In debt and scared Millennials compared to Gen Xers and Baby Boomers

In debt and scared Millennials compared to Gen Xers and Baby BoomersIn debt and scared Millennials compared to Gen Xers and Baby BoomersImagine taking a snapshot in time of Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials just as each generation was entering the workforce. On average, how would the total assets and debts compare? Thats the premise behind our newest visualization.We took a deep dive into some recentFederal Reservedata to investigate thedifferences in debt and assetsbetween Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. First off, we broke down the types of assets each generation holds in aggregate, whether thats equity in a home, other financial assets like stocks, business assets, equity in a vehicle and other real estate. We then compared the total debt each generation carries on average in red across the bottom, letting you easily get an idea for the relative balance of assets and income for successive generations.Its important to bear in mind researchers have adjusted these number s for inflation. This lets us make a fair comparison, for example, of home values between several different decades. Interestingly enough, Millennials in 2016 on average had mora equity in their homes compared to Baby Boomers in 1989, but much less than Gen Xers in 2001. In other words, despite entering the job market right after the housing crash and their reputation fordelaying when they purchase a homefor the first time, Millennials are actually doing just fine as homeowners.Things get even more interesting in other asset classes. Millennials are much better savers than people from previous generations, averaging $18,800 in the bank compared to $16,800 for Gen Xers and a measly $6,600 for Baby Boomers. Part of the explanation for why is that previous generations tended to grow their wealth in the form of small businesses. In fact, according to theSmall Business Administration, young people today are several times less likely to start their own companies compared to other generati ons. Thats because the Great Recession discouraged risk taking in the minds of many Millennials, forcing them to be more conservative with their money.That being said, the total debt loads across each generation tell an interesting story too. Cars have gottenmuch more expensive, forcing people to put more of their paychecks toward building equity in a vehicle than ever before. Lots of Millennials also take outmassive student loansto fund higher education. And thats because states are routinelydecreasing allocationsfor public institutions, not to mention the increases to tuition atprivate schools. College is still seen as the best way toimprove future earning potential, even if lots of college grads end up in jobs thatdont require a degree. The debt load for Millennials istherefore higher at $84,600 than for Gen Xers ($79,400) and substantially more than Baby Boomers ($59,300).DataTable 1.1This article first appeared on HowMuch.

10 Amazing Companies You Can Apply to in Less Than Two Minutes

10 Amazing Companies You Can Apply to in Less Than Two Minutes10 Amazing Companies You Can Apply to in Less Than Two Minutes The job hunt is hard enough. You already spend hours upon hours researching the companies youre interested in, polishing your resume, and preparing for interviews. The last thing you need on your plate is a complicated application process - you know, the kind of application that makes you open multiple tabs, scroll through several pages, and manually enter all of the information thats already on your resume (seriously?) before you can click submit.Fortunately, theres an easier way. When you upload your resume to Glassdoor , there are hundreds of companies on Glassdoor that you can apply to in an instant. Weve highlighted a handful below with strong company ratings and multiple job openings. Think they might be a good fit? Check out the jobs they have available - their hassle-free application processes mean that your next big career move could be just a few clicks away.Where Hiring San Francisco, CA Chicago, IL New York, NY Boston, MA Seattle, WA Atlanta, GA and moraWhat They Do Year Up is an award-winning national 501(c)3 organization striving to close the Opportunity Divide by providing young adults ages 18-24 with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education.What Employees Say One of the most dynamic and rapidly growing nonprofits around, and it is due to a strong program that gets results, strong partnerships with corporations, and an experienced and driven leadership team. You come here for the mission and the students. In a year you can meet young adults who are looking for a better opportunity and see them achieve that opportunity. Lots of growth and change means lots of opportunities for personal growth and development. - Current EmployeeWhere Hiring Arlington, VA Washington, D.C.What They Do POLITICO is a global news a nd information company at the intersection of politics and policy.What Employees Say POLITICO is such an inspiring place to be, especially now The Pro department continues to grow and evolve with its employees. It is such a feedback-driven environment and every manager has an open-door policy. The training program is very interactive and you really feel part of the Pro family from day one. - Current Employee, SalesWhere Hiring Santa Clara, CA Orlando, FL Mercer Island, WA Highlands Ranch, CO Nashville, TN Braintree, MA and moreWhat They Do UDR, Inc. (NYSE UDR), an S&P 500 company, is a leading multifamily real estate investment trust with a demonstrated wertmiger zuwachs history of delivering superior and dependable returns by successfully managing, buying, selling, developing and redeveloping attractive real estate properties in targeted U.S. markets.What Employees Say Where do I start? They care, want you to succeed, they believe in you and they take care of you. When I fir st started I received a hand written letter from the CEO welcoming me to the company. Even as a national company they still make it feel like a small family owned, tight knit company. Everyone I have met has greeted me with a genuine smile.They are the best company I have ever worked for I would highly recommend this company - Current Marketing AssociateWhere Hiring New York, NY Dallas, TX Seattle, WA Chicago, IL Tampa, FL Irvine, CA and moreWhat They Do In the world of wines and spirits, the Remy Cointreau Group is an unusually exclusive player, with a limited sortiment of brands all positioned at the top end of their market from the premium level upwards to the outer limits of quality and price.What Employees Say I really enjoy the team Im on and get to touch on many different areas of the business each day. You are never told no when you ask to get into a different project. Its a great way to jump into a company and learn about each aspect of the brand that youre representin g. - Current EmployeeWhere Hiring Hayward, CA Rutland, VT Charleston, WV Las Vegas, NV and moreWhat They Do We provide our clients with the highest quality of claim service available in the industry & are recognized as a premier company, continuing to increase our role as a national leader in the claims service field.What Employees Say Nice place to work, nice people to work with. Case loads are reasonable and not excessive. Everyone is on a first name basis from top to bottom and it makes it nice to work with everyone. Nice work environment and everyone is accommodating. I tried ten years to get here and finally succeeded when a position came open at the Home Office. - Current Senior Claims AdjusterWhere Hiring Kansas City, MO Seattle, WAWhat They Do Valorem is recognized as an award-winning & trusted Microsoft Partner serving customers worldwide. As a leader in digital innovation, we transform businesses and deliver impact through honest commitment to our customers.What Emp loyees Say Great benefits and pay, great projects, great peers. Because projects are results oriented, time off is not limited so long as you hit your deadlines. The best thing about this company is they are continuing to work on improvements and in the year I have been here there has been a lot of action to keep people happy and productive. I have never had a company try so hard to improve an already great environment. There is a very west coast startup feel, with perks resembling things you hear about in places like Google. - Current Software EngineerWhere Hiring Draper, UT Nashville, TN Anaheim, CAWhat They Do Founded in 2005 and part of the historic Castle & Cooke family of companies that commenced business in 1851, Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC has become one of the premiere residential real estate lenders in the nation.What Employees Say I have worked for a couple of mortgage companies prior to coming to Castle & Cooke and this is by far the best place I have worked. The c ompany wants you to work hard and be accountable and in turn there are so many perks and great things offered to employees. The benefits are fantastic better coverage and inexpensive rates which made a huge difference to my paycheck. Gym reimbursement. We have lunches brought in and fun parties as a company which everyone loves. I feel happiness when I walk around the office. The management team works hard and is dedicated. I can see that they are stressed at times but they are the type that come in early and stay late to get the job done. I know that I will be able to grow at this company and plan to work here for years to come. - Current Operations EmployeeWhere Hiring Alpharetta, GA Bluffton, SC Valdosta, GA Hilton Head Island, SC Pritchardville, SC and moreWhat They Do Hargray Communications is a leader in the telecommunications industry, dedicated to meeting the communication needs of our residential, business, large enterprise and resort customers. What Employees Say Work ing for a company with a vision that is shared by all employees. Management is supportive and open to suggestion and invests in their employees success. Health and 401K benefits start very quickly. Management supports cross-departmental training and is open to looking at tools and resources needed to improve the company. - Current EmployeeWhere Hiring Framingham, MA Marlboro, MA Thompson, CT and moreWhat They Do JRI, a leader in social justice, provides an array of trauma informed services. We advocate for, support, and/or educate children, adults and families who are coping with a range of adversity. JRI partners with government , local communities, families and individuals to provide compassionate, expert servicesmaximizing each persons potential to achieve independence and long term success.What Employees Say In everything they do JRI shows how much they care about the people they serve, the employees who work here and the mission of the organization. From the beautifully ma intained offices and residential programs, to the exceptional benefits offered to employees, to the commitment to support staff to achieve career advancement within the company, JRI is a role model for what Human Services organizations should look like. Leadership at every level of the company is passionate about the work, proud of our accomplishments and dedicated to making JRI a welcoming environment for everyone who works here or is provided services by one of the many outstanding programs. - Current EmployeeWhere Hiring Coburg, OR Detroit, MI Tuscaloosa, AL Spartanburg, SC and moreWhat They Do Brose is the worlds fifth-largest family-owned automotive supplier. The company develops and produces mechatronic systems for vehicle doors and seats as well as electric motors and drives.What Employees Say Brose has so many perks, first of all great people to work with. As some colleagues move on to bigger and better opportunities, I see them asking to come back after a few months. Br ose tries very hard to keep our group busy with activities, events and sports.many perks here and great benefits too. - Current Administrative Employee

Life and career lessons we can learn from THAT Lena Dunham profile

Life and career lessons we can learn from THAT Lena Dunham profileLife and career lessons we can learn from THAT Lena Dunham profileLena Dunham is perhaps the most hated 32-year-old woman in America. The actor and writer can never seem to do anything right, even when she tries, and shes constantly being told to apologize for something.So its not surprising that after New York Magazine published a major profile of Dunham, people have delighted in detailing the most cringe-worthy moments from its text. But thanks to the brutal honesty and self-reflection Dunham exhibits in the profile, therbeibeie are actually lessons to be learned from her words about how to be a good person and live a happy life in a modern age when everything seems more complicated.Here are some of the takeaways from the New Yorkarticle.Stick to your ethics, even when it hurtsDunham has had a year of public scandal and tragedy, including her breakup with longtime boyfriend Jack Antonoff, an emotionally difficult hys terectomy and a failed TV show that could not ride on the coattails of her HBO hit Girls. But perhaps the largest scandal came when Dunham and her former partner Jenni Konner issued a votum about sexual misconduct allegations against Girls writer and executive producer Murray Miller.While our first instinct is to listen to every womans story, our insider knowledge of Murrays situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 percent of assault cases that are misreported every year, the statement read. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed.The words shocked readers, who quickly reacted by calling out Dunhams hypocrisy. She was, after all, a woman who has been very vocal about her own sexual assault, and who has long branded herself as a feminist and ally to women.Dunham expected that people would know where she was coming from, as an advocate for these issues. But they didnt. Defending her friend - or her tribe, as she put it - landed her in hot water for being an ally to women until an accusation touched one of her own. Theres a lesson in that Ethics are important, even when they mean going against a loved one for the greater good (see Sarah Silvermans comments on her friend, Louis C.K.).Dont judge so quickDunham probably wishes she never issued the statement on Miller. But readers also didnt know the context in which she conceived of it.Dunham had just had surgery and was hopped up on drugs when she decided to come out in support of Miller, who had told her his side of the story months before the allegation appeared in the press. The statement was inconceivable from a feminist, and backlash was justified. But the surrounding narrative matters at least a little - Dunham, someone who has been vocal about her desire for children, had just had an invasive hysterectomy two days before and was in recovery.That does not make her words okay, but it probably does mean she should ha ve been shown some sympathy as she tried to piece her life back together. So theres a lesson for us readers who are so quick to criticize - perhaps we should take a step back and try to understand a perspective before we rip it apart.Burn it downThere is one line that stands out among all the rest in the profileA lot of the stuff that happened brde year couldnt have happened if I was happy in my life, right? Dunham says. It was almost like I was throwing a match, burning it down.Though its probably never great to torch the life youve built, shes right that all of her public shamings in the last year are likely symptoms of larger problems. She admits she and Antonoff probably should have broken up far sooner. Shes glad to be out of Brooklyn, where too many young moms reminded her of the life she could have had. She wants to refocus and turn her attention away from her own voice, which she has bolstered for most of her career, to give others a platform.Though must of us do not exist on the same plane as Dunham, her personal struggles are a lens through which we can view our own. If were self-sabotaging or too focused on our selfish problems, perhaps its time to look outward and reassess our lives. We dont need to light a match, but we can take a look in the mirror.

Make emotional connection a priority The best companies do

Make emotional connection a priority The best companies doMake emotional connection a priority The best companies doDespite all the focus on engagement tools to better motivate employees, evidence shows they fail to spark a real sense of belonging. Although 87 percent of organizations listed engagement as a top priority in a recent study, a mere 15% of employees report actually feeling engaged in the workplace.For employees to perform at their highest levels and be dedicated to the collective success of the organization, they need to love where they work. They need to feel an Emotional Connection (EC) a motivating sense of satisfaction and intellectual alignment that can only come from feeling appreciated and part of a shared and worthy purpose.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhen employees see how their work positively affects organizational outcomes, and that it matters to the ir managers, colleagues, and the wider world, thats emotional connection. It requires something deeper and longer-lasting than financial incentives. Increasing salaries, offering huge bonuses and other perk-based plans will not create legitimate, long-term buy-in from employees, despite the cost. Neither do engagement efforts, as they are often executed by HR departments, which keeps leadership in the dark and detached from the process and from employees. Employees want the opposite they want to feel aligned, and connected, with leaders.When employees feel supported by leaders and able to be themselves, and connect to each other in a deep way, it shifts their perception of their workplace to being In Great Company. Its a positive dynamic you are in a place you love to be, you want to give more of yourself, and you choose to add value. As a result, you are more willing and able to achieve your business goals.Not only is the state of emotional connectedness possible, but it is also in strumental to organizational success. Emotional connectedness undoubtedly inspires discretionary effort and passion from our employees and our customers, said Bob Maresca, CEO of Bose Corporation. Dozens of other CEOs, such as Hubert Joly, Chairman and CEO of Best Buy, concur.Leaders need to tend to five critical elements in order to spark emotional connection and improve workplace engagement and productivity. These elements are ubiquitous, implementation-focused, and together create a great workplace in which everyone is inspired to perform at their peak1. RespectFeeling genuinely respected is the prime reason people love their workplace and happy to be there. The sense of emotional connectedness is far deeper in environments where respect is established as a font of social currency and exchanged reciprocally.Making respect a part of the organizations ethos and talent management processes, as Starbucks and Wegmans have- is essential to applying this dimension.Respect is the element that catalyzes all the others to drive peak performance, the match that sparks the flame.2. Alignment of valuesEmployees thrive in organizations that place an emphasis on higher-order qualities such as honesty, integrity, and resonance with personal beliefs.The emotional connection is established when leaders and peers all embrace common values, and everyone holds each other equally accountable. Granular practices may be as simple as doing what you say you are going to do, or speaking a truth instead of avoiding it.More conceptually complex practices include living the values and ethics the company espouses, such as happens in Patagonia and Johnson Johnson.3. Positive futureEmployees thrive in progress-focused cultures that foster innovation and passion. Since positivity is a cultural contagion, emotional connectedness is achieved when individuals use it in a unified way to move forward together to achieve results. Although positivity may seem like a by-product of emotional connec tedness, it is also a powerful catalyst for creating an emotionally connected culture - as happens in WD-40 or Big River Steel.4. Systemic collaborationEmployees feel part of a great company when true and functional collaboration- becomes a part of the inner workings of the organization and its decision-making processes.Working in small teams, they co-create results using open communication channels, where information and advice for being better in the future are shared freely and frequently.Companies such as KeyBank and Atlassian observe several specific practices to co-create a sustained connection that drives results.5. Killer achievementKiller achievement delivers a combination of financial and emotional upside that amplifies the effect for everyone. Employees need to be empowered to focus on the customers and critical goals, with extraneous minutia eliminated.Objectives should be simply stated, with the system removing competing interests that block the path to success. This e ntails identifying and measuring the elements most important to the organization, and allowing easy options for leadership, organizational development, and executive coaching.Companies like Best Buy and Netflix ensure their people can create killer outcomes, keeping the organizations relevant, strong, and innovative.- - - It takes leadership buy-in to establish these five elements, and make aligning values, collaborating, co-creating a positive future, giving respect, and focusing on achievement all intrinsic parts of the organization. Frequent measurements should be made to gauge the changes happening in the organization, establish a consistent pattern of follow-up, and make sure everyone in the company stays involved. When this dynamic is set into motion in a workplace, everyone is aligned - and willing to do whatever it takes to preserve and grow the business together. In that scenario, everyone wins.Louis Carter is CEO of Best Practice Institute, a benchmark research consorti um and management consulting firm. He has served 100s of CEOs and C-level executives as executive coach and advisor, and is author over 10 books include Change Champions and Best Practices in Talent Management. He has lectured at universities and institutions worldwide and has appeared in nahe daran sein Company, Investors Business Daily, Forbes and more. His newest book is In Great Company How to Achieve Peak Performance by Creating an Emotionally Connected Workplace (McGraw Hill, January 2019).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

Who Is Lying to Us About Executive Summary Example Resume?

Who Is Lying to Us About Executive Summary Example Resume? What Is So Fascinating About Executive Summary Example Resume? Your executive summary is the secret to having your small business plan reviewed. Your promotion plan executive summary is a representation of what you may offer in regard to your advertising deliverable and aspirations. It must be unique and based on the current marketing needs of the business. A well-formulated executive summary for an advertising program is able to help you provide a constructive and robust impact that could make your advertising plan mora appealing, impressive, and relevant. Specifically discussing the business plan executive summary template, your enterprise investor would first wish to understand what your company is about or what you currently have. Call it an introduction to your company and youd be very perfect. Mention other professionals with whom you will want to do business, like accountants or lawyers. The Demise of Execut ive Summary Example Resume If your executive summary doesnt have urgency, the readers wont read it. Be certain to target readers that are very likely to implement the recommendations. An important consideration to bear in mind is an executive summary isnt necessarily a summary. You can have only four leading points of your whole executive summary. All key parts of the report were covered in the preceding executive summary. Theres no established order of appearance of the various important items included. The lengthier document delivers drill-down proof for this recommendation. Obviously, when you compose a precise and crystal clear summary and offer relevant explanations in it, it will certainly help you in the finest possible ways. When it has to do with writing the executive summary, youve got to forget employing the superlative degrees and prevent terms like, the very best, cutting-edge, ground breaking, world-classetc. In bigger firms, operations executives often have one specific facet of the enterprise to oversee, like finances or production. Based on the size of the business, the range of the position can fluctuate widely. If you need assistance with an instance of a very good executive summary for business program, you can post your legal need on UpCounsels marketplace. If youve been conducting a targeted job search that isnt generating any interviews or netting you zero results, it might be time for you to take a good look at the document youre marketing to recruiters and employers. What Does Executive Summary Example Resume Mean? Your small business plan walks the reader via your plan. Though the executive summary is the very first thing that the readers of your enterprise program will go through, you should write it brde because it summarizes everything with that start to the conclusion of your organization program. The businesss most important office is situated in Portland Oregon. Additionally, it becomes easy and fast for you w henever you write it in the long run. What is Truly Going on with Executive Summary Example Resume Executive Summaries are often regarded as a significant part any business program. Developing executive summary samples isnt just for the role of summarizing a business program. As its name implies, the executive summary is a short breakdown of your company program. Considering it is a summary of the remainder of the company program, the executive summary is typically the previous section of the company plan to be written. For a template you can use to compose a comprehensive small business plan see Simple geschftliches miteinander Plan Template. Its possible to easily produce an executive summary merely by reviewing and developing an overview of each part of your company program. The primary goal of writing an executive summary template needs to be to mention the project description, the company program, the expected budget and how different its from the remainder of the plans. Its possible to customize the template according to your requirement also. The Management Summary report is made in such a manner that a bigger report or proposal can be maintained in a brief document and the user wont be needed to read the massive report. Check to make certain that the summary is likely to make sense as a distinct document from the complete research study. When its simply as an overview of a paper since you have to publish one, then you merely will need to summarise the paper. Your executive summary must include a brief presentation of the outcomes of your market and competitive analysis along with other research studies you have conducted or immersed in to find firsthand info. Knowing how to make an executive summary for an advertising program can provide you an easier time to earn your target audience hooked into your ideas and actual plan of action. You can also take a look at event advertising plan examples. You can also have a look at personal adver tising and marketing plan examples. You might also like strategic marketing and advertising plan examples.

10 Productivity Tips to Improve Your Work Life

10 Productivity Tips to Improve Your Work Life Theres something really disheartening about reaching the end of a workday and feeling as if you didnt accomplish much. What many people fail to realize is that it is the little things youdo or dont do each day that impact productivity mora than any major crisis situation. If you would like to get more done on any given day, take a look out unterstellung ten productivity tips.1. Be a Ruthless Taskmaster in MeetingsPeople think they hate meetings. They dont. People love meetings that are productive gatherings of relevant individuals communicating with one another and working towards a common goal.What peoplehate are meetings that go on too long because nobody is keepingthings on track. Be the person who stops conversationsfrom being sidetracked and who cuts off the meaningless chitchat. Your coworkers will appreciate your efforts, and youll shave time -wasting minutes off of every meeting you attend.2. Stop Checking Your EmailUnless you are expecting something that urgent, you are wasting your time checking your email or other messages more than three times per day. Dont turn checking your email into a nervous habit. Schedule specific times during the day when you will check your email, send replies, and compose new mail.3. Work From Home When Tasks Require Significant ConcentrationIts frustrating and a waste of productive time to deal with interruptions and general office noise when you are working your way through expense reports or other tasks that require undivided attention. When you are working on a task that requires little to no human interaction, consider ditching the office in favor of your home or some other, relatively peaceful space.4. Stop Using Email to Replace ConversationWeve all seen it happen. A simple email over a simple issue becomes an exchange that eats up an hour of time. You can resolve things much faster if you simply pick up the phone, knock on someones door, or make contact on Skype. Youll fix small misunderstandings and get your point across much more efficiently.5. Reduce Errors by Creating ChecklistsPeople who perform repetitive tasks often become too familiar with them. The result is that they go into autopilot mode, and they dont notice errors until several steps later. This is, of course, assuming that they see the error at all.By creating checklists, you force yourself to verify every step that you take before going on to the next. Youll reduce the overall number of errors that you make, and youll also catch any errors that you do make right away.6. Take Breaks and Eat LunchIt may seem like powering through the day without stopping is the best way to get as much done as possible. In reality, this is a formula for becoming distracted, irritable, and tired before mid-afternoon.If you take a few breaks at regularly scheduled intervals, youll feel refreshed and ready to concen trate when you get back to your desk. If you insist on skipping breaks, at least take a lunch.7. If You Take the Train, Use Your Commute Time to Get Things DoneThis is the perfect time to update your daily to-do lists, send importanttexts or emails, and check in with the people you are collaborating with. You can also spend this time reading relevant articles and checking up on your companys social media pages.8. Break Large Tasks Into Small, Manageable Sets of Sub-TasksIt is very tempting, when faced with a massive task, to procrastinate and avoid it. On the other hand, it can also be tempting to put everything on the back burner until you have tackled the big job or you have worn yourself out trying. The former means that nothing gets done. The latter means that other important tasks are neglected, and youll likely burn out.If you break big jobs down into smaller jobs and schedule time to work through these little tasks each day, youll get the job done in a reasonable amount of t ime.9. Prioritize Tasks According to ImportanceTry using this proven technique to prioritize the tasks that are on your to-do list.Categorize each task as you get it, and work on the tasks that are truly important before you work on anything else.10. Shut Down Distracting NotificationsAt the beginning of each day, go to your phone and laptop, and shut down any pop up notifications and dings. This includes email and text notifications, chat heads, instant messaging, and any other app that could pop up and disrupt your work.-It really doesnt take that much tocombat the little distractions and interruptions that keep us from being as productive as we could be. All you have to do is follow these simple tips, and youll become a super-productive all-star in no time

How To Do Employee Engagement Surveys

How To Do Employee Engagement SurveysHow To Do Employee Engagement SurveysHow To Do Employee Engagement Surveys Kelleher, author of LOUDER THAN WORDS 10 Practical Employee Engagement Steps That Drive ResultsListen up leaders - I dont think you need to care about satisfying your employees. Frankly, it isnt an employers responsibility to satisfy employees.Now, if I havent lost you entirely, I do believe that employee satisfaction can be an outcome of a great company culture, but it shouldnt be your goal.Lets face it, you can always throw money or offer perks to boost employee satisfaction levels. However, the last thing any employer wants or needs is a satisfied but underperforming employee, or satisfied employees working in a business that is underperforming.Its about Employee EngagementI define engagement as the unlocking of employee potential to drive high employee performance. According to Gallup, companies with highly engaged employees have 3.9 times the earnings per share (EPS) growth rate compared to organizations with low engagement scores. This link between company performance and your employees potential will help drive the performance of your employees and business.Companies need to focus efforts on building a mutual commitment between employee and employer - a commitment that is the foundation of employee engagement. Only when this foundation is in place will firms experience the secret sauce of a high performing business - the discretionary effort of employees.Are your Employees Engaged?Recent research by the Corporate Leadership Council is staggering only 5.9% of surveyed employees are giving their employers high levels of discretionary effort. WowAre your employees highly engaged? Are you capturing their discretionary effort? How would you know? As we slowly recover from this deep recession, some enlightened companies are beginning to ask their employees what do you think? as they conduct employee engagement surveys.Remember that employee engage ment surveys measure engagement - bedrngnis satisfaction. I suggest that organizations conduct an employee engagement survey sooner rather than later to gauge their organizational pulse. Why? Because studies show that were heading into a high period of employee turnover. This has spawned the era of the disengaged but staying put within our ranks.The Magnificent Seven Lessons of Employee Engagement Surveys Lesson 1 Get buy-in. Do not conduct a survey unless youre convinced your leadership kollektiv is committed to listening and acting on feedback. If you ask employees what they think and then do nothing with the results, you will foster cynicism and skepticism with your employees. In fact, youll be worse off than if you didnt conduct a survey in the first place.Lesson 2 Partner with a professional. You want the ability to benchmark your results with other companies in your industry most survey providers offer both valuable benchmark data and confidentiality.Lesson 3 Set the stage. I f youre conducting a follow-up survey, I strongly suggest you promote specific actions, successes and progress since the last survey. Of course, if you have a vibrant and effective communications plan since your last survey, you most likely would have been doing this throughout the months since your survey This communication should play a key part of your overall survey communication plan, led by your best internal communicators. View this exercise as a terrific company branding opportunity - and the key to capturing higher levels of participation.Lesson 4 Establish a cross-sectional committee. This group will review survey results and make recommendations to management. The task team should include an equal mix of leaders and respected representatives from your employee base. This diverse team will reinforce an engaged culture.The committee will evaluate survey results and prioritize recommendations to the leadership team. Consider keeping this task team together to help guide and monitor progress of key survey initiatives.Lesson 5 Act locally. Establish a cross-sectional sub-committee to review local results (departmental, business unit, functional, etc.) and appoint related champions. Your survey results will identify some areas of your business that score significantly better or worse than the company average follow up with an analysis at the local level and establish local action plans.Lesson 6 Keep it simple and execute flawlessly. The tendency after a survey is to overpromise and under deliver. Although born of great intentions, you run the risk of creating a skeptical work culture.To circumvent this, implement a rigorous review process that includes an itemized budget to fund priorities.Remember, a detailed engagement action plan will require organizational investments. In my experience, Ive often seen leaders who were reluctant to endorse a survey early on once the survey launches, they are eager to change the company culture overnight.An action plan that is too ambitious will create organizational fatigue. Organizational follow up and follow through are key to successful implementation - and key to how your employees will judge your survey efforts.Lesson 7 Spend less up front - implement more. Invest less in your technology vendor and more in post-survey action planning its more important to concentrate on the interpretation, action plan, follow through, communication and branding.Dont spend a lot on survey bells and whistles If it fails, it will not because of failure to collect the right data it will be a failure to properly interpret the results, poor prioritization the lack of an action plan and follow up.To summarize it is vital to link employee engagement to high performance, not simply to make your employees happy (although that is often a by-product of engagement), but as an initiative to engage your employees in your business - to help drive business successAuthor BioBob Kelleher is a noted speaker, thought leader, and author of the just-released of LOUDER THAN WORDS 10 Practical Employee Engagement Steps That Drive Results, which climbed to the 3 Workplace book, 5 HR book, and 12 Management book on Amazon. Bob Kelleheris also the founder and CEO of The Employee Engagement Group and consultant on the subjects of employee engagement, workforce trends, and leadership.

Five ways to make your employees feel valued

Five ways to make yur employees feel valuedFive ways to make your employees feel valuedI once had a boss tell me that I should learn to pat myself on the back.Aside from the physical limitations involved in that,this welches said during a conversation about my performance,where he mentioned in passing that I had exceeded expectations. He explained that he didnt see the need to offer any recognition, because he hadnt received it earlier in his career.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThat experience deckenfries with me as I started todevelop my own leadershipphilosophy. There certainly is truth to finding internal motivators and not relying on others to develop your self-worth. With that said, I believe a managers role is to create a positive, productive environment that serves and supports team members. It doesnt require extraordinary effort or expense to achieve this goal and the results are worth it.Here are five ways to make your employees feel valued at work1. SHOW GRATITUDEPeople want to feel appreciated for what they do, especially by their managers. Thats because leaders have a broader view of organizational goals andevaluate employee performance, so their praise feels particularly relevant and lets employees know theyre on the right track. Here are some guidelines for expressing gratitude at workClearly state what your team member did well, how it relates to her unique strengths, and how it helps the organization. (In general, make it more about her amazing qualities and less about how it helped you- i.e., Your quick and creative thinking helped the event go off without a hitch, is way better than You saved the day- thanks).You should say it more often than you think so long as youre always speaking authentically and specifically.My favorite way to show gratitude is a handwritten note. In plus-rechnen to the written message, the note itself shows an investment of your time. It brings me a lot of joy to see the note on an employees bulletin board later because Ill know that it was meaningful to her.Still not convinced about the significance of such a simple act of gratitude? In aHarvard Business Review article, Professors Francesca Gino and Adam Grant shared the results of an experiment where fundraisers who received personal thanks from their manager for their efforts and contributions increased their outreach metrics by 50%.Recognition and gratitude strengthen feelings of self-confidence and motivation and reinforce a sense of purpose.2. PROVIDE LEARNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIESThe best bosses look for ways to augment their team members growth with external professional development opportunities, such as attending industry conferences, joining a professional association, or gaining a certification. As a manager, you may have limited resources, so focusing these resources on employees who exceed expectations s hows an investment in their potential.Dont forget Plenty ofprofessional growth and learning opportunitiesexist within your organization, too. You can take your direct report to coffee to talk about his career goals or introduce her to another senior leader in the organization for a mentoring chat. When appropriate, invite the person to attend a high-level meeting with you to learn about a new area, or ask her to lead a strategy meeting on your behalf.When you personally participate in your employees learning and professional growth, you show you believe in them and want to help prepare them for their future success.3. CARE ABOUT YOUR TEAM MEMBERS AS PEOPLEIn my first managerial role, I made the mistake of focusing solely on the work. At that stage in my career, I believed conversations about extracurricular activities interfered with my lengthy to-do list.After receiving some wise counsel from my boss, I learned I needed to demonstrate that I cared about my team members as individua ls before I expected their best work.By asking them about their weekends, their families, and their hobbies- and sharing tidbits about my own- I built trusting relationships. That allowed us to better understand our experiences outside the officeand helped us work together more effectively in the office, too.4. MAKE TIME FOR YOUR TEAM MEMBERSYou know the feeling when you have a list of things to finish in one 30-minute block on your calendar- and right then an employee stops by. Do you give the person time to ask their question or share their story, or do you tell him now is not a good time?How you respond in that moment defines you as a leader. Your facial expressions,body language, and words will affect whether your employees feel supported by you- and it will impact their willingness to return the next time they have a question. Even if you cant meet right then, offer a time slot where you can connect later in the day.Remember, this distraction is your job as a leader of people.Y ou can create moreproductive interactionswith team members by proactively connecting with them, ideally in person. Walk the halls and have some questions ready to engage them. These are a few that I like to useWhats new?Its open-ended enough that they can respond with whatever feels right at that moment.What fires have you had to put out today/this week?This gives you a chance to understand what your team members face in their work and how you can help remove obstacles.How can I help support you right now?This shows you care (see 3) and creates a shared commitment to their success.Of note, I told my team in advance I planned to do this, so they didnt think I was checking up on them. And I add notes to my calendar to preserve time to WTH (walk the halls, ahem), so I can prioritize these conversations.Of note, I told my team in advance I planned to do this, so they didnt think I was checking up on them. And I add notes to my calendar to preserve time to WTH (walk the halls, ahem), so I can prioritize these conversations.5. CELEBRATE IN BIG AND LITTLE WAYSDo you know the expression that the little things are the big things? Its true at work, too.Recognize your team members work anniversaries or birthdays. (Im a fan of balloons or treats at their desk so others stop by to join the celebration). Host a pizza party for the whole team when a sale closes, break out ice cream mid-afternoon for a surprise treat to bring everyone together, or organize a monthly coffee break with no work agenda.If you are looking for a more elaborate celebration, create a new tradition in your workplace. At our office, we started aNew Years Eve partyon the last day of the fundraising year to recognize the years accomplishments this could be easily adapted for your companys founders day or another special date.Whatever the occasion, find reasons to celebrate and bring joy to work.Try using one of these ideas each day for a week and see how it goes. Then you can start to add in others as yo u get a sense of what works best for you and your team.Finally, it is important to mention that you can and should ask your employees how they like to be recognized and what makes them feel most appreciated. (This can happen as part of aStay conversationwhen they first join your organization and throughout their tenure.) Ultimately, if your employees feel that you and the organization have invested in them personally, their job satisfaction and personal growth will increase, as will their work outcomes. And that all deserves a pat on the back for everyone.This article first appeared on Career Contessa.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

NASAs Mars Ice Challenge Heats Up

NASAs Mars Ice Challenge Heats Up NASAs Mars Ice Challenge Heats Up NASAs Mars Ice Challenge Heats UpSo you want to go to Mars? So does NASA, but they could use some help, and recently, they received it in the form of the 10 student teams that signed up to compete in NASAs Mars Ice Challenge.With the surface of Mars largely covered in ice, it is clear that drilling through that ice will be a major challenge for future colonists, astronauts, and others if they want to obtain water for all of its obvious benefits. Accordingly, the competition consisted of teams competing at simulated Martian ice stations set up in Langleys research aircraft hangar. Layers of material and solid blocks of ice made up each station, and students were asked to design and build their own equipment in order to drill.Its a year-long process but if yure one of the universities picked, its two water extraction days in competition and a paper and a poster also make up your score, says Ben Zinser, who had just sch liffed his sophomore year as a mechanical engineering major when he competed with first-place winner Northeastern University. Theyre trying to simulate a situation where there is about half of a meter of ice to get through thats overburdened with a mixture of clay, silt, and sand, and underneath is ice.Northeastern engineering students, winners of NASAs 2018 Mars Ice Challenge, with professor Taskin Padir (left). Image NASA Langley / David C. BowmanThroughout the year, students write a series of proposals and explain their designs as part of the overall process, says Zinser. We used SolidWorks to help with the first part, he says. As you progress, you would later get $5,000 to begin building your system, later you write a mid-point paper on progress, and then $5,000 more comes later.In the end, the pool of applicants was whittled down tenteams for the June 5-7 final competition held at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.For You Top 10 Space Missions Set to Explore New Fronti ersZinsers team definitely felt the heat as the competition neared but had the benefit of a summer term to do significant test runs. We used concrete cylinders and filled a bag with water. We put chunks of cylinders with a sack of dirt above it, trying to simulate the best we could what the competition would be like, he says.Arriving at Langley Research Center, Zinser says you quickly realize this isnt really about where you finish or place and more about a community of engineers that have a common goal. All these teams have been at it all year, he says. Youre excited that youll get to talk with them and learn what they did and youre around all these people who have this same interest.The most suspenseful part of the competition for the Northeastern team was the water extraction segment of the competition. Their strategy employed a two-tool system. One tool was an augur that drilled through the dirt and then we would insert an extractor through the hole which was essentially a tube, he says. At the tip of the tube was aluminum and we put resistors in. Getting very hot, they melted the ice at the bottom of the hole and we ultimately saw water get to the surface.In the end they were successful but there were many anxious moments along the way. You have to remember that our team tried to be one of the final teams picked last year and we didnt even make it, he says. We waited, waited. And then came a single drop of water, Just a single drop at first. But, when we saw it, we let out a cheer. That single drop was one of the best moments Ive ever been a part of.They would end up with 1,370 milliliters of water extracted the first day, Zinser says, the most of any team, and 1,839 milliliters the second day, when the competition dictated they use remote control, he says. The teams scores for their paper and poster were also tops, enough to make them this years champions, an honor that was very gratifying.But another reward was to come.After the competition, NASA had al l the teams in a big lecture hall for a discussion and you just get a great feeling from the bond you have with the other students trying to do something that no else has done, he says. No one has been to Mars and NASA genuinely is looking for your ideas, not just to have a competition for schools. Theyre taking you seriously and all the teams took each other seriously. You just felt something special being in that hall.Eric Butterman is independent writer.Read moraA Cheap Way to Convert Vapor into Fresh Drinking WaterWhats It Like for an Engineer to Work at a StartupThe Great Ocean Cleanup Begins For Further DiscussionNo one has been to Mars and NASA genuinely is looking for your ideas, not just to have a competition for schools. Ben Zinser, Northeastern University