Tip #473: 5 Tips For Managing Your Stress At Work

In today's challenging business world, we are expected to do more in less time and often with fewer resources. The stress of keeping up with these demands can quickly lead to job burnout.    

By learning to manage your time in a way that helps reduce stress, you will ultimately help improve job satisfaction and productivity.

Determine Your Stress Points.

The first step in reducing stress is pinpointing the source(s).  There are many online tools to help you determine the source of stress in your life.

Once you know the triggers, the next step is understanding the way you react to stress and devising new ways to handle stressful situations more effectively.  The following tips will set you on the path to reduced stress and increased job satisfaction.

5 Tips For Managing Your Stress At Work:

Tip #1: Delegate, Delegate, Delegate - If you are like most people, you probably have more work on your desk than you can possibly handle in a day.  By delegating tasks to others on your team, whenever possible, you can take some of the burden off of your shoulders.  Are you a perfectionist who has trouble giving up "control" of your work?  Try starting slow, delegating low-yield work at first. As you see that others on your team are capable, you will gain more confidence in "letting go."  And, as team members gain your trust, they too will become more confident in their abilities and will be more willing to take on higher-level tasks, thus reducing your stress level even further.

Tip #2: Learn To Say "No" - While it's true that you must be willing to take on additional responsibilities in order to get ahead in your career, you also need to recognize when you are at your limit.  Stretching yourself too thin can lead to low-quality work and even higher stress levels.  Accepting new tasks that you do not have time to complete, may actually cause harm to your career in the end.  So when your plate is full, focus on the tasks at hand before accepting new challenges.

Tip #3: Avoid Negative Energy - Getting caught up in office gossip or politics is a distraction that can cost time and energy you could be devoting to your work.  Gossiping co-workers or those who complain incessantly give off a negative energy.  Steering clear of negative co-workers will help you stay focused on your own work.

Tip #4: Adjust Your Attitude - Instead of dwelling on the things that you don't like about your job, why not focus on the positive?  Try making a list of the aspects of your job that give you the most satisfaction.  This can help reaffirm your passion in your career.  When you are feeling negative or overworked, reviewing this list can rejuvenate you and help refocus those negative feelings.

Tip #5: Do Not Burn Yourself Out - As the expression says, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."  But it can also make Jack downright burned out.  Trying to get too much done in the office and not leaving time for yourself can lead to exhaustion, which is a major contributing factor in job burnout.  It's important to use your time out of the office as a way to recharge your batteries.  Catch up on your sleep.  Increase your activity.  Spend quality time with friends and family.  In the end, a healthy mind and body will help you to better cope with the daily stresses in the office.

Executive Summary:  While it's impossible to eliminate all of the stress in life, making small changes in your work habits and daily lifestyle can go a long way in helping to reduce your stress level.  Learning to delegate tasks, not taking on more than you can handle and focusing on the positive aspects of your job will lead to a happier and more productive work life, which can only lead to a happier and healthier home life. 

For more information, visit our website!

Tip #472: 6 Simple Tips To Making A Great Presentation

All experts agree that if you have some excitement in your voice and a command on your presentation's subject matter, people pay attention.
  

Click here to watch a video on presentation tips.

So, if you want to win over your audience during a presentation, the number one secret is to provide them with a high degree of enthusiastic energy on a subject matter you know cold.      

6 Simple Tips To Help You Make A Great Presentation.

For anyone who gets a little nervous talking in front of people, it has been proven that concern over appearing nervous doesn't matter, as people cannot even see it.  To reduce your nervousness, we recommend the following:

Tip #1: Become The Subject Matter Expert -- You can quickly impress your audience by having a clear command of your subject matter.  If you know your data, content and handouts cold, you will woo your audience within a short order.

Tip #2: Limit How Much "Copy" You Use On Each Slide -- Go through each slide and make sure your copy is "bullet point" driven vs. "sentence" driven.  Remember, your role as the presenter is to expand on each point so your audience focuses on you.  Side note: If you are giving a detailed presentation, make sure you have a supplemental handout to support your presentation.  

Tip #3: Control Which Questions You Will Answer -- There is nothing worse than seeing a speaker get sidetracked with irrelevant questions.  If someone asks you a question that is not relative to your content, address it by telling that person that you will answer his/her question after your presentation.

Tip #4: Start Off By Telling People That You Are Nervous --After you have told everyone that you are nervous, tell them, "Now that I got that out of the way, let me tell you a little bit about what I am going to present today. . ."  

Tip #5: Slow Down -- If you are nervous, there is a good chance that you have sped up your speech or skipped over certain things.  Keep little reminders in your presentation to prompt you to slow down.  You could have a little stop sign in your presentation that acts like a trigger.

Tip #6: Walk Around The Room If Possible -- When giving a presentation where the venue is more casual, make an effort to walk around the room and interact with some of the people who are watching you. You will be surprised how this will help you become more "at ease" during the presentation.  

Executive Summary:  As you can see, enthusiasm plays a huge part in giving a great presentation, but it also needs to be combined with a number of other components.  Once you master this, you will quickly become great at presenting and winning your audience over and over again.  

For more information, visit our website!

Tip #471: 8 Tips For Establishing An Employee Mentoring Program

Establishing an employee mentoring program is a great way to properly engage and involve your employees. Not only will this encourage connections but also help with open discussions within your company. Plus, it puts an established employee in a leadership role and allows those newer to the role to learn from someone who understands the job first-hand. But here's the ultimate benefit: Employee mentoring programs often result in increased productivity, lower training costs and higher retention.

Click here to read about Dale Carnegie Training's Employee Engagement Study.

Consider These 8 Tips To Plan Your Employee Mentorship Program.

Tip #1: Try It Out - A solid employee mentorship program works on any scale. You can test out your idea by asking an experienced employee to train a new hire. Monitor the training and ask both employees for constructive feedback.

Tip #2: Provide Structure - A bit of structure will help your mentors and mentees understand what they are expected to cover. Additionally, you can use this step to catch inconsistencies in what you think is important versus your employees' focus. Structure means planning out training time and plotting specific objectives.

Tip #3: Set Expectations - Make sure that your mentors understand what you expect of them. How long should they spend on mentoring? Once a new employee is established, the mentoring relationship should continue. Mentors and mentees should get together for an hour every couple of weeks at the minimum.

Tip #4: Pair Appropriately - Provide a good match when it comes to selecting mentors and mentees. A good match is indicated by:
  

• Compatible skill sets and job requirements
• Positive social interaction
• Similar schedules and shifts

Tip #5: Prepare Documentation - The employees mentoring and being mentored should have a copy of all necessary documentation at the beginning of the training. This includes a printed training manual, reference forms, computer login information and a list of your expectations for training.

Tip #6: Stretch The Benefits Of Employee Mentorship -Employee mentorship doesn't simply help new employees - it trains existing employees by helping them refine their leadership skills. Just as they mentor new individuals, you must shape the management potential of the employee mentors.

Tip #7: Align Training And Corporate Values -Mentorship is a natural way to instill the culture of your company into your new employees. After all, they can learn from a primary example of your corporate culture.

Tip #8: Use A Survey Tool - Provide those involved in your program with a survey asking what they hope to obtain out of the mentoring relationship. This will allow you to understand your employees' goals and engage them in the future. Furthermore, it will allow you to make a good match when it comes to selecting mentors for your new employees.

Executive Summary: Employee mentorship programs provide many benefits to your company. Learning is thorough and organic. To succeed, make sure to plan and organize properly, check in with your employees and provide the necessary documentation. Additionally, you must set clear expectations.

For more information, visit our website!