Solicit Honest Feedback and Improve Customer Satisfaction

Solicit Honest Feedback and Improve Customer SatisfactionSolicit Honest Feedback and Improve Customer SatisfactionSolicit Honest Feedback and Improve Customer Satisfaction.D. Dave Power III, founder of J.D. Power and Associates, and subject of POWER How J.D. Power III Became the Auto Industrys Adviser, Confessor, and Eyewitness to History(2013 Fenwick Publishing Group)Since founding J.D. Power and Associates in 1968, Ive had the opportunity to work with scores of businesses across all industries. Regardless of the product or tafelgeschirr they offer, I could see that their success was inextricably tied to their ability to listen to customers and then make improvements to achieve customer satisfaction.How Customer Feedback Raised the BarIt was sometimes hard to convince managers that an independent survey of their customers was beneficial. Especially in large, entrenched organizations, some individuals were just too invested in the status quo to be interested in change - even if it m eant an improved bottom line.Often, I would need to go to the top leadership in bestellung to find the will and courage to shine a light on what the customer was thinking. We would employ a range of strategies to obtain an unvarnished understanding of what our clients customers were thinking.As a result of our findings - and the hard work of the companies who took that feedback and made significant improvements - service and product quality across all industries has taken off over the decades.These improvements have, however, raised the bar of customer expectations, making it necessary to continue to keep close tabs on customer opinions in order to stay competitive.Gather Customer Feedback on a BudgetFor small businesses on a budget, it is leid necessary to engage a market research services company like J.D. Power to conduct customer surveys. You can take the principles behind the work weve done and apply them to your own operation in a way tailored to your needs.Here are my top f ive pieces of advice for achieving customer satisfaction through listening to the voice of the customer1.Something is better than nothingAs long as you are taking steps to engage customer opinion, you can start small and keep it simple. Just asking every customer about his or her experience with genuine interest and concern is important.Consider calling customers for feedback, or sending a short email survey a few days after service was provided. There are now low- and no-cost on-line survey services like Survey Monkey and Zoomerang that are ideal for small businesses.Whatever your means of communication, make sure that the request for participation comes from you as the owner or manager with a sincere appeal for honest opinions it will likely elicit more thoughtful responses and it will demonstrate how important customer satisfaction is to you.2.Set a processMake it a point to collect feedback from your customers at regular intervals rather than sporadically or without clear intent . We found that systematically and directly asking customers for feedback provided the most reliable, actionable responses.Make it a process to carefully look at the information when you get it back. What sort of trends do you see? Do any new ideas to make things better for your customers pop up? Any apparent problems? By making this a sincere routine process you are more likely to give focus to what you need to do to improve your customer satisfaction.3.Dont be afraid to hear the rantsOf course, no one likes to face criticism As a small business owner you pour your time, energy, heart, and money into your business and finding out that customers dont like everything you do can be difficult to hear.Its important, though, to disengage from taking critical feedback personally and instead take an attitude of curiosity and openness. Positioning customer feedback for yourself and your employees as an opportunity to learn whats working well as well as whats not is often helpful.Encourage a spirit of problem-solving by eliminating the fear of being reprimanded solutions and willingness to improve are what youre after.4.Listen to employeesEmployees are not only your best teammates for identifying strategies for addressing customer concerns theyre also often another resource for learning what the customer is thinking.Ask customer-facing employees to report any feedback they receive in passing. Be receptive to hearing their solicited and spontaneous feedback for how the business is run - but keep it from becoming a gripe session by focusing on solutions and finding ways for them to take ownership of that solution.5.Focus on qualityAdopt the principle of continuous improvement and never lull yourself into the notion that youve addressed all concerns. Look at customer feedback with an eye for targeting where you can continue to make tweaks to improve the quality of your product or service.That is the only way to stay competitive as well-informed, discerning customers exer cise their choices. You know its a competitive world and you need to be figuring out what must be done every day to keep getting better.Author BioDave Power is the subject of POWER How J.D. Power III Became the Auto Industrys Adviser, Confessor, and Eyewitness to History (2013 Fenwick Publishing Group), in bookstores now.

How to decline a job offer with grace 6 tips for success

How to decline a job offer with grace 6 tips for successHow to decline a job offer with grace 6 tips for successHeres the good news Youve just been offered a job.But, heres the bad newsYou dont want it. Youre going to decline the job offer.Maybe youve already been offered a different opportunity that youre more excited about. Perhaps you just dont feel like a good fit with that company and want to wait to find something more suitable. Or, maybe you were disappointed with their initial offer and know youll never be able to compromise.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreRegardless of your specific circumstances, theres one thing that hold true declining a job offer can be difficult for both parties. You know you need to be upfront and honest, but you also dont want to burn bridges or tarnish your name and credibility.Believe it or not, even if you dont accept a job offer with this com pany right now, you may wind up vying for another of its jobs down the line, says briekse Weiler Reynolds, a senior career specialist andcareer coach at FlexJobs. Being tactful with your rejection will help these folks remember you positively, which might help in your future career moves.Fortunately, theres a way you can decline a job offer with your relationships and your reputation intact.Here are six tips on how to decline a job offer with grace.1. Choose the medium that makes you most comfortable.The first thing you need to figure out ishow youll break the news. Should you show up at the office? Give them a call? Send an email?Different communication methods have their benefits and drawbacks. So, I think this is the best golden rule to follow when turning down a job offeruse the same method they used to extend it.If they called or left you a voicemail, then it shows the most professionalism to return their call. But, if they sent the offer via email, then its perfectly copacetic (and oftentimes less nerve-racking) to type out a thoughtful message for your rejection.Ultimately, when declining a job offer, its up to you to consider your unique circumstances and find the method that suits you best. If youre convinced youll become too panicked on the phone, for example, then a polished email is probably better than stammering through a painful phone conversation.its worth noting that if you decide to turn down a job offer through a call, sending an email may be requested so the company has something written on file. Even if thats the case, youll know that the email is just a formality and that youve done your best to handle the rejection politely and rolleally with a call.2. Start with a thank you.When declining a job offer, it can seem a little counterintuitive to begin your message with a sincere thank you, especially since you arent accepting the opportunity. However, its important to remember that theyve invested a lot of time, energy, and resources into t he hiring process- there was the initial review of your application materials, phone screenings, and likely numerous rounds of interviews.Once an employer has determined that you are the right candidate for a spot, its likely they assume youll feel the same way, so keep that in mind when turning down a position andbe as appreciative and thankful of their time and effort as you can.That investment is worthy of your gratitude, somake sure you preface your rejection with appreciation.What This Looks LikeThank you so much for this offer, and for the opportunity to get to know more about you and Company XYZ.3. Clearly state your rejection.Believe it or not, this is a part thats easy to skip when youre focused on being so complimentary and diplomatic. Too much sugar coating confuses your message, and the hiring manager is left wondering exactly what your intention is.When it comes toturning down a job, you need to beexplicit about the fact that youre passing on the opportunity. That doesn t mean you need to be harsh or brutal- but, you do need to be clear that you arent accepting the offer.What This Looks LikeHowever, I have to decline the opportunity to fill this role on your team.4. Give a brief (honest) reason.You might be tempted to gloss over any sort of reasoning in favor of getting your rejection over as soon as possible. But, the employer deserves some sort of explanation aboutwhy youre unable to accept the position. And, providing an honest reason is usually better than leaving them to make assumptions. That said, be honest, be brief, and be specific, and the people who interviewed you will probably appreciate it.You dont need to dive into all of the details of declining the job offer, but you should be prepared tohighlight key points- whether youve already accepted a different opportunity, decided that the role wasnt quite the right fit, or have decided to stay in your current position.It also helps to mention some of the things that you liked about the com pany to help soften the blow.What This Looks LikeI just accepted a marketing role with a different organization.5. Provide a recommendation.You wont always be able to provide a referral after turning down a job. But, if you know someone else whos currently job searching and could be a qualified fit for that open role, offer to provide their name and contact information.Maybe that employer wont even need it and will instead go with their second-choice candidate. However, making the offer demonstrates acertain level of care and consideration- rather than leaving them in a lurch. If you do go this route, be sure that the person you suggest is right for the position, as well as interested. The last thing you want to do is suggest someone else for the job who will then turn it down, as well. Reach out to any potential referrals before making the recommendation and be sure to discuss details with them.What This Looks LikeIf youre still actively searching to fill this open position, I do k now someone who could be a great fit. I would be happy to pass along their contact information.6. Express your desire to keep in touch.Finally, cap off your rejection by letting them know how much you enjoyed the process and that youdlove to stay connected - assuming you developed some kind of a rapport with your interviewer. Consider contacting the people you met with after a month or so to check in and potentially grab a coffee.The important next step? Actually do so.Send aninvitation on LinkedInso that you can keep in touch in a casual, low-pressure environment. In fact, its smart to do that for anyone you came into contact with during the hiring process- you never know where those connections might lead in the futureWhat This Looks LikeAgain, it was a pleasure to meet you and everyone else at Company XYZ, and I look forward to staying in touch. I just sent a connection request on LinkedIn, so definitely dont be a strangerDeclining a job offer will never be something that you loo k forward to. But, fortunately, there is a way that you canhandle it politely and professionally- and make it a little less cringeworthy in the process. Put these six tips to work, and youll avoid damaging your relationships and reputation, and create a favorable image of yourself that leaves the door open for future opportunities.This article originally appeared on FlexJobs.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

The One Word That Could Lead You Down the Path to Success

The One Word That Could Lead You Down the Path to SuccessThe One Word That Could Lead You Down the Path to SuccessWouldnt it be great to have the answer to success? One word or even one sentence that could immediately propel you straight to the top? Sadly, we all know that this belief is just that- a belief. But when asked what the single most important factor in their success through life was, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett both had the same single-word reply Focus.But that doesnt mean exactly what you think it does.As New York Times bestselling author Greg McKeown explains in his recent LinkedIn article When people speak of focus they usually mean having a single goal. It is a static thing, a thing you have. Focus, in his words, becomes viewed as a noun. On one hand, this works great because it gives you a clear, obvious objective to pursue, be it getting a raise, starting a company, or curing cancer. But if youre putting all of your attentions on that one thing, you may not landsee other opportunities that come your way.Thats why the ability to focus- as a verb- is just as important as having a focus. Using a fantastic example, McKeown explains Imagine if the moment you woke up this morning your eyes focused one time and then never adjusted again. You would be out of focus all day. Our eyes produce clarity through a perpetual process of adjustment. In other words, to use focus as a path to success, you have to be constantly adjusting to whats in front of you.The solution? Bring the two together and concentrate on developing them simultaneously.The author offers a few main ways to do this by asking the right questions, by finding time to escape, and by really treating your time as valuable. Heres a recap of his advice- plus some questions to ask yourself about how you can focus better. 1. Ask the Right QuestionsFocusing means viewing your career on a larger landscape than just your to-do list or your current position and company. To do this, it helps to set as ide time to regularly think ahead- to focus not just on where you are now, but on where youd like to be in the future. Ask YourselfDo I see myself at the same company two years from now?What professional goals do I still have from before I applied for this job?What makes me stand out as an invaluable employee?Why did my co-worker get that promotion over me?2. Find Time to EscapeBefore you dismiss this step and say, but Im too busy, consider this Even Bill Gates makes time in his schedule to step away from the noise and clutter of day-to-day life and focus on the bigger picture. Twice a year, during the busiest and most frenetic time in the companys history, he still created time and space to seclude himself for a week and do nothing but read articles (his record is 112) and books, study technology, and think about the bigger picture, McKeown writes. Whether you can invest two hours a day, two weeks a year, or even just five minutes every morning, it is important to make space to esc ape in your busy life.Ask YourselfIs it more beneficial to sit in on this meeting or spend an hour concentrating on personal writing?What article can I read that will spark my excitement about something new and interesting going on in my industry?When was the last time I took a moment out of the day to think about my goals?3. Treat Your Time as ValuablePerhaps the largest parte of focusing is making sure that your schedule allows you to do so. Remind yourself that your time is extremely valuable and that you only have a certain amount of hours in each day to get things done- then find ways to step away from nonessential time-sucks that hold you back from your bigger goals.Ask YourselfShould I be giving my personal number out to everyone?How often am I checking my email, and is that distracting me from real tasks?How much time out of every day should I commit to spending in meetings?Am I generally happy with how Im spending my time?These steps can help make sure your career is going exactly where you want it to go. If you find youve been running low on inspiration or commitment, take some time to really find your focus. Success is bound to follow.Photo of glasses focusing courtesy of Shutterstock.

Training Management Resources

Training Management ResourcesTraining Management ResourcesEmployee training is a process focused on communicating with and teaching an employee information and/or instructions. The purpose of employee training is to improve the employees performance or to help the employee gain a necessary level of knowledge and skill to productively, effectively, and profitably perform his or zu sich job.A commitment to employee training and development by an employer is one of the significant factors in an employees choice of employers and jobs. It is important in predicting whether your organization is likely to retain an employee after hire. Employee training is also a key factor in employee motivation as well as in employee retention.The opportunity for your employees to continue to grow and develop job and career-enhancing skills is integral to an employees happiness and satisfaction with their job. In fact, this opportunity for employees to grow and develop through training is one of the most important factors in employee motivation, engagement, and positive morale. And employee training and development or opportunities to train others are integral components in half of the 18 factors that contribute to reducing employee turnover. Your best employees, the employees you most want to keep, thrive when they have the opportunity to grow through employee training and development options.Employee Training and Development SecretsThere are a couple of secrets about what employees want from training opportunities, however. These need to guide you as you consider your options for providing employee training. These two factors are key if you want to multiply the value of the employee training and development you provide. You need toAllow employees to pursue training and development in directions they choose, not just in company-assigned and needed directions. Both are needed and recommended.Have your company support learning, in general, and not just in support of the knowledge nee ded for the employees current or next anticipated job. Recognize that the key factor is keeping the employee interested, attending, and engaged in a learning organization environment.Employee Training OptionsEmployee training opportunities are not just found in external training classes and seminars. They are also found in the content of the employees job and responsibilities, in internal training opportunities, and finally, through external training opportunities whose impact you can magnify by the activities, you pursue before during and after the employee training.These ideas emphasize what people want in employee training and development. They also articulate your opportunity to create devoted, growing employees who will benefit both your business and themselves by the employee training opportunities you provide.Employee Training Options Job Content and ResponsibilitiesYou can have a significant impact on an employees training and development through the responsibilities in an e mployees current job. The content of the job, what the employee does regularly on the job, is also an important factor in employee training and professional development.These are ideas about how you can provide employee training through the job the employee performs.Expand the job to include new, higher level responsibilities that help the employee stretch his skills.Reassign responsibilities that the employee does not like, that are routine and that the employee may have been doing for a long time. (They may help another employee stretch and grow while alleviating boredom for the employee in question.)Provide more authority for the employee to self-manage and make decisions. These chances to self-manage will help the employee spread her wings and fly.Invite the employee to contribute to more important, department or company-wide decisions and planning.Provide more access to attend the more important and desirable meetings.Provide more high-level information by including the employe e on specific email lists, in company briefings, and in your confidence.Provide more opportunity for the employee to participate in the process of establishing goals, priorities, and measurements.Assign reporting staff members to his or her leadership or management position. You can make the employee grow professionally through managing coworkers as a boss.Assign the employee to head up projects or teams to further develop leadership skills.Enable the employee to spend more time with his or her boss. The time spent in mentoring, sponsoring and coaching with the boss will expand the employees skills.Provide the opportunity for the employee to cross-train in other roles and responsibilities.Employee Training Options Internal Training and DevelopmentEmployees appreciate the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills without ever leaving work or the workplace. Internal training and development bring a special plus. The examples used, the terminology and the opportunities for disc ussion reflect the culture, environment, and needs, of your workplace in a way that external training does not offer.Enable the employee to attend an internally offered training session. This session can be offered by a coworker in an area of their expertise or by an outside presenter or trainer. With the external provider employee training is improved if the person has the opportunity to know your organization and culture.Ask the employee to train other employees with the information learned at a seminar or training session. Offer the time at a department meeting or lunch to discuss the information or present the information learned to others. (Make this an expectation in your organization when employees attend external training and conferences.)Perform all of the activities listed before, during, and after a training session to ensure that the learning is transferred to the employees job.Purchase business books for the employee. Sponsor an employee book club during which employees discuss a current book and apply its concepts to your company.Offer commonly-needed training and information on an intranet, an internal company website so employees can pursue the information as needed and wanted, conveniently and from their laptop.Provide employee training by either knowledgeable employees or an outside expert in a brown bag lunch format. Employees eat lunch and gain knowledge about a valuable topic. Some ideas include investing in a 401(k), how to vary and balance investments, tips for public speaking, how to get along with the boss, how to get along with a difficult coworker, how to increase productivity and provide updates on new products that make work easier. These opportunities for employee training are unlimited youll want to survey employees to pinpoint their interests.The developers and other interested employees at a medium sized company put on a day long conference with lunch and all of the trappings of an external conference at a local conference cent er. Attended by interested employees, the conference sessions were almost all taught by internal staff on topics of interest to their internal audience. Picture an external day long conference and youll see the opportunity. Employees were pumped up beyond belief they learned and enjoyed the day and gained a new respect for the knowledge and skills of their co-workers.Employee Training Options External Training and DevelopmentTo help employees develop new skills and bring new ideas into your organization, employee attendance at external training is a must. Attaining degrees and university attendance also enhance the knowledge and capabilities of your staff while broadening their experience with diverse people and ideas.Pay for memberships in external professional associations with the understanding that employees will attend meetings, read the journals, and so forth and regularly update coworkers.Enable the employee to attend an external seminar, conference, speaker, or training even t. (Remember to ask him to share the new knowledge with coworkers to help you develop a learning organization.)Perform all of the activities listed before, during, and after a training session to ensure that the learning is transferred to the performance of the employees job.Pay for the employee to take online classes and identify low or no cost online (and offline) training opportunities.Provide a flexible schedule so the employee can take the time to attend university, college, or other formal educational sessions.Provide tuition assistance to encourage the employees pursuit of additional employee training and education.As you can see from the breadth and depth of employee training opportunities, the ways in which you can provide your employees the chance to grow and develop are limited only by your imagination. By your commitment to enabling your employees to continue to develop, you partner with employees to build their strengths and increase their ability to contribute to your organization. A win for all - for sure.The development of a life-long engaged learner is a positive factor for your organization no matter how long the employee chooses to stay in your employ. Use ansicht employee training options to ensure that you optimize the employees motivation and potential retention.New Employee Onboarding and OrientationEmployee training that is crucial in bringing a new employee up-to-speed as quickly as possible is known as employee onboarding or new employee orientation.It starts when you welcome the new employee to your organization and continues until the employee is proficiently performing the new job. These resources will help you announce the arrival of new employees and formulate and implement a successful onboarding process.More About Training and DevelopmentTips for Weekly Training14 Ways to Develop EmployeesPowerful Management Training

The Undeniable Reality About How to Create Resume for Job That Nobody Is Sharing With You

The Undeniable Reality About How to Create Resume for Job That Nobody Is Sharing With You If you underline an organization name, be certain the others are underlined also. Choosing which to use depends upon the sort of job that you are applying for and your degree of experience. Indeeds resume editor makes it effortless to get into your work experience, education, and abilities. Since everybodys experience differs, its no surprise which their resumes will be too. Creating your resume is the very first step to getting work. Along with helping your resume get selected, its also going to help the hiring manager see how your abilities and experiences make you a perfect candidate for the particular job. Just remember to take care of everyone respectfully even if its the case that you dont get the job. Then start looking for skills you might translate from 1 job to another. Youve worked really challenging for your fantasy job so make certain everything is ideal. Top Choices of H ow to Create Resume for Job A simple resume template is going to be your very best bet. You also only have one page to capture every one of the attributes you wish to share. Now, you will see all the different resume styles Word has to offer you. Lets look at a favorite work-from-home job advertisement from U-Haul. Save the work description and take a look at the lingo the employer is using. Tailor the wording the same manner you optimized the work description. If you would like your job title to be noticed, you can alter the color or allow it to be italic, but attempt to keep it simple. Hiring agencies will search for particular terms in your resume to make koranvers to have the experience theyre seeking. Resumes arent one-size-fits-all. Actually, you should be aware that plenty of companies nowadays are using Applicant Tracking Systems to help them screen resumes and get the best candidates. Anything not directly having to do with the job should be taken off. You should t ailor your resume to each work application so that it responds to the particular demands of the job which youre applying for. If you are now seeking employment, you should sell yourself be a resume that shows the company your specific qualifications. Because you might have multiple certifications for a dental career, you might prefer to create a different section for your certifications. After you click the Resume Profile tab at the peak of the webpage, and after that Create a New Profile, you are going to be on your way. It is possible to use our professionally created resume templates and one-of-a-kind resume builder to rapidly and easily establish a standout resume. You need your resume to reveal youre a great investment. In the event the job posting does not offer sufficient detail to set the relevant keywords the ATS might use, analyze listings for the very same job title on various job search websites. There are a lot of websites out there which will provide you with resume writing tips and pointers about how to draft a resume. The further skills section may be the difference maker in whether you get called in for an interview. The skills section of your resume is a fantastic place to include keywords from the work description.

The Secrets of Resume Writing Services Knoxville Tn Revealed

The Secrets of Resume Writing Services Knoxville Tn Revealed What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Resume Writing Services Knoxville Tn Furthermore, the very best and professional writers understand the demands of government depspeciesments very well. Test Out or Cement Career Options Whether youre seeking to acquire your very first job in the area you aspire to work in, or youre simply searching for your very first field, taking on a temp job can help you reach your objective. Being a real temp worker can appear to take you down a path to nowhere. Resume Writing Services Knoxville Tn Features LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are the vital sites due to the fact that they enable you to contact millions of different professionals in various ways. Its crucial to select the ideal career profile that is appropriate for you. If a content writer develops its LinkedIn resume and attempt to use some weird keyword for its profession like Content Artist, he then will not receive the expec ted reaction. After getting the info about optimization and parts of LinkedIn profile, it will become obvious to employ the expert services of pro writers to increase your LinkedIn profile. Expressing what youve accomplished says a great deal about what it is possible to get done with the present employer. There are a few simple tips which will aid in improving your resume significantly. Writing a resume is an art and should be learnt. Writing a resume may be an exciting process if you remember your hard work can lead to an important job. Also, it is a very good concept to speak about how many clients you could sell to. A lot of people dont realize exactly how important it is to produce a positive web presence when in the middle of a work search. Luckily, there are means to create amazing resumes capable of catching the eyes of prospective recruiters regardless of what venue youre working with. You also ought to check the search bar of LinkedIn to look at the frequently usi ng keywords that the majority of the folks use to locate the relevant people at LinkedIn.

This is why I dont regret spending money on fixing up my house

This is why I dont regret spending money on fixing up my houseThis is why I dont regret spending money on fixing up my houseLast September, my fiance, Dan, and I closed on a house near Hyattsville, MD. Its right next to a new Whole Foods, a Golds Gym, and several other fun, new spots. It also cost about $100,000 less than a lot of other houses in the area, because it needed quite a bit of work. I thought it was a great investment to buy a livable fixer-upper in a good location, because wed spend less on fixing it up than we would if we bought a house that had already been flipped. Plus, it had everything I was looking for in a home a big front porch, a master suite on its own floor, a finished basement with its own separate entrance, a room for my home office, and pretty big backyard. Its also about a mile from the metro, so I can walk there or take the bus easily.We decided to put 10% down for the downpayment so that wed have money leftover for renovations. That left us with about $ 30,000 for renovations up front. (If you want mora info on how we had this cash on hand, check out my post from last week) Most of the money we spent right away was a good investment, even though it was painful to write those checks. So heres what I feel good about investing inRedoing the floorsWhen we first bought our house, the living room floor was all parquet. When you walked through the living room and into the kitchen, it morphed into large, tan tiles with black grout. That tile continued on into the dining room. I hated everything about those floors. I couldnt imagine living in a house that was almost entirely parquet and tile. I felt that having the floors redone would instantly make the house feel more like our own. So we hired Empire Today and they tore up the parquet and tile and installed floating hardwood floors. They are a beautiful dark brown and I still love them.Plus, we knew we wanted to rent out our basement on Airbnb. The floors in the basement were reminiscent o f elementary school floors back in the 80s and 90s. They were ugly and dirty. Plus, it turns out that the type of tile used likely had asbestos in it. So we wanted to make sure to update the floors. Its incredibly expensive to mitigate asbestos, but the floors are safe as long as you dont drill or nail into them. So we had luxury vinyl flooring put over the floors in the entire basement. Its easy to clean and looks like gray hardwood. It made the basement look like a whole new space. The whole process for replacing the floors on both levels only took two days.Fixing up the basementLike I said above, we knew from the beginning that we wanted to rent out our basement. In fact, we were specifically looking for houses with finished basements that had their own entrance. The problem was, the basement was finished, but had not been very well cared for. Everything was pretty filthy and there were some electrical hazards going on.leid only did we re-do the floors, but we also repainted all of the walls. We got rid of the unsafe electric stove, the oversized refrigerator, and moved the sink to a more appropriate location. We bought the most adorable mini fridge, along with a microwave and electric kettle. Dan and his sister installed the backsplash in the kitchenette. We bought a couch and moved our old TV down there. We also had a door installed in the basement stairwell so that the basement was clearly and securely separated from the rest of our house. This ended up being pretty pricey because we had it done twice. We tried a sliding door first, only to find out that it didnt block any of the sound from downstairs. We then had it replaced by a solid core door that closed the space completely.More recently, I noticed that one of the walls in the kitchenette had water damage and early signs of mold. I was a little in denial about it at first, but I eventually got a plumber to come take a look. It turns out, the floor of the shower was cracked and water was leaking into the floors and walls surrounding it. Not good So for that past week or so, weve had a plumber working on completely demolishing and re-installing the shower. Its costing us a pretty penny, but its better than long-term water and mold damage. Plus, now the shower will be done right.So not only has all of this work helped us to actually earn money back through Airbnb, but now it is a much more pleasant space for us and for our family and friends when they visit.Opening up the living roomWhen we bought the house, the living room was very narrow. It wasnt really possible to have a couch facing the television if you put it above the mantle. Plus, the doorway was a double door situation that jutted into the room, and we didnt think that was necessary at all. We hired contractors (more on them below) to knock down the entryway and move the back wall of the living room out by five feet. The room behind the living room is now my office, but it had been an oversized bedroom. Its still a pret ty big room almost too big for my home office. Opening up the living room made it much more functional and spacious, without sacrificing the nutzbarkeit of the office.But, there were some regrets Now, dont get me wrong, I definitely have some regrets. The contractor that we used for the bulk of the work when we first bought the house definitely overcharged us. By the end of that (very long) process, we felt taken advantage of and foolish. We paid way too much to get new counters installed, and they didnt even check with us before they purchased the counters and new sink. The sink is much smaller than we wanted, but at this point, we dont want to spend more money on this area. We also had them build and install new hand railings by the stairs, and they did a really hacky job, while refusing to give us a discount that was more than a couple hundred dollars.I think the main lesson we learned was that we tried to do too much at once. We should have been incremental in our renovations. T hat would have saved us money and definitely a lot of stress. We were so excited to get everything done at once, and we had (misplaced) trust in our contractor, so we went full speed ahead. If I had to do it over, I would have opened up the living room, redone the floors, and then paused to assess our next steps. We could have been much more discerning in our decisions.This article first appeared on MaggieGermano.com.

4 ways to stop your perfectionism from taking over your life

4 ways to stop your perfectionism from taking over your life4 ways to stop your perfectionism from taking over your lifeIt takes you forever to complete tasks because everything just has to be perfect. Your standards are through the roof, costing you a massive amount of time and and energy every time you have to get something done at work or at home.If your need for perfectionism is sucking up all of your time and destroying your mental clarity, here are a few tips for bringing yourself back down to earth.Remember that there is no perfectThe need for every single thing to go exactly the way you planned can be paralyzing, and leaves you no room for error - which is a necessary part of life and growth.In addition, the entire concept of perfection is a fantasy,argues entrepreneur and motivational speaker Evan Carmichael.There is no perfect your main goal is just trying to be better than you were yesterday, Carmichaelsays.He gives an example about would-be YouTube stars who record thei r first video, but then get so caught up in what they dont like about their finished product, they never upload it to the channel.This crushing perfectionism is getting in the way of them being able to share their work with the public - flaws and all - in order to be able to learn from their mistakes and make a better product next time.Or, as shame and vulnerability researcher and bestselling author Bren Brown writes in her book The Gifts of Imperfection,Perfectionism is self destructive simply because theres no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal.Think about the bars you set for yourself vs. othersExpecting yourself to bethe best at everything is not realistic - or sustainable.Odds are, youre expecting too much of yourself. Dont believe it? Think about the standards you set for others - compared to yourself - to landsee where the differences are.What would you expect from someone else in your situation? If youd be happy with your performance if it had com e from someone else, then give yourself the recognition you deserve, author Nathalie Thompson, author of the book FearLESS, writesinHuffPost.By that same logic, however, dont become overly concerned about how other people perform, and whether you measure up, she says.There will always be people who are better at what you want to do than you are. Likewise, there will always be people who are worse at it, too Your worth as a person is not and should not be dependent on how you compare to anyone else around you, Thompson writes.Abandon the word shouldStressing about other obligations you have can weigh you down, and take you away from the present moment.Blogger Nicole Varvitsiotes writes about what happened when she ditched the word shouldin an article for The Muse.Ridding should from my vocabulary helped, too. It was an eye-opening experience, realizing how often I felt burdened by the 18 things I should be doing instead of being at a friends bonfire. What things should be or look li ke. The self-recriminations slowed as I lowered my unobtainable standards, and eventually I didnt need to be an eight-packed runner with a 401(k) and a book absprache to know my worth. Now, I tell myself So what? and move right along to celebrate my friends, loves, and self, she writes.Dont feel guilty for being in the present.Get comfortable with the word noDont stretch yourself too thin.Life coach and psychologist Matthew Jones writes that overcommitting yourself to too many things - no matter how well-intentioned - because of your drive to do them all perfectly will only backfire.Perfectionists often struggle with saying no to new opportunities due to their high ambition, Jones writes in Inc.Stop taking on extra tasks that arent directly related to your passion so that you can invest in your own wellbeing and continue working on what truly matters.Although it might seem like you want to tackle new volunteer work, new tasks at your job and helping a friend in need, if you dont m ake an effort to prioritize yourself and your needs, you could end up feeling resentful and exhausted.

Team Building Activity - Sharing Management Wisdom

gruppe Building Activity - Sharing Management WisdomTeam Building Activity - Sharing Management WisdomTraining sessions and gruppe building activities that involve and engage attendees are a challenge when your group meets regularly. Your participants have different levels of knowledge and need. Additionally, management kollektiv members have different numbers of reporting staff members and the professionalism and experience of their reporting employees ranges widely. Yet, for team building and training, regular meetings ensure that the employeeswill transfer the training information or the sense of team to the workplace. Regular meetings also ensure that efforts to apply the training are reviewed and shared. They also build a cohesive sense of belonging to a team in the minds of your participants. A Team Building Activity Enables Participants to Share Experience and Knowledge Heres a simple team building activity that creates excitement during a regularly scheduled team building and training session. This team building activity allows your participants to share their accumulated knowledge and wisdom with the other participants. During this team building activity, the facilitator steps aside and the participants take center stage with their knowledge and expertise. With a group of twenty-four, this team building activity will take approximately an hour and a half. So, this team building activity works well as the focus of a single team building session that is part of a regularly scheduled meeting or as a stand-alone team building session. This team building activity is also useful as a part of a day-long or multiple day team building event when it is used in combination with other discussions, activities, and ice breakers. This team building activity is appropriate as the main event in a team building session that lasts a couple of hours. With smaller groups, you can adjust your length of time figures down Steps in Sharing Management Wisdom A Team Build ing Activity 1. Divide the meeting participants into groups of four people. For this team building activity, you will want to assign groups based on years of management experience. This will allow you to have team members with various years of management experience participating in each group. So, start by asking your participants to raise their hands if they have more than ten years of management experience. Assign each of behauptung participants to their own table. If you have more than you need to divide the meeting attendees into groups of four, place the manager with the least experience at the table with the manager who has the most. Then, ask how many participants have five or more years of experience managing people and assign them to the tables of the more experienced managers. Finally, ask how many managers have fewer than five years of experience and assign them to the groups with the more experienced managers. This method of assigning participants to groups so that you create various levels of experience within each group is integral to the success of this team building activity. Do not use a numbering off method or a self-selection method to organize these groups your results will suffer from the lack of diversity. Indeed, if you know the attendees, as you assign by levels of experience, avoid putting departmental coworkers in the same group. 2. Tell the newly formed groups that their assignment is to look back over their work careers and determine the ten most important pieces of wisdom they have learned about managing people. The following example is from accumulated knowledge gained while running team building activities Dont ever expect any individual to whole heartedly rckendeckung and own any way of doing things that he or she had no part in creating or developing. At best, you will only obtain buy in. Use this example or pull an example from your own accumulated wisdom, but do share an example. 3. Provide the time needed by the participant s to think about and jot down ideas before you ask them to share their wisdom with their small group. Coming up with ten pieces of knowledge, that group members want to share and feel comfortable sharing, generally, takes twenty to thirty minutes. You will know when most participants are ready for the next step when the level of noise in the room increases as participants chat with each other. Once participants have had a chance to think about their accumulated wisdom, ask them to share them with their small group. You will want to ask that each person share one at a time. They share their first then, each person shares their second, and then, each shares their third. Tell the small group members to look for common themes and similarities in the pieces of wisdom shared. Tell the groups that each person will be asked to share several of their words of wisdom with the whole group upon completion of the small group exercise if they are comfortable doing so. 4. Debrief the team building activity by asking the group how they reacted to the words of wisdom, both telling their own and hearing those of coworkers. What commonalities and differences struck them during the team building activity? Continue to debrief the activity by asking the large group whether participants noticed themes in the wisdom shared. When the discussion is finished, ask the participants if they have anything theyd like to add to the discussion before moving on with the rest of the session or endingthe team building session. Variations for Sharing Wisdom A Team Building Activity You can assign non-management or mixed groups to come up with various types of wisdom gleaned through working. An example might be Come up with the ten most important pieces of wisdom youve learned about how to work effectively with people. A second example Come up with the ten most important factors youve learned about working effectively with their boss, or any boss. More Resources for Management Team Building Activities and Team Success Keys to Team Building Success Make Team Building Activities SuccessfulHow to Build a Teamwork CultureThe Five Teams Every Organization Needs