Selfie

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

INTRODUCTION

This book has been named as “S E L F I E”. Do you know why???????

Because Every person in India is studying to be a high class professional. Everybody wants to get his/her desired goals. Your Niks would say that If You want to be true professional person then first of all you have to create a level of professionalism in yourself. All the students are going towards the scenario of “Selfie” .This word was entered in our Oxford dictionary in 2014. People love to get selfie to see their own look and to show your front image.

First of all, while studying or working we have to take care of our purpose that we want to lead in this corporate world and to be a leader or high class professional ,we have to understand the norms and trends of the corporate.

To achieve this, You must have your selfie not as a image only but you must have it as I have shown the meaning of selfie through my book. So, First get the qualities of a SELFIE person and then click your selfie. I am sure that I will provide wonderful outlook. Read this book to be a true professional “SELFIE boy/girl”.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Dedicated to my parents Mr. Sunil Kumar Mrs. Manju

And

My wonderful teacher CA Mukesh Singh sir

My one and only inspiration Mr. Sandeep Maheshwari

Click one selfie after reading everypage…because you are gonna see a Dramatic change in every selfie.

You know why….studzzz ke saath saath professionalism bhi zaruri hai boss….

Be a leader….not follower

FROM:- NIKS

Be Connected

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

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1-SKILL Three Key Differences between Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills 

To be good at hard skills usually takes smarts or IQ (also known as your left brain-the logical center). To be good at soft skills usually takes Emotonal Intelligence or EQ (also known as your right brain- the emotional center).

Examples of hard skills include math, physics, accounting, programming , biology, chemistry, statistics, etc… Examples of soft skills include self management skills like self confidence, stress management and people skills like communication or networking skills.

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Hard skills are skills where the rules stay the same regardless of which company, circumstance or people you work with. In contrast, soft skills are skills where the rules changes depending on the company culture and people you work with. For example, programming is a hard skill. The rules for how you can be good at creating the best code to do a function is the same regardless of where you work. Communication skills are a set of soft skills.

The rules for how to be effective at communications change and depend on your audience or the content you are communicating. You may communicate well to fellow programmers about technical details while struggle significantly to communicate clearly to senior managers about your project progress and the support needed.

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Hard skills can be learned in school and from books. There are usually designated level of competency and a direct path as to how to excel with each hard skill. For example, accounting is a hard skill. You can take basic accounting and then advanced accounting courses. You can then work to get experience and take an exam and be certified as a CA, etc.. In contrast, there is no simple path to learn soft skills.

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Most soft skills are not taught well in school and have to be learned on the job by trial and error. There are many books and guides on soft skills.They help to an extent. Unless you can apply the tips you learn and be adaptable, there aren’t any easy step-by-step instructions on how to master a soft skill.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills – Which is more important?

It depends highly on the career you choose. Here is why.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 

Careers can be put into 3 kind of categories. It is up to you to figure out which category your career is in.

1) Careers that need hard skills and little soft skills (example: Physicists); This is where you see brilliant people who may not easily work well with others. They can still be very successful in their career – look at Albert Einstein 2) Careers that need both hard and soft skills – many careers are in this category (example: Accountants, Lawyers – they need to know the rules of accounting or law well but they also depend on selling to clients to build a successful career. Dealing well with clients require excellent soft skills like communication skills, relationship skills etc…)

3) Careers that need mostly soft skills and little hard skills (example: sales. A car salesman don’t really need to know that much about cars, just a little more than the consumer. His job is more dependent on his ability to read his customers, communicate his sales pitch, persuasion skills, and skills to close to deal. These are all soft skills)

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Another way to assess how important are soft skills in your career is to ask yourself three questions 1) Does how well I work and communicate with others critical in my performance review and the decision for my promotion?

2) Are people in the same position as me who are well liked in the company seem to be promoted faster?

3) Does my ability to control my temperament at work affect my performance review?

If all three is yes soft skills are very important to develop if you want to advance in your career

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I would say in general, soft skills are more important in most business careers than hard skills. We all know or have worked for senior people that doesn’t seem that smart (limited hard skills). The fact remains that they are in

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) senior positions because they have exceptional soft skills .

Communication

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

Effective communication is one of the most important life skills we can learn—yet one we don't usually put a lot of effort into. Whether you want to have better conversations in your social life or get your ideas across better at work, here are some essential tips for learning to to communicate more effectively.

10. Watch Your Body Language

You tell your partner you're open to discussion but your arms are crossed; say you're listening but haven't looked up from your phone yet. Our non-verbal and

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) non-written cues often reveal more than we think they do. Whether it's how you make eye contact or how you hold yourself during a video interview, don't forget that you're constantly communicating even when you're not saying a word. One strange way to tap into your body for better communication? Think about your toes. Or adopt a power pose if you need to boost your confidence before a big talk.

Or learn how to read other people's body language so you can respond appropriately.

9. Get Rid of Unnecessary Conversation Fillers

Um's and ah's do little to improve your speech or everyday conversations. Cut them out to be more persuasive and feel or appear more confident. One way is to start keeping track of when you say words like "um" or "like." You could also try taking your hands out of your pockets or simply relaxing and pausing before you speak. Those silences seem more awkward to you than they do to others, trust us.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 8. Have a Script for Small Talk and Other Occasions

Small talk is an art that not many people have mastered. For the inevitable, awkward silences with people you hardly know, it helps to have a plan.

The FORD (family, occupation, recreation dreams) method might help you come up with topics to discuss, and you can also turn small talk into conversation by sharing information that could help you and the other person find common ground.

Hey, all that small talk could make you happier in the long run.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 7. Tell a Story

Stories are powerful. They activate our brains, make presentations suck less, make us more persuasive, and can even help us ace interviews. Learn the secrets of becoming a phenomenal storyteller with these rules from Pixar or by simply using the word "but" more to structure your narrative. Everyone's got at least one great story in them.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 6. Ask Questions and Repeat the Other Person

Let's face it, we've all drifted off when someone else was talking or misheard the other person. Asking questions and repeating the other person's last few words shows you're interested in what they say, keeps you on your toes, and helps clarify points that could be misunderstood (e.g., "So to recap, you're going to buy the tickets for Saturday?").

It also helps for small talk and to fill in awkward silences. Instead of trying to stir up conversation on mundane topics like the weather, ask the other person questions (e.g., "Got any plans for the summer?" or "What are you reading lately?") and engage in their answers. It's more important to be interested than to be interesting.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 5. Put Away the Distractions

It's pretty rude to use your phone while someone's talking to you or you're supposed to be hanging out with them. Maybe we can't get rid of all our distractions or put away technology completely, but just taking the time to look up could vastly improve our communication with each other.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 4. Tailor Your Message to Your Audience

The best communicators adjust how they talk based on whom they're speaking to; you'd probably use a different style of communication with co-workers or your boss compared to when you're speaking with your significant other, kids, or elders.

Always try to keep the other person's perspective in mind when you try to get your message across.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 3. Be Brief Yet Specific

There's actually a BRIEF acronym—Background, Reason, Information, End, Follow-up—to help you keep your emails short without leaving anything out. It's a good policy for both writtena nd verbal communication (I've always felt that my job as a writer was to clearly get the point across and then get off the page as soon as possible. Just two more items on this list!) Clear and concise are two of the 7 Cs of communication, along with concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 2. Up Your Empathy

Communication is a two-way street. If you practice taking the opposing viewpoint, you can reduce the difficulty and anxiety that sometimes arises when trying to truly communicate with others. (For example, knowing what your significant other really means when she says she's too tired to talk.) Developing empathy helps you better understand even the unspoken parts of your communication with others, and helps you respond more effectively.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 1. Listen, Really Listen

Finally, going hand-in-hand with most of the points above, the best thing you can do to improve your communication skills is to learn to really listen—to pay attention and let the other person talk without interrupting. It's hard work, we know, but "A good conversation is a bunch of words elegantly connected with listening." Then, even if your communication styles don't match, at least you're both working off the same page. And hopefully the other person will be attentively listening to you too.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

Body Language There is no specific advice on how to use your body language. What you do might be interpreted in several ways, depending on the setting and who you are talking to. You’ll probably want to use your body language differently when talking to your boss compared to when you talk to a girl/guy you’re interested in. These are some common interpretations of body language and often more effective ways to communicate with your body.

First, to change your body language you must be aware of your body language.

Notice how you sit, how you stand, how you use you hands and legs, what you do while talking to someone You might want to practice in front of a mirror. Yeah, it might seem silly but no one is watching you. This will give you good feedback on how you look to other people and give you an opportunity to practise a bit before going out into the world.

Another tip is to close your eyes and visualize how you would stand and sit to feel confident, open and relaxed or whatever you want to communicate. See yourself move like that version of yourself. Then try it out.

You might also want observe friends, role models, movie stars or other people you think has good body language. Observe what they do and you don’t. Take bits and pieces you like from different people. Try using what you can learn from them.

Some of these tips might seem like you are faking something. But fake it til you make it is a useful way to learn something new. And remember, feelings work backwards too. If you smile a bit more you will feel happier. If you sit up straight you will feel more energetic and in control. If you slow down your movements you’ll feel calmer. Your feelings will actually reinforce your new behaviours and feelings of weirdness will dissipate.

In the beginning easy it’s to exaggerate your body language. You might sit with your legs almost ridiculously far apart or sit up straight in a tense pose all the time.

That’s ok. And people aren’t looking as much as you think, they are worrying about their own problems. Just play around a bit, practice and monitor yourself to find a comfortable balance.

1. Don’t cross your arms or legs – You have probably already heard you shouldn’t cross your arms as it might make you seem defensive or guarded. This goes for your legs too. Keep your arms and legs open.

2. Have eye contact, but don’t stare – If there are several people you are talking to, give them all some eye contact to create a better connection and see if they are listening. Keeping too much eye-contact might creep people out. Giving no eye-

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) contact might make you seem insecure. If you are not used to keeping eye-contact it might feel a little hard or scary in the beginning but keep working on it and you’ll get used to it.

3. Don’t be afraid to take up some space – Taking up space by for example sitting or standing with your legs apart a bit signals self-confidence and that you are comfortable in your own skin.

4. Relax your shoulders – When you feel tense it’s easily winds up as tension in your shoulders. They might move up and forward a bit. Try to relax. Try to loosen up by shaking the shoulders a bit and move them back slightly.

5. Nod when they are talking – nod once in a while to signal that you are listening. But don’t overdo it and peck like Woody Woodpecker.

6. Don’t slouch, sit up straight – but in a relaxed way, not in a too tense manner.

7. Lean, but not too much – If you want to show that you are interested in what someone is saying, lean toward the person talking. If you want to show that you’re confident in yourself and relaxed lean back a bit. But don’t lean in too much or you might seem needy and desperate for some approval. Or lean back too much or you might seem arrogant and distant.

8. Smile and laugh – lighten up, don’t take yourself too seriously. Relax a bit, smile and laugh when someone says something funny. People will be a lot more inclined to listen to you if you seem to be a positive person. But don’t be the first to laugh at your own jokes, it makes you seem nervous and needy. Smile when you are introduced to someone but don’t keep a smile plastered on your face, you’ll seem insincere.

9. Don’t touch your face – it might make you seem nervous and can be distracting for the listeners or the people in the conversation.

10. Keep your head up – Don’t keep your eyes on the ground, it might make you seem insecure and a bit lost. Keep your head up straight and your eyes towards the horizon.

11. Slow down a bit – this goes for many things. Walking slower not only makes you seem more calm and confident, it will also make you feel less stressed. If someone addresses you, don’t snap your neck in their direction, turn it a bit more slowly instead.

12. Don’t fidget and try to avoid, phase out or transform fidgety movement and nervous ticks such as shaking your leg or tapping your fingers against the table rapidly. You’ll seem nervous and fidgeting can be a distracting when you try to get something across. Declutter your movements if you are all over the place. Try to relax, slow down and focus your movements.

13. Use your hands more confidently instead of fidgeting with your hands and scratching your face use them to communicate what you are trying to say. Use your hands to describe something or to add weight to a point you are trying to make. But

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) don’t use them to much or it might become distracting. And don’t let your hands flail around, use them with some control.

14. Lower your drink. Don’t hold your drink in front of your chest. In fact, don’t hold anything in front of your heart as it will make you seem guarded and distant.

Lower it and hold it beside your leg instead.

15. Realise where you spine ends – many people (including me until recently) might sit or stand with a straight back in a good posture. However, they might think that the spine ends where the neck begins and therefore crane the neck forward in a Montgomery Burns-pose. Your spine ends in the back of your head.

Keep you whole spine straight and aligned for better posture.

16. Don’t stand too close –one of the things we learned from Seinfeld is that everybody gets weirded out by a close-talker. Let people have their personal space, don’t invade it.

17. Mirror – Often when you get along with a person, when the two of you get a good connection, you will start to mirror each other unconsciously. That means that you mirror the other person’s body language a bit. To make the connection better you can try a bit of proactive mirroring. If he leans forward, you might lean forward. If she holds her hands on her thighs, you might do the same. But don’t react instantly and don’t mirror every change in body language. Then weirdness

will ensure.

18. Keep a good attitude – last but not least, keep a positive, open and relaxed attitude. How you feel will come through in your body language and can make a major difference. You can change your body language but as all new habits it takes a while. Especially things like keeping you head up might take time to correct if you have spent thousands of days looking at your feet. And if you try and change to many things at once it might become confusing and feel overwhelming.

Take a couple of these body language bits to work on every day for three to four weeks. By then they should have developed into new habits and something you’ll do without even thinking about it. If not, keep on until it sticks. Then take another couple of things you’d like to change and work on them.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Interpersonal Skills

The difference between good employees and great employees is not always something you can put a finger on. If they’re a pleasure to work with, why? If they exceed every expectation, what are their secrets?

The answer is as common as ever: interpersonal skills. But because these are technically “soft skills,” which means the best way to attain them is to be born with them, they are extremely valuable and require unique methods to learn. Following is a list of the most important interpersonal skills an employee can possess. Start developing yours today with these 7 tools to immediately improve your ability to communicate tactfully.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 1. Verbal Communication Yes, as opposed to non-verbal communication, which we’ll address next.

Within verbal communication there are a number of other skills that we’ll talk about later, too, such as listening and questioning, but for now we are primarily concerned with effective speaking.

Effective verbal communication begins with clarity. This often requires nothing more than slowing down and speaking more thoughtfully. Many people feel rushed to respond to questions and conversations immediately, but it is better to pause for a moment in consideration, especially if the question merits it. No one expects, or wants, a gun-slinging attitude in important conversations. A thoughtful person is generally taken more seriously.

Rounding off this skill is the ability to stay calm, focused, polite, interested and to match the mood or emotion of the situation. If this sounds like an overwhelming task.

2. Non-Verbal Communication Non-verbal communication is largely underrated and underestimated.

Those who can communicate non-verbally can almost subliminally reinforce what they are saying verbally. They can also exude confidence, or any other emotion they feel, not to mention respond tactfully to a conversation without saying a single word.

Non-verbal communication is something that other people notice whether you are aware of your actions or not. Your body language is constantly speaking. Everything you do or don’t do says something about you and how you are feeling. Your facial expressions (especially eye contact), your posture, your voice, your gestures with your extremities and even the way you position yourself physically in a room or amongst colleagues is constantly revealing your true attitude, for better or for worse.

3. Listening This is the only appropriate way to follow two topics on communication. If non-verbal communication is underrated, then listening isn’t even on the charts. And yet without listening effectively, how can we interpret and respond appropriately?

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Even the best communicators can talk their way into a sticky situation. It provides explanations on why listening is crucial to success and for tips on becoming a better listener.

Listening is so important that it is a bona fide field of theoretical study (a contradiction of terms, but still). Communication can not be realized unless a listener completes the “loop.”

4. Questioning Questioning is a lost art that can serve many purposes. Questioning is something that often builds upon listening, but it is not merely a device for obtaining information.

Questioning is a great way to initiate a conversation. It demonstrates interest and can instantaneously draw someone into your desire to listen.

Smart questions show that you know how to approach problems and how to get the answers you need. Fortunately, questioning can be learned more easily than other skills on this list. Needless to say, it’s all about the quality of questioning. If you ask what are referred to as “closed” questions, you’re going to get “closed” answers. These are questions that elicit brief responses, e.g. “Did you like your dinner?” Instead, you want to ask “open” questions, which probe deeper, e.g. “Where do you think we can improve our marketing collateral?” Of course, if you’re at a cocktail party, some questions are better saved for the next day.

5. Manners Good manners tend to make many other interpersonal skills come naturally. With business becoming increasingly more global, even for small businesses, manners are more important than ever. A basic understanding of etiquette translates to other cultures and their expectations.

We are all guilty of assuming people are less intelligent if they have sub-par manners. This same judgement is reflected back on us by the people we interact with. Anyone who has visited other countries knows how sensitive its residents are to visitors’ manners. Business-to-business interactions function in much the same way.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 6. Problem Solving A rare day would be one without problems. What makes this a skill is not necessarily how quickly you can solve a problem, but how you go about doing it. No plan is a guarantee, so there is always an element of risk. Some people can weigh risk better than others.

The key aspects of successful problem solving are being able to identify exactly what the problem is, dissecting the problem so that it is fully understood, examining all options pertaining to solutions, setting up a system of strategies and objectives to solve the problem, and finally putting this plan into effect and monitoring its progress.

If the problem is as simple as replacing printer paper, then obviously different measures can be taken.

7. Social Awareness Being in tune to others’ emotions is an essential interpersonal skill. This dictates how many of your other interpersonal skills should function. When we are concentrated on our own projects and success, it is easy to close ourselves off from others’ problems or concerns.

Social awareness is crucial to identifying opportunities, as well. People will often unconsciously test someone’s ability to respond to a social situation; for example, a person who is struggling professionally will be desperate for help but, naturally, wary on revealing the fact that they need it. Being able to identify something like this demonstrates that you are operating at a higher level of social awareness.

8. Self-Management Not all interpersonal skills are extroverted. believes self-management to be one of the pillars of EI and absolutely fundamental to leadership success.

Self-management allows us to control our emotions when they are not aligned with what would be considered appropriate behavior for a given situation. This means controlling anger, hiding frustration, exuding calmness, etc. Undoubtedly there are times to show your true colors, but remaining composed is almost always the desired course of action.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 9. Responsibility And Accountability Responsibility and accountability are two reliable indicators of maturity.

Saying you are going to do something and then actually doing it is a sign of responsibility. This builds trust between yourself and those they rely on you and it encourages others to seek your counsel and assistance.

Holding yourself accountable for your actions is one of the most difficult things to do, both professionally and personally. This is also a crucial element of conflict management. When conflicts arise between yourself and others, or when you have made a mistake or at fault, that is when accountability becomes difficult. Admitting to your mistakes isn’t enough.

You have to understand the situation fully and respond in a way that addresses the issue comprehensively (see “Problem Solving” above).

Holding ourselves accountable tends to go against our instincts; this is definitely when the “flight” instinct kicks in 10. Assertiveness After all this talk of listening and respecting others, there is no denying the importance of being assertive. However, this is also where you are most likely to offend or come off as too aggressive. Being assertive is the only way to get your ideas onto a competitive table.

It also means standing up for what you believe it, defending your ideas with confidence, instructing others on what needs to be done, etc. etc. etc. I’m sure we are all familiar with the fact that most people who ask for raises receive them; and yet very few of us are assertive enough to make it happen.

When used tactfully, assertiveness can gain you a kind of respect that you won’t be able to attain by other means.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

Listening Skills

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

ways to become a more effective listener: 1. Maintain eye contact – eye contact keeps you focused on the conversation at hand and keeps you involved 2. Focus on using inviting body language, such as making eye contact, uncrossing your arms, and turning your shoulders so you’re facing the person speaking. Use your body to show your interest and concern such as nodding year head.

3. Avoid thinking about what you’re going to say next. Try not to get ahead of the speaker by finishing his or her thoughts in your mind before the person is finished speaking 4. Participate in active listening by encouraging the speaker with nods and affirmative words.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 5. Paraphrase and repeat what you heard when it’s your turn to talk. Don’t interrupt – If you’re interrupting the person speaking to get your point across, you’re not listening 6. Ask questions or request examples for clarification and to get a better understanding of what is being said.

7. Stop doing other things — fidgeting, texting, reading, etc., — while someone is speaking to you.

8. Focus on content, not delivery. If you find yourself counting the number of times someone clears their throat, touches their nose or says uh, your attention is not on the subject matter and you need to refocus more on the message.

9. Ask open ended questions. Closed questions close the door to further conversation by giving a yes or no answer. Whereas, open questions allow for access to further dialogue. For example, the speaker might say, “I don’t like my hair” The listener might respond, “What about your hair don’t you like?” or, “Tell me more about your feelings regarding your hair”.

10. Pay close attention to a speaker’s body language – posture, eye movement and facial expressions. This will give you cues to the meaning behind the words being spoken and what he or she is really trying to convey.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) writing skills

It's one thing to say you're a writer.

It's another to take writing seriously enough that you strive to improve your writing skills every day.

Ask any writer whether they read, and the answer will be "yes." However, it takes more than reading newspapers, magazines, journals, blogs, and books to improve your writing skills. You must immerse yourself in the world of writing and be 100 percent committed to the craft.

To help you become the best writer you can be, here are 10 techniques to improve your writing skills.

1. Keep a journal.

Believe it or not, writing in a journal can help you improve your writing skills.

It can also help you discover new story ideas that could be developed into the next best-seller.

When you write in your journal, don't censor your words. Allow them to flow freely.

2. Participate in writing prompts.

Writing resources provide writing exercises and prompts. These are good ways to improve your writing and to test story ideas.

3. Rewrite your blog posts.

If you have a blog, go back a couple of years and find a few blog posts to rewrite and repurpose. You may be surprised how much your writing has improved over time.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 4. Rewrite newspaper and magazine articles.

Choose your favorite newspaper or magazine, and rewrite a couple of the articles. Challenge yourself to write a stronger headline and copy.

5. Activate Google alerts.

Setup a Google Alert for writing, writing skills, book writing, and other alerts, and follow the latest stories. Read what other writers are doing to improve their writing skills.

6. Read beyond what you normally read.

If you have a hankering for fantasy, sci-fi, romance, memoirs, YA, NA, middle grade, self-help, or whatever tickles your writer's fancy, get out of your comfort zone and read something different. Stretch your mind, and you'll stretch your writing skills.

7. Comment on your favorite blog posts.

Challenge yourself to write in-depth comments instead of the familiar, "Great post!" or, "Thanks for sharing this brilliant information." Such vapid comments do not add to the conversation, nor do they improve your writing skills. Here's a tip: If you want to get noticed by the blog owner and taken seriously, write a decent comment.

8. Join a writer's group.

Don't be shy about sharing your writing. One of the greatest ways to improve your writing is to join a writer's group in which you'll receive valuable feedback such as how to strengthen introductions, how to develop characters, how to write stronger scenes, and more. Please note: You may have to try out a few groups before you find any that work for you.

9. Attend a writer’s confrence or workshop.

When I lived in Chandler, Ariz., I was blessed to have found Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe. The owners schedule writing workshops throughout the year. Not only did I meet fellow aspiring authors, I met published authors who would share writing tips and tricks such as the importance of using an outline, whether you write fiction or nonfiction.

Writer's conferences and workshops are good places to meet editors, literary agents, publishers, and other writers. You can take a class or two

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) and improve your writing skills in no time, and the contacts you make are invaluable to your career.

10. Write.

You must write to improve your writing skills. Try to write at least 1,000 words each day or every other day. When you think you've finished writing, write some more. When you think you've reallyfinished writing, keep writing.

To improve your writing, you need to write five days a week, 50 weeks per year, if not more. Writing requires dedication and time. If you're serious about being a published author, you need to write and write and write.

If you want to improve your writing skills and write a best-seller, start writing at least 1,000 words every day.

Being a skilled writer and published author is not an impossible dream. It's closer to reality than you might believe.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) PRESENTATION SKILLS

It’s no secret that while almost every job has some kind of speaking or presenting component to it, a majority of Americans hate doing it. Whether it’s the traditional presentation or making those god-awful cold calls, our job demands us to stretch outside our comfort zone at times.

As we look at public speaking, in whatever facet, how is that some of us are so terrible at it, while others make it look so darn easy? We each have our own tips and tactics that we use to overcome nervousness, maximize our PowerPoints, or just make it through the presentations, but even then, we can typically identify those characteristics that can be the tipping point from taking a boring or mediocre presentation and turning it into one that is remembered. Whether it’s mechanical as in the development of the presentation or materials, or humanistic in that it’s how the materials are delivered, there are dozens of opportunities throughout our typical business day to hone our skills to become better presenters.

Here are ten tips that will help you overcome anxiety, develop a presentation that is memorable, and deliver it to the best of your ability. Before we jump into these ten tips we must first understand that the key to effective presenting isn’t about ridding yourself of all deficiencies. It’s about neutralizing those tendencies that detract from your presentation and maximizing those that enhance your presentation – so stop worrying about being perfect. I want to encourage you to work towards your strength, and simply control your idiosyncrasies so that they don’t overpower. Imagine that you’re cooking a casserole; it’s five minutes

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) before your family shows up, and you accidentally dump too much salt into your dish. You don’t have the time to start over, so what do you do? If you’re my girlfriend you might throw the dish out and call the local pizza shop… or, you could simply add honey to the dish to balance out the dominating spice. Presenting is like this in many ways – adding additional components to balance out the dominating characteristics.

With that being said, let’s get started.

Presenting shouldn’t be one big event. Repetition and consistency are what helps us become comfortable in our own skin. If your focus is only on one presentation that occurs one or two time per year, like maybe a board retreat or an annual meeting, then you will continue to stay at your current level.

2. Identify what you are good at and build your presentation around it.For me, I’m good at ad-libbing. Unfortunately not every presentation can be a casual, impromptu conversation, but it helps me to know that I can fall back on my strength if I get stuck.

3. Begin with the end in mind. Figure out what you want your presentation to do for you. Does it need to persuade, inform or inspire?

Knowing this will help you develop a presentation with the necessary components. For example, one that’s meant to persuade will most likely need some fact-based evidence included in it and probably something that tells people the consequences they might encounter if they don’t adjust.

Likewise, if I want to inspire someone, it will be much more about talking to possibilities and achievements, while also giving them a clear vision of where we are headed. Imagine if John F. Kennedy had shared his concern about the U.S. lacking a space program without ever saying, “We will go to the moon!” It might have sounded something like this: “The Soviet Union has beaten us to outer space.”

4. Keep it simple. So often we think the more sophisticated the program or the more intricate the PowerPoint, the better the presentation.

Interestingly enough, one of the most memorable presentations I’ve ever seen was white lettering on a black background. I remember seeing it and thinking, this just looks sleek, clean and sophisticated. When I teach our presentations skills class, the number one thing that trips people up is that the presentations that are developed are too complicated for the topic and the presenter. During the session participants are asked to develop a five minute presentation, which according to most standards, deserves about two and a half slides in a PowerPoint. So you can imagine my thoughts when they show up with PowerPoints that have ten and 15 slides. This

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) understanding isn’t just related to PowerPoint, but all aspects of presenting. The simpler the components of a presentation are, the more opportunity one has to enhance the presentation by using more natural skills, such as humor, storytelling, voice modulation and hand gestures.

Something to take note of, unless you are presenting on the use of PowerPoint: remember that it is simply a program to enhance the experience. It is not THE experience.

5. Don’t wing it, but don’t memorize. On a continuum these two are the polar opposites of one another. People who simply wing it, will find that their presentations lack the substance that is required for the audience to perceive the presentations as value-added. Likewise, those that memorize find it hard to adjust if something unexpected happens, like a question from the audience. My suggestion is to memorize the important parts. Instead of trying to capture the entire presentation in your mind, find those sections that are the most complicated, or even where you typically trip up. Those are the sections you should be memorizing in terms of how the conversation should flow. Memorizing word for word is hard because as soon as something interrupts your concentration, you’ll lose your place.

Plus, those presentations that are the most memorable are when the presenter is able to play off the audience.

6. Speak in questions. Whether you’re presenting or just at work, this tip should be planted on your computer screen. Speaking in questions minimizes defensiveness and opens the door to learn more about the intent of the other individuals. When it comes to public speaking there are two types of presenters: Those that see themselves as experts and others who believe their role is facilitate the conversations. If you are the latter, then your purpose is to ensure that the presentation environment is conducive to asking question and exploring possibilities. You cannot do this if you always speak in statements. The question is the most powerful tool when it comes to persuading others. Did you know that master persuaders ask 2.7

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) times more questions? That being said, average presenters ask six questions, while great presenters ask 16.

7. It’s about quality, not quantity. One of our biggest challenges at New Directions is that we get excited about a topic and want to share all the information we have on a topic with our audience. Unfortunately, the result of that is a presentation that is so jam packed with information that it prevents us from being able to completely dive into each area fully, and participants walk away feeling overwhelmed with all the information. My advice to you is to pick one nugget of information that you think would be beneficial and focus your presentation around that. Remember, you are presenting on a topic you’ve given weeks and maybe months of thought to, while your audience is seeing it for the first time.

8. Talk the Talk – yes ‘talk’. 40% of your presentation’s effectiveness is dependent upon the rate, tone and pitch of your voice. Respectively, 55% is based on body language leaving only 5% for content of the presentations. That being said, where do you spend most of your time preparing? On content? Because that’s where most people spend the majority of their time preparing. Break out of that mold and flip your style so that you’re giving the necessary time to preparing your voice and body language. Yes your presentation needs to have value-added content in it, but for the audience member, a great presentation is more about the presenter and less about the material. Just keep that in mind the next time you prepare a presentation.

9. Treat presenting like your job, because it is. If you see presenting as a part of your job, you’re less likely to minimize it. Imagine you were the executive of a major corporation and you told a major stakeholder that s/he would need to fax you the information because you don’t use email. That’s just not acceptable anymore. So if you’re actually willing to commit to perfecting your presentation skills, then start with the little things and work your way up. A great place to start is with your boring and unoriginal voicemail message that sounds like you woke up at 5AM and decided that would be a good time to record your personal voicemail message. Once you’ve mastered that, then work on how you’re going to leave voicemails for other, and then work on telling a story at lunch, and so on. Do you bring your work home with you, whether it’s physically or even if you just allow it to take up space in your head?… rent free might I add. Then you need to be willing to give your presentation skills that much thought as well.

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10. Practice, practice, practice – But do it with flare. If you’re not practicing out loud and standing up, then you’re not really practicing. People who practice in their heads tend to be 1.5 times longer when they actually have to present. I know it sounds foolish, but practicing is the number one thing that will prevent anxiety and it will ensure that you are able to handle that curve ball that gets thrown at you during your presentations, like someone asking you to fill an extra twenty minutes of time, or if your PowerPoint doesn’t work. I can’t convince you to practice; you just have to get to a point where you’re tired of mediocre presentations and then you will practice out of necessity.

That’s it, go forth and conquer the presentation realm… or at least feel a little bit better about the next time you have to present. If you’re struggling with some aspect of your presentation, give me a call. I’d be happy to chat with you and develop some tactics to improve your skill. Also, if you have some tips of your own, please share them with the group.

How to Apply Conflict Resolution Skills in the Workplace

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Conflicts in the workplace are inevitable. High stress due to looming deadlines, personal problems, career insecurities and other common issues cause workers to butt heads. If possible, allow workers to resolve problems among themselves.

However, if a conflict only worsens over time, step in before it spins out of control.

Throughout the conflict resolution process, be empathetic but firm. Understand that some people just don’t get along, but remind the disputants they are professionals and must act accordingly, whatever their reservations about the other party. [ Step 1 Hold a meeting to resolve the dispute. Choose a private location so the disputants can speak freely.

Step 2 Facilitate the conversation rather than look to enforce company policies. Your goal is to establish a dialogue among disputants, allowing them to resolve the issue themselves.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Step 3 Remain objective to ensure the disputants receive fair treatment. If you have a conflict of interest -- for example, if you have a closer relationship with one party - appoint someone impartial to oversee the dispute resolution process.

Step 4 Allow each party to present her side of the issue. If one of the disputants feels stifled, resentment will brew and any solutions will be short-lived.

Step 5 Identify precisely the nature of the problem. For example, if the disputants argue continually, uncover the root cause of the problem rather than seek to remedy the cause of the most recent argument. If you can’t clearly identify the problem, your solutions are sure to fail.

Step 6 Ask the disputants to work together to find an acceptable compromise. Motivate them by pointing out what’s at stake. For example, explain that failure to arrive at an acceptable arrangement might result in the removal of both parties from a project.

Step 7 Ensure the disputants understand what you expect from them. Establish clear guidelines for future behavior, and discipline any failures to honor the agreement.

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People will have different responses to any conflict and its resolution.

As conflict is a natural part of life, so is its resolution. Experts in conflict resolution attempt to study and formulate the most effective methods of conflict resolution and also any possible responses to resolution attempts. Fortunately, it is possible to categorize the general responses that most people have to conflict resolution.

Understanding these responses and what causes them can further improve the conflict management skills of most individuals. Conflict resolution skills have great advantage in running a small business.

Legalistic Often the most successful attempts at conflict resolution work by approaching any problem with a legalistic framework. Making arrangements more formal and rulebased helps take any emotion out of a conflict. Legalistic responses are more common in cultures that already have a legalistic mentality. If people are more used to appealing to the law to settle arguments, it makes it more likely that they will accept any legalistic resolution.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Emotional Conflict is more than a simple disagreement and can involve complex and difficult emotions. The more successful conflict resolutions result in satisfaction and positive emotions for both parties. This is more difficult to achieve but, given enough time and effort, it often can be accomplished. One of the keys to achieving this result is addressing a conflict early enough that there has not been time for any deep feelings of resentment to develop.

Reconciliation Taking conflict resolution beyond mere emotional satisfaction, it often is possible to achieve an actual reconciliation between two or more parties in a conflict. This means not only moving past a conflict but establishing a relationship so all the parties can continue to work together in the future. A positive relationship is created only by establishing mutual respect between all the parties involved and fully resolving any emotional conflicts.

Failure Conflict resolution does not always succeed and, in fact, often fails. Sometimes, the negative emotions involved in a conflict go too deep and have had too long a period to develop to be resolved. As well, there often are conflicts where there is no solution that could be achieved that would satisfy all parties. When conflict resolution fails, there often must be a break of interaction between all parties and abandonment of any partnership.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Leading Change Management

Since the mid-2000s, organizational change management and transformation have become permanent features of the business landscape.

Vast new markets and labor pools have opened up, innovative technologies have put once-powerful business models on the chopping block, and capital flows demand have become less predictable. To meet these challenges, firms have become more sophisticated in the best practices for organizational change management. They are far more sensitive to and more keenly aware of the role that culture plays. They’ve also had to get much better on their follow-through.

Yet according to a 2013 Strategy&/Katzenbach Center survey of global senior executives on culture and change management, the success rate of major change initiatives is only 54 percent. This is far too low. The costs are high when change efforts go wrong—not only financially but in confusion, lost opportunity, wasted resources, and diminished morale. When employees who have endured real upheaval and put in significant extra hours for an initiative that was announced with great fanfare see it simply fizzle out, cynicism sets in.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) HOW TO LEAD CHANGE MANAGEMENT Our experience with organizational change management suggests that there are three major hurdles to overcome. The first—no surprise—is “change fatigue,” the exhaustion that sets in when people feel pressured to make too many transitions at once. A full 65 percent of respondents to the Katzenbach Center survey reported this as a problem. The change initiatives they suffered through may have been poorly thought through, rolled out too fast, or put in place without sufficient preparation. Fatigue is a familiar problem in organizational change management, especially when splashy “whole new day” initiatives are driven from the top.

Change initiatives also flounder, according to 48 percent of the respondents, because companies lack the skills to ensure that change can be sustained over time. Leaders might set out eagerly to raise product quality, but when production schedules slow and the pipeline starts looking sparse, they lose heart. Lacking an effective way to deal with production line problems, they decide their targets were unrealistic, they blame the production technology, or they accuse their frontline people of not being up to the task. A much better way to solve the problem is to Invest in operational improvements, such as process design and training, to instill new practical approaches and give people the knowledge and cultural support they need.

The third major obstacle is that transformation efforts are typically decided upon, planned, and implemented in the C-suite, with little input from those at lower levels. This filters out information that could be helpful in designing the initiative while also limiting opportunities to get frontline ownership of the change. In the Katzenbach Center survey, 44 percent of participants reported not understanding the changes they were expected to make, and 38 percent said they didn’t agree with the changes.

The following list of 10 guiding principles for change can help executives navigate the treacherous shoals of transformation in a systematic way.

1. Lead with the culture. Lou Gerstner, who as chief executive of IBM led one of the most successful business transformations in history, said the most important lesson he learned from the experience was that “culture is everything.” Businesspeople today understand this. In the Katzenbach Center survey, 84 percent said that the organization’s culture was critical to the success of change management, and 64 percent saw it as more critical than strategy or operating model. Yet change leaders often fail to address

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) culture—in terms of either overcoming cultural resistance or making the most of cultural support. Among respondents whose companies were unable to sustain change over time, a startling 76 percent reported that executives failed to take account of the existing culture when designing the transformation effort.

Why would this be true, given the widespread recognition of culture’s importance? Perhaps it’s because change management designers view their company’s culture as the legacy of a past from which they want to move on.

Or they get so focused on structural details—reporting lines, decision rights, and formal processes—that they forget that human beings with strong emotional connections to the culture will be enacting these changes. Or they assume that culture, because it is “soft” and informal, will be malleable enough to adapt without requiring explicit attention.

Yet skilled change managers, conscious of organizational change management best practices, always make the most of their company’s existing culture. Instead of trying to change the culture itself, they draw emotional energy from it. They tap into the way people already think, behave, work, and feel to provide a boost to the change initiative. To use this emotional energy, leaders must look for the elements of the culture that are aligned to the change, bring them to the foreground, and attract the attention of the people who will be affected by the change.

Skilled change managers make the most of their company’s existing culture.

In two healthcare companies undergoing a merger, culture led the post-deal integration. Using a culture-related diagnostic questionnaire, the change management team asked people to describe each company’s operating style—and mapped the responses from the two legacy companies to get a sense of their combined strengths and challenges. It quickly became clear that where one company had a culture attuned to bottom-line results, the other tended to focus on process. Optimally, the new company would need to skillfully use processes to deliver clear results. By first taking the time to recognize and acknowledge each company’s underlying culture, leaders of the merged firm harnessed deeply ingrained strengths to energize the change and avoided the incoherence that could have resulted from a less intentional and sensitive redesign.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 2. Start at the top. Although it’s important to engage employees at every level early on, all successful change management initiatives start at the top, with a committed and well-aligned group of executives strongly supported by the CEO. This alignment can’t be taken for granted. Rather, work must be done in advance to ensure that everyone agrees about the case for the change and the particulars for implementing it.

A clinical research firm was committed to tripling its size over the next decade to achieve a more competitive position. Because the company was still pretty much operating as a startup after 25 years, this required a farreaching organizational redesign. Before starting the design phase, Finance leaders gathered at an off-site meeting to begin a rigorous exercise in alignment. The exercise included a leadership team effectiveness survey, which revealed that though these leaders called themselves a team, they didn’t really see themselves that way. Instead, they mostly operated as lone rangers, in characteristic startup style.

Each of the executives in the group made a thoughtful individual presentation about the case for change. Most of them agreed on the general direction the company needed to take to achieve rapid growth. But their descriptions of how to move in that direction—for example, what the first concrete steps should be—were all over the map. They were then tasked to work together to develop a case for change that every one of them could support.

To hammer out these agreements, these top executives had to listen closely to their colleagues and weigh conflicting points of view. The exercise was demanding, but they began to coalesce around a coherent vision for what the company should look like in 10 years. Most importantly, the experience of working together so intensely led the executives, for once, to act as a collaborative and committed team. By the end of the off-site meeting, they found that they were all using the same language to describe what the company needed to do. As one participant noted, the experience had transformed him, which in turn gave him confidence that together they could cascade the plan to other groups at other levels of the hierarchy.

3. Involve every layer. Strategic planners often fail to take into account the extent to which midlevel and frontline people can make or break a change initiative. The path of rolling out change is immeasurably smoother if these people are tapped early for input on issues that will affect their jobs.

Frontline people tend to be rich repositories of knowledge about where potential glitches may occur, what technical and logistical issues need to be

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) addressed, and how customers may react to changes. In addition, their fullhearted engagement can smooth the way for complex change initiatives, whereas their resistance will make implementation an ongoing challenge.

Planners who resist early engagement at multiple levels of the hierarchy often do so because they believe that the process will be more efficient if fewer people are involved in planning. But although it may take longer in the beginning, ensuring broad involvement saves untold headaches later on. Not only does more information surface, but people are more Invested when they’ve had a hand in developing a plan. One common aphorism in change management is “you have to go slow to go fast.”

IBM recognized the need for such an approach in 2003, when rolling out a new initiative on culture. The leadership team had met intensively to develop clear definitions of the cultural traits the organization would require going forward. They then declared a “values jam,” a website set up for a 72-hour period, where anyone in the company could post comments, responses, suggestions, and concerns. Leaders then made key changes based on the feedback they received and communicated clearly how the input they’d received was being incorporated.

4. Make the rational and emotional case together. Leaders will often make the case for major change on the sole basis of strategic business objectives such as “we will enter new markets” or “we will grow 20 percent a year for the next three years.” Such objectives are fine as far as they go, but they rarely reach people emotionally in a way that ensures genuine commitment to the cause. Human beings respond to calls to action that engage their hearts as well as their minds, making them feel as if they’re part of something consequential.

Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman and her senior executive team appear to be following this principle in their transformation efforts. They have sought to activate a strong personal connection between HP and its employees, by drawing directly on the company’s cultural history and traditions. For example, through symbolic gestures such as tearing down the fences that surrounded the executive parking lot and moving top executives into cubicles, the company has reinforced the original “HP Way” ethic in which the intrinsic quality of the work is as important as one’s position in the hierarchy. (Whitman tells this story in an April 2013 LinkedIn blog post, “The Power of Transparent Communication.”) This strategy contrasts with that of Whitman’s immediate predecessors, who had declared it was time for the company to abandon its core identity. In any

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) organization facing a challenging environment, the emotional connection fostered by moves like these is likely to make a major difference.

5. Act your way into new thinking. Many change initiatives seem to assume that people will begin to shift their behaviors once formal elements like directives and incentives have been put in place. People who work together on cross-functional teams will start collaborating because the lines on the chart show they are supposed to do so. Managers will become clear communicators because they have a mandate to deliver a message about the new strategy.

Yet lines on a chart and bold statements of intent have only so much impact. Far more critical to the success of any change initiative is ensuring that people’s daily behaviors reflect the imperative of change. Start by defining a critical few behaviors that will be essential to the success of the initiative. Then conduct everyday business with those behaviors front and center. Senior leaders must visibly model these new behaviors themselves, right from the start, because employees will believe real change is occurring only when they see it happening at the top of the company.

Leaders of a major global manufacturer seeking to escape bankruptcy believed the company had lost touch with customers because of entrenched problems in its culture. Managers operated in an overly layered system without much accountability. They were ponderous, risk averse, insular, and prone to spending time on approvals and office politics. Instead of implementing a dramatic, full-scale turnaround, the change team demanded that leaders adopt three specific behaviors:   

Make major, visible decisions in days instead of weeks or months.

Spend time with people at the frontline leadership (supervisory) level, asking for their input and engaging them in frank discussions.

Ensure the middle and lower ranks have direct contact with real-life customers.

Because these behavioral shifts were both limited and clearly spelled out, they were implemented quickly. Leaders were asked to act “as if” the organization did things this way, rather than trying to think their way out of old ways of being. These behaviors accelerated the company’s passage out of bankruptcy, which occurred ahead of schedule.

6. Engage, engage, engage. Leaders often make the mistake of imagining that if they convey a strong message of change at the start of an

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) initiative, people will understand what to do. Nothing could be further from the truth. Powerful and sustained change requires constant communication, not only throughout the rollout but after the major elements of the plan are in place. The more kinds of communication employed, the more effective they are, which is why HP’s tearing down that fence was so important: Symbols reinforce the impact of words.

A global publisher undertook a major initiative to become more digital, putting in place far-reaching structural changes. The top leaders decided to engage people throughout the company at a variety of levels. First, they convened a series of town halls where large groups were given the news and invited to ask how the company-wide shift would affect them. Executives followed this with function-wide meetings where people could learn, for example, about the prospective impact on finance or human resources. The company also offered a version of fireside conversations they called “PIE chats” (PIE stood for performance, innovation, and execution). Finally, an internal trade fair was planned to showcase what various teams were doing to make the company more digital. This multifaceted and ongoing communications effort kept the message alive, giving every employee an understanding of the change and a stake in the outcome.

7. Lead outside the lines. Change has the best chance of cascading through an organization when everyone with authority and influence is involved. In addition to those who hold formal positions of power—the company’s recognized leaders—this group includes people whose power is more informal and is related to their expertise, to the breadth of their network, or to personal qualities that engender trust.

We call these informal leaders “special forces.” They can be found throughout any organization. They might include a well-respected field supervisor, an innovative project manager, or a receptionist who’s been at the firm for 25 years. Companies that succeed at implementing major change identify these people early and find ways to involve them as participants and guides. There are three distinct kinds of informal leaders: • Pride builders are great at motivating others and inspiring them to take pride in their work. People influenced by them feel good about working for the organization and have a desire to go above and beyond.

• Trusted nodes are go-to people. They are repositories of the organization’s culture. They are the ones approached by people who want to know what’s really happening in the organization—for example, when

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) they’re trying to figure out if those leading a change initiative are actually going to follow through.

• Change or culture ambassadors know, as if by instinct, how to live the change the organization is making. They serve as both exemplars and communicators, spreading the word about why change is important.

Informal leaders must be identified before they can be engaged. The best way to do this in a large organization is to run a network analysis. By mapping out connections and seeing who people talk to, you can complement the formal org chart with one that enables you to lead outside the lines.

8. Leverage formal solutions. Persuading people to change their behavior won’t suffice for transformation unless formal elements—such as structure, reward systems, ways of operating, training, and development— are redesigned to support them. Many companies fall short in this area.

A law firm tried to professionalize its clubby culture, which clients perceived as inwardly focused. The lead partner group recognized that associates needed more formal mentoring and development. The existing system, in which partners who headed the practice groups conducted all the training, had led to uneven results. So the transformation team created a development committee and put out a call for experienced staff members willing to work with new hires. The team was delighted when a strong group of contributors volunteered and put in the time required to design a robust development program and start engaging associates.

After a strong start, however, the effort faltered; people who had been enthusiastic fell away. Debriefing those involved, leadership identified the problem: No formal mechanisms were in place to support or reward this participation. Calculations for bonuses left development work out of the equation, and although senior partners paid lip service to the “wonderful work” the development committee was doing, they seemed to regard its members as internal volunteers. Once they recognized this problem, the firm’s leaders enacted substantial policy changes, starting with a mechanism the compensation committee could use to take into account the contributions made by those who trained others.

9. Leverage informal solutions. Even when the formal elements needed for change are present, the established culture can undermine them if people revert to long-held but unconscious ways of behaving. This is why formal and informal solutions must work together.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) A top-tier technology company was trying to inculcate a more customercentric mind-set after a decade focused on relentlessly cutting costs. Survey diagnostics revealed significant customer dissatisfaction with the quality of the company’s products, which were too often released into the marketplace with significant flaws. A set of new procedures was put in place along with metrics to identify gaps in product development, process quality controls, and cross-teaming at the front lines.

But one of the most powerful solutions was purely cultural and informal— changing the informal motto that governed frontline decision making. The slogan of the cost-cutting era, “Ship by any means,” was replaced by a new aphorism: “If it’s not right, don’t ship it.” Pride builders were enlisted to instill the message that everyone needed to prevent flawed products from going out, even if that meant pulling products apart to check them or slowing down production. By asking people at every level to be responsible for quality—and by celebrating and rewarding improvements—change leaders were able to create an ethic of ownership in the product and vanquish the old ethic: “We just do what we’re told.”

10. Assess and adapt. The Strategy&/Katzenbach Center survey revealed that many organizations involved in transformation efforts fail to measure their success before moving on. Leaders are so eager to claim victory that they don’t take the time to find out what’s working and what’s not, and to adjust their next steps accordingly. This failure to follow through results in inconsistency and deprives the organization of needed information about how to support the process of change throughout its life cycle.

A global consumer products company had made a far-ranging commitment to lowering costs. Leaders designed a robust change template and implemented it widely; the metrics indicated that they were succeeding. But the company wanted to be sure that people understood the ongoing nature of this commitment. So they rolled out a series of pulse surveys and convened focus groups to describe the case for change and the new behaviors required of everyone.

The first round of surveys found that only 60 percent of respondents understood the message. The company then called on informal leaders to play a bigger role in evangelizing for the initiative. They continued to run these surveys and focus groups to measure the result until a more sizable majority of the staff had shown they were prepared.

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Stress Management Techniques

1. Organize Yourself.

Take better control of the way you're spending your time and energy so you can handle stress more effectively.

2. Control Your Environment by controlling who and what is surrounding you.

In this way, you can either get rid of stress or get support for yourself.

3. Love Yourself by giving yourself positive feedback.

Remember, you are a unique individual who is doing the best you can.

4. Reward Yourself by planning leisure activities into your life.

It really helps to have something to look forward to.

5. Exercise Your Body since your health and productivity depend upon your body's ability to bring oxygen and food to its cells.

Therefore, exercise your heart and lungs regularly, a minimum of three days per week for 15-30 minutes. This includes such activities as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, aerobics, etc.

6. Relax Yourself by taking your mind off your stress and concentrating on breathing and positive thoughts.

Dreaming counts, along with meditation, progressive relaxation, exercise, listening to relaxing music, communicating with friends and loved ones, etc.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 7. Rest Yourself as regularly as possible.

Sleep 7-8 hours a night. Take study breaks. There is only so much your mind can absorb at one time. It needs time to process and integrate information. A general rule of thumb: take a ten minute break every hour. Rest your eyes as well as your mind.

8. Be Aware of Yourself.

Be aware of distress signals such as insomnia, headaches, anxiety, upset stomach, lack of concentration, colds/flu, excessive tiredness, etc. Remember, these can be signs of potentially more serious disorders (i.e., ulcers, hypertension, heart disease).

9. Feed Yourself / Do Not Poison Your Body.

Eat a balanced diet. Avoid high calorie foods that are high in fats and sugar. Don't depend on drugs and/or alcohol. Caffeine will keep you awake, but it also makes it harder for some to concentrate. Remember, a twenty minute walk has been proven to be a better tranquilizer than some prescription drugs.

10. Enjoy Yourself.

It has been shown that happier people tend to live longer, have less physical problems, and are more productive. Look for the humor in life when things don't make sense. Remember, you are very special and deserve only the best treatment from yourself.

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Stress Relief 1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.

2. Prepare for the morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table, make lunches, put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.

3. Don't rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc.

4. Do nothing which, after being done, leads you to tell a lie.

5. Make duplicates of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden and carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.

6. Practice preventive maintenance. Your car, appliances, home, and relationships will be less likely to break down/fall apart "at the worst possible moment."

7. Be prepared to wait. A paperback can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.

8. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.

9. Plan ahead. Don't let the gas tank get below one-quarter full; keep a wellstocked "emergency shelf" of home staples; don't wait until you're down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more; etc.

10.Don't put up with something that doesn't work right. If your alarm clock, wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers - whatever- are a constant aggravation,

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) get them fixed or get new ones.

11.Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.

12.Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.

13.Always set up contingency plans, "just in case." ("If for some reason either of us is delayed, here's what we'll do. . ." kind of thing. Or, "If we get split up in the shopping center, here's where we'll meet.")

14.Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn't get mowed this weekend.

15.Pollyanna-Power! For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings. Count 'em!

16.Ask questions. Taking a few moments to repeat back directions, what someone expects of you, etc., can save hours. (The old "the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get," idea.)

17.Say "No!" Saying "no" to extra projects, social activities, and invitations you know you don't have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect, and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and be alone.

18.Unplug your phone. Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep, or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect. (The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil.) Or use an answering machine.

19.Turn "needs" into preferences. Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm. Everything else is a preference. Don't get attached to preferences.

20.Simplify, simplify, simplify. . .

21.Make friends with non-worriers. Nothing can get you into the habit of worrying faster than associating with chronic worrywarts.

22.Get up and stretch periodically if your job requires that you sit for extended periods.

23.Wear earplugs. If you need to find quiet at home, pop in some earplugs.

24.Get enough sleep. If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.

25.Create order out of chaos. Organize your home and workspace so that you always know exactly where things are. Put things away where they belong and you won't have to go through the stress of losing things.

26.When feeling stressed, most people tend to breathe short, shallow breaths.

When you breathe like this, stale air is not expelled, oxidation of the tissues is incomplete, and muscle tension frequently results. Check your breathing throughout the day, and before, during, and after high-pressure situations.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) If you find your stomach muscles knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax all your muscles and take several deep, slow breaths.

27.Writing your thoughts and feelings down (in a journal, or on paper to be thrown away) can help you clarify things and can give you a renewed perspective 28.Try the following yoga technique whenever you feel the need to relax.

Inhale deeply through your nose to the count of eight. Then, with lips puckered, exhale very slowly through your mouth to the count of 16, or for as long as you can. Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve. Repeat 10 times.

29.Inoculate yourself against a feared event. Example: before speaking in public, take time to go over every part of the experience in your mind.

Imagine what you'll wear, what the audience will look like, how you will present your talk, what the questions will be and how you will answer them, etc. Visualize the experience the way you would have it be. You'll likely find that when the time comes to make the actual presentation, it will be "old hat" and much of your anxiety will have fled.

30.When the stress of having to get a job done gets in the way of getting the job done, diversion- a voluntary change in activity and/or environment - may be just what you need.

31.Talk it out. Discussing your problems with a trusted friend can help clear your mind of confusion so you can concentrate on problem solving.

32.One of the most obvious ways to avoid unnecessary stress is to select an environment (work, home, leisure) which is in line with your personal needs and desires. If you hate desk jobs, don't accept a job which requires that you sit at a desk all day. If you hate to talk politics, don't associate with people who love to talk politics, etc.

33.Learn to live one day at a time.

34.Every day, do something you really enjoy.

35.Add an ounce of love to everything you do.

36.Take a hot bath or shower (or a cool one in summertime) to relieve tension.

37.Do something for somebody else.

38.Focus on understanding rather than on being understood; on loving rather than on being loved.

39.Do something that will improve your appearance. Looking better can help you feel better.

40.Schedule a realistic day. Avoid the tendency to schedule back-to-back appointments; allow time between appointments for a breathing spell.

41.Become more flexible. Some things are worth not doing perfectly and some

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) issues are fine to compromise upon.

42.Eliminate destructive self-talk: "I'm too old to. . .," "I'm too fat to. . .," etc.

43.Use your weekend time for a change of pace. If your work week is slow and patterned, make sure there is action and time for spontaneity built into your weekends. If your work week is fast-paced and full of people and deadlines, seek peace and solitude during your days off. Feel as if you aren't accomplishing anything at work? Tackle a job on the weekend which you can finish to your satisfaction.

44."Worry about the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."

That's another way of saying: take care of the todays as best you can and the yesterdays and the tomorrows will take care of themselves.

45.Do one thing at a time. When you are with someone, be with that person and with no one or nothing else. When you are busy with a project, concentrate on doing that project and forget about everything else you have to do.

46.Allow yourself time - everyday - for privacy, quiet, and introspection.

47.If an especially unpleasant task faces you, do it early in the day and get it over with, then the rest of your day will be free of anxiety.

48.Learn to delegate responsibility to capable others.

49.Don't forget to take a lunch break. Try to get away from your desk or work area in body and mind, even if it's just for 15 or 20 minutes.

50.Forget about counting to 10. Count to 1,000 before doing something or saying anything that could make matters worse.

51.Have a forgiving view of events and people. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world.

52.Have an optimistic view of the world. Believe that most people are doing the best they can.

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Effective Leader

As with most popular sayings, there is some truth in the adage, “Great leaders are born, not made.” To some extent, the capacity for great leadership is innate. However, learning how to be a more effective leader is within everyone’s grasp – whether you lead multiple teams, an entire company or just one staff member.

Leadership Qualities Everyone Can Use Here are a few of the qualities and traits of great leaders that you can learn and practice:

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Self-assessment: Effective leaders periodically take stock of their personal strengths and shortcomings. They ask: “What do I like to do? What am I really good at?” “What are my areas of weakness, and what do I dislike doing?”

Knowing your areas of weakness does not make you weak; on the contrary, it allows you to delegate to others who have those abilities, in order to achieve the common goal. Rather than clinging to the false belief that they can do it all, great leaders hire people who complement, rather than supplement, their skills. Working on your areas of weaknesses will improve your leadership ability – and recognizing them makes you more human.

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Sharp perception: Do you know how people really perceive you? Effective leaders do. They have an easy level of honest communication with their teams and their peers, and a thorough understanding of how they are perceived. Testing others’ perception of you can be as simple as observing their behavior. Are your co-workers and team members relaxed around you? Does all conversation stop when you enter the room?

If you really want to know what people think, just ask them. You may receive feedback that you’re not listening or showing appreciation as well as you could be. If you’ve established an environment of honest and open communication, you should be able to ask about your good qualities and the areas you need to improve on. Your staff will appreciate your effort.

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Responsive to the group’s needs: Being perceptive can also help a leader be more effective in knowing the needs of the team. Some teams value trust over creativity; others prefer a clear communicator to a great organizer. Building a strong team is easier when you know the values and goals of each individual, as well as what they need from you as their leader.

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Knowing the organization: Effective leaders know the organization’s overall purpose and goals, and the agreed-upon strategies to achieve these goals; they also know how their team fits into the big picture, and the part they play in helping the organization grow and thrive. Full knowledge of your organization – inside and out – is vital to becoming an effective leader.

Learning Negotiation, Team Building, Motivation and Goal Setting Skills Today’s business professionals know that in order to achieve success, they must commit to lifelong learning and skill building. Enrolling in online business courses is one route to improving your leadership skill set, and earning valuable leadership certification.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Business courses that offer leadership certification often include professional instruction in these essential areas: o

Communication – Good communication skills are required at every level of business, but leaders must possess outstanding communication skills. Luckily, this is a skill that can be learned.

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Motivating teams – Inspiring others is the mark of an effective leader. Motivation is best done by example and guidance, not by issuing commands.

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Team building – Putting together strong teams that work well is another trait of great leaders.

The opposite is also true: if a team is weak and dysfunctional, it is generally a failure in leadership.

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Risk taking – You can learn how to assess risk and run scenarios that will help you make better decisions. Great leaders take the right risks at the right time.

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Vision and goal setting – A team depends on its leader to tell them where they are going, why they are going, and how they’re going to get there. People are more motivated when a leader articulates his or her vision for a project or for the organization, along with the steps – or goals – needed to achieve it.

Online Business Courses Can Help You Become an Effective Leader Becoming an effective leader is not a one-time thing. It takes time to learn and practice leadership skills until they become a part of you. Why not approach the leadership process as a lifelong venture? Enrolling in negotiation courses, online business courses and leadership certification courses demonstrates a commitment to upgrading your skills and improving your leadership abilities.

When you practice these leadership skills, you can become more effective at any stage of your career, regardless of the size of your organization. There are opportunities to learn leadership skills all around you; take advantage of them to improve your career and leadership prospects.

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Building team work

Have you ever wondered how some work groups exhibit effective teamwork and others remain dysfunctional for the life of the team? Effective teamwork is both profoundly simple and difficult at the same time.

These ten tips describe the environment that must occur within the team for successful teamwork to take place. Successful teamwork is the cornerstone for creating functioning, contributing teams.

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The team understands the goals and is committed to attaining them. This clear direction and agreement on mission and purpose is essential for effective teamwork.

This team clarity is reinforced when the organization has clear expectations for the team's work, goals, accountability, and outcomes.

The team creates an environment in which people are comfortable taking reasonable risks in communicating, advocating positions, and taking action. Team members trust each other. Team members are not punished for disagreeing.

Communication is open, honest, and respectful. People feel free to express their thoughts, opinions, and potential solutions to problems.

People feel as if they are heard out and listened to by team members who are attempting to understand. Team members ask questions for clarity and spend their thought time listening deeply rather than forming rebuttals while their coworker is speaking.

Team members have a strong sense of belonging to the group. They experience a deep commitment to the group’s decisions and actions. This sense of belonging is enhanced and reinforced when the team spends the time to develop team norms or relationship guidelines together.

Team members are viewed as unique people with irreplaceable experiences, points of view, knowledge, and opinions to contribute. After all, the purpose for forming a team is to take advantage of the differences.

Otherwise, why would any organization approach projects, products, or goals with a team. In fact, the more that a team can bring out divergent points of view, that are thoughtfully presented and supported with facts as well as opinions, the better.

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Creativity, innovation, and different viewpoints are expected and encouraged. Comments such as, "we already tried that and it didn't work" and "what a dumb idea" are not allowed or supported.

The team is able to constantly examine itself and continuously improve its processes, practices, and the interaction of team members. The team openly discusses team norms and what may be hindering its ability to move forward and progress in areas of effort, talent, and strategy.

The team has agreed upon procedures for diagnosing, analyzing, and resolving team work problems and conflicts. The team does not support member personality conflicts and clashes nor do team members pick sides in a disagreement. Rather, members work towards mutual resolution.

Participative leadership is practiced in leading meetings, assigning tasks, recording decisions and commitments, assessing progress, holding team members accountable, and providing direction for the team.

Members of the team make high quality decisions together and have the support and commitment of the group to carry out the decisions made.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Motivate Yourself to Work Harder

Most of the time there's no mystery to success--it comes down to simply putting in the hours and the sweat. But as we all know, the gap between knowing what's required and actually getting yourself to do it can be vast.

How do you cross that chasm? That's what a recent visitor to question-andanswer Quora wanted to know, asking "How can I motivate myself to work hard?" The query apparently touched a nerve, as a host of respondents piled on with several hundred answers, ranging from spiritual pep talks to nitty-gritty time-management strategies. For those struggling to make sure their energy and commitment match their aspirations, it's a goldmine of assistance. Here are a few of the best responses: 1. Get clear on the end goal The trick to keeping your motivation up through low points and exhausted periods, traveler Marie Stein insists, isn't any particular productivity technique or energy-boosting idea; rather, it's being really, really clear about why you're doing what you doing.

"There is only one way for me to motivate myself to work hard: I don't think about it as hard work. I think about it as part of making myself into who I want to be," she writes. "The 'hard' part for me is choosing and accepting what it is that I have to do... Once I've made the choice to do something, I try not to think so much about how difficult or frustrating or impossible that might be; I just think about how good it must feel to be that, or how proud I might be to have done that."

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Struggling to keep your focus on that end vision? "Just ask yourself: If you were the person that you want to be, then what would that person do?"

2. Take care of yourself physically Sometimes the problem isn't mental, it's physical. Your willpower can be at an all-time high, but if you don't have the physical energy to complete your work, keeping your motivation up is still going to be difficult.

"Are you tired a lot? Do you get enough sleep? Do you experience some constant unpleasantness, such as poor sinuses or a constant pain? Are you sad or upset or just lethargic all the time for no reason you can pinpoint?" asks freelance writer April Gunn. If so, "get to a doctor if you can for a routine physical, just to make sure everything is working properly. Try your best to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Listen to your body when it's telling you things, seek out the causes of your discomfort, and deal with them as best you can.

"It's really hard to get and stay motivated to work hard if you're not feeling your best," she concludes.

3. Think habits, not motivation Getting yourself to do something again and again by sheer force of will is extremely difficult. Getting yourself to do something by force of habit is easier. "Because motivation/willpower is a limited resource, it has helped me to instead build habits which, once instilled, don't use willpower," explains entrepreneur Sandeep maheshwari. "Start with small habits that help you be more productive and make you feel good. For example, you could aim to walk 15 minutes a day or work in short bursts of intense focus."

Entrepreneur James Clear has endorsed this advice on Inc.com, though he frames it a bit differently. Rather than habits, he talks about the power of "schedule," but whichever term you use, the effect is the same--automating a behavior by integrating it into your routine means you rely less on willpower.

4. Embrace discomfort those struggling with motivation remember the wisdom of bodybuilders: no pain, no gain. It is a cliche, but there's no way to expand your abilities

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) without going outside your comfort zone, so stop letting a little bit of unpleasantness sap your motivation. In fact, struggling a little is a good sign.

"For anything you want to work harder for, you have to go beyond that threshold," he writes, "because you grow into a totally different, much stronger person."

5. Bribe (or punish) yourself Not all routes to improved motivation are high-minded. One of the more effective ways will also motivate your dog--simple reward and punishment.

"Make yourself an offer that you can't refuse," suggests analyst Deepak Singh (but don't go as far as Don Corleone, please).

Both positive and negative incentives can work. "For example, if you want to read a book, set a deadline and a reward. Say, if you love ice cream, you could eat some as soon as you finish the book," suggests Singh. It might not sound very grand, but pushing yourself to complete a task by dangling treats (or the threat of public humiliation or a pay-out on a bet with a friend) appears to be effective.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Negotiation

Introduction Management function techniques will never be complete without the manager and even various other employees being able to negotiate effectively.

Any organization runs well based on the skills of their employees. From communication skills to negotiation skills, every organization would need to hone these skills in their workers to ensure the efficient running of a business organization.

You need to understand that these negotiation skills are not very difficult to grasp and will only take time and some careful moves with the other party for you to be able to close a good deal, thereby increasing employee productivity to a great extent.

Stages of Negotiation The most precise definition of a 'negotiation' was given by Richard Shell in his book 'Bargaining for Advantage' as an interactive communication process that may takes place whenever we want something from someone else or another person wants something from us.

Richard Shell then further went on to describe the process of negotiation in four stages:

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1. Preparation When it comes to preparation, you would basically need to have a clear idea of how you are to go about with your points. One of the keys to effective negotiation is to be able to express your needs and your thoughts clearly to the other party.

It is important that you carry out some research on your own about the other party before you begin the negotiation process.

This way you will be able to find out the reputation of the other party and any famous tactics used by him/her to try and get people to agree.

You will then be well prepared to face the negotiator with confidence.

Reading up on how to negotiate effectively will aid you to a great extent.

2. Exchanging Information The information you provide must always be well researched and must be communicated effectively. Do not be afraid to ask questions in plenty.

That is the best way to understand the negotiator and look at the deal from his/her point of view. If you have any doubts, always clarify them.

3. Bargaining The bargaining stage could be said to be the most important of the four stages. This is where most of the work is done by both parties. This is

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) where the actual deal will begin to take shape. Terms and conditions are laid down.

Bargaining is never easy. Both parties would have to learn to compromise on several aspects to come to a final agreement.

This would mean that each party would therefore have to give up something to gain another. It is essential for you to always have an open mind and be tactful while at the same time not giving away too much and settling for less.

4. Closing and Commitment The final stage would be where the last few adjustments to the deal are made by the parties involved, before closing the deal and placing their trust in each other for each to fulfill their role.

These four stages have proven to provide great results if studied carefully and applied. Many organizations use this strategy to help their employees negotiate successfully.

In the long run, you'll find that you will have mastered the art of negotiation and will be able to close a good deal without too much effort.

Negotiating Effectively

For the task of negotiation to be effective, you would have to ensure at all times that you are not being too aggressive.

Sometimes it is easy to get carried away during the process and take an aggressive approach to asserting your needs. This will not work. It is vital that you are positive about the negotiation process.

You need to keep in mind that the other party too has needs, listen to the negotiators views and opinions, and consider the deal from his/her angle.

You must always ensure that you gain the negotiators trust and that he/she would know that you are reliable.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) You would also have to work on your communication skills if you are to be a good negotiator. Although the words coming out of your mouth may mean one thing, your body language could be quite hostile.

This will not bode well if a negotiation process is to be successful. You would need to always check on your body language to ensure that you are not sending out negative vibes, which may put off the negotiator completely.

It is essential to always be pleasant and calm no matter how stressful the process might be. Both these skills therefore will go hand in hand to quite an extent.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED)

36 Surprising Ways to Boost Creativity

We already know being creative can make us happier and healthier. But while we may think of creativity in terms of penning or painting a masterpiece, experts say it can really mean anything from trying a new recipe to submitting an original idea during a meeting. Here we’ve got 36 ways to fire up that creative spark, from writing by hand to visiting a foreign country. Try (at least) one today!

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Listen to music. Jamming out stimulates the part of our brain that controls motor actions, emotions, and creativity . Classical music

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might give us an extra boost: According to “Sandeep maheshwari,” listening to his work can increase creativity, concentration, and other cognitive functions. It’s not clear if this effect actually exists, but a little classical music can’t hurt!

Write by hand. Drs. Carrie and Alton Barron, authors of The Creativity Cure, advise us to skip the Microsoft Word doc and pick up a pen instead. Sometimes the whole experience of writing by hand—the ink on our fingers, the smell of a fresh notebook—is all it takes to get our creative juices flowing.

Meditate. Stuck in a mental rut? When panic strikes, try meditating: It promotes divergent thinking, a state of mind in which we’re able to generate new ideas .

Get someone else’s opinion. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. A friend might mention something that sparks a whole new stream of thought. The more ideas and perspectives, the better.

Free-associate. Try this game: Open the dictionary to a random word and write down everything it makes you think of. Perhaps surprisingly, freedom can actually inhibit creativity; a little restriction (like focusing on one word instead all kajillion of them) lets us think more freely.

Think about something far away. Research suggests our ability to solve problems improves when we think about events far off in the past or future or in another location. So picture New Year’s Eve 2022 or dining at a café in Paris and let the imagination go!

Daydream. What was I saying? Oh, right: We tend to take a more creative approach to problems when our mind is wandering (less so when we’re hunched over a computer with a deadline looming). So don’t worry about zoning out for a few minutes.

Look at something blue or green. The colors tend to enhance performance on cognitive tasks. Researchers say that’s because we associate blue with the ocean, sky, and openness in general, while green signals growth. Check out that globe the next time a problem pops up .

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Have some booze. In one study, participants who knocked back an average of three drinks were more creative than people who didn’t drink at all . That’s possibly because a little alcohol lets us think more broadly, finding connections between unrelated ideas. But hey, keep it classy: There’s nothing creative about a pile of vomit.

Write freely. Take 10 minutes to jot down anything and everything that comes to mind without judgment, a technique called “freewriting” or “free association” . Then go back over the notes and see which ideas are worth keeping.

Gesture with two hands. Freaky: One study found using two hands to explain something prompts the brain to consider issues from multiple perspectives . (It’s also possible that using the left hand stimulates creative thought, since left-handed people tend to be more creative in general.) Just don’t accidentally slap anyone in the face.

Sit outside a box. In one study, people who sat outside a box(literally) were better at thinking creatively (i.e. thinking outside the box) than people who sat in it . No cardboard container handy? Try sitting in the hallway outside a room.

Lie down. Research found people were better at solving anagrams when they were lying down versus sitting up . It might not fly in an office meeting, but test it out during the next solo brainstorming sesh.

Rethink labels. Pick an object and break it into parts. (So a flower becomes stick, leaves, and petals.) It’s called the “generic-parts technique” and people trained to think this way were better at solving problems through creative insight than people who weren’t given the training.

Laugh a little. Haha, get a load of this! A positive mood can facilitate creativity because it boosts activity in the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (areas of the brain associated with complex cognition, decision-making, and emotion) . And even if we’re not

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feeling cheery, letting out a hearty chuckle can actually trigger a positive mood—so get silly to get creative.

Exercise the eyes. Moving the eyes back and forth facilitates interaction between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, which may boost creative thinking .

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Use the hands. High-fives, thumbs up: Those ten fingers are the tools for expressing our mind and interacting with others. That’s why the Barrons say making something by hand can be a huge creativity boost. Producing something by hand also means getting information from multiple senses at once, which can stimulate creative thinking.

Try cooking, knitting, or a DIY home decorating project—wall art, here we come!

Spend time outside. Remember the thrill of being a kid running through the playground, making up games and adventures? Bring that feeling back simply by getting a dose of green. Being in natural settings is sort of like playtime for adults: It taps into all five senses, energizes the bod, and, most importantly,stimulates the imagination.

Get social. When we spend time with people we trust, we tend to have deeper conversations. The Barrons believe these chats often lead to creative thinking because we’re really able to be ourselves and talk about our passions.

Exercise. According to the Barrons, when we’re physically active, the body loosens up and our mind is a little freer. So it’s easier to come up with solutions to problems and think of new ideas. Plus one recent study found regular exercisers performed better on creative tasks than their less active peers did.

Try something new. Doing things out of habit tends to undermine creative thought; on the other hand, novelty-seeking is associated with creativity (and overall well-being). Even something as simple as

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taking a new route to work or experimenting with a cool recipe counts.

Do some yoga. Certain poses, like child’s pose and pigeon pose, supposedly facilitate creativity. Physically stretching and releasing can give our minds a bit of a stretch, too.

Play video games. Here’s one excuse to sit in front of the computer all day: Video games that energize players and encourage a positive mood (Wii Tennis, not Mortal Combat) can also promote creativity by boosting our problem-solving skills.

Get some sleep. If you’re trying to solve a problem and can’t, go to bed—you might find a better solution in the morning. Sleep restructures new memory representations, meaning we think about experiences in new ways . At the very least, take apower nap, which stimulates right brain activity (the part of the brain responsible for creativity).

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Don’t expect perfection. It’s okay if that painting doesn’t make it to the MOMA. Putting pressure on ourselves to produce something outstanding can actually make it harder to create anything at all. “A lot of people sort of secretly feel, ‘I’m not creative,’ but everyone is creative to a certain degree. Just try your best and see what happens.

Visit a foreign country. In one study, students who had studied abroad performed better than other students on measures of creative thinking. Psychologists say multicultural experiences facilitate the complex cognitive processes behind innovative thinking.

List problems. Keep a notebook handy at all times and, throughout the day, jot down pesky annoyances. You might come up with a creative solution to one of the issues, like a personal cell-phonebill-payer.

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Play at work. Consider looking for a job that fosters “play” during the workday, like team outings and gym breaks. Letting loose for a few hours can help us think more freely, boosting creativity and productivity when we’re back at the desk.

Create a treasure chest. Collect a bunch of inspiring items(photos, quotations, etc.). Every time you open the box you’ll feel newly excited and remember ideas you had in the past.

Make a creativity room. Designate a physical space for creativity in the house and include objects related to hobbies, mementos from favorite memories, and vision boards featuring possible projects for the future. Not enough space? Try a “creativity corner” in a single room.

Work when you’re tired. Sometimes sleep can help us think of new ideas, but working at our non-optimal time of day can also promote creativity because we’re less inhibited. (Perhaps that’s why some writers wake up at the crack of dawn or stay up ’til the wee hours of the morning.) So morning people could try working at night and night owls could try getting to work early.

Sit in a coffee shop. In one study, people were most creative with a moderate level of noise in the background. The noise around us is slightly distracting, so it encourages us to think a little harder and more imaginatively. (Of course, some people might need quieter or louder noise to produce their best work.)

Hang out with sarcastic people. Hearing sarcastic expressions of anger can help our ability to solve creative problems a lot more than just hearing direct anger . That’s possibly because sarcastic people seem less scary. So take the facetious route next time you want some new ideas from a coworker. (Yeah, right.)

Deal with rejection. One is the loneliest—and most innovative— number. Getting rejected can boost our ability to think creatively because we start exploring new and original ideas.

Write ideas down. Instead of worrying about remembering ideas (what was the meaning of life again?), you’ll have room to come up

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with new ones. Banschick recommends “brain dumping,” or writing down everything that comes to mind without worrying about revising.

Spend time alone. We did suggest that hanging with friends can boost creativity, but sometimes a little peace and quiet is necessary. Hole up with some headphones, get in touch with your own thoughts, and focus on the task at hand. Or try talking to yourself—whatever works.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Time management

Working Smarter, Not Harder The old adage, “work smarter, not harder” has become a staple in the way I go about work of any kind.

Instead of being robotic in how I approach tasks, I try to be thoughtful and always ask myself if something can be done more efficiently or eliminated altogether.

Managing my time isn’t about squeezing as many tasks into my day as possible. It’s about simplifying how I work, doing things faster, and relieving stress.

It’s about clearing away space in my life to make time for people, play, and rest.

I promise you — there really are enough hours in a day for everything you’d like to do, but it may take a bit of rearranging and re-imagining to find them.

Time Management Tips from my side I compiled this list of 21 tips to hopefully nudge you in the right direction.

Remember: There are innumerable hacks and tricks to manage your time effectively. These are some tips that I find helpful, but everyone is different.

Let this list be a catalyst to get you thinking regularly about how to refine your own practices.

1. Complete most important tasks first.

This is the golden rule of time management. Each day, identify the two or three tasks that are the most crucial to complete, and do those first.

Once you’re done, the day has already been a success. You can move on to other things, or you can let them wait until tomorrow. You’ve finished the essential.

2. Learn to say “no”.

Making a lot of time commitments can teach us how to juggle various engagements and manage our time. This can be a great thing.

However, you can easily take it too far. At some point, you need to learn to decline opportunities. Your objective should be to take on only those

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) commitments that you know you have time for and that you truly care about.

3. Sleep at least 7-8 hours.

Some people think sacrificing sleep is a good way to hack productivity and wring a couple extra hours out of the day. This is not the case.

Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep for their bodies and minds to function optimally. You know if you’re getting enough. Listen to your body, and don’t underestimate the value of sleep.

4. Devote your entire focus to the task at hand.

Close out all other browser windows. Put your phone away, out of sight and on silent. Find a quiet place to work, or listen to some music if that helps you (I enjoy listening to classical or ambient music while writing sometimes).

Concentrate on this one task. Nothing else should exist. Immerse yourself in it.

5. Get an early start.

Nearly all of us are plagued by the impulse to procrastinate. It seems so easy, and you always manage to get it done eventually, so why not?

Take it from a recovering chronic procrastinator — it’s so much nicer and less stressful to get an earlier start on something. It isn’t that difficult either, if you just decide firmly to do it.

6. Don’t allow unimportant details to drag you down.

We often allow projects to take much, much longer than they could by getting too hung up on small details. I’m guilty of this. I’ve always been a perfectionist.

What I’ve found, though, is that it is possible to push past the desire to constantly examine what I’ve done so far. I’m much better off pressing onward, getting the bulk completed, and revising things afterward.

7. Turn key tasks into habits.

Writing is a regular task for me. I have to write all the time — for school, work, my student organization, my blog, etc. I probably write 5,000 – 7,000 words per week.

The amount of writing I do may seem like a lot to most people, but it’s very manageable for me, because it’s habitual. I’ve made it a point to write something every day for a long time.

I rarely break this routine. Because of this, my mind is in the habit of doing the work of writing. It has become quite natural and enjoyable. Could you do something similar?

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 8. Be conscientious of amount of TV/Internet/gaming time.

Time spent browsing Twitter or gaming or watching TV and movies can be one of the biggest drains on productivity.

I suggest becoming more aware of how much time you spend on these activities. Simply by noticing how they’re sucking up your time you’ll begin to do them less.

9. Delineate a time limit in which to complete task.

Instead of just sitting down to work on a project and thinking, “I’m going to be here until this is done,” try thinking, “I’m going to work on this for three hours”.

The time constraint will push you to focus and be more efficient, even if you end up having to go back and add a bit more later.

10. Leave a buffer-time between tasks.

When we rush from task to task, it’s difficult to appreciate what we’re doing and to stay focused and motivated.

Allowing ourselves down-time between tasks can be a breath of fresh air for our brains. While taking a break, go for a short walk, meditate, or perform some other mind-clearing exercise.

11. Don’t think of the totality of your to-do list.

One of the fastest ways to overwhelm yourself is to think about your massive to-do list. Realize that no amount of thought will make it any shorter.

At this point in time, all you can do is focus on the one task before you. This one, single, solitary task. One step at a time. Breathe.

12. Exercise and eat healthily.

Numerous studies have linked a healthy lifestyle with work productivity.

Similar to getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthily boost energy levels, clear your mind, and allow you to focus more easily.

13. Do less.

This is a tactic recommended by one of my favorite bloggers, Leo Babauta.

Basically, do less is another way of saying do the things that really matter.

Slow down, notice what needs to be done, and concentrate on those things. Do less things that create more value, rather than more things that are mostly empty.

14. Utilize weekends, just a little bit.

One of my favorite memes depicts a gentleman casting his work aside, declaring, “It’s Friday! F#%$88u this shit.” The following image reads “Monday”, and the man is stooping to pick up the papers he’d tossed to the ground.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) This is comical, but I’ve found that it’s amazing how doing just a little bit on weekends can really lessen the workload during the week. Aim for 2-4 hours per day. You’ll still leave yourself plenty of free time for activities.

15. Create organizing systems.

Being organized saves tons of time, and you don’t have to be the most ultra-organized person in the world either. Systems aren’t complicated to implement.

Create a filing system for documents. Make sure all items have a place to be stored in your dwelling. Unsubscribe from e-mail lists if you don’t want to receive their content. Streamline, streamline, streamline.

16. Do something during waiting time.

We tend to have a lot of down-time where we don’t try to do much. Waiting rooms, lines at the store, time on the subway, on the elliptical at the gym, etc.

Find things to do during this time. I tend to have a lot of reading for classes, so I bring some of it almost everywhere I go and read during waiting time.

17. Lock yourself in.

No distractions, no excuses. Sometimes, the only way I’m going to get something done is if I’m under lock and key, alone in a room. If you’re like me, realize it, and act accordingly.

18. Commit to your plan to do something.

I kind of mentioned this already, but it’s worth repeating. Don’t flake on your own plan to do something!

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Be resolute. Be committed. Be professional about it, and follow through. A firm will to accomplish what you decide to accomplish will take you anywhere.

19. Batch related tasks together.

Let’s say that over a given weekend you need to do two programming assignments, write three essays, and make two videos. Rather than approaching this work in whatever order you feel, group the like tasks and do them consecutively.

Different tasks demand different types of thinking, so it makes sense to allow your mind to continue to flow with its current zone rather than switching unnecessarily to something that’s going to require you to reorient.

20. Find time for stillness.

In our go, go, go world, too many people don’t find time to just be still. Yet, it’s extraordinary what a stillness practice can do. Action and inaction should both play key roles in our lives.

Discovering time in your life for silence and non-motion reduces anxiety and shows you that there is no need to constantly rush. It also makes it easier to find your work pleasurable.

21. Eliminate the non-essential.

I know this one has been mentioned in one capacity or another already, but it’s one of the most useful tips you can take away from this post.

Our lives are full of excess. When we can identify that excess and remove it, we become more and more in touch with what is significant and what deserves our time.

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2- Etiquette in corporate world

Business Etiquette Tip #1

Even if there aren’t four walls and a door marking the area, you need to respect everyone else’s work space. Etiquette rules: 1. Don’t “prairie dog.” Walk around the partition to see a neighbor, instead of popping your head over the top. And as you walk down the passageways, don’t peek into each workstation.

2. Grant your neighbors private time. Stagger lunch breaks to provide everyone a few minutes alone at their desks.

3. Don’t chime in to conversations you hear over the wall. Whether it’s a work question you can answer or a private conversation you’d rather not hear, ignore comments that aren’t directed at you.

4. Keep lunch in the kitchen. Or, when you absolutely can’t leave your desk for a meal, choose foods without strong odors, and dispose of your trash in the kitchen, not in your own wastebasket.

Business Etiquette Tip #2 'Casual dress' etiquette: Demystify your event's dress code Casual. Corporate casual. Business casual. Smart casual. Resort casual.

Don’t leave meeting attendees baffled about your event’s dress code.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Explain what you mean by “business casual” or “corporate casual,” etc. with examples of appropriate attire for men and women. One event’s “resort casual” encouraged wearing jeans, while another explained that shorts were acceptable, but not denim or cutoffs.

Business Etiquette Tip #3 How to finesse awkward, embarrassing situations Knowing whether or not to tell your CEO that he has spinach stuck in his teeth is one sure test of your business etiquette skills. (Answer: Tell him, but discreetly.)

The situation: You find a personal—and potentially embarrassing— document left behind on the photocopier.

Solution: Normally, you’d put forgotten pages in a tray beside the copier, for people to claim later. In this case, though, deliver the document in person, advises Peter Post, author of The Etiquette Advantage in Business.

Business Etiquette Tip #4 Handshake etiquette: Setting the stage for instant rapport A good, well-timed handshake to pair with your smile is a sure way to stand out, whether you’re at the company picnic or an industry conference.

Here’s how important it is: A prospective employee with the best handshake is more likely to get the job, research shows.

Even if you’re not a job-seeker, a good handshake will grant you instant rapport when meeting someone new. Find a refresher course on the business protocol of the perfect handshake in 14 Tips on Business Etiquette.

Business Etiquette Tip #5

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Job etiquette: When a co-worker gets the pink slip Your friend at work gets handed a pink slip, and now you feel awkward. So awkward, in fact, that you’re tempted to do nothing. But that’s the last thing you should do.

Here’s how to deal with the situation: React quickly, or risk appearing insensitive. Even if you can say only, “I’m sorry. And I don’t know what to say.”

Steer clear of downplaying or saying anything inauthentic. Avoid saying things like, “This place is going down the tubes” or “I know how you feel.”

Set up a gathering, once the initial shock has faded. Make it just the two of you or invite others, so you have time to say goodbye outside the office. Keep it focused on the person, and “understand that some things are out of our control.

Business Etiquette Tip #6 Guest etiquette: Roll out the red carpet for visitors When a VIP comes to your office, how do you dole out extra-special treatment?

Being friendly and responsive is the key to treating VIPs well, says Peter Post.

Business Etiquette Tip #7 Business phone etiquette: Soothe angry callers Turn a growling caller into a purring, pleased customer with these telephone etiquette techniques:

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Bite your tongue. When someone screams on the phone, your first thought may be, “What a jerk!” But that attitude will only poison an already-tenuous relationship with the caller. Instead, stay calm and listen.

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Let ’em vent. Like a whistling kettle, angry callers need to vent some steam. Don’t interrupt—even with a solution—before they tell their story.

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Take it down a notch. Instead of raising your voice to match the caller’s volume, speak softly. That will soothe the speaker and show him or her that you’re interested in handling the complaint in a calm, rational way.

Business Etiquette Tip #8 Some employees can tolerate co-workers’ swearing and rude behavior, but don’t even dream of touching their yogurt or ham sandwiches. The most offensive thing an office worker can do is steal colleagues’ food from the office fridge, says a TheLadders.com survey of 2,500 U.S. employees.

A full 98% agreed that fridge raiding was unacceptable workplace etiquette.

Respondents also cited, in order: bad hygiene, bad habits, drinking on the job, swearing, wasting paper, cooking smelly food in the microwave and using a BlackBerry in meetings.

Help everyone keep the fridge clean The greatest mystery in many workplaces is what’s lurking in the office refrigerator. Go beyond scheduling regular “use it or lose it” deadlines.

Follow these tips: 1. Post a copy of the clean-fridge policy on the refrigerator door, so no one will have any excuses.

2. Make it easy for people to label containers with their names and expiration dates by keeping a marking pen and tape in the kitchen.

3. Promote safe food storage by posting the USDA’s cold storage chart.

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Business Etiquette Tip #9 Office donations: Keep it low-key when passing the hat Not only is there no such thing as a free lunch, but those birthday cakes for co-workers can cost you, too.

It’s not unusual to be asked to help pay for celebrations at the office, such as birthdays and baby showers. In a survey by OfficeTeam, more than 75% of respondents said employees chip in at least once a year; 15% said employees receive donation requests monthly.

Business Etiquette Tip #10 Business letter etiquette: The art of the personal note Angela Ensminger, co-author of On a Personal Note: A Guide to Writing Notes with Style (Hallmark), told attendees at an International Association of Administrative Professionals convention that great personal notes come from taking these three steps:

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 1. State why you’re writing in a straightforward manner. Example: “Thank you for taking the time to visit our offices.”

2. Elaborate on step 1. Example: “It was so valuable for our entire executive team to meet with you face to face. And your meeting sparked several creative ideas that we’re excited to pursue.”

3. Build the relationship. “This is the most important step,” says Ensminger. “What you’re saying here is: ‘Your relationship matters, and I’m proving it by taking the time to write this note.’ In business relationships, time taken is worth everything. If there’s a bell.curve of emotion to a personal note, this is the top of it.

Business Etiquette Tip #11 Business dining etiquette: 5 rules Whether you’re lunching with peers at a convention or meeting with a vendor, business dining etiquette can keep you from marring your image with a faux pas.

1. Never, ever talk with your mouth full. Instead, take small bites so you can quickly swallow if somebody asks you a question, Jay says.

2. Come prepared with a few casual, non-business topics in mind. It helps you avoid awkward silences. People enjoy giving their thoughts on subjects like travel, sports and movies.

3. Always be kind to the wait staff, no matter what happens. Anyone who is nice to you but nasty to the server is not a nice person.

4. Know your lunch partner’s business. It’s especially key when your tablemate is someone you’d like to impress, but the rule holds true regardless. The fewer times you have to say (or think), “I didn’t know that!” the more impressed the other party will be. How to steal this idea: Take a few minutes to do a Google search before you leave for lunch.

5. Put some thought into choosing the right restaurant. Too casual or inexpensive and the person may not feel valued. Too expensive and they may perceive you as wasteful. When in doubt, suggest that the other person pick the place.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Business Etiquette Tip #12 Office decorations: Balance personal & professional image Personalizing our office space is tempting because we spend more awake hours there than anywhere else. But strike a balance by answering these questions about your cubicle décor: 1. Who will see it?

2. What does it say about you?

3. Is it distracting?

4. Does it go overboard?

Business Etiquette Tip #13 Party etiquette: Special occasions with co-workers Office party etiquette is simple: Don’t do anything that you don’t want the entire company to be talking about for several years to come. Contrary to popular myth, an office party is not the place to wear a lampshade on your head. Keep your dignity, and respect the dignity of others.

Business Etiquette Tip #14 An expert answers this sampling of reader questions on business etiquette and protocol. 

What’s the proper way to introduce business associates?

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Business dining etiquette: Who pays for lunch?

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Does it matter who opens a door nowadays?

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What’s the protocol on presenting my business card?

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Cubicle etiquette no-no: A noisy co-worker is driving me crazy

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3-learning skills

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The 21st century learning skills are often called the 4 C’s: critical thinking, creative thinking, communicating, and collaborating.

These skills help students learn, and so they are vital to success in school and beyond.

Critical Thinking Critical thinking is focused, careful analysis of something to better understand it. When people speak of “left brain” activity, they are usually referring to critical thinking. Here are some of the main critical-thinking abilities: Analyzing is breaking something down into its parts, examining each part, and noting how the parts fit together.

Arguing is using a series of statements connected logically together, backed by evidence, to reach a conclusion.

Classifying is identifying the types or groups of something, showing how each category is distinct from the others.

Comparing and contrasting is pointing out the similarities and differences between two or more subjects.

Defining is explaining the meaning of a term using denotation, connotation, example, etymology, synonyms, and antonyms.

Describing is explaining the traits of something, such as size, shape, weight, color, use, origin, value, condition, location, and so on.

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Evaluating is deciding on the worth of something by comparing it against an accepted standard of value.

Explaining is telling what something is or how it works so that others can understand it.

Problem solving is analyzing the causes and effects of a problem and finding a way to stop the causes or the effects.

Tracking cause and effect is determining why something is happening and what results from it.

Inquire teaches specific strategies for developing critical thinking skills.

Creative Thinking Creative thinking is expansive, open-ended invention and discovery of possibilities. When people speak of “right brain” activity, they most often mean creative thinking. Here are some of the more common creative thinking abilities: Brainstorming ideas involves asking a question and rapidly listing all answers, even those that are far-fetched, impractical, or impossible.

Creating something requires forming it by combining materials, perhaps according to a plan or perhaps based on the impulse of the moment.

Designing something means finding the conjunction between form and function and shaping materials for a specific purpose.

Entertaining others involves telling stories, making jokes, singing songs, playing games, acting out parts, and making conversation.

Imagining ideas involves reaching into the unknown and impossible, perhaps idly or with great focus, as Einstein did with his thought experiments.

Improvising a solution involves using something in a novel way to solve a problem.

Innovating is creating something that hasn’t existed before, whether an object, a procedure, or an idea.

Overturning something means flipping it to get a new perspective, perhaps by redefining givens, reversing cause and effect, or looking at something in a brand new way.

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Problem solving requires using many of the creative abilities listed here to figure out possible solutions and putting one or more of them into action.

Questioning actively reaches into what is unknown to make it known, seeking information or a new way to do something.

Inquire teaches specific strategies for developing creative thinking skills.

Communicating Communicating is the process of transferring a thought from one mind to others and, in return, receiving thoughts back.

Communicating allows minds to tune to each other, thinking together. Here are some of the basic abilities required for communicating: Analyzing the situation means thinking about the subject, purpose, sender, receiver, medium, and context of a message.

Choosing a medium involves deciding the most appropriate way to deliver a message, ranging from a face-to-face chat to a 400page report.

Evaluating messages means deciding whether they are correct, complete, reliable, authoritative, and up-to-date.

Following conventions means communicating using the expected norms for the medium chosen.

Listening actively requires carefully paying attention, taking notes, asking questions, and otherwise engaging in the ideas being communicated.

Reading is decoding written words and images in order to understand what their originator is trying to communicate.

Speaking involves using spoken words, tone of voice, body language, gestures, facial expressions, and visual aids in order to convey ideas.

Turn taking means effectively switching from receiving ideas to providing ideas, back and forth between those in the communication situation.

Using technology requires understanding the abilities and limitations of any technological communication, from phone calls to e-mails to instant messages.

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Writing involves encoding messages into words, sentences, and paragraphs for the purpose of communicating to a person who is removed by distance, time, or both.

Inquire teaches specific strategies for communicating effectively.

Collaborating Collaborating is working together with others to achieve a common goal. In this age of social media and crowd sourcing, collaboration is more important than ever. Here are some of the basic abilities needed to collaborate.

Allocating resources and responsibilities ensures that all members of a team can work optimally.

Brainstorming ideas in a group involves rapidly suggesting and writing down ideas without pausing to critique them.

Decision-making requires sorting through the many options provided to the group and arriving at a single option to move forward.

Delegating means assigning duties to members of the group and expecting them to fulfill their parts of the task.

Evaluating the products, processes, and members of the group provides a clear sense of what is working well and what improvements could be made.

Goal setting requires the group to analyze the situation, decide what outcome is desired, and clearly state an achievable objective.

Leading a group means creating an environment in which all members can contribute according to their abilities.

Managing time involves matching up a list of tasks to a schedule and tracking the progress toward goals.

Resolving conflicts occurs from using one of the following strategies: asserting, cooperating, compromising, competing, or deferring.

Team building means cooperatively working over time to achieve a common goal.

1. You have to know what you want of your life before you become a master learner. If you don’t know what your goals are or dream life should look

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) like, you don’t know WHAT to learn and, worse, you won’t be COMMITTED to truly learning it. Advanced learning requires clear focus and a definitive WHY for learning - without these you won’t stay disciplined enough to learn anything with real depth.

2. Avoid starting from scratch. With no model to begin from - no example or strategy you are following - you’re reinventing the wheel and doomed to waste time. So, what proven framework, person, strategy, or step-by-step instruction are you following in order to learn this new area?

3. Make a PRACTICE of mastering skillsets. A practice is a recurring habit or routine that deepens your skill in any given area. The important thing here is to make a daily practice of anything you truly want to learn. Without daily exposure and immersion in the area you are trying to learn you will never achieve mastery. Learning must be an everyday discipline.

4. Get feedback. As you begin something new, all leaps forward, all major advancement, rests on getting immediate feedback and direction. Learning is a social process, so ask other people for suggestions and direction as you move forward so you can adjust your approach.

5. Have a deadline. Without a timeline for developing your competencies, you’ll never act or you’ll fall off track. No deadline means guaranteed distraction. So, WHEN do you need to learn this new topic or reach the next level of skill? What’s the consequence if you don’t learn it by then? Knowing the answer to these two questions will accelerate your learning.

FULL TRANSCRIPT: I get asked this quite a bit, because people come to any of my seminars or programs or they’re experts in any given space, and they’re like, “Okay, Niks, I want to advance. I want to become a high performer in my area and I know to become a high performer I have to learn faster. How do I do that?”

Let me tell you first what not to do, because a lot of people just jump in and say, “I’m going to learn faster. I want to learn speed reading. I want to learn a new language. I want to learn all these new skills. I want to learn all these things…”

And what’s happening is that people are very transient with their learning goals.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) What do I mean by that?

I mean they’re kind of phony about it.

They really don’t want to learn.

They say I’d like to learn this. I’d like to learn that. Someday I’d like to learn this. Someday I’d like to learn French. Someday I’d like to learn how to do photos. Some days I like to blog. Someday I’d like to do video…. …and they never actually learn it, because learning doesn’t happen someday, it has to happen consistently.

And that’s the thing. If we’re really going to get to the point where you learn something faster, we have to approach learning itself differently. It can’t be these one off little goals of little things we want to learn. That doesn’t work for people. They don’t stay consistent, just like people don’t stay consistent on a diet if their goal is to only lose five pounds. There has to be a broader vision for who they are and what they want to be about and what they want their life to be about, if they’re going to stay on a diet.

It’s the same thing for learning.

If you’re going to stay on a learning habit, than you have to have a bigger vision for yourself.

Let’s start with this conversation…

1. Connect Your Life Goals with What You Want to Learn

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) If you want to learn something faster you must first and foremost, know the connection between what you want to learn and your dream life, your real lifestyle that you want to have.

I tell people all the time, don’t just come up with things you want to learn because guess what, we want to learn everything. By human build we are curious animals, deathly curious. We are the curiosity killed the cat sort of society.

Everyone wants to learn 50 new things immediately, but no one ever learns anything, why? Because it’s not real for them - it’s a transient desire. If you want to become a great learner it has to be attached to a dream life of yours, a true lifestyle that you see for yourself.

Let me give you an example. Lots of people say, “I’d like to learn some French. Someday I’m going to learn French. Some day I’ll learn how to talk French because it’s a romantic language, I like the food and they give lots of allowances on cheese and wine and I like that.” (I have a little French in m so I can say that.)

So here’s what’s happening, if I don’t have the vision for myself someday going to experience France, or someday going to a place where they speak French, or someday having real interactions with a human being speaking French, and it’s important to me - it’s a deep dream, desire or vision for that - I’m never going to do the work to actually learn French because there’s no ‘why’ there.

You have to know what you want of your life before you become a master learner.

Until I know what I want my life to be about, what I want to experience on a daily basis, what I want my dreams to be or who I want to be, I don’t know WHAT to learn. I’m just going to be curious about things and then I’ll dabble in them.

But the path to real true mastery is the part where we say, “What do I want my life to be about?”

Let me develop the knowledge, the skills, the competencies, the capabilities to build into that life. And that’s where you get someone who becomes a master learner.

I have mastered almost every skill that was necessary for me to achieve my personal dream life. Everything, I said, “Gosh, if I want to do what I want to

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) do – and for me, I want to become a writer and a trainer and an online thought leader - I must master those realms… I wanted to write books, wanted to train people live, and I wanted to do online marketing and online thought leadership so I could share my message with the world and hopefully inspire people to live more fully, love more openly and to make a greater difference.

I had the message and then I had the mediums, books, seminars and live events, online stuff. For me, that was part of my dream life so I had to learn things along the way in order to get there that I never really wanted to learn per se. 

I had to learn how to do video.

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I had to learn how to code and build web pages.

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I had to learn online marketing.

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I had to learn what to do on Facebook, what to do here on YouTube and on podcasts.

I had to learn all of that and I became Dancer because I was deeply attached to my mission.

You won’t know what to learn and what to develop real competencies and capabilities into until you know what your mission is, until you decide what a real dream is.

Otherwise you’re just playing around with skills. You’ll play around with learning something but you’ll never immerse yourself into them.

So once you know, What do you want your life to be about? What are your real passions?… You’ll learn what you have to learn along the way and then everything changes.

I’m not saying you have to know your ultimate purpose in life before you can learn anything, I’m just saying if you want to learn faster, start figuring out that purpose, start figuring out your direction and you’ll learn a lot faster.

2. Follow an Example. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel.

From there it’s really tactic. What the tactic in learning is, as we all know, al learning always begin with number one: examples.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) If you want to learn something you need to be able to model something. You need to be able to see somebody who’s already done it. You need to be able to read about somebody who’s already done it.

You need to experience somebody who’s already done it.

You have to not start from scratch.

The worst thing you can do in learning is start from scratch, because with no foundation of what’s worked before you’re just making stuff up and you’re re-inventing the wheel, which is the slowest way to learn.

The wheel was invented a couple thousand years ago as you know, so the worst thing you can do is say let me start trying a bunch of stuff. That’s not learning… that’s called being an idiot and being an idiot is about bumbling through life without realizing someone has already done it for you.

So go read a book about somebody who’s done what you want to do. Take a course from someone who has already accomplished what you want to accomplish. Follow someone’s online thing about who’s already done what.

There are so many examples for you to learn from and it has to begin with that. Because if you have the dream, the goal of what you want to learn and how it means something to your life, once you have that goal it’s about go learn from someone who already did it.

3. Make it a Practice.

This will give you a leg up so fast and once you learn what they’ve already done the second element is practice.

You have to make a consistent practice out of mastering skillets.

What does that mean?

I mean daily exposure and immersion into what it is you’re trying to learn.

If you’re going to try and learn piano you aren’t going to learn it by going to piano lessons once a month. If you want to learn French you aren’t going to learn it by talking to somebody who speaks French once a month or even once a week. It has to be more than that.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) If you want to learn something you have to deeply immerse in it over a long period of time. It can’t be a weekend event or seminar. It can’t be a one time course. It has to be something you get into.

If you don’t feel like you can take some time every day to learn and grow then you’re mismanaging your life… and somebody has to say that to you.

You probably already know it, so I’m not trying to be flippant I’m just being real.

If you’re not taking some time everyday to learn something, I don’t know that you’re ever going to develop mastery in anything. And, if you don’t ever develop some form, some level of mastery in something, you’ll never become the most influential in what you do or the highest paid in what you do or really have a connection to it where it feels like it’s art and it’s part of you.

I think that what’s lacking for a lot of people right now is that they have a disconnection or disassociation from any sense of mastery in their life.

Because… … if we’re not mastering something and working towards getting better at something, then we’re never going to have a sense of progress, and if we never have a sense of progress then we’ll never sense that deep satisfaction, fulfillment, joy, or happiness that comes from being excellent at something.

So you have to practice something constantly, at some level everyday.

If you check into it or you look at it or read it, or even just following somebody who is doing it and you read their tweets or Facebook everyday

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) or you read a segment, a book or an article everyday, whatever it is, make it a daily practice of consistency that lasts over a long period of time.

And people will go, “Wow, how did you get so good at this?” You’ll tell them, “I worked at it. Every day.”

That’s why there’s no mystery. I got good at it because I did it everyday. I got good at these videos because I do them all the time. It’s natural for me and I’m not going by a script here. I’m just talking with you, and I can do that because I’ve done it so much. I’m sharing with you it’s immersion and consistency in a practice, a habit of learning that very thing that you have a goal for and a dream life for.

4. Get Feedback to Grow.

The next element is feedback. Getting feedback immediately from somebody.

You want to become a world-class sports person… then you need a coach. If you want to become a world-class person at whatever you’re doing? You need someone to look at it and give you feedback. Maybe it’s a mentor who gives you feedback on presentations or art. Maybe it’s a friend of yours who has a discriminating eye, who can look at things and give good valuable constructive feedback and you say hey, before I send this out could you look at this?

It’s about getting feedback, whether it’s from a friend, family, spouse, lover, just someone who can look at what you’re going to contribute to the world first and say, “Try this. I like this or I don’t like this.”

Lots of people will judge - and there are some things that can destroy learning and that is when people are so brutal in their feedback or they’re judgment about something that it stops your learning.

But your goal in getting feedback is to never stop the learning. Take the feedback for whatever value it is.

If it came from a dark place and a mean person then don’t listen to it.

There’s nothing relevant there because it’s from the wrong space.

But, if it’s from somebody you love, someone you know, like and trust, and it’s delivered in a way you didn’t like, well, you’re listening for

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) the value in which you can improve something, not listening for how do you feel.

A lot of people say mean things to me all the time. Very brutal feedback on YouTube, people saying horrific mean things about me, my life or my business. They’ll make stuff up. I see it, but I don’t listen to it and it means nothing to me.

It shouldn’t mean anything to you either when people are harsh to you and they don’t know you.

But if someone does know your heart, they know who you are and they give you feedback, but you don’t like the way it was delivered or you feel they were too confrontative or rude, I don’t need you to listen to the emotion of what they’re delivering or feel what it feels like. I wonder, “Is the content of what they’re saying relevant or capable of improving your learning and your mastery?”

If it is then you have to take the content for what it’s worth. Find the nugget of wisdom they gave you, even if it was wrapped in a big turd. (Feel free to quote me on that.)

There’s probably something there where you can say, “That is relevant, and if I apply that I can probably get better.” That’s vital.

You know these things right? You have to have your dream. What is the dream you’re working towards? What is your passion, your purpose, your vitality, that legend you’re working towards or that thing you want to contribute? What is it?

Then go, “What would I have to learn to get there?” You’ll be passionate about learning those things because you know they bring you directly to your dream.

Then, within each learning element, what’s your goal there?

What do you really want to learn?

Then, get examples.

Then practice it.

Then get feedback.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 5. Have a Deadline.

The last piece is to have a deadline.

How fast do you need to learn that?

How fast do you need to master that?

Is that something you’re going to master this month, this year, this next decade?

Have a timeline to that mastery so that way now you have a competency map you’re building up. 

You know what you need to learn.

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You have people you can learn it from.

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You can practice it with these habits.

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You can get feedback from these types of people and experiences

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You know you have to do it and get good at it at this certain timeframe.

Follow these things and you will start to learn faster.

You’ll be more engaged with your life.

You’ll have more enthusiasm for learning.

You’ll notice things more.

You’ll feel like you’re growing and be more satisfied with your life.

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4-Focus Often times, we find ourselves going back and forth in terms of working on our goals and our growth as human beings. We’ll go through periods where we work hard consistently everyday without ever feeling burned out, then sometimes we shift and go through periods where we stagnate and put them off for a time. Let’s be clear however, that there is a big difference between taking small breaks such as a vacation, and stagnation.

Here are 5 tips that have helped me stay focused in times when the procrastination bug starts to bite.

1. Clear All Unnecessary Distractions A big source of stagnation is what we do in our daily lives which serve no true purpose except to distract us. If you want to stay focused on achieving your dreams, you need to find everything in your life that is distracting you from that.

Some of the big ones for me were:     

Television Video games Poor relationships Unhealthy food Other people’s drama

There were many more which I had to remove from my life, and there still is, but these were the ones that were having the biggest impact. All of these were taking my focus off of my goals when I participated in them.

Now of course some distractions are extremely difficult to give up, a lot of them are very addictive. Video games and television are extremely addictive, at least they were for me. But giving them up has been a true blessing in my life. No matter how difficult it is, know that it will be worth it in the end.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 2. Keep a Journal Writing in a journal has been a profound benefit for me. What helps best is writing down my goals and also my progress.

Knowing that you’re progressing is a great way to stay motivated.

Who wants to keep doing something when they think all their efforts are for nothing? Often times, our growth and important steps towards our goals are overlooked or ignored. Writing down every single positive step you’ve taken towards your goals, no matter how small it may seem, will always serve as a reminder that you ARE progressing, and that reaching your goals happens one step at a time.

Write down some areas in your life and go through them. Note how you’ve improved in those areas, and what you think you could do to improve even more. Here are a few examples that I use:       

Physical Mental Financial Relationships Family Emotional Spiritual

3. Create New Habits When you want to move from a habit that you know is stagnating you, to one that is beneficial and empowering, the best way is to stick with it for at least 21 days. Doing this will engrave it into your personality, and you will eventually start doing it without even thinking about it. After about 21-30 days you’ll start noticing the positive changes it’s having on your life.

For example, if you want to start going to the gym, mark down in a calendar when you want to go and what time. This way you will always have something to remind you of your goal. After 21 days of not giving up, you won’t need a calendar anymore because it is now a habit.

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4. Surround Yourself With People That Have Similar Goals If you’re trying to improve your life and remove things which are preventing you from doing that, it doesn’t make much sense to hang around people who are still stuck in the things which you are trying to move on from. This one can be difficult for a lot of people. Some of us are in relationships, and have friends that we’ve known for a long time, but they may not be interested in the same goals you are. There’s nothing wrong with knowing that you’ve outgrown someone and moving on, especially if they have no interest in improving themselves.

Moving on from people which are holding you back will be a great weight lifted on your shoulders. I’ve noticed that when I move on from specific aspects of my life that are preventing me from progressing, new ones start to come into my life which help accelerate my goals. It’s like being a receiver in football. You have this defender on you running everywhere you go, preventing you from catching the ball. But after a few plays you begin to realize what you need to do to get past him, and catch the pass for a touchdown.

5. Take Breaks As I said earlier, there is a big difference in taking some time off, and pure stagnation. Taking some time off recharges and refreshes your mind. The absolute best thing for me is going camping or hiking. Being out in nature is very calming and balancing. All the answers to my questions just seem to be answered so much easier when I’m out in nature. And I always come back with new insights and a focused mind.

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Conclusion Growing as a human being and achieving our dreams is meant to be a fun experience, it’s what we’re here for, it’s what we’re designed to do. The problem in today’s society is that there are so many things that we get caught up in which can do the opposite. There are many different obstacles that we must overcome in our lives, and there always will be, but they don’t have to be looked at as negative experiences. Everything we do in our lives is a lesson of some kind, even the most negative experiences have some kind of lesson to be learned, usually the most important ones.

A strong motivator for me is knowing that once I’ve overcome something which isn’t helping me in my growth, I now am more credible to help someone who might be going through the same thing. If I achieve a goal, now I am in a position to help others who may have that same goal Keeping yourself focused at work can be hard sometimes. Here is an occurence you see too many times before – you start of your day by telling yourself that you will get (insert amount) of task done today. As determined as you are, you might end up having blunt conversation with your friends, replying and sending out emails and of course, get really busy on social outlets – just like most of us here.

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So how do we avoid all these evil attention seeking, unnecessary task and make sure we accomplish what we should be accomplishing on the day itself? Our minds are easily wavered and affected and it becomes extremely hard to realign your focus with goals at job task.

1. Work in chunks It’s a scientific fact that our brains can only be attentive on a limited amount of information for a limited amount of time. Making sure the appropriate information in mind is the one that lines up with our duties at work is where the difficulty is. To lighten the load on your brain, it is better to segment your work into small manageable pieces. The idea is you do not want to spend an entire day working on one task non-stop. Breaking it up allows your brain to ‘breathe’ and it will reward you later with effective work. So work in small portions then leave your desk and if your lucky go outside breathe in mother nature.

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2. Reward yourself for your determination It’s not really a bad thing to visit sites like Facebook, Meebo, or Twitter to get your social updates, but it’s important to not spend huge amounts of time on them, especially when your work is not complete. What I tend to do is create a set of tasks that I need to complete before I can visit any of those sites or leave my desk.

I will work awhile, complete a task, then reward myself with some time catching up with a friend. This strategy relies on sheer perseverance and strong will. If you cant stick to goals that you set try another one of these methods.

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3. Find the right Music As for me there is no way that I can push through an entire work day of coding or designing without the appropriate music to keep me motivated. For me its either intense techno or alternative music that sustains me throughout the day. I can be wrong about this but I believe its important that whatever genre you decide to listen to, to make sure its music that can be easily filtered out while keeping the work ethic at full throttle. For myself I can not listen to music that makes me think about the words or sucks me into wanting to fall asleep, both of which becomes a distraction. Finding the happy medium will increase your drive immensely and will make the day fly right by.

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4. Go Incognito If all else fails and you just cant seem to get away from the Facebook and pesky co-worker emails, you have to hide yourself. Go invisible on the instant message clients, set the away message to “BUSY, DON’T BOTHER ME”. And for those workers who love to stop by your desk, throw on those head phones so they dont feel inclined to spark up a conversation. I often have to hide from being annoyed from others. It seems the moment one person starts talking to me that the floods of people come. I’ve learned to never put myself in conversational positions while trying to be focused or make sure that i’m in control if I am in those situations.

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5. Be interested/passionate about your work.

Finally the best way to be productive is to truly enjoy and be passionate about what your working on. We go to great lengths and hours of work for things that interest us. Yet we lose focus instantaneously if what we are doing is not important. It might take sometime finding interest in the work you do, you might have to just think about the big picture or maybe focus on impressing those around you (possibly a boss) to stay on track.

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5-interview, interview & interview

Never to Say During a Job Interview (and Why)

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) There are some things that you should keep to yourself during a job interview – even if you’re thinking them. Be conservative in what you say and share, and keep the focus on your skills and qualifications for a job.

The interviewer isn’t interested in your personal life, your vacation plans, or why you really need to get hired for the job. He or she wants to know why you’re the best-qualified person for the job. If you don’t think you have all the qualifications, don’t mention it.

If you’re not sure how you’re going to get to work, arrange child care, want to take vacation time already or the schedule isn’t perfect, don’t mention it.

The same is true for how you really feel about your current (or last) employer.

Questions To Ask An Employer During A Job Interview Negativity doesn’t go over well during job interviews. Companies want to hire positive people, not complainers.

Never to Say at a Job Interview Things you shouldn’t say during an interview, and why not to say them.

1. I really hate my job. (Are you going to hate this job if they hire you?)

2. I have a vacation planned in a few weeks. (Wait to ask for time-off until you have a job offer.

3. My boss is the worst boss ever. (Are you going to say that about your new boss if things don’t work out?)

4. My current company is awful. (Are you going to say that about the new company?)

5. How much does this job pay? (Let the employer bring up money first.)

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 6. When do I get a vacation? (Don’t ask about benefits until you’re offered the job) 7. Can you give me taxi fare to get home? (Figure out your transportation ahead of time) 8. Do you mind if I take this call? (Your phone should be turned off before you head into the interview.)

9. I really need this job. (You don’t want to come across as desperate.)

10.

I don’t have all the experience you need, but I’m a quick learner. (Let the interviewer figure out if you’re qualified and focus on the skills that you do have.)

1. I don’t know. (Here’s how to respond when you don’t have an answer.)

2. It’s on my resume. (Yes, it is, but the interviewer wants to hear it from you.)

3. I have an appointment, is this going to be over soon? (Give yourself plenty of time to interview and be aware the interview could run longer than you planned.)

4. Sorry, I’m late. (Don’t be unless you have an emergency.)

5. Profanity or swear words. (Keep it professional and polite.)

6. What’s the policy on dating co-workers? (this is about work, not your love life) 7. Do you have Friday Happy Hours or is there an open bar at holiday parties? (Booze and job interviews don’t mix.)

8. I don’t have child care lined up, but I’m working on it. (You don’t want to give the interviewer any reason to think that you won’t have the availability that’s needed by the company.)

9. I don’t have a car yet, but I will soon. (same as above)

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This schedule doesn’t really work for me. Can it be changed? (Don’t ask for anything until you have a job offer 11.

I don’t have any questions. (You should always have a list of questions ready to ask the interviewer.

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What do you do at this company? (you should thoroughly research the company and be prepared to speak about it) 13.

What is included in the benefits package? (Wait for a job offer before discussing benefits.

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Interviews make me really nervous. (The interviewer wants to hire someone confident in his or her abilities.

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Can I work from home (Don’t bring up alternative working situations until you have a job offer.)

Greatest Strengths

What are your greatest strengths is one of those questions that you can expect to be asked in almost any interview. Although the answer to this question may seem easy enough, it pays to be prepared when answering any interview question. This brings me to the importance of practice prior to interviewing for an internship or job. It’s important to remember that you only have about 60 seconds to make a positive first impression, so it’s extremely important to start and end your interview on a strong note with a smile, direct eye contact, strong handshake, and a

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) statement like, “it is so nice to meet you and thank you for taking the time to meet with me to discuss this exciting opportunity�.

When asked by students how they can best prepare for an interview, I always say practice, practice, practice. Practicing with a friend or relative that you trust can be very helpful but if no one is around be sure you take the time to practice out load to get your thoughts out there prior to being fact-to-face with the interviewer and making mistakes that could have been avoided.

Since this question is often paired with the greatest weakness question, you will want to be fully prepared to answer both questions. These are two key questions that are consistently asked and that open the door for you to give valuable information to the interviewer about your knowledge and skills that make you an excellent candidate for the internship.

Answering the what are your greatest strengths question: 1. Read over the entire job description to get a thorough understanding of the position and the qualifications for the job.

2. Check out the company website to give you a good understanding of the company, its mission, products and services it offers, and the clientele it serves.

1. What the company is looking for when asking this question is are you a good candidate for this position and are you the right person that will be the best fit for the organization?

2. It is your job to convince the interviewer that you have what it takes to be successful and that you are the best person for the job and someone that will fit in with the people and the mission of the organization.

3. Prepare a list of your strengths and your accomplishments showing how you utilize those strengths.

4. Ask others what they think your strengths are and you may then want to add some of them to your own list.

5. Check out The Top 10 Skills Employers Want.

6. Check out the list of what employers value, and add those values that you have to the list.

7. Focus only on those strengths that are relevant to the job. For internships with vague job descriptions, try to identify core skills that you have that will fit in to the

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) type of organization and then identify those skills and values (please refer to #7 and #8) that employers look for and add those that you have as well.

8. Answer the question by identifying “key words” that employers will associate with you once the interview is over; such as, reliable, trustworthy, strong leadership skills, quick learner, and detail oriented, etc. Your goals is to set yourself apart from other candidates, so be prepared to do so when answering any interview question.

List of Strengths Valued by Employers: 1. Honesty/trustworthiness 2. Creative 3. Excellent communication skills 4. Leadership skills 5. Intelligent 6. Reliable 7. Likeable 8. Positive 9. Independent 10.Problem-solver 11.Detail-oriented 12.Hard-working 13.Team player 14.Quick learner 15.Flexible 16.Passionate about doing a good job 17.Organized 18.Strong work ethic Providing the employer with a list of your strengths that are not relevant to the job is only taking away the short period of time you have to sell yourself and describe what you do have to offer the employer. Even if you are an excellent photographer or are certified to teach sailing, if these skills aren’t relevant to the job, it’s better to stick to relevant skills that employers will remember.

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Questions to Ask an Employer at an Interview

During a job interview, usually towards the end of the interview, you will be asked if you have any questions. This is an opportunity to find out more about the company and the job to make sure it's a good match.

Asking questions also gives you the opportunity to reference some of your qualities, skills and experience. Be very specific in the questions you ask, and you will have the opportunity to impress your potential employer with your knowledge and interest in the industry, as well as determine if this is the right job for you.

Questions to Ask an Employer best interview questions to ask an employer during a job interview. That way you'll be prepared to ask questions and you'll be able to get as much insight as possible into the position and the employer. 

How To Say Thank You For A Job Interview How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?

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How would you describe a typical day or week on the job?

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Is this a new position?

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What is the company's management style?

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What are the prospects for growth and advancement?

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Would you like a list of references?

If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?

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What else can I tell you about my qualifications?

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When can I expect to hear from you?

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Are there any other questions I can answer for you?

Bonus Question

Here are a few more questions to ask if the others on the list have already been covered by the interviewer. 

Do you have a policy for helping new members of the team get on board?

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What are biggest challenges of this job?

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What are the biggest rewards of working at this job and for this company?

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What did the person who previously held this job go on to do?

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What is the best part of working for this company?

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Is there any you don’t like about working here?

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What type of background do you feel would be best suited for success in this position?

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Carry it on throughout the interview, so you have a good shot at getting a second interview and a job offer.

Impressing Your Interviewer

Here are some quick and easy tips for how to impress all the people you meet when you’re interviewing for a new job.

1. Practice. Practice might not make perfect, but it does help you make a good impression. Review the interview questions that employers most frequently ask and think about how you’ll answer them.

2. Wear appropriate interview attire. It can be really awkward if you show up at a job interview overdressed – or underdressed. If you’re not sure what to wear, check out these tips for how to dress for an interview so you make the best first impression.

3. Don’t go into the interview knowing nothing. Take the time to research the organization, so you know as much as possible about it. That way you’ll be prepared to answer questions about what you know about the company 4. Get the inside scoop. Besides researching the organization, see if you can get some inside information on the company and its employees.

5. Review the job posting. Know as much as you can about the job.

Review the job posting and know what the employer is looking for in the

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) person they hire. Also take a look at your cover letter and resume, so you are clear about what you can offer the employer.

6. Check out the interviewer on LinkedIn. Take a minute or two and check out the interviewer on LinkedIn if you can find them. That will give you a sense of the person you’ll be meeting with, as well as their career path and tenure with the company.

7. Go light, very light, on the perfume or cologne. That boss I mentioned didn’t like smelling perfume so if someone overdid it, they could knock themselves out of contention before they even shook his hand.

8. Avoid sweaty palms. Nobody wants to touch a slimy wet hand. If you can, visit the restroom on the way to the interview, wash and thoroughly dry your hands. When that’s not possible, use a tissue to make sure your hands are dry.

9. Take a deep breath. Then another one. Interviews can be really stressful. While you’re in the restroom, take a few deep breaths and remember that you’re here because you were chosen to interview. Check out these tips for handling interview stress to avoid interview anxiety.

10. Have a good handshake. When you are greeted by the interviewer, offer to shake hands and introduce yourself. Review these tips for introducing yourself at a job interview to get the interview off on the right foot.

11. Smile. You don’t want to overdo it, but think positive and smile when you’re meeting the interviewer and when it’s appropriate during the interview. Positive people with strong interpersonal skills are more likely to be hired.

12. Show your enthusiasm. On a related note, show your enthusiasm and passion for what you do and what you’d like to do in your next job. It’s fine to let the interviewer know that you love your work and are excited about this opportunity.

13. Share how you’re a great fit for the job. Back up your enthusiasm with facts. It’s not enough to say that you’ve got the right stuff for the job.

Be specific and show the employer why and how you’re qualified.

Here’s how to match your qualifications to a job.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 14. Don’t panic. Even if you’ve done all the right prep work, you can be taken off guard by an interview question that you weren’t expecting.

Prepare for the worst, so you don’t have to panic by reviewing these tips for what to do if you can’t answer an interview question.

15. Share a story or two. Don’t just state your qualifications. Instead, use your storytelling skills to share examples of what you have achieved at work. There’s nothing better than a real life story to engage your interviewer and show what you can do.

Bonus Tip Follow up after the interview. A final way to make the best impression and show you care about this opportunity is to follow-up with an email message, note or phone call. In addition to relaying your thanks for the interview, reiterate why you’re a terrific candidate for the job.

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6-Emotional intelligence Your Emotional Intelligence: 1. Don't interrupt or change the subject. If feelings are uncomfortable, we may want to avoid them by interrupting or distracting ourselves. Sit down at least twice a day and ask, "How am I feeling?" It may take a little time for the feelings to arise. Allow yourself that small space of time, uninterrupted.

2. Don't judge or edit your feelings too quickly. Try not to dismiss your feelings before you have a chance to think them through. Healthy emotions often rise and fall in a wave, rising, peaking, and fading naturally. Your aim should be not to cut off the wave before it peaks.

3. See if you can find connectionsbetween your feelings and other times you have felt the same way. When a difficult feeling arises, ask yourself, "When have I felt this feeling before?" Doing this may help you to realize if your current emotional state is reflective of the current situation, or of another time in your past.

4. Connect your feelings with your thoughts. When you feel something that strikes you as out of the ordinary, it is always useful to ask, "What do I think about that?" Often times, one of our feelings will contradict others. That's normal. Listening to your feelings is like listening to all the witnesses in a court case. Only by admitting all the evidence will you be able to reach the best verdict.

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5. Listen to your body. A knot in your stomach while driving to work may be a clue that your job is a source of stress. A flutter of the heart when you pick up a girl you have just started to date may be a clue that this could be "the real thing." Listening to these sensations and the underlying feelings that they signal will allow you to process with your powers of reason.

6. If you don't know how you're feeling, ask someone else. People seldom realize that others are able to judge how they are feeling. Ask someone who knows you (and whom you trust) how you are coming across. You may find the answer both surprising and illuminating.

7. Tune in to your unconscious feelings. How can you become more aware of your unconscious feelings? Try free association. While in a relaxed state, allow your thoughts to roam freely and watch where they go. Analyze your dreams. Keep a notebook and pen at the side of your bed and jot down your dreams as soon as you wake up. Pay special attention to dreams that repeat or are charged with powerful emotion.

8. Ask yourself: How do I feel today? Start by rating your overall sense of well-being on a scale of 0 and 100 and write the scores down in a daily log book. If your feelings seem extreme one day, take a minute or two to think about any ideas or associations that seem to be connected with the feeling.

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9. Write thoughts and feelings down.Research has shown that writing down your thoughts and feelings can help profoundly. A simple exercise like this could take only a few hours per week.

10. Know when enough is enough. There comes a time to stop looking inward; learn when its time to shift your focus outward. Studies have shown that encouraging people to dwell upon negative feelings can amplify these feelings. Emotional intelligence involves not only the ability to look within, but also to be present in the world around you.

Raise Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

We all probably know people, at work or in our personal lives, who are great at listening and helping us feel more hopeful and optimistic. Like me, you probably know people who are masters at managing their emotions.

You find yourself in awe, and wish you had the ability to control your emotions too. Your emotional awareness and ability to handle feelings can determine your success and overall happiness in all aspects of your life.

Raising your emotional intelligence has a direct and positive effect on your level of energy and consciousness.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) Definition of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your emotions, understand what they’re telling you, and realize how they affect the people around you.

People who function at a high rate of emotional intelligence have the ability to adjust their behaviors and are more effective at recognizing and managing their own emotions as well as the emotions of others. Ergo, emotional intelligence equals interpersonal effectiveness; the more effective you are with others, the more successful you’ll be.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) The Six Pillars of Emotional Intelligence If your desire is to raise your emotional intelligence, here are six pillars of emotional intelligence to incorporate into your life: 1. Self-Awareness 2. Empathy 3. Self-Regulation 4. Motivation 5. Social Skills 6. Happiness

1. Self-Awareness Serving as the core area of emotional intelligence, being able to identify how you feel throughout the day, as well as who you are, helps you make important life choices. One way to raise your emotional intelligence is to use present language to help focus more on the present moment. Put your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs on paper. By doing this, you’re able to put things into perspective, which helps you become more aware of who you

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) are, what you want and why. Learn to increase your emotional vocabulary by using it to describe your full range of emotions.

Knowing how to express your emotions can often help you manage them in a proper and healthy way. Don’t be afraid to give yourself the gift of silence and meditation. Reconnect with your inner self and watch your perspective and your life transform.

2. Empathy Empathy is extremely powerful and essential to raising your emotional intelligence. Increasing your ability to empathize can help you get closer to others, gain their support when you need it, and potentially defuse highcharged conflicts in your professional and personal life. Empathy is recognized as the second-most important emotion to acquire, since by showing someone that you understand where they’re coming from, you’re able to gain their respect. Be aware and listen carefully to what they are telling you. You know you are becoming more empathetic when you’re able to decipher and recognize the feelings of others.

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) 3. Self-Regulation All humans share the desire to have intimate relationships with a few trusted people. However, part of growing as a person involves acquiring new skills while experiencing new relationships. By learning to control and manage your emotions, especially your impulses, you are able to prepare yourself for emotional self-management.

People who self-regulate think before they act, have the ability to say no, and shift their thoughts to prevent their emotions from controlling them.

They are self-aware enough to know their strengths, weaknesses, and are willing to look at themselves honestly. Emotionally intelligent people aim for assertiveness, appropriately sharing their emotions, thoughts, and beliefs with the right people at the right time as a means to let others know where they stand.

4. Motivation Willing to defer immediate results to establish long-term success, emotionally intelligent people are generally characterized as motivated.

People are often guided by their emotional knowledge, which results in a flawed impulsive decision. People who are emotionally intelligent, however, are excellent decision-makers, and they know when to trust their intuition.

Susceptible to criticism, they take it well, and know when to use it to improve their performance. Emotionally intelligent people know when to stick and when to switch their emotional attachments. They are motivated to look at a problem and find a resolution in a calm and rational way. When

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) it comes to their careers, motivation drives emotionally intelligent people to be more productive and passionate about succeeding.

5. Social Skills Another way of raising your emotional intelligence is being able to easily talk and connect with others. Being socially responsible demonstrates that you really care about others and not just about your own personal gain.

Individuals who focus on the development of others rather than their own, practice emotional intelligence as well as humility. Humility can be a wonderful quality to possess because it indicates to others that you’re able to take responsibility of your actions while still participating and being a team player. Having a high emotional intelligence gives you the social skills to manage the emotions of others too.

6. Happiness Raising your emotional intelligence involves knowing when to be happy, sad, excited, anxious, or even vigilant. Unfortunately, very few people know

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) how to manage their happiness as it is frequently associated with material goods or gifts they receive from others.

Generally, people who possess high emotional intelligence are happy people. The really happy ones are those who always give. Happiness, for clarification, feels like a warm, steady glow harbored inside your body.

Because happy people accomplish more tasks than those who are sad or depressed, it is important to note that the emotionally intelligent have the ability to control their mood to serve their purpose, motivating them to find more solutions to problems. Remember, it costs nothing to spread happiness, and what you receive in return is priceless.

In order to raise your emotional intelligence, it is essential that you try to incorporate these six pillars into your life. Not only will you no longer feel like a slave to your emotions, you’ll be able to create and maintain more meaningful and intimate relationships in your professional career and personal life

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It isn’t usually on our list of ‘must haves’ and ‘can’t stands’ but emotional maturity is a vital ingredient in developing happy, lasting relationships Many people say they feel younger on the inside than they are on the outside and being in touch with your childlike nature and having a youthful, optimistic outlook are all good qualities. Emotional maturity isn’t about losing any of them but more about having developed the skills to cope with the ups and downs of life while still having lots of fun.

Objectivity Someone who is emotionally mature will be able to stand back from a situation and view it objectively. Even though they might be deeply affected by what is going on they are not swept along by their emotions instead they are able to remain calm as well as involved, a great person to have around in a crisis.

Can cope with criticism This is a vital quality to develop especially when it comes to relationships. People who can’t cope with criticism tend to get defensive and argumentative in the light of any negative feedback making it impossible to negotiate boundaries which are necessary for developing intimacy.

Perspective

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) An emotionally mature person will be able to place themselves in someone else’s shoes and see their point of view. This means that they are less likely to do things that are hurtful or cruel because they can fully imagine what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of it. Rows and disagreements are more likely to stay balanced and constructive and in relationships they are able to emotionally support a partner as they have a strong sense of empathy.

Good with people Emotional maturity brings with it an appreciation of all people and the importance of treating everyone with respect. As we mature emotionally the self obsession of youth leaves and we begin to see that everyone is unique and valuable in their own right. In a relationship a person who has developed this quality is great because they will get on well with your friends and family and will shine in social situations.

Makes decisions based on facts rather than on feelings This is an important aspect when it comes to dating as many people are so governed by their feelings that it stops them from getting what they really want out of life. The number one offender is fear – some people don’t go on dates, won’t call and ask for a second date or speak up when there is a problem because they are being ruled by their fear of rejection. At the other end of the spectrum there are people who get so overwhelmed by positive feelings they rush headlong into risky situations because they haven’t stopped long enough to consider the facts. Feelings aren’t facts and allowing them to run your life is unlikely to help you get what you want.

Able to put the past behind them This is really important when it comes to developing a new relationship. No-one wants to be with someone who is full of resentment and bitterness about the things that have happened to them. Everyone has a past and has been hurt at some point but not everyone will carry it with them and let it stop them from ever

NIKS ( Be CONNECTED) being happy in the future. Holding onto anger against someone who hurt you is a little like taking poison yourself and hoping the other person will die – it only damages you and the other person is probably getting on with their life totally unaware. Setting the past free and making peace with whatever happened to you is a sure sign of emotional maturity.

Honesty and willingness to change Most people live in denial about things until the day comes when they are ready to take a good long look at themselves to see what is no longer working in their lives, careers or relationships. Seeing what needs changing is only part of the story, the emotional maturity begins when this awareness is followed by action.

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