8 Ways That Youre Accidentally Demotivating Your Team

8 Ways That Youre Accidentally Demotivating Your Team Keeping your team happy and motivated is extremely important for any employer. Motivation not only improves productivity and performance levels, but it also means employees will feel happier in the workplace which will improve retention and performance of the team. So youve tried to put some effort into motivating your employees, but its not working. So what mistakes are you making thats destroying your workforces motivation? 1) Your office space is terrible: It may not seem like a very important aspect of working life, but office space can actually have a huge effect on employees and their motivation. Its understandable that walking into a gloomy office isnt going to be the best for inspiring people. And no, we cant all have offices like Google or Facebook, but even simple tactics such as introducing some plants or giving the space a lick of paint can all work wonders. So start off small and your office can change the mood of the workforce inside it. 2) You dismiss ideas: Theres nothing more de-motivational then having your fresh ideas dismissed immediately. This is why its important to listen to your colleagues and really consider their ideas. Being shot down by your colleagues or mangers can take its toll on confidence and with a lack of confidence often comes a lack of motivation. So even if your employees ideas are completely different to yours, consider giving  them a chance. 3) Theres no  chance for development: Something that many companies often find spurs on their colleagues is the opportunity for growth within the company. And this doesnt have to be crazy pay rises or huge promotions. it can simply be the opportunity for them to learn new things and have a bit of training. The best way to motivate employees this way is to invite speakers and guests in for training or talks. Employees will appreciate this and feel like they are growing with the company. 4) You hold pointless meetings: Theres nothing worse than pointless meetings. Not only do they waste a lot  of time (on average 3.8 hours week!), they also decrease employees motivation alongside this. So sack the pointless meetings, and only hold them if they are truly necessary. A email is often enough. 5) You micromanage: If you spend a large amount of time searching and hiring the best talent, then you should never have to micromanage your workforce. Giving your workforce the autonomy to make their own decisions is important for both your company and the employees themselves. It allows employees to come up with new ways of doing things, and also means the employees will have a real passion for the work they are doing. 6) You blame others for things: Blaming employees for mistakes creates an atmosphere in the office which makes employees fearful of their workplace which obviously is never going to work for motivation. The worse kind of management is the type of boss who will take credit for all the good things and blame others for the bad things. Dont be that type of boss! 7) No vision: If your brand has no vision, how can you expect your employees to have one too? A great way to motivate your employees is to include them in the vision of your brand. This way it boosts motivation and also shows that you truly care about your employees. 8) You never speak to the face-to-face: Despite one of these points being to avoid holding pointless meetings, its also important to make sure you give employees enough actual face-to-face time individually. Employees will feel more connected with the business if they can properly communicate with those in charge. What other mistakes do you think employers can make when it comes to motivating there employees? Let us know @UndercoverRec!

Tips For Choosing Resume Writing Services

Tips For Choosing Resume Writing ServicesThere are many benefits of having a professional resume writing service to handle your resume writing for you. Not only will they be able to ensure that your resume is unique, but they will also be able to help you when it comes to convincing potential employers that you are the best candidate for the job. They are able to ensure that your resume is accurate and professional. Resume writing services in Metro Detroit will handle all aspects of your resume from start to finish.Another great benefit of using the services of professionals is that they are able to write resumes for you quickly and efficiently. Because they are experts at writing resumes, they will be able to turn around your resume in no time. Even if you have a tight deadline to meet, they will still be able to get it done within the deadline. This saves you valuable time and money.Another thing to consider when choosing resume writing services in Metro Detroit is the quality of t heir work. Most professionals in this field are highly skilled in their field and can write resumes for you with the perfect balance of beauty and professionalism. If you hire a company that uses super materials, you will end up getting a poor-written resume and those who are hired will be more likely to leave your company on their own accord.In order to make sure that your resume is really appealing, you should take the time to look over each resume and find out what they have done to make it so. After all, every company has different ways of doing things. By checking each resume and reviewing each of them thoroughly, you will be able to pick out those who do things right and those who do not. Because you know what to look for, it will be much easier for you to choose the right one.One of the things that you should look for when you are choosing resume writing services in Metro Detroit is the quality of the person that is handling the process. Although it can be difficult to find a resume writer who is just as talented as you are, there are a few things that you can do to make sure that you are getting the best writer for the job. First, make sure that the resume writer's experience is long enough to allow him or her to have developed the skills you want. This way, you can rest assured that your resume will look great.Second, check the creative side of the resume. A well-designed resume is one that is aesthetically pleasing and appealing. Remember, you are not only looking for a good writer, but you are also looking for someone who will be able to get the best job for you by looking attractive and professional.Finally, when it comes to hiring a professional resume writing company in Metro Detroit, the best thing to do is to ask around for recommendations. You will find that the best professionals are willing to share their own recommendation. If you ask around, you will find the top writers that you are looking for. Remember, all of these professionals want t o ensure that you will hire them and that they will get you the best job available.Now that you know how to choose a professional resume writing service in Metro Detroit, you will have more confidence in knowing that your resume will not be one of the hundreds of resumes that are submitted each day. In fact, with the guidance of the professionals, you can rest assured that your resume will get the attention that you are looking for.

Dont Take it Personally. How Emails Get Misinterpreted in the Workplace [Infographic]

Dont Take it Personally. How Emails Get Misinterpreted in the Workplace [Infographic] Emails get misinterpreted on a daily basis.   Weve all been there. Its been a long day.   Youve procrastinated finishing up that report thats due the next morning.   You realize you cant delay any longer, so you go into crunch mode and start writing those emails youve been sitting on all day. You quickly type your note and click send. Off it goes to Kathy in Sales, Steve in IT, and the new guy in accounting, is it John or Jakeyou cant remember. So, you log off the computer and go home. The next morning you step into your meeting and follow up on the email you sent out the day before. Kathy tells you she didnt follow through because the email was too vague. Steve said it was too longdidnt read. And John, turns out to be named Jake.   Whoops. You leave feeling frustrated.   How are you supposed to get your point across when everyone is so different?   Heck, that Zack kid wont even respond to emails unless you text him about it. Sometimes we all just prefer good old fashioned face to face communication to avoid all this misinterpretationand even that fails us from time to time. So how do emails get misinterpreted and how do you fix it? The answer lies in tweaking to others personalities according to todays infographic Hows Your Email Working For You? How Emails Get Misinterpreted Nuts and Bolts What is the main cause of confusion or resentment in the workplace? 43% blame email 32% blame text messaging 9% blame social networking 9% blame the phone 7% blame instant messaging Biggest Pet Peeves Biggest pet peeves for email senders. 51% No reply from recipients 14% Misinterpreted messages 13% Slow responses 11% Brusque or careless replies 4% Pushback or requests for more detial 3% Grammar police Biggest pet peeves for email recipients. 25% Too many reply alls 19% Emails that are too confusing or vague 18% Too much email in general 12% Emails that are too long 11% Chitchat not related to work 8% Bad grammar 7% Emails that come off as brusque or rude 2% Emails that have zero personality Millennial Email Mindsets 13% less likely than 30-44 year olds to be angered by email Point to texting not email as the biggest pain (45%) 7% more annoyed by bad grammar than other age groups Value faster replies 12% more than other age groups Adapting Email to Their Personalities Extraversion: The natural focus of Extraversion is the external world Tend to: Write long, conversational messages and send lots of emails Potential Result: Recipients may delete emails before reading them Tip: As sender, review emails to ensure that all the wording is necessary Introversion: The natural focus of Introversion is the internal world Tend to: Write brief messages unless it is a matter of great imporance Potential Result: Recipients may misinterpret brevity as inadequate responsiveness Tip: As sender, include all major details Thinking: Making decisions by stepping back from the situation, taking an objective view Tend to: Emphasize facts and logic over personal connections Potential Result: Recipients may feel bored and disconnected Tip: As sender, include personal touches Feeling: Making decisions by stepping into the situation, taking an empathetic view Tend to: Focus on whats valued by the recipient Potential Result: Recipients may not see the point quickly enough Tip: As sender, put facts and logic first; use bullets Proper Email Etiquette Consider sender and receiver personality preferences Acknowledge all emails you receive with a reply Read emails carefully; try not to misinterpret tone Respond in a timely manner Remove contacts from side conversations to avoid annoying Reply Alls Be clear and concise Consider phone or IM for sensitive topics Your Turn What frustrates you in emails?   Share in the comments below.

How to Build a Better Relationship with Your Clients

How to Build a Better Relationship with Your Clients How much thought do you put into rewarding your clients, not just for working with you, but for the work they do in their industry and communities?   It is all well and good sending branded tat that most clients don’t really want or need and hardly get used. Money well spent. To me that is the safe option and to me safe is risky. What are you doing to go above and beyond your competitors? What are you doing to stand out? What are you doing to innovate and turn heads? Heres how you can achieve this Think bigger, think honours and awards, think about the leaders of the future and how you can help them on their path. Think of something that will be well respected and widely accepted. This is something The Digital Recruitment Company are working on. We started the year attempting to attract more women to the sector we operate in by interviewing women with some great experiences and stories to share and advice young females on how to climb to the top. And then we hosted a ‘Women in Digital’ networking event to meet more of our clients and candidates in person and also give them a chance to meet some of the women who took part in our campaign. Now we want to take it a step further and reward the future leaders in the digital sector. How does this bring us closer to our clients you may ask? Events could be  the answer Hosting such events will attract a star line up of judges from across the sector, many would be happy to take part and feel privileged to be a part of something that rewards the future of their beloved sector. It will give you the chance to speak with heads of departments and discuss the criteria for each individual category and really understand what makes an exceptional candidate for future reference and reward them at the same time. Industry events will give you the chance to converse on a regular basis with your clients, building those relationships and become increasingly active in the sector you serve in, attracting more talent and at the same time showing off the fantastic company culture within these companies. To go above and beyond your competition you should want to show the industry you are more than just a basic recruitment agency and do more to inspire more. We are becoming increasingly well known for putting on fantastic events in the digital sector, our ‘Women in Digital’ networking event being the biggest so far attracting clients from Edinburgh and Amsterdam to come together and represent the ever growing population of women in the sector. These awards will no doubt be bigger and better and put men and women together on a level playing field. Surely that’s better than a branded mouse mat? There are many positives that can be taken from putting on events for your clients and candidates. Firstly it will give you a chance to showcase your own company culture, as well provide a fresh atmosphere and space for your   industry to network with other likeminded professionals and for both agency and client side professionals to build new connections and fashion new partnerships. Remember to follow up The main thing to remember is to maintain the relationship after the event, this is essential, a follow up email or phone call after the event to find out what people liked and did not like, to make the necessary changes for the next event and what you can do to attract more people to it next time. Events should be put on to please those attending, not just to make some noise for one night and never engage with those who attended again. Especially if you have placed a candidate with them already. Also, if you have placed with a client who attended the event, it is always good to check in regularly to see how people are getting on with the team, and who knows, more business could come from that phone call. Author:  I am Alfred Ajani the Coventry University graduate from South London also known as ‘The CV Man’.  I am Marketing and PR Projects Manager at The Asoria Group, responsible for driving the Marketing and PR function of The Asoria Group. My role is to bring innovative solutions to traditional challenges within the recruitment industry.

When Writing a Resume, What is the Order of Experience?

When Writing a Resume, What is the Order of Experience?Many of us really don't know what the order of experience on a resume means, but we do know that the current trend is to include the most recent years of work. I'm not sure why more companies are leaning towards this, but it is becoming more common and employers love it.The main thing that most companies want to see when they are reviewing a resume is proof of skills. Often times the employee may not have skills that are specific to their job and the employer wants to know these as soon as possible. This is where the order of experience is important.What is the order of experience on a resume? Well, it is actually pretty simple and you will notice a pattern of events that follow this pattern. The resume will start out with your most recent years of experience. The reason for this is that your most recent work experience is likely the first thing that an employer will see when viewing your resume.As you move further into the past in the order of experience, you are going to see the service jobs, internships, volunteer work, etc. The fact is that your resume is only going to be seen by someone who is hiring, not as a reference for a job that someone already has.The reason that people have to keep these things in mind when writing a resume is because there are many reasons why you might have gaps in employment, especially in the experience list. Often times people don't write their resume because they aren't certain of how much experience they have. This is very common and it is definitely something that you should check into when writing your resume.It's also important to remember that the point of a resume is to show the employer that you are capable of doing the job that you are applying for. In other words, it is very important to get that experience in that you may have been missing. You can easily get to all of the experience you need to make up for those gaps by including other positions.If you are look ing to get some extra experience or just to jump back into employment with the same company at the same time frame, then you may want to consider that too. This is often referred to as an 'e-portfolio', which can consist of all of your previous work experience in one place.When writing a resume the order of experience is going to be important in giving you that first impression of your abilities. This is one of the first things that people look at when they go to view a resume, so if you want to get them to hire you, you are going to need to show them you are capable of doing the job that you are applying for.

20 Rule of Success

The 80/20 Rule of Success Source â€" DepositPhotos.comI recently read this book by Peter Urs Bender entitled Leadership from Within.This is an excellent resource â€" also an easy-read. I recommend this book to everyone. There is a page in the book-that talks about a key rule on Success.The 80/20 rule. â€" It is built on the Pareto Principle, however with an unique twistevalThis rule talks about a direct relationship between efforts and results.Whenever you start a new project/venture- A new business, new sales career, learning a new skill, a new workout program,etc; you will notice that-initially you tend to put on a lot of effort for little or no results. The results are minimal in the beginning.This is an excerpt from Napolean Hill’s Think and Grow Rich“Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do”When y ou start in sales-you will notice that in the first 3-6 months â€" you won’t have much luck or success. You call call, prospect prospect â€" but not many people seem interested in what you have to offer. You will notice that you are doing lots of work but not much result.Do you quit or slow down now?Oh please don’t..evalThe first part of the 80/20 rule â€" for the first 80% of the efforts you will only get 20% of the results. The second part of the 80/20 rule. For the last 20% of your efforts you will notice the 80% of your results.In the sales world â€" you will start to see the fruits of your labour.Prospects will become customers. Money starts pouring in.The same applies to your small business.Initially you hustle, and then the customers keep pouring in.It is not easy, but it is worth the effort in the end.Napoleon Hill from Think and Grow Rich “When riches begin to come they come so quickly, in such great abundance, than one wonders where they have been hiding during all these years “Bottom-line â€" keep on keeping on…Keep moving forward..When the going gets tough- the tough get going.Next time you have thoughts of taking a break or quitting â€" think about the 80/20 rule.evalYou are not getting results because you haven’t put the necessary time and effort yet.Put more efforts and the results will follow.Give it time, give it effort and success will come.I guarantee you that the 80-20 rule applies to every single aspect of your life â€" Sales, Business, Fitness, money, new skills, new language, etc.Let’s say you begin an exercise program â€" initially you put on all the efforts you don’t notice any changes in your physique or energy levels. But over the course of the next few weeks or months, you notice changes in your energy level, you start losing weight, etc.I started long-distance running few years ago. At that time, I couldn’t run a few blocks Will you?In summary, the 80/20 rule of personal development states. ” There is a direct relationship between Efforts and Results. For the first 80% of your efforts you will only get 20% of results. But for the last 20% of your efforts you WILL get 80% of the results”.Where do you think you can use the 80/20 Rule for your benefit?

Im speaking at two awesome events in Iceland in September - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Im speaking at two awesome events in Iceland in September - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Im speaking at two events in Reykjavik on September 27: Management Innovation Innovative Public Service The program for both events looks really awesome check them out.. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

If At First You Dont Succeed...or The Clubhouse Re-Revamp or Things To Do Instead of Fail

If At First You Dont Succeed...or The Clubhouse Re-Revamp or Things To Do Instead of Fail If Plan A Didnt Workby okku design In January of this year, I opened up my (virtual) Clubhouse doors to My Tribe, so very thrilled to be offering a community + coaching product (for lack of a better word) for just $27/month. Ysee, ever since I became The When I Grow Up Coach, I promised myself that when my one-on-one coaching rates started climbing that Id focus on having more affordable ways to work with me. While I had my share of workbooks to offer and group sessions were priced at more than 50% off one-on-one sessions, I didnt have a way to actually coach anyone for under $60/session. Until The Clubhouse. Private sessions! Group sessions! All my workbooks! Discounts! Workshops! Every exercise I ever wrote! It was a lot, and it was all different based on the team you signed up for (I had 3 of em to choose from, and I wont go into any more detail because it makes my head hurt). I was excited to offer all these, um,  offerings, and at different price points to appeal to whatever the prospective Clubhouse member wanted/could afford. I thought it would be A Hit. And then, after the first day it was open and I had 3 sign-ups, I wrote this post  (seriously, youre gonna wanna read it if you havent already. Ill wait). Instead of throwing in the towel, I was motivated by all the wonderful women who had already made our private Facebook group a supportive, enthusiastic, quick-responding virtual home and the wheels kept turning to see how I could improve on the Clubhouse. I thought the problem was in the page itself. There werent many testimonials (since the Clubhouse doors just opened), and the graphics were blech cause I did em myself, and there were too many external links, and on and on. Thankfully Stacy Stone came to my rescue and worked with me on a Sales Page Do-Over. I loved it so, and thought it would do everything my old page didnt do (i.e. convert more lookie-loos into sales, better streamline what I was offering, be prettier). And that it did for about a week or two. Now its June 18th, and I havent had a new sign-up since April 30th. April 30th! (Hows that for honesty?) Sure, I havent been shouting it from the rooftops, but Ive been tweetin and the buttons on my homepage andsigh. If at first you dont succeed, try, try again and give it a second try I did. I scheduled another brainstorming session with Stacy and started dissecting deeper into What The Heck is Wrong With My Clubhouse and How I Can Change It to Make It Rock: It was convoluted. While I was excited to have multiple ways to join the Clubhouse, I knew deep down that it was confusing to the reader.  While Stacy did a great job helping me streamline the copy, I know that if anyone didnt read most of the page super carefully they were gonna click away not knowing what the heck I was offering. I was also a bit concerned that Choice Paralysis was happening here, since there were 3 options instead of 1.  What I Changed: I told Stacy right away that I wanted to get rid of the Teams and offer just 1 type of membership, and we worked on figuring out what Clubhouse goodies to keep (all my exercises, the Facebook group, a discount on everything I offer, a chance to win a private session, a live group coaching call) and which to throw away (the option to buy all my workbooks, monthly private sessions, free spots in my workshops). Its making everyones head way less explode-y. I wasnt doing what was best for my peeps. All of a sudden, the pricing was weighing on me. $27/month for the lowest Team was still $324/year, and the other Teams went up from there. I created the Clubhouse to have community + resources + coaching at the most affordable level, and this wasnt cutting it. What I Changed:  I decided to offer an annual membership, and slice the price to $97/year. And in order not to punish my current 30 Clubhousers for being early members, I told them that what theyve already paid will be credited to their year. So now, many of my current members dont have another payment until February at the earliest. That made me feel way better, and I knew was something they would appreciate. I wasnt doing what was best for myself and my business. Even though it feels a bit slimey to write, Im not gonna mince words here: Im out to make a living, and while the Clubhouse was steadily bringing in about $800/month without any new sign-ups, I realized that part of the sign-up problem might be because there was no sort of deadline. Part of that was because I hate launching, and therefore dont wanna keep opening and closing the Clubhouse (or anything else, for that matter!), but I couldnt stop thinking that this was hurting me. Also, in thinking this way, I realized that a swarm of, I dont know, 100 new members might really ruin the current feel of the Clubhouse, which is super-personal. I mean, my members really know each other their goals, their challenges, their dreams, their struggles and if a ton of new people came swooshing in at once, that might be ruined. So not good. What I Changed: I decided to only let 50 more people into the Clubhouse, and then Ill close it until 2 013-ish. So what if I have to re-open it? I can do it when and if its good for me and  my group. And lets get even more honest here: 50 sign-ups would make a nice dent for me monetarily, as this month has been waaaaay lean as Ive been recovering from my Boobal Removal (as weve taken to calling my mastectomy around these parts) and I havent been coaching. I thought of other goodies to offer that (a) would be valuable for my Clubhouse members and (b) wouldnt be a huge strain on me. Initially I committed myself to doing a new online workshop every 6 weeks. Well, I did that twice (once in February and once in April), and then I realized that was crazy nutsopants. So, I changed the commitment to every 12 weeks, but that didnt sit well either. Putting together a workshop from scratch soup-to-nuts takes me over 20 hours, and I couldnt give the majority of my work every quarter to a workshop (nor did I wanna). What I Changed: I tapped into all the lovelies Ive met over the years who are super amazeballs gurus, and asked if theyd be interested in working with my members in some way. I figured wed have a different offering every month from a different expert, all on subjects that I know my Clubhousers would eat up. Thankfully, I got Yes from Alexandra Franzen her client scripts for July, Sara Carbaugh for a social media QA in August, Jess Swi ft on being a full-time artist in Sept, Tiffany Moore with rejection for October, Stacy Stone on ethical launches in November and, last but not least, Emilie Wapnick on being a multipotentialite in December. Im thrilled thrilled to tap into my network to offer such valuable yet varied content for my members. It hit home that my business has been evolving, and I need to catch up with it. Because of the working and re-working(!) of the Clubhouse, I realized that my site needed to catch-up with it. When it launched in January of 2010 (!!!), I was still in my full-time Executive Assistant job and was just laser-focused on getting coaching clients. Now, I have workbooks and gift certificates and a Clubhouse to show off on top of my coaching sessions, and I wanna make sure everyone who comes to visit my online home finds what they need. What I Changed:  Thankfully, Bekky Pollock (my original designer) is coming to my rescue and were working on a  website refresh right now. This doesnt have to do with the Clubhouse directly because by the time its up the Clubhouse will be closed til the winter but it allowed me to open my eyes to how much The Biz has run away with me. So, am I scared crapball-less that I just let go of ~$800 in monthly revenue on the hopes that this New and Improved Clubhouse catches the eye of 50 new people (or old people that checked it out and got confused/couldnt afford it)? Yes. Yes I am. But because of all the things listed above, I (a) refuse to shut down the Clubhouse anytime soon (b) fix what aint broken (c) not fix what is broken (d) get rid of whats working (e) stop my brain from Making Things Better. Its what I do as a Woman of the World (aka full-time entrepreneur), a coach, and a caring human being and its what Ill keep doing as long as Im The When I Grow Up Coach and the President of The When I Grow Up Clubhouse.