6 Steps to Coach Employees Effectively

6 Steps to Coach Employees Effectively6 Steps to Coach Employees EffectivelyThe first step in any effort to improve employee wertzuwachs is counseling or coaching. Counseling or coaching is part of the day-to-day interaction between a supervisor and an employee who reports to her, or an HR professional and line managers. Coaching often provides positive feedback about employee contributions. Employees need to know when they are effective contributors. By providing this positive feedback, you are also letting the employee know the actions and contributions that youd like to reinforce so that you see more of them. Coaching When Performance Issues Exist At the same time, regular coaching brings performance issues to an employees attention when they are minor. Your coaching feedback assists the employee to correct these issues before they become significant detractions from herperformance. The goal of performance coaching is notlage to make the employee feel bad, nor is it provided t o show how much the HR professional or manager know. The goal of coaching is to work with the employee to solve performance problems and to improve the work of the employee, the team, and the department. Employees who respond positively to coaching and improve their performance can become valued contributors to the success of the business. Employees who fail to improve will find themselves placed on a formal performance improvement plan, known as a PIP. This sets up a formal process wherein the manager meets regularly with the underperforming employee to provide coaching and feedback. At the meetings, they also evaluate how well the employee is performing in achieving the performance goals that were enumerated in the PIP. Generally, by the time an employee has received a PIP, Human Resources staff are significantly involved in both the meetings and in the review of the employees progress and performance. Employees who fail to improve when on the PIP are likely to find their employme nt terminated. Second Example of Performance Coaching In a second example of the use of performance coaching, managers can use performance coaching to help employees who are effective contributors improve and become even more effective contributors. Done well, coaching can help an employee continuously improve their skills, experience, and ability to contribute. From years of observing managers coaching, the time managers spend in performance coaching with their best, most contributing employees is time well spent. It is more likely to produce increasing results for the organization and for the managers department and priorities. It is ironic that many managers find that they spend the majority of their time with their troubled, or underperforming employees. This is despite the fact that the most significant value from their time and energy investment comes from the opposite priority. Coaching is an effective tool for managers to deploy in their efforts to help employees succeed , and especially help employees increase their skills and their potential opportunities for promotion or lateral moves to more interesting positions. 6 Coaching Steps Use these six steps to provide effective supportive coaching to your reporting employees. Show confidence in the employees ability and willingness to solve the problem. Ask him or her for help in solving the problem or improving their performance. Ask the employee to join in with you with the goal of increasing the employees effectiveness as a contributor to your organization.Describe the performance problem to the employee. Focus on the problem or behavior that needs improvement, not on the person. Use descriptions of the behavior with examples so that you and the employee share meaning. Ask for the employees view of the situation. Do they see the same problem or opportunity that you do? Determine whether issues exist that limit the employees ability to perform the task or accomplish the objectives. Four common barriers are time, training, tools, and temperament. Determine how to remove these barriers. Determine whether the employee needs your help to remove the barriers- a key role of a manager- or if he is able to tackle them by himself.Discuss potential solutions to the problem or improvement actions to take. Ask the employee for ideas on how to correct the problem, or prevent it from happening again. With a high performing employee, talk about continuous improvement. Agree on a written action plan that lists what the employee, the manager, and possibly, the HR professional, will do to correct the problem or improve the situation. Identify the core goals that the employee must meet to achieve the appropriate level of performance that the organization needs.Set a date and time for follow-up. Determine if a critical feedback path is needed, so the manager knows how the employee is progressing. Offer positive encouragement. Express confidence in the employees ability to improve. Recognize, however, that the only person who is in charge of their performance improvement is the employee. As much as you try to help, he is the one in charge. You can help your reporting employees improve their current performance, or in the case of an already effective employee, help them become more effective. Performance coaching is a powerful tool when managers take advantage of its usefulness.

Increasing Joy and Employee Engagement

Increasing Joy and Employee EngagementIncreasing Joy and Employee EngagementIncreasing Joy and Employee Engagement Amabile and Steven Kramer, coauthors of The Progress Principle Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work (Harvard geschftliches miteinander Review Press, 2011.)No doubt about it there is a disengagement crisis at work a trend thats impacted employee engagement.If yure an employer, this is probably not news to you.Studies from the APA, Aonand others have found that a high percentage of people are stressed, unhappy, and disengaged from the work they do. In fact, in a recent article, Gallup reported that a majority of US employees do not feel engaged at work.Much of the blame undoubtedly falls on changing work environments. Since the economic downturn, cost-cutting measures have required many people to carry a greater burden of the work with fewer resources, a topicthat weve written about mora than once in our Harvard Business Review blog.Improvin g Employee Performance The question becomes what managers can do to improve employee engagement and the well-being of their employees which, incidentally, improves employee performance.In our research, we analyzed nearly 12,000 daily diaries from professionals in several different companies, in order to determine what makes for good inner work life joy, engagement, and positive views of the job.Our research made a surprising discovery. Of all the things that can boost inner work life, the single most prominent factor for employee engagement is simply making progredienz in meaningful work. We call this the progress principle.Here are seven ways you can use our discovery to sustain your employees engagement in their work1.Help employees find meaning in the work they do. This doesnt have to be some higher purpose such as curing cancer. It can simply be contributing to a quality product or service for their customers. It can even be supporting their gruppemates. It is critical that you communicate the value of the organizations mission and how their daily efforts contribute to those goals.2.Support progress each day. Providing meaningful work is only the first step. People must also have the opportunity to succeed at that work. Give them the resources and help they need to do great work. Even when resources are tight, there is much you can do to support progress. Be sure that peoples skills are well-matched to their work. Make sure that their goals are clear and that they have sufficient autonomy to use their own skills and talents to meet those goals. And make yourself available to help out when needed. These and many other things you can do are not costly, but they can make a huge difference in the success or failure of a project.3.Ensure that employees find time each day for the work that they find most meaningful. Too often, even when people work hard all day, they find themselves unable to get to the work that they think is most important. They are interrupt ed by unexpected demands or smothered under a mountain of necessary but tedious grunt work. Try to protect some sacred time each day that people can use to focus on critical work, and eliminate extraneous tasks as much as possible.4.Make note of employees progress and celebrate it. When workers complete one task, there is invariably another one to take its place. Its natural for people to just move on, without having a moment to savor their own accomplishment. We discovered that the progress principle operates even when people make a small step forward toward some meaningful goal a small win. So take a moment to recognize even small steps forward.5.Encourage employees to celebrate the successes of their teammates. Because so much of modern work requires teamwork, one persons accomplishment is really the teams accomplishment. Create a climate where employees routinely support, recognize and celebrate each others progress. Even when a worker is having setbacks, his or her inner work l ife can still be nourished by the accomplishments of others. And because team members will be recognizing each others progress, some of the burden will be lifted from your shoulders.6.Value setbacks. There is a dark side to the progress principle of all the events that contribute to poor inner work life, having setbacks (being blocked or stalled in the work) is by far the most prominent. Even worse, the negative effect of setbacks is two to three times stronger than the positive effect of progress. Yet setbacks are inevitable in complex and difficult work. When someone does have a setback, dont view it as a failure and, above all, dont punish it. Rather, view it as a natural part of doing hard work. Then help people extract value from it ask what was learned that can help the team move forward.7.Encourage friendship. OK, this tip isnt about progress, but it is about inner work life. Gallup researchers have long found that having a best friend at work can turn a moderately engaged em ployee into a highly engaged one. So, create opportunities for people to develop friendships and bond. These can be team lunches, other get-togethers, or activities outside of work. As stronger friendships develop, youll find that employee will likely be happier and more engaged at work. As a bonus, theyll become more collaborative and helpful.These techniques are not costly, they dont take much time, and they arent very difficult. But they do require your attention. Keep them on your mental agenda in the coming year. You might even consider making them your New Years Work Resolutions.Author BioTeresa Amabile is the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administrationand a Director of Research at Harvard Business School. She has written extensively on creativity, motivation, and everyday work life. Steven Kramer is a developmental psychologist, writer, and researcher on inner work life and performance. Amabile and Kramer are the coauthors of The Progress Principle Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work (Harvard Business Review Press, 2011.)Read moreEmployee Engagement Surveys The Secret Sauce of Successful BusinessesHow to Curb Clock Watching and Increase Employee EngagementA Fresh Approach to Recruitment and Employee Engagement at CLEARLINK

Five simple yoga stretches to survive a long flight

Five simple yoga stretches to survive a long flightFive simple yoga stretches to survive a long flightI recently returned from an international flight that had me wedged between two people for 10 hurs. I knew that being contorted into a pretzel for an extended period of time could worsen my blood circulation and increase my risk of blood clots. An easy mark, I was suckered into buying travel hacks that promised to improve blood circulation through a padded foot sling. Unfortunately, the foot sling proved too cumbersome for me to use the whole flight. What did end up working were the free guided yoga movements that the in-flight entertainment system provided for anxious flyers like myself.When we are flying, many circumstances are out of ur control. Often, we do not get to pick our seats or our seatmates. But no matter which seat you were assigned, staying zen and limber in a cramped space is possible.You do not need to do exhaustively complicated rumliche lages to relax and feel good . All it takes is a few simple flexes and stretches.Here is how to do it without disturbing your neighbor1) Take a deep breathFirst, you need to get into the right mindset to relax. Airplanes are a cacophony of unpleasant noises and smells. To let go of the crying baby three aisles away, move your attention inwards. Sit up straight, release the tension in your shoulders, and pay attention to your breathing. Slowly inhale and exhale through your nose. Stay present into what you are feeling in that moment. Deep breathing is our bodys internal stress reliever the actiontells our nervous system to calm down.2) Roll your ankles, flex your toesSitting in a cramped chair for too long makes my feet tingle. Rotating my ankles to the left and to the right in circles gets my blood flowing. In an even smaller movement, you can alternate pushing your heels and toes into the ground to flex your calf muscles, as Healthline recommends.3) Twist in your seatTo stretch your spine, twist your torso to the left and right. When we are still for too long, our stomachs pay the price. Twisting your body will get your circulation and digestive system flowing again. You can put your left hand on the outside of your right knee to deepen the twist. Always include your head and neck in the twist, the New York Times yoga guide recommends.4) Open your hips by tilting your legsYou can wake up your legs without needing to stand up through a pose that is designed to take pressure off of your knee joints. Tilt your left leg open so that your left ankle is on top of your right thigh. Inhale, exhale for a few breaths and feel the stretch in your hips as you gently press your left hand into your bent left leg. You can increase the stretch by tilting your body forward as you press your hand into your leg. Even just coming forward an inch feels really good, gives you a nice hip stretch, yoga instructor Sandy Pradas said.Then repeat the movement by placing your right ankle on top of the opposite knee, and going through the process again. This pose is known to alleviate tension in your stiff lower back.5) Hug yourselfThis back-stretching pose is a versatile stretch that you can do standing or sitting. Cross your hands over your chest so that each hand is holding an opposite shoulder. You can increase the feeling of the stretch by moving your right ear to your right shoulder and then moving your left ear to your left shoulder.

The rules of effectiveness A lifelong process

The rules of effectiveness A lifelong processThe rules of effectiveness A lifelong processWhen Peter printer was asked to participate in a study of geniuses, he politely declined.A famous happiness and creativity researcher was in the process of writing a book on the commonalities of people who had achieved culture-disrupting success in their domain. The final study included 91 participants from different fields, including 14 Nobel Prize winners.When Drucker received the invitation to participate, however, he simply said that one of the reasons for his accomplishments was that he was very deliberate about where his time went.As fascinating as such a study would be, it would mean that he would have to interrupt his own schedule to do something that didnt align with his creative goals and personal objectives.It makes sense, too. Drucker is considered the father of modern management theory, and at the foundation of his work was his belief that success in anything began with effectivenes s.Long before the modern productivity movement, Drucker laid out his own ideas about what it means to get the most out of yourself. Many of them are counterintuitive to much of the gospel preached today, and most of them are timeless in their relevance and application.Regardless of whether your goal is to change the world or to simply build better habits, you need to know how to manage yourself to get the most out of the limited time that you have.Being effective is about successfully aligning behavior with your intentions. Its harder than it sounds, but with some of Druckers principles, we can landsee how it can be accomplished byDesigning the practice, leid the personEmbracing purposeful abandonmentSwitching from exploring to exploitingBefore you make an external impact, you have to first learn to manage your orientation.Design the practice, not the personOne of the biggest mistakes that people make when trying to get themselves to change their behavior to align with whatever it i s they want is that they try to first change the person.The line of thinking is that if I want to be thinner, I have to become someone who weighs 10 pounds less. If I want to write more, I have to be someone who will one day write a novel.It presumes that an identity change is possible once a decision has been made to change.The problem is that this kind of thinking overlooks the fact that its rarely a sudden change in a person that produces a result, but more generally, its a practice or an accompanying ordnungsprinzip that slowly changes the identity of the person over a long, sustained period of time.In his many years studying different companies, one of the things that Peter Drucker realized was that its almost never an individual employees fault that something isnt getting done as it should. Quite often, its the general practice or a system that is faulty in some hidden way.If the communication in a department is bad, its often due to a lack of strong infrastructure. If someone isnt performing as they should, its usually due to poor expectations and incentives.Similarly, most of the time, when you want to improve your effectiveness but are struggling to do so, its not because you lack willpower or discipline or that youre not someone who is suitable for a particular task, but its that your practice isnt designed for optimal performance.If you want to exercise more, you need a system that begins consistently at a set time, and you need to know beforehand what youre going to do. Same thing if you want to write more.System design and good organization are better solutions than ambiguous identity changes.Embrace purposeful abandonmentThe modern productivity craze thats taken over the world was actually predicted by Drucker.He knew that many workplaces were poorly designed for most knowledge work and that one of the differentiating competitive advantages for organizations in the 21st century would be to figure out how they can get the most out of their employe es while keeping them happy.One way, however, in which weve completely diverged from Druckers idea of effectiveness is how we actually think about the idea of productivity and its role in the working world.The current connotation we associate with productivity has to do with efficiency and output. The focus is on doing more, and its on ensuring we can squeeze in as much as possible.Druckers idea of effectiveness was actually to remove. It was to prune the unnecessary distractions and to direct focus onto only the few things that really mattered. Rather than more applications, tools, projects, and work, he wanted less. In his own wordsI have yet to see an executive, regardless of rank or station, who could not consign something like a quarter of the demands on his time to the wastepaper basket without anybodys noticing their disappearance.If you actually look at the results that youre aiming at and break them down, youll realize that most of the commitments that youve taken on could easily be ignored without any harm.Its really easy to convince ourselves that something is worth doing or that something needs our attention without thinking it through. A lot of the time, extra commitments add little value and steal away more time than theyre worth. They misallocate focus on the unnecessary.Its worth periodically setting aside some time to look at your to-do list or your tasks and commitments to see which of them you can intentionally abandon to make your life easier.Switch from exploring to exploitingBy default, on a day to day basis, most organizations focus on solving problems. Similarly, most people spend the majority of their time looking for weaknesses or reacting to issues.If a problem or a weakness is a bottleneck that is holding back everything else in the operation of a company or in your life, then it makes sense that this is the case.However, much of the time, these problems and weaknesses eat up more time than they should, and the cost of not solving t hem is rarely disastrous. Theyre needless tangents of exploration. We move from one small thing to another, but we dont commit to the big stuff.Progress isnt made in the maintenance of the status quo by reacting to issues. It occurs when you build up the courage to exploit a perceived risk that hides an opportunity. Its only when you do something different that hasnt been done and dedicate yourself to its cause.Drucker consistently observed that the managers of companies that succeeded over time were very good at asking themselves what the highest impact thing they could be working on was and then allocating their resources in that direction, in spite of the short-term cost.While many such opportunities initially appear as risks, over the long-term, not taking them is actually riskier because of their potential payoff. Quite often, these opportunities also tend to either make the competing problems obsolete or they create a new way to solve them.As valuable as it is to look out for issues to solve to sustain what you have already built, true effectiveness comes from using your strengths to further focus in on high-impact avenues.Always exploring for different fires to put out rarely produces a result that compounds on itself. The only way that occurs is when you choose a new path and exploit it until it builds out.All you need to knowIn any domain, many factors combine to determine a persons ability to succeed, but there is almost no field in which you can thrive over a long period of time without being effective.Before the modern definition of productivity, the legendary management consultant Peter Drucker gave us a better way to think about our ability to get results in any field of work.Here are three takeaways worth holding ontoI.Design the practice, not the person. Effectiveness begins with the person, but changing ourselves isnt the best way to create behavior that will get us what we want. The system in which the person operates is a far better predicto r of a result than someones internal intentions. Align incentives and organize your commitments.II.Embrace purposeful abandonment. Most productivity advice focuses on more. More efficiency, more output, and more tools. Thats generally counterproductive. There are many things we all do that dont need to be done to begin with. Routinely reflect on your goals and audit how well your tasks and commitments align with direction.III.Switch from exploring to exploiting. True effectiveness doesnt come from solving minor problems or reflecting on personal weaknesses to either maintain or slightly improve the status quo. Its a product of exploiting hidden opportunities that otherwise appear as risks. Always choose the high-impact avenue when allocating your time.In reality, it takes more than just reading and knowing to become effective. Its a lifelong process, and it requires long-term dedication. The good thing is that its often worth it.Effectiveness is about control over your time and your impact. Its universally crucial.Want to think and live smarter? Zat Rana publishes a free weekly newsletter for 30,000+ readers atDesign Luck.

Resume High School Student Options

Resume High School Student Options All About Resume High School Student By way of example, lets say yur teenager has done a good deal of babysitting during the last few decades. Keep reading to discover more, and dont neglect to have a look at our sample high school resume for inspiration Youve got to stick out from the remaining portion of the pack. Resume High School Student Knowing the distinction between a resume and curriculum vitae is a good deal more significant before picking a template. Undoubtedly, you take a curriculum vitae A resume objective is usually 23 sentences long and ought to be put at the peak of your resume. There are particular pitfalls you want to stay away from when writing a high school resume. Dont attempt to cram things in to spaces that are too tiny. Having had the opportunity to list all their education, skills and activities will let your teenager realize how much they have to give. Have your teenager think of the things which theyre good at. A couple of lines are sufficient. Have your teenager focus on skills which are fairly general and would be applicable to a wide variety of jobs. Concentrate on highlighting relevant coursework to the job youre applying for. If youre applying to be a bartender, you might want to put a concentration on something different. By customizing your resume for the job that you want, you can show employers youve got the abilities and experience theyre searching for. Conclusion If youre a high school student seeking to land a part-time job which brings you extra income and assists you build some skills that might become important to your career in future, you must present a compelling resume to prospective employers to enhance your probability of being picked for the job. It can be inviting to embellish your resume, and you will possibly get the job, but ultimately, it is going to come back to bite you as soon as you cant deliver on your promises. For those who have skills that are particular to every job you had, like working a particular sort of equipment, they are called job-related skills. Your resume will be broken up into sections. Make certain you get the info youre looking for. Your contact information should always go on top of your resume, so that employers can readily find it. Include contact info. Resume High School Student Options Padding out your resume will not just be a waste of precious space but additionally, it will distract the employer from the fantastic pieces. Some experiments were carried out to rate the inferential power of the usage of diagrams. If youre carried out in locating the examples, it truly is time to make your own. More than 20 examples will demonstrate how to compose your CV. Whispered Resume High School Student Secrets Employers can learn all they will need to understand about a candidate from their school performance, which means that your Education section should reflect well on you. Organizations will loo k for the most appropriate employees, and it might be seen from the education backdrop and also the keep an eye on data of scientific studies. The Key Skills will have many sections. High School Students ought to be able to work independently, and also with other people. If this High School Student resume example was not sufficient for you, youre totally free to review several other samples and templates from our website. An outstanding High School Student resume, similar to this example, will incorporate several impressive skills your employer or interviewer is searching for in a candidate. Its ideal for a possible employer to realize that your teenager was committed to something like an instrument, activity, or sport as it demonstrates theyre consistent and loyal to things they care about. However tempting it may be to stretch the truth, lying on your resume is always a poor idea. You just need to select the opportunity to thoroughly mine your experiences and determine how to present them to the employer. You might need to check out LiveCareer to see valuable suggestions to help you compose an excellent resume that will impress prospective employers and set you in the finest possible light. Each employer receives an individual entry and ought to be listed in descending chronological order. In any case, youll certainly like our price policy. The customer will know the cost of the order till they place it and ensure it is definite. List your name, contact number, email address, and city at the peak of your resume.

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler and a Lesson on Pursuing Goals

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler and a Lesson on Pursuing Goals Last weekend I saw the award-winning movie Fruitvale Station. For anyone not familiar, the film is about the last 24 hours of Oscar Grants life, a 22-year-old black male who was shot and killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer in the early morning of January 1, 2009. The director of the film is 27-year-old Ryan Coogler. After reading Cooglers story and how he came to make the film, I was extremely inspired and wanted to point out a few takeaways from his career path that we all can use when pursuing our own goalsInitially Coogler wanted to play football and become a doctor. While on a football scholarship at Saint Marys College in Moraga, Calif., he had to take a creative writing class. After writing about a very personal experience that almost led to his fatzu sichs death, his professor asked to speak with him. She asked Coogl er about his life plans, to which he responded, Play ball, become a doctor and be a positive influence in my community. His professor said, I think you should become a screenwriter. You can reach more people.Although he initially thought she was crazy, Coogler decided to take screenwriting classes, knowing that he truly enjoyed writing stories. By the time he graduated, Coogler had fallen in love with filmmaking.Takeaway 1 Encouragement is powerful, so take heed to advice.I dont mean encourage in the sense of making one feel better but every person needs someone who encourages him/her to pursue his/her goals. Oftentimes, others see gifts and talents in us that we can overlook. Dont disregard the encouragement and advice of others (especially those skilled and trained in a certain area) when it comes to our career paths.Coogler had plans to play football and become a doctor. Where would he be now if 1) that professor hadnt realized the gift he possessed and helped make him aware of i t and 2) if he wouldnt have taken her advice and pursued film? Sure, we all like to create set plans and goals, but be open to changeespecially if along the way you discover an area youre truly passionate about. Dont disregard advice just because it doesnt fit into your set plans.After applying to the Sundance Labs (yet not being accepted) the institute reached out to Coogler and asked him to apply again if he had something new. The next time he applied with Fruitvale Station. The filmmaker said attending the five-day workshop was a great experience as he met with writers from various backgrounds, working on a variety of projects who all supported one another. Coogler and the group were able to share ideas and insights. He even said the institute continued supporting his filmmaking efforts after the workshop by providing him with a grant to get his own apartment, funding for editors and connections to be able to shoot the film in his desired location.Takeaway 2 Networking and suppor t are vital to success.During his time at the workshop, Coogler was able to meet other writers and make connections that continue to benefit him to this day. When pursuing your goals, you must network and make as many connections in your field as possible because you never know if that one person you come in contact with could be the person to help catapult you into your career goals.Support is also necessary. Attaining our goals takes hard work and diligence, but lets face it, we cannot do everything on our own. Not everyone has the funding to start that business they desire, or the anthroponym and credentials to get the head person to look at your project/idea. Eventually we will need support from others, and this support can help us go a long way.In January 2011, Oscar winning actor Forest Whitaker was looking for fresh, young talent to mentor for his production company, Significant Productions. After watching one of Cooglers earlier short films, Whitaker decided to meet him. And after hearing about Cooglers Fruitvale script, he actor immediately signed on to produce the film.Takeaway 3 Get a mentor.Mentors are everything. In the pursuit of our goals, we need people guiding and helping us who have already taken that road to success. Mentors can offer advice, constructive criticism, accountability and support. Again, we cannot do everything on our own nor do we know everything. A mentor is a great way to gain insight into the field youre trying to enter and to learn what does and does not work when pursuing your goals.

How spending time outdoors will grow your career

How spending time outdoors will grow your careerHow spending time outdoors will grow your careerIt may not be the most important thing on your to-do list every day, but getting outside should be added somewhere near the top. Being outside gives you the chance to push pause on everything thats happening in your life and gain a new perspective.Did you know that it can also benefit your career?Nature is a great tool to use to jumpstart your work life, and it all starts by stepping outside.Improve your memoryWeve all had that moment when we walk into a room, then pause and try to remember what we went there for. The outdoors can help stop that from happening. According to astudy done by the University of Michigan, students who walked through an arboretum performed 20% better on a memory test than students who walked around a city. Being outside triggered the students minds to retain information better, so why wouldnt it help you when youre taking notes at a big meeting?Consider eating lu nch outside the next time you go on break. If you cant adjust your schedule to include a step outside, try using an app to play nature sounds at your desk.Sharpen your focusOne of the side effects of leading a busy life is being overstimulated most of the time. Your brain becomes tired, so your mood turns sour and your work life suffers. Let your mind take a vacation by taking a nearby hike, and youll find yourattention levels will be sharperthe next time you walk into work. Sometimes we all just need a breather - and that includes your brain, too.A better way to give yourself time with nature is to live near it. If possible, choose a living space surrounded by trees or parks. You can evenbuild your own log cabin with a kit. If you have the chance, consider moving a bit farther from the city. Your mind will thank you, and youll find yourself responding to work issues with much better focus and clarity than before.Inspire creativityWhen your brain has a moment to relax, youll find y ourself thinking in new ways. Being outside actually challenges your brain to get more creative with thought processes, as shownina study by David L. Strayer. When subjects were immersed in nature for four days with no ability to use multimedia or technology, there was a 50% increase in creativity and problem-solving skills.Leaving technology behind for four straight days may not be possible with your work schedule, but you can experience the same results. Taking a hike alone is a great option, but you can disconnect from technology for a few minutes for a similar effect. Or consider playing a nature video and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds. It wont be as great as actually being outside, but its something to try if you need some inspiration.Learn to be engagedPeople who work all day tend to become tired around three in the afternoon. Their energy levels plummet, so theyre less likely to engage with coworkers or customers. Sound familiar? Going outside can help prevent it from happening. The key is oxygen. Breathing the air outdoors will circulate fresh oxygen into your bloodstream, whichquickly improves energy levels.When the body receives oxygen, you feel better. Itll have the same effect as taking a walk, but without having to rearrange your day. Consider opening a window while you work. If thats not an option, find an excuse to take a quick trip to your car. The short walk in the fresh air will help you jump at the chance to tackle a project or engage in a meeting, so ultimately your work life will benefit along with your body.Life can get busy, and nature is a great way to help you slow down and stay calm. Whether you move to the mountains or open a window, nature will show you that it can do more than change your mood. The outdoors can be helpful for your career if you find a way to incorporate it into your daily life.This article first appeared on YourCoffeeBreak.

USAF SERE Specialist Career Profile

USAF SERE Specialist Career ProfileUSAF SERE Specialist Career ProfileIn the Air Force, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) specialists serve as subject matter experts who train all aircrew personnel (and others at risk) on how to handle themselves if theyre ever caught up in hostile territory. That means teaching airmen from all walks of life a vast array of skills, from how to improvise basic shelter and find sustenance to how to escape active pursuit by the enemy, and to resist coercion if captured. SERE specialists can find themselves assigned to one of six main SERE training detachments across the country, or conducting refresher training at any Air Force squadron. But first, they have to make the cut and endure all of the training theyll eventually impart to others. Military Requirements for SERE Specialists To even get on the radar for SERE, recruits must have a high school diploma and a general technical score of 55 or higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The Air Force Enlisted Classification Manual suggests that high school courses in speech, education, physical education, biology, botany, anthropology, geology, and geography are desirable for aspiring SERE instructors. In addition, eligibility for a secret security clearance is required. This involves a background check of character and finances, and a history of illegal drug use or alcohol abuse are usually disqualifying factors. Applicants for this job also must be free of any speech impediment which interferes with clear enunciation and have normal night and color vision. They should be able to lift 70 pounds overhead and pass the minimum requirements for the SERE Physical Ability And Stamina Test (PAST). Theyll also be required to carry a 65-pound backpack four miles in one hour. And they must be free of allergies to pollens and grasses. Education for Air Force SERE Specialists Right after Air Force basic training, potential SERE specialists stay a t Lackland Air Force cousine (AFB) Texas for a short one- to two-week screening course that, in addition to testing physical and psychological limits, also evaluates candidates learning, teaching and leadership skills. The 336th Training Group (TRG), based at Fairchild AFB, is the next stop for those who pass through the crucible at Lackland. The 336th oversees the entire training pipeline, which takes at least a year to complete, though students dont remain at Lackland the whole time. To begin with, apprentice SERE specialists have to spend six months going through SERE courses as students, enduring the same punishment theyll later inflict on others. This includes arctic survival training at Eielson AFB in Alaska and water survival training in Pensacola, Florida. At some point in their training, SERE specialists also earn their jump wings at the Army Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia. Finally assuming theyve survived SERE students end up at Lackland again for five-and-a-ha lf months to make the transition from survivalist to survival instructor. But the home stretch isnt all about the classroom the training includes running up to 8 miles, performing pushups, situps, flutter kicks and pull-ups. Much of the instruction is outside the classroom, heading out to the field before the sun is up. And airmen in this job should expect to grow accustomed to surviving for long stretches without sleep.

Customize this Buyer Planner Resume

Customize this Buyer Planner ResumeCustomize this Buyer Planner ResumeCreate this Resume Esther Ford2477 Carriage CourtMorongo Valley, CA 92256(111)-225-1458e.fordsmail.comObjectiveIn search for a career opportunity to work as Buyer Planner in a fast-paced manufacturing company to provide exceptional strategies to increase productivity of the company.Summary of QualificationsKnowledgeable in using MRP, spreadsheets and re-order point systemsAbility to work independently and in a team environmentAbility and willingness to travelGreat focus on attention to details and accuracyAbility to communicate to all organizational levelsProfessional ExperienceBuyer Planner, January 2007- PresentBucyrus International, South Milwaukee, WI ResponsibilitiesMonitored supplier performance for delivery and quality.Participated in events and assisted in the development and implementation of action plans and counter measures. Stayed current with technology and commercial issues related to competitive mar ket forces of commodities managed. Established and implemented PFEP, reorder points, min/max levels, safety stocks and updated other relevant planning data. Conducted and prepared root cause analysis. Commodity Buyer, May 2004- December 2006JDS Uniphase Corp., Colorado Springs, CO ResponsibilitiesDesigned and handled orders for boxing items with appropriate vendors.Obtained purchase records as well as items.Performed inquiries regarding new items and sample concerns.Formulated and enforced commodity and supplier strategies.Managed implementation of strategies.EducationMasters Degree in Financial Management, 2004Yale UniversityBachelors Degree in Financial Management, 2002Yale University Customize ResumeMore Sample ResumesBuilding Superintendent Resume Business Owner Resume Buyer Planner Resume CAE Engineer Resume