said, “That’s corny,” and gave her a disdained look.
I don’t care how old you are or how long you’ve been a manager, getting that reaction from your efforts is like a kick in the stomach. More importantly, it puts up a wall of defense between the two parties. Why should a manager respect us if we don’t treat them with respect? We may not like their approaches, but let’s at least give them credit for trying.
I know how frustrating it can be for employees on the job, but making a change requires diplomacyâthe choosing of words wisely. The desire for greater teamwork, leaderless organizations, and an emphasis on meaningful one-on-one interactions are just some of the concepts employees believe will improve a workplace. Yet the very success of those initiatives rests on highly effective positive communication. So, why not start by setting an example?
Before you speak, put yourself in the shoes of today’s seasoned manager and imagine what it must have been like to work over the last twenty years. If you can’t muster some sensitivity for their plight, then look at it this way: The disconnect between older management and younger employers is not going to go away. Some day, the current crop of younger professionals will be responsible for the workplace, and the new generation entering behind them won’t be satisfied with what they’ve done with it either. That’s the nature of progressânever being satisfied.
I must admit, after years of hard work and working only with what was available to me at the time, I don’t think I’d appreciate folks brand new to the workplace bluntly telling me how I’ve messed it up for them, would you? Progress only works when ALL parties learn to effectively communicate with one another. It’s not just management’s job to listen to the desires of its employees; it’s every employee’s job to find the right way to engage management in dynamic, productive conversations.
For example, we’ve all got questions. But it’s how we frame those questions to managers that can make a difference. Open up conversations by saying:
“I am really interested in finding a way to make a greater impact, but I need more information. You have a lot of experience that can help me see the big picture. I need your perspective. Can we set up some time so I can ask questions and get the kind of feedback that will help me?”
This is one way successful young people are connecting with their managers. Give your manager the chance to share how they got their workplace battle scars. Some day, you may want that chance too.
More importantly, articulating the reasons for our questions in this fashion is the smartest way to get management off the defensive. Instead of assuming we’re questioning their authority and secretly criticizing their decisions, they’ll understand that we’re just looking for answers that will help us do our job better.
In summary, adjusting our approach to communicating with management is part of the give-and-take necessary for successful partnerships. Nobody (especially a manager) wants to work with someone who conveys an “all about me” attitude in their efforts to get ahead. We all know there’s no “I” in “team,” but smart professionals know thinking and subsequently phrasing their thoughts to reflect a “we” versus a “me” mentality is the quickest way to get respect from higher-ups.
Ensure your communication with managers showcases a comprehensive view of everyone’s needs, and you’ll be seen as both wise and worth more than your years.
The secret to successfully managing up in your job is following the three rules above. Managing up in your job will help you get ahead in your career, and hopefully help you achieve the career growth you’re capable of achieving.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
In the fast-paced world of healthcare, medical device representatives are the unsung heroes who bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and patient care. Yet these dedicated professionals face many complex challenges navigating this intricate realm. This exploration delves into the top five challenges confronting medical device reps, shedding light on the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape they traverse to improve patient outcomes and advance medical innovation.
1. Building Customer Relationships with Limited Access to Physicians and Hospitals: The healthcare industry, driven by an evolving regulatory landscape and concerns about patient privacy, has witnessed a noticeable decrease in direct access to physicians and hospitals for medical device representatives. Establishing and nurturing meaningful relationships with healthcare professionals has become an intricate dance, requiring a nuanced approach, as restrictions on in-person interactions and gatekeepers guarding access to decision-makers have intensified.
2. Sales Rep Training: Understanding and Explaining Complex Products: Medical devices, characterized by their sophistication and intricate functionalities, present a formidable challenge for sales representatives. Mastery of these complex products, from understanding their mechanisms to articulating their benefits, is a formidable task. Effective training programs are vital to equip medical device reps with the knowledge and skills to engage in meaningful discussions with healthcare professionals.
3. Physician Training: Teaching Physicians How to Use Complicated Medical Devices: Beyond sales, medical device representatives are essential in educating physicians on the proper use of intricate medical devices. The challenge lies in simplifying the complex, ensuring that healthcare providers can confidently and safely integrate these technologies into patient care while minimizing the risk of errors or complications.
4. Economic Pressures in Healthcare: The cost-conscious healthcare landscape is daunting for medical device reps. Increasing pressure to reduce healthcare expenditures significantly emphasizes cost-effectiveness and return on investment for medical devices. Demonstrating their products’ long-term value and efficiency in a cost-sensitive environment is an ongoing challenge.
5. Competitive Market: The medical device industry is fiercely competitive, with numerous players vying for the attention of healthcare professionals. Keeping abreast of competitors, differentiating products, and constantly innovating is imperative. Moreover, the rapidly evolving nature of medical technology adds a layer of complexity as medical device reps must stay ahead of the curve in a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Medical device representatives face a multitude of challenges in their efforts to improve medical technology and enhance patient care. Their unwavering commitment to these goals is crucial in advancing healthcare. Let’s take a closer look at these obstacles and the innovative strategies and insights that are helping these representatives overcome them.
Building customer relationships in healthcare with limited access to physicians and hospitals can be challenging, but it’s crucial for success. Here are some tips to help you establish and maintain strong customer relationships in this situation:
Building strong customer relationships takes time and effort. By providing value, being consistent, and maintaining a customer-centric approach, even with limited access to physicians and hospitals, you can foster trust and loyalty among your customer base.
Training sales representatives to understand and explain complex medical devices is a critical process that requires a specialized approach. Here’s a structured training program for sales reps in the medical device industry:
By focusing on these aspects, your sales representatives will be well-equipped to understand, explain, and sell complex medical devices to highly educated healthcare professionals while maintaining a high standard of knowledge and ethical conduct.
Demonstrating how to use medical devices to physicians can be complex due to several challenges. Physicians often work in fast-paced, high-stress environments and must be confident using these devices effectively. Here are some common challenges in demonstrating medical device usage to physicians:
Developing effective training programs tailored to the physicians’ needs and preferences is essential to address these challenges. This might include in-person training, online resources, simulations (AR/VR), and regular proficiency assessments. Additionally, involving physicians in the selection process of medical devices and seeking their input on usability and training needs can contribute to a smoother adoption process. Collaboration between medical device manufacturers, healthcare institutions, and physicians can help develop comprehensive strategies for training and ongoing support.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are becoming more common in physician training and medical device demonstrations. These technologies offer several advantages in the healthcare sector:
Many medical device companies and healthcare institutions are investing in AR and VR technology to enhance physician training and device demonstrations. They are developing custom applications and content for various devices, including headsets, smartphones, and tablets, to meet the specific needs of their target audiences. As these technologies continue to advance, they have the potential to transform how medical professionals are trained and how medical devices are introduced to the market.
Economic pressures in healthcare are a significant concern and have a far-reaching impact on various aspects of the industry. These pressures arise from a combination of factors, including increasing demand for healthcare services, rising costs, evolving regulations, and a need for healthcare providers to maintain financial sustainability. Here’s a closer look at some of the key economic pressures in healthcare:
In this context, medical device sales representatives are crucial in addressing some of these economic pressures. They must demonstrate their products’ cost-effectiveness and long-term benefits to hospital administrators and financial decision-makers. To do this effectively, they may need to:
Overall, navigating economic pressures in healthcare requires a multifaceted approach that involves collaboration between healthcare providers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to find sustainable solutions that balance quality of care and cost-effectiveness.
The medical device industry is highly competitive. Sales representatives often compete against numerous companies, all vying for the same clients. Differentiating their product and demonstrating its value can be challenging.
Competing in a highly competitive market, such as the medical device industry, can be challenging. Sales representatives in this field must adopt effective strategies to differentiate their products and demonstrate their value to potential clients. Here are some key strategies to succeed in a competitive market:
In a competitive market, success often hinges on your ability to communicate the value of your product and the trust you build with your clients. Combining product knowledge with relationship-building skills and a customer-centric approach can help you stand out in the medical device industry.
Medical device representatives, your journey is full of challenges, but they are not roadblocks. Instead, they should be seen as stepping stones to success. Stay committed to your mission and know that every obstacle you overcome brings you one step closer to positively impacting patient care. Embrace the opportunity to learn and adapt to the ever-evolving technology and regulations, because this knowledge will set you apart from the competition.
Building trust with healthcare professionals may take time, but persistence will be rewarded with lasting partnerships. Show passion and belief in your products to stand out in a crowded market.
It’s okay to face rejection and feel the stress, but don’t let these moments define you. Instead, let them motivate you to work even harder. Remember, you are contributing to advancements in medical science and improving the quality of life for countless individuals.
Don’t ever stop pushing forward, keep learning, and building those crucial relationships. Your unwavering dedication and hard work will undoubtedly lead you to success in this challenging yet rewarding field. You possess the necessary skills and mindset to overcome any obstacle and make a significant impact in the world of healthcare. Keep striving for excellence and nothing can stop you from achieving greatness!
If you want to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the top five challenges that medical device sales representatives face, or if you have additional obstacles or concerns that you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact me. I would be happy to have a detailed conversation with you about this topic.
To most of us, career growth and success are life goals that are right in line with marriage, a mortgage, kids, and two bright and shiny new cars in the driveway. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. In many cases, well-educated people are stuck in jobs that they’re overqualified for and they’re blocked for promotions by senior team members.
When it comes to career success, if you’re not growing, you’re dying.
Here are five things that you can do to improve your career growth prospects and be happier and successful at work:
If you’re passed over again and again for promotions, it might be time to start learning new skills in order to make yourself more valuable to the company. Taking online courses and getting professional certifications can go a long way to help you advance with your current company or look more attractive to another company should you decide to leave.
It’s important to remember that it’s not your employer’s responsibility to advance your career. You must develop your own plan for career growth and hold yourself accountable.
It’s great to have friends at work but your job isn’t a country club aimed at enhancing your social status. Being friendly and courteous is important in the office, but being friends with everyone is not. This is not to say that you shouldn’t attend social events or engage in some water cooler talk from time to time, but remember that your peers may one day be your subordinates.
This often leads to workplace hostility. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that you have friends outside of work and that remaining friendly, but not too friendly, is the best course of action.
When it comes time for a promotion or a raise, you’re ultimately going to be judged on what you do to provide additional value to the company.
Corporate goals are great, but setting personal goals to push the envelope a bit further is great for overall career growth and gives you great talking points when you’re met with a review for a raise or promotion.
Networking is no longer an option; it’s the norm. Attending these events puts you in contact with people who not only could provide opportunities later but could also help you at your current job. Need a new HR person? You probably know someone. The IT department is looking for a new leadâgreat, you can call the guy you met at happy hour.
These contacts allow you to not only be on the lookout for future opportunities but to also be the person in your current position who has the contacts they need to get things done.
If there’s one thing that bosses hate, it’s the person who brings problems to them to solve. Problems happen, and sometimes you don’t have any other choice but to bring it to your boss, but you’ll be looked at in a far more favorable light if you bring solutions when you present the problems.
“This is a potential problem, but I’ve done some research and it appears that this would fix it”âsounds a lot better to your management team than just being the guy who is constantly complaining.
If these tips don’t help and you can’t seem to get ahead no matter what you try, it might be time to look for a new job. There’s no shame in trying something and then moving on to something else when it doesn’t work.
No matter what position you’re in, there are always ways to keep moving up the corporate ladder. Don’t give up. Remember to seize every opportunity and work on your career a little bit every day. You’ll be out of a career rut in no time.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
One of the best things about work is that you get to collaborate with your co-workers. However, in offices all over the world, there are co-workers people would rather NOT work with every day.
Co-workers can get labeled as terrible for multiple reasons. And that label can do some serious damage at work.
Here are a few habits a colleague can have that would earn them that bad reputation. Are you guilty of any of them?
It’s important to build a team that has respect for one another in the workplace. One of the biggest things that kills respect among colleagues is gossiping.
If you talk about your co-workers behind their backs, there’s no way they’re going to trust you or respect anything you have to say. Plus, they won’t want to work with you if you’re talking badly about them. That could have a major impact on your work, especially if you have a project you need help on.
Gossiping could give you a brief moment of satisfaction, but it can really do some serious damage to your work relationships.
We’ve all had bad days at work. We’re human, it’s bound to happen.
However, having a consistent negative attitude at work will have a tremendous impact on your relationship with your co-workers.
Multiple studies show that negative attitudes can spread quickly, especially in the workplace. That means people will want to stay away from those who generate negative energy. Also, having a negative attitude at work kills workplace productivity and puts a major dent in workplace culture.
With that being said, take a minute to reflect on your attitude at work. Could it use some adjusting?
Let’s be realâeveryone needs a little break at work. It’s good to take some time to get away from your desk, whether it’s a five-minute walk around the office or a quick trip to the vending machine. However, constantly being distracted at work can lead to major problems that impact productivity.
A source of these distractions can come from co-workers.
Think about it. Is there a co-worker who is always talking, even when you’re trying to work? Or is there a co-worker who blasts loud music at their desk throughout the workday?
These distractions may not be intentional, but they can cause other people to lose focus at work.
If you have distracting habits at work, think about how you can curb them. You’ll be surprised by what it does for your office’s productivity.
Working with a team at work has great benefits. You’re able to collaborate with people and come up with ideas you may not have thought of on your own. That being said, giving credit to your co-workers for their contributions to the workplace is essential for maintaining good relationships with them.
If you’re collaborating with a co-worker on a project and you want to expand on one of their ideas, be sure to give them credit where credit is due.
If you take all the glory and don’t mention their contribution, it will reflect poorly on you.
When you go to work, it’s expected that you show up and actually do work. However, there are some people who do a lot of showing up…but not a lot of work.
When someone doesn’t do their job, they force their co-workers to pick up the slack. That combined with the workload they already have could cause some MAJOR frustration in the office.
Make sure you’re doing your job when you’re at work. It can be so easy to get distracted, but you have to stay on track and do what needs to get done. Doing your share of the work will give you a lot of satisfaction and your co-workers will appreciate your contributions.
Your co-workers will have ideas they want to share with the team from time to time. You may not like these ideas and, as a result, you may shut them down before the team even discusses them.
There are multiple reasons why this is a bad habit in the workplace. For starters, it could give the impression that you’re not open to hearing new ideas. It could also give the impression that you don’t care about your team’s opinions.
So, before you shoot down a co-worker’s idea, take a moment to really think about it and have a discussion with them about it instead of immediately expressing your distaste for it.
It’s important to have a good work-life balance. However, bringing too much of your personal life into the workplace can cause some rifts in the office.
You may have co-workers you can talk to about your personal life. But you may also have co-workers who wish to maintain a strictly professional relationship with you.
If you vent about your personal life at work, you risk compromising your relationships with your co-workers.
As a worker, you are a business-of-one, which means you want to market yourself the best you can. Bringing a lot of your personal baggage into the workplace is not a good thing, and will make it harder to market yourself as an employee and co-worker.
You know exactly what I’m talking about here.
There are certain rules of office etiquette that go unspoken. One of those rules is not to stink up the entire office with your food. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this rule.
There are some people who have no problem heating up their leftover fish at lunchtime. It may be in the microwave for only two minutes, but its impact lasts much longer.
Stinking up the office with your lunch is distracting.
Seriously, it’s an issue if the only thing your co-workers can focus on is how your lunch smells.
A workplace culture should be built around mutual respect and trust among co-workers.
Once in a while, you may disagree with your colleagues, and that’s okay. Disagreements happen, but how you handle it says more about you than the disagreement itself.
If you’re passive aggressive toward your co-workers, it will cause some tension in the office.
Being passive aggressive means you aren’t being direct with your co-workers about your issues with them. If you aren’t direct with them, then how are you going to work past the issue you’re having?
Passive aggressiveness will take its toll on the workplace if it isn’t nipped in the bud. The best way to curb this is to be direct with your colleagues and have a professional discussion about the issue at hand.
Everyone is late to work once in a while. However, it’s an issue if you’re constantly late to work.
Showing up on time is a sign of respect in the office. It shows that you care about your work and getting in on time to get your work done.
If you’re always showing up late, it shows that you don’t respect the work you do. Also, running late can impact your co-workers. If they need your input on a project, but you’re running late, it makes them crunched for time. That can lead to a stressful work environment.
Showing up to work on time reflects on you as a worker. So, show up on time and be ready to put your best foot forward.
Not every co-worker will be your friend, but it’s always important to respect others in the workplace. If you’re guilty of any of the habits mentioned above, try your best to be a better colleague today. Your co-workers (and career) will thank you.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
As new employees join your team, providing them with a well-structured and comprehensive training plan is essential for their success and the long-term growth of your business. Crafting a thoughtful and effective training program not only accelerates the onboarding process but also sets the stage for new hires to excel in their roles. How can you create a training plan that equips your new talent with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive?
We recently asked our leading executives for their best tips on how to develop a training plan for new employees.
Here are their responses…
New employees are excited and eager to jump in and itâs important to give them the opportunity to do so. Providing a solid training plan over their first year will provide a strong foundation to help with their success.
As new employees generally have more time than any other employee, I recommend building a training plan they can control and lead. This means building a guided framework they can easily navigate while they build their knowledge pool. This framework should not overwhelm the new employee, but build upon itself so their knowledge gets deeper as the year progresses.
Hereâs an example.
When setting up training regarding the organization, you might set it up this way:
In each instance, the employee is given a task that starts out relatively small and increases in thought and knowledge.
Each training plan should cover compliance training and then organizational, departmental, and personal areas.
Organizational areas may include the history of the organization, its mission, vision, and values. Learning about them may be as easy as searching the intranet or it may be scheduling time with a few key people who have been with the organization for some time. It may even include a visit to an archive location.
Departmental areas may include strategic goals, dashboards, and reportsânot just where they are located, but the context behind them, as well as how to interpret them. This may include guiding the new employee to schedule time with certain people or to watch a video to gain this knowledge. This area may also include certain training to help employees learn how to actually input and navigate different systems they will use.
Personal areas might include cultural norms and behaviors. This may look like a scheduled meet and greet with other employees (with guided questions) to discover how the culture of the organization looks and works. It may include reading through a company blog or watching CEO town halls. It may even be as simple as a PowerPoint sharing key aspects of the culture.
Developing a training plan for new employees is best done with other employees. They will help give you the best insight into what they wish they had known and when.
Melodie Turk is a learning experience executive with a unique background in the learning and development arena as well as change management. She is passionate about bringing change to the workplaceâchange that is meaningful and change that will last.
Step 1: Identify Training Needs
Step 2: Set Clear Objectives
Step 3: Design the Curriculum
Step 4: Choose Training Methods
Step 5: Develop Training Materials
Step 6: Assign Trainers or Facilitators
Step 7: Schedule Training Sessions
Step 8: Implement Training
Step 9: Assess Progress
Step 10: Provide Feedback and Support
Step 11: Monitor and Adjust
Step 12: Measure ROI
Step 13: Iterate and Improve
Developing a comprehensive training plan for new employees is a strategic investment in your organization’s success. By following these steps, you can ensure your employees are well-equipped to excel in their roles, contribute to business growth, and drive overall success.
Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.
Crafting an effective training program for new employees is key for retaining talent. In today’s dynamic workplace, ensuring that your team is well-prepared from day one is crucial for their success and your organization’s growth. A well-structured training program not only accelerates the onboarding process but also sets the stage for long-term productivity and job satisfaction. In this blog post, we will walk you through the essential steps to create an effective training program that empowers your new hires to thrive.
1. Define Your Objectives
Before you can start building a training program, it’s essential to clearly define your objectives. Ask yourself:
Defining these objectives will serve as a roadmap for designing your training program.
2. Identify Target Audiences
Not all employees have the same needs or roles within your organization. Segment your new hires based on their job functions, experience levels, and backgrounds. This allows you to tailor the training content and delivery methods to meet each group’s unique requirements. For example, a salesperson’s training will differ significantly from that of a software developer.
3. Create an Engaging Curriculum
Once you know your objectives and your audience, it’s time to develop the curriculum. Here’s how:
4. Choose the Right Delivery Methods
Consider the most effective methods for delivering your training content:
Select the methods that align with your objectives and audience needs.
5. Develop Training Materials
Create or curate the training materials. Ensure that they are well-organized, up to date, and easily accessible to employees. Consistency in formatting and style will enhance clarity and usability.
6. Establish a Training Schedule
Determine the timeline for the training program. Will it be a one-week intensive program or a longer, phased approach? Communicate this schedule to your new employees so they can plan accordingly.
7. Training Delivery and Evaluation
Now, it’s time to roll out your training program. During this phase:
8. Monitor Progress and Adjust
Keep a close eye on your new employees’ progress as they complete the training program. Adjust the program as needed to address any identified gaps or areas of improvement.
9. Gradual Integration
After completing the training, facilitate a smooth transition into employees’ regular roles. Continue to offer support and mentorship as they apply their newfound knowledge and skills.
10. Continuous Learning Culture
Encourage a culture of continuous learning within your organization. Provide ongoing training opportunities and resources to help employees grow in their roles and stay up to date with industry trends.
In conclusion, developing a training program for new employees is a strategic investment that pays off in the long run. It not only equips your team with the skills they need but also fosters a sense of belonging and commitment to your organization. By following these steps and remaining adaptable to changing needs, you can create a training program that sets your employees up for success and helps your company thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”
I’ve had the privilege of experiencing one truly exceptional onboarding and new-hire training program in my career. It began with my future boss’s welcoming email, excitement about my upcoming start, and her eagerness to have me join the team. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of an onboarding journey that would set the gold standard for welcoming new employees.
My first day was unlike any other. The office felt inviting, adorned with a beautiful plant, and a fun gift basket with company-branded goodies awaited me. My desk was thoughtfully arranged with everything I needed, from a computer to supplies. This warm reception left a lasting impression, marking the start of a well-structured process designed for my success.
The onboarding experience continued seamlessly with a structured two-day training program. I immersed myself in the company’s culture, completed HR paperwork, and became familiar with essential organizational guidelines and processes. This comprehensive introduction laid a strong foundation for my journey with the company.
What truly made this onboarding exceptional was the people. My boss, who had sent that initial email, became my guide. She introduced me to the marketing team, fostering connections from day one. My journey continued with department visits, introductions to key stakeholders, and active participation in meetings and ongoing projects.
Reflecting on this extraordinary onboarding experience, it becomes evident why it left such an indelible mark. I felt genuinely welcomed and valued when I walked through the door. This positive and inclusive start set the stage for my confidence and subsequent success in my new role.
Here are five key strategies for developing a new hire training plan that goes beyond the basics, ensuring that new employees feel welcomed and equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive:
By implementing these strategies, you can create an onboarding and training program that welcomes new hires and empowers them to excel within your organization. If you found this helpful, I invite you to explore my book How to Develop a Brand Strategy and insightful brand marketing articles.
Lisa Perry helps companies drive revenue by using consumer trends, insights, and data analytics to innovate their approach to marketing.
How do you successfully train new employees? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.
