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The Difficulty Of Losing A Good Employee

employee

The success of any business is built on the foundation of good employees who sincerely care about their work. Truly valuable employees are those who not only do what is asked of them, but those who also take the time to go above and beyond. It can be difficult to imagine what the life of a business will be like without these individuals. The loss of this type of employee to another job opportunity or for a different reason can feel devastating.

If you are an employer or manager facing the loss of a valuable and seemingly irreplaceable employee, you may feel overwhelmed by the thought of what this could mean for the future of your company. This transition may leave you with logistical challenges as well as a void in the emotional leadership of your company. While this is a difficult position to find yourself in, the following steps could be helpful for you at this time:

• Before their appointed departure date, speak with the employee about his or her concerns and feedback with the position. This will help you prepare for the next person to fill this role.
• Reassess your remaining team members’ talents and abilities. It may be helpful to restructure workloads or reorganize certain functions of your operations.
• Stop focusing on the loss, and instead focus on what you can do moving forward that allows you to be the best team possible. Consider this an opportunity for growth and learning.

Employees can be immensely valuable, but the true value and strength of your company does not lie with one person. It is possible to grieve this type of loss while also preparing to move forward at the same time. Your perspective and outlook will set the tone for other employees and have an immense impact on your operations going forward.

Overcoming Your Self-Destructive Habits

habits

If you’ve had a difficult time reaching your goals, it is possible your lack of progress is the result of your own self-destructive habits. Without realizing it, you could be sabotaging your own efforts and keeping yourself from moving forward. If you are stuck in what seems like a never-ending cycle of disappointment and frustration, you may want to take a close look at yourself and your habits first.

It’s tempting to assume that your struggles are the result of external factors and things you can’t control. While you could be experiencing things that may not be your fault, don’t overlook the role you could be inadvertently playing in your current circumstances. A close look at your mindset and habits could reveal certain changes you need to make. During a reset, the following tips could be useful:

• Don’t be afraid to start fresh – You may be stuck to the habit of trying the same thing over and over again. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to admit you need to try another option. This is not a defeat—it’s an adjustment.
• Consider what has worked in the past – What habits and strategies have worked well for you in the past? Looking back can help you see why your current path isn’t serving you well.
• Get an outside perspective – It may require you to swallow some of your pride, but there is no shame in asking for the perspective and advice of someone else. An outside view into your habits could help you see what needs to be changed.

The thing about your habits is that you may not realize that they could be what’s standing between you and your goals. It will take an honest look at yourself to see how you could be self-destructing, but this could allow you see issues and adapt accordingly. If you want to be successful, you can’t be afraid to adapt, change and grow.

Prioritizing Your Health Is Good For Your Career

health

In the process of establishing your career and pursuing your goals, it is easy to overlook certain things. If you are caught up in your career, you may let your health needs slide, skipping meals, skipping workouts, consuming too much coffee or not getting enough sleep. While it may feel like your schedule and the demands of your job do not allow you to have the time to take care of yourself, your health should always be a priority. In fact, prioritizing your health is actually good for your career.

Your health is one of the most priceless gifts you have. It is important to treasure and protect it to the best of your ability, regardless of how busy you are or what is currently happening in your career. Taking care of yourself will help you be a better boss, employee, entrepreneur, business owner, thinker, dreamer and doer. Simple ways you can protect your health during some of your busiest seasons include:

• Schedule workouts a few times per week, and do them first thing in your day so other things don’t get in the way.
• Choose a meal subscription service focused on healthy meals so you don’t have to spend time and energy on meal planning and grocery shopping.
• Eliminate the temptation to stress-eat junk food by stocking your workspace with healthy foods and drinks.
• Turn off your phone after a certain hour, and don’t sleep with it in the bedroom. Set a bedtime for yourself, and get sufficient sleep.

When you sacrifice your health, you are sacrificing your ability to think, work and pursue your career goals to the best of your ability. Prioritizing your health will help you avoid long-term consequences and allow you to function at your highest level regardless of the type of job you have and busyness you experience because of your work.

Resiliency Is Required For Success

Resiliency

The last two years have presented significant challenges for every business in every type of industry. Resiliency and tenacity has been a necessary part of surviving the challenges of the COVID era, but these are also traits that will continue to be necessary for success in the years ahead. Things will continue to change, and even the new normal will continue to fluctuate. It is critical to plan now for the unexpected.

Businesses that made it through the last two years likely had to make sharp adjustments in a very short amount of time. Shifting operations online, working remotely, offering curbside pick-up and other creative measures allowed many companies to be profitable during a difficult time. While many things are returning to normal, it will still be important to be able to pivot quickly. Some ways to prepare for the next set of unexpected circumstances include:

• Plan ahead, and have these plans written down and easily accessible.
• Evaluate what worked for you in the past, and make adjustments as needed.
• Work on your website, and build engagement through social media.
• Plan for ways for employees to work if operations need to drastically change.
• Ask your customers for feedback on your business operations during COVID.
• Get everyone involved when making a strong contingency plan.
• Remain positive, even when planning for negative events.
• Start saving now so that you have a financial cushion in case you need it.

While the future is unpredictable, you can take steps now that will allow you to face an unknown possibility with confidence. No one fully understood the extent to which COVID would affect our lives, but now you know what will be required if something like that happens again. Plan now for how you will achieve continued success even in the midst of disruptions and unexpected events.

Social Media Strategy For The Holidays

social media

The holiday season is fast approaching, and these few months offer businesses of all kinds the opportunity to reach new customers and boost profits before the end of the year. While it is a busy time of year, it is also one of the best times to attract new business and engage with new parts of your target market. Running a successful advertising campaign centered on social media use requires a bit of planning and developing a strategy that will bring in the most views.

In order to do this, the planning should start now. It is most prudent to begin planning for a holiday season campaign in early fall, but it is not too late to move forward with this with careful, quick thinking. If you want to put together a quick yet effective advertising campaign to begin rolling out in the next few weeks, the following questions can help you get started:

• What is currently working best for you on social media?
• What is your target market looking for during the holiday season?
• How will your business meet a specific need?
• What new products and services are you currently offering?

The answers to these questions can help you identify the right direction for your campaign. In terms of the actual implementation of plan, you will benefit from leveraging multiple types of platforms in order to reach the most people. Facebook and Instagram offer free marketing opportunities as well as budget-friendly targeted ads. TikTok and Instagram Reels also provide the opportunity to use videos as part of your campaign.

Don’t let the holiday season pass your business by without taking advantage of the opportunity to grow and boost sales through an effective advertising campaign. Through the effective use of social media, you can run a successful advertising effort that will propel you toward more success in the new year.

Unique Thinkers Are Leaders Waiting To Happen

unique thinkers

The fear of standing out from the crowd and the immense pressure people often feel to be accepted and to blend in is not something that goes away just because someone reaches adulthood. In fact, the need to be accepted can be a driving force for many adults, and as a result, unique thinkers may not ever see how important and useful their contributions may be. In fact, those unique thinkers may actually be leaders waiting to happen.

You should never silence yourself because of fears that others may not like what you have to say. Just because your opinion is different does not mean is less valid or less important than others. Let your voice be heard, and stop allowing your need to fit in to be the driving force behind how you put your talents to use.

If you find it difficult to make yourself heard, just remind yourself that life is short. The time you have is precious, and you shouldn’t waste a second of it waiting for the right time to speak up. The best and brightest minds are all unique thinkers, so can you imagine what the world would be like without the contributions of inventors, entrepreneurs and business leaders. The best leaders are the ones who aren’t afraid to say what they think—even if it isn’t something everyone will immediately like or understand.

As a unique thinker, your leadership capacity is limitless. Don’t hold yourself back from reaching your true potential by being shy or afraid to express yourself. Put your ideas to work, and stop allowing fear to silence you. You may be different, and your thought process may be unique, but it is people like you who are the most capable of leading well and accomplishing new things in every area from politics to scientific research.

Everyone Needs Basic Leadership Skills

Leadership skills

Regardless of the specific type of job you have, it will be critical to know how to lead should the opportunity arise. Every type of employee will benefit from knowing how to lead well and set an example in their different types of roles. You don’t have to be in an official leadership capacity to benefit from knowing how to have initiative and cultivate your potential. By honing basic leadership skills now, you will be better prepared for whatever opportunities present themselves in the future.

You can be a leader without being in an official leadership role. By showing enthusiasm for tasks along with appropriately applied skills and exemplary character, you can demonstrate that you are equipped for advancement and additional opportunities. To do this, the following leadership skills may be important:

• Keep working on yourself. Never stop learning, growing, reading and following the examples of other leaders ahead of you.
• Don’t be afraid to admit fault or a mistake. Take these situations as learning opportunities and appreciate the chance to grow.
• Create meaningful relationships with others you work with and take opportunities to network.
• Make goals and keep track of your progress. Find ways to keep improving and moving forward.
• Avoid toxic people while learning from the ones you respect. Follow the examples of those who have found success in your field.
• Assume you will always have things to learn, room to improve and ways to grow, no matter the role you have in the future.

Leaders are not necessarily better or more skilled than others. Typically, the best leaders are the ones who have taken advantage of opportunities to learn, grow and advance by preparing themselves well beforehand. If you want to lead someday, the time to start working on your leadership skills is now.

How To Create A Better Workspace

workspace

The environment in which you work can have a significant impact on the type of work you do and how productive you may be. It should be one of your main priorities to create the best possible workspace, as this can have a direct effect on the type of work you do and how happy you are while doing it. Your workspace is likely unique to the specific job you have and its requirements, but there are things you can do to make any space functional and productive.

One important aspect of improving your workspace is making sure it is a place you want to be. It can help to make your space as aesthetically pleasing as possible with pictures, plants, comfort objects and more. Depending on where you work, simple decorative touches can make it more enjoyable to do your job.

It will also be critical to eliminate distractions whenever possible. You may need to remove certain things currently in your office that could be causing you to struggle with focus. You may even need to have a way to remove your phone or place it somewhere that will make it more difficult to see if you find yourself constantly scrolling throughout the day.

Design a workspace that will allow you to have ample room for everything you need to do your job. It may be easier to do your job when you can see your work, have easy access to things and have the ability to lay things out. The best workspace is one designed to your specific needs and the demands of your job.

If you need to create a better place to work, you may want to start by carefully evaluating your current space and identifying things that could be negatively affecting your work. Whether you are in the office or working from home, improving your work environment is a worthwhile effort that could help boost productivity and positive results.