How to Do a Proper Self-Review and Identify Your Professional Pain Points (Before Your Boss Does) SExpand It's the end of the year, which means it's performance review season for many of you at work. Ideally, there should be no surprises in your review, but we've all thought that before. This year, give yourself a self-review so you'll have all the ammo you need to respond to criticism and suggest improvements long before your boss confronts you. Here's how to make that self-review less painful and more useful—not just for this year, but for your whole career. P Self-reviews are usually the worst part of performance review season. In this post, we'll walk you through doing a real, private self-review, identifying your professional pain points and irritations, and then coming up with solutions that you can bring to the table when you meet with your boss. Step One: Write Down What You Do, What Others Think You Do, and What You Should Be DoingP Once you've finished your two lists, arrange them so your most important and job-critical responsibilities are at the top.
How To Tell A Job From A Career We work, we live: the two snuggle together tighter than the pixels you're viewing as you read this post--and that fact has opened up the Great Work/Life Balance Debate, with calls for integration, fit, and a feeling that the whole thing might be a big myth. Over at HBR, personality profiling expert Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic has another take: that we should have work-life "fusion," allowing for the workaholic hours he says bring success--with an argument that turns on one key claim: you need to have a career, not just a job. Finding the right match "Work is just like a relationship," Chamorro-Premuzic writes. "Spending one week on a job you hate is as dreadful as spending a week with a person you don't like." Knowing the (psychological) difference "If you are always counting the number of hours you work ... you probably have a job rather than a career," Chamorro-Premuzic observes.
Master the Art of the To-Do List by Understanding How They Fail Hi Janet, Thanks for your interesting piece. From a GTD perspective, having a long list isn't necessarily a cause for anxiety—in fact, one of the "promises" of GTD is relief from anxiety by getting all the open loops out of your head. That said, I know many folks for whom the promise is never fulfilled, even with strict adherence to GTD principles and practices. So, in that sense, I think you're on to something. The most interesting part of the post for me was the statistics. All in all, though, I found that your stats didn't support your conclusion that to-do lists don't work. 78% of items completed within 24 hours of being listed and 59% of all items marked complete sounds pretty successful to me. Best wishes, Tara
why young employees quit their jobs Tuesday, September 18, 2012 The biggest reason young, talented workers leave for new jobs? They’re not learning enough, writes Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star: “Hirers often complain that their young workers jump ship quickly. A study published this summer in the Harvard Business Review confirmed that young top performers—the workers that organizations would most like to stick around—are leaving in droves. Researchers found that high achievers, 30 years old on average with great school and work credentials, are leaving their employers after an average of 28 months. Multiple studies find that today’s younger workers have absolutely no intention of sticking around if they don’t feel like they’re learning, growing and being valued in a job. ‘Companies need to recognize that these young workers are very mobile,’ Carver said.
Master the New Gmail with These Tips, Shortcuts, and Add-Ons Work-Life "Balance" Isn't the Point - Christine M. Riordan by Christine M. Riordan | 1:00 PM June 4, 2013 Climbing the organizational ladder often requires employees to work long hours and deal with difficult and complex issues. Some days on the job are likely fun and positive and other days are tension-filled and stressful. A common dilemma for many people is how they manage all of the competing demands in work and life and avoid letting any negative effects of work spill over into their personal lives. Research has in fact shown that employees who believe they do not have time for the personal life feel drained and distracted while they are at work. However, some people appear to manage career success and a positive private life with ease. 1. Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, came under scrutiny when she returned to work soon after the birth of her son. 2. 3. As Anna Quindlen observed, “If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.”
100 Most Frequently Asked Help Desk Questions and Answers I have been working in IT for way to many years to be still considered a sane and well adjusted individual. After you spend a few years in this industry you realize that some questions asked by users keep recurring like bad dreams or glitches in the matrix. Below is my attempt to compile a comprehensive list of frequently asked IT questions you might encounter when working as a systems administrator or help-desk drone. All of these are actual quotes from various ticketing systems and email exchanges. I preserved original grammar and spelling wherever possible. Feel free to print this out and use it in your help desk training manuals. Is it a virus? Illegal Disclaimer: please do not use this for training manuals!
Walk Into a Salary Negotiation with the Right List of Accomplishments 30 Challenges for 30 Days Did you know that it takes 30 days to form a new habit? The first few days are similar as to how you would imagine the birth of a new river. Full of enthusiasm it gushes forth, only to be met by strong obstacles. The path is not clear yet, and your surroundings don’t agree. Old habits urge you to stay the same. But you need to stay determined. So, take a moment to reflect on the question ‘Who do I want to be in 5 years?’ Check out this short TED talk first to get inspired: Now pick one or more challenges and stick with them! However, be cautioned, picking too many challenges at the same time can easily result in a failure of all of them. #1 Write a I-Like-This-About-You note/text/email each day for someone (Easy) This is the perfect way to let someone else know you care. #2 Talk to one stranger each day (Hard) This is a great one to cure approaching anxiety. #3 Take one picture each day (Hard) #4 Re-evaluate one long-held belief each day (Intermediate) Do you love yourself? We recommend: