eTip #627 Three Reasons to Slow Down This Holiday Season

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

It’s the ‘most wonderful time of the year,’ or is it?  For many Americans, the Thanksgiving holiday officially kicks-off a month full of stress as they struggle to balance their professional responsibilities with additional ‘tis the season to-do’s. 

Here are three reasons to slow down so you can glow all season long.

The pace of your race could be detrimental to your health.  Jeffrey Brantley, a psychiatrist and director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine warns, “We pay an enormous price in both health and happiness for living in a sped-up world.”  It would be unrealistic to recommend that you hire a personal assistant to lighten your load, however you can make simple changes to decelerate in order to enhance your mood, mind and even your memory. 

Schedule a half hour to sit and sip a coffee without any electronic devices.  Take the long way home from work.  There is a high probability that during these peaceful pauses, the solution to a perplexing problem you have been trying to solve will suddenly appear.

Time pressure can impede your ability to retain information.  If you rush through your day at 100 miles per hour, you will find it nearly impossible to recall both basic and complex information.  When Julie Earles and her colleagues at the Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University studied the relationship between time pressure and remembering information, they found that slowing down helps to recall information accurately.  “If people are under a lot of time pressure, they have difficulty retrieving important pieces of information,” Earles stated.  These findings are particularly important for sales professionals who benefit immensely when they remember details about prospects and clients such as technical specifications, organizational structures, etc. 

Dale Carnegie’s 6^th Human Relations principle is, ‘Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.’  When meeting someone for the first time, slow down, repeat their name back to them, e.g., “It’s nice to meet you, Frank.”  Then create a snapshot in your mind that will help you recall his name when you bump into him in the future.  For example, you may picture a hotdog to remember, ‘Frank.’ 

Constantly rushing can compromise your most important relationships.  Picture this—you’re in the kitchen prepping dinner, pausing to update a project plan and helping your daughter with homework when a sales rep knocks on the door.  You’re tempted to ignore the bell, but set aside multi-tasking to answer. 

This type of time pressure turns the relationship between the primitive and thinking parts of your brain upside down.  The result is that you either lash out at, or completely ignore, the people around you.  To avoid similar ‘lose-lose’ scenarios, decrease the total amount of activities you are doing simultaneously, one by one, over time. At first, you may feel uncomfortable delaying dinner or responding to a client, however just remember that Dale Carnegie said, “Practice makes permanent.” 

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eTip #626 What's Preventing You from Prospering Professionally and Personally?

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

Dale Carnegie said, “Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be ‘hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.’” We are therefore excited about the latest analysis from the Kauffman Foundation which ranked Connecticut’s “Main Street Entrepreneurship” 9th among the nation’s 25 smaller states which is up from 12th just one year ago. Connecticut was one of only two states to move up three positions in the ranking.

According to survey data, Connecticut’s rate of business owners was 6.55%; the percentage of the adult population who own a business as their main job. If you own a business and are unsatisfied with its performance level, we ask you to ponder what exactly is preventing your business from persevering and prospering?

At Dale Carnegie Training of Western Connecticut, our expertise is helping people become their professional and personal best. Our unique techniques are based on the Human Relations principles penned by Dale Carnegie himself in his best-selling book which was published in 1936, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ Whether the goal is to foster innovation through collaboration, enable employees to persuade confidently or to strengthen interpersonal relationships, we help organizations create highly engaged workforces to maximize their success every day.

Dale Carnegie said, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” If you are an employee who is frustrated because it seems that you are unable to attain your professional and personal goals, don’t lose hope. We implore you not to give up, rather to consider another path to success; one that nearly eight million people in over 85 countries have chosen—a Dale Carnegie course. Here a few to consider based on your particular needs:

The Dale Carnegie Course

Perhaps you have great ideas, but lack the confidence to present them. You may struggle under stressful circumstances or when you have to address a tough topic or situation with a co-worker.   If so, check out the world-class Dale Carnegie Course.

Winning with Relationship Selling

Do you or other sales professionals within your organization struggle to attain sales goals? Are retention rates and client relationships where they should be? If you or your sales team needs a proven technique to score more deals, consider the Dale Carnegie Sales Training: Winning with Relationship Selling course.

Leadership Training For Managers

Are you responsible for motivating and managing a team, but lack the leadership skills required to be successful in doing so? Learn effective coaching, delegation and motivational techniques, and how to master problem analysis and decision making by enrolling in the Leadership Training for Managers course.

High Impact Presentations

Do you or your employees’ presentations lack persuasion and punch? The two-day High Impact Presentations seminar is as close as you can get to teaming up with a personal, public speaking coach. Participants present at least seven times and improve their performance by evaluating and learning from their videotaped presentations.

For more information, visit our website!

eTip #625: Four Ways Showing Gratitude Guarantees Better Health

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle 

Boost your immune system thanks to improved optimism levels.  Not surprisingly, grateful people tend to think more optimistically which researchers say boosts the immune system.  Lisa Aspinwall, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Utah stated, “There are some very interesting studies linking optimism to better immune function.”   In one study, researchers comparing the immune systems of healthy, first-year law students under stress found that, by midterm, students characterized as optimistic (based on survey responses) maintained higher numbers of blood cells that protect the immune system, compared with their more pessimistic classmates.

Increase alertness, determination, energy and more.  In one study, two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, asked participants to write weekly in a gratitude journal.  Those who wrote daily reported higher levels of “positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others).”  Another benefit reported was that participants who kept gratitude lists had a greater propensity to attain important personal goals over a two-month period compared to subjects with different experimental conditions. 

Squash stress levels in two ways.  First, people who have feelings of thankfulness and give gratitude tend to take better care of themselves.  According to an interview with Emmons by WebMD.com, grateful people—defined as those who perceive gratitude as a permanent trait rather than a temporary state of mind, have an edge on the not-so-grateful where health is concerned.  Emmons stated, “Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations.”

Secondly, while stress can stimulate sickness not limited to heart disease and cancer—and claims responsibility for up to 90% of all doctor visits, gratitude enables us to better manage stress.  “Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress,” Emmons stated.

Lessen your risk of certain forms of psychopathology.  Other researchers have found that focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of life on a habitual basis is related to a generally higher level of psychological well-being and a lower risk of certain forms of psychopathology.

By incorporating grateful expressions and/or activities into your daily life, you will be more likely to cultivate optimism, thwart sickness and live an overall healthier lifestyle. 

For more information, visit our website!

eTip #624 Three Reasons Giving Gratitude Year Round is Good for Business

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

It’s common for businesses to show customer and employee appreciation during the holidays, however some organizations are differentiating themselves by weaving such efforts into their daily and weekly plans.  This approach to appreciation is benefitting their bottom line and more. 

Here are three reasons to give gratitude all year long.

Showing appreciation increases employee engagement.  Sadly, only one in three workers in the U.S. strongly agree that they received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days according to a Gallup poll.  While company efforts to retain top performers by optimizing the workplace through new perks and flexible schedules are often strong, one area in which they lack is showing appreciation and recognition to employees on a regular basis. 

Dale Carnegie said, “Let us praise even the slightest improvement. That inspires the other person to keep on improving.”  No matter how big or small of an achievement, praising employees is an inexpensive yet very effective way to give them gratitude.  This form of recognition not only boosts individual employee engagement, but also has been found to increase productivity and loyalty to the company, leading to higher retention, according to Gallup.  Bonus—the more appreciation an employee receives, the more likely he or she is to show appreciation to colleagues and customers.

Beginnings and endings impact customers’ brains disproportionately.  Many companies ‘have their customers at hello’ meaning that new customers are often excited about their purchase and eager to get started. The brain selectively chooses the events it stores, which are typically the ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ for future recall. While the last thing any organization wants is to lose a customer, the ending—the last customer interaction is a moment in time that will linger longer in his or her memory according to psychological research. 

There are many reasons these relationships end.  Perhaps the client’s organization was acquired by another company and is now required to use that parent company’s software, manufacturing equipment, etc. for example. Dale Carnegie’s 19^th principle is, ‘Appeal to nobler motives.’  Since the end of the relationship will linger as long as the beginning—for weeks or even months to come, end it on a positive note by giving gratitude for their business.  Consider writing a hand-written note with genuine thanks for their business, or sharing a final lunch. The now former client will be more likely to refer you, write a raving review or return to you should circumstances change in the future.

Giving gratitude fosters trust—when it’s sincere.  Dale Carnegie’s 2^nd principle, ‘Give honest, sincere appreciation,’ underscores the importance of giving genuine appreciation.  This generally free and simple action is an effective business tool because, “it is a precursor to develop trust,” says Betsy Bugg Holloway, a marketing professor at Samford University in Birmingham, Al. Whether among employees or customers, trust itself is a dominant driver of loyalty, among both employees and customers. 

Bottom line—giving gratitude on a regular basis boosts business.

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eTip #623 Four Fortunate Ways to Frame Peer Feedback

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

Communicating constructive criticism in an effective manner that benefits both parties can be downright challenging. This is especially true when providing feedback to peers in the workplace which is a growing trend. Peer-to-peer feedback regarding an employee's strengths and weaknesses offers insights into their performance beyond the top-down reviews given by their supervisors.

Here are four ways to deliver peer feedback effectively.

Prepare your points. In order for a peer-to-peer feedback discussion to be productive, it is critical to prepare beforehand. Dale Carnegie said, "Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident." To deliver constructive criticism confidently, think about your goals for the meeting before you meet with your peer. Consider some of the ways you can help her grow in her role, and how you can work together to better attain team goals. Arm yourself with a few specific examples of behavior that should be modified so when speaking you can share relevant examples and suggest better ways of handling things.

Use the growth mindset as a guide. In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, psychologist Carol Dweck explains, “In the fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome. If you fail—or if you’re not the best—it’s all been wasted. The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome.” Use mistakes as a teaching tool. For example, if someone is running a report incorrectly, demonstrate the right way to do it and say something encouraging such as, “Now you know exactly how to do it and can feel confident every time you publish the results!” Dale Carnegie’s 29th Human Relations principle, ‘Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct,’ reinforces how important it is to use words of encouragement when correcting mistakes to foster as much employee growth as possible.

Position your passive voice. This step may require some practice, however it is a critical skill—especially if you are vying for a leadership position. For example, if a colleague says, “You did not provide enough evidence when presenting your case for investing in XYZ,” it will most likely be interpreted as harsh criticism. Instead, she should use a passive tone to state, “The presentation supporting additional investment in XYZ would be stronger with additional supporting facts.” While both statements essentially say same the same thing, the latter focus feedback around on the subject instead of the individual. This approach reinforces Dale Carnegie’s 23rdprinciple, ‘Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.’

Assume good intentions. 76% of employees surveyed said that positive feedback from their peers motivated them. To ensure a positive delivery, assume that the person receiving constructive criticism had the best of intentions. Avoid dwelling on what went wrong and focus on how it can be done right. Dale Carnegie’s 26th Human Relations principle, ‘Let the other person save face,’ reminds us to assume our peers have good intentions and to provide positive feedback along with constructive criticism.

For more information, visit our website!

eTip #622 The Next Generation Training Needed to Develop the Future Worker

The Next Generation Training Needed to Develop the Future Worker
By Ryan Jenkins

In the past, apprenticeships, classes, manuals, mentoring, and conferences were how information was passed on to the next generation of workers. Today’s cutting edge companies are leveraging virtual classrooms, online quizzes, self-paced courses, discussion groups, blogs, and video games to train and develop the next generation worker. Technology and the Internet have shattered the boundaries of workplace learning and next generation training.

Because Millennials rate “professional growth and career development” as the #1 driver of engagement and retention at work, it’s important to better understand how learning and training is shifting in today’s workplace. Below are descriptions of the emerging methods of workplace learning supplemented by statistics that support the learning trends.

• E-learning (electronic learning) is an approach to administrating education and training through the use of modern technology. Classes can now be held in the cloud thanks to video conferencing, digital course materials, and real-time chat.
• By 2019, roughly half of college classes will be e-learning-based.

• M-learning (mobile learning) is defined as “learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions, using personal electronic devices.” A form of distance education, m-learners use mobile device educational technology at their time convenience.
• Mobile learning is growing globally by 18.2% per year.

• Micro-learning deals with relatively small learning units and short-term learning activities. Content is distributed in “microscopic” learning bursts (typically 2-10 minutes). Video is an ideal vehicle for delivering micro-learning.
• 87% of Millennials say they would choose to work for a video-enabled organization over a company that has not invested in video.

• On-demand learning (or just-in-time learning) is a training strategy for how users gain access to knowledge-based content in real time, anywhere, and at any time. No more classroom training. Users can tap into tutorials and videos to zero in on just the information they need to solve an immediate problem or update a specific skill.
• 50% of Millennial college students say they don’t need a physical classroom.

• Gamification is the use of game elements and game design techniques in non-game contexts. Game elements can include points, badges, leaderboards, leveling up, avatars, social graphs, and missions. There is a clear difference between gamification of learning and game-based learning. In game-based learning, learners play a game that encompasses a learning objective(s). When learning is gamified, a game is incorporated within the overall learning.
• 97% of youth play computer and video games.

• Self-directed learning is where the individual takes the initiative and the responsibility for what occurs. Individuals select, manage and assess their own learning activities, which can be pursued at any time, in any place, through any means, at any age.
• 72% of Generation Z want the right to design their own majors.

For more information, visit our website!

eTip #621: Ask These Three Questions to Make Interviews Less Intimidating

Ask These Three Questions to Make Interviews Less Intimidating

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

If you’re nervous about an upcoming job interview, you’re not alone.  A recent study by Harris Interactive and Everest College reveals that 92% of U.S. adults between the ages of 18-54 are anxious about job interviews. 

Dale Carnegie said, “Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.”  An effective way to combat our human inclination to fight, flight or freeze in high-stake situations such as a job interview is to plan and prepare.  While you cannot anticipate every single question the interviewer will ask, it is possible to develop a list of important questions to pose to the interviewer.

Here are three questions worth asking during the interview.

What do you like best and least about the company culture?  Pose this question to both the recruiting and hiring managers to hear different perspectives about your prospective employer’s culture.  Learning about the company’s culture helps ensure that you are a good fit overall, and impacts your level of future employee engagement.  For example, if flexibility is important to you and you hear that the organization trusts its employees to work from home when necessary, you can rest assured that you and the company are aligned in this regard.  Probe further with questions such as, “What sets a superstar apart from an average performer, and how are they rewarded?” to gain better insight into the organization’s culture.

What is your management style?  Once you’ve passed the interview with the recruiting manager, the next natural step in the hiring process is to meet with whomever would be your direct manager.  It may seem awkward to pose this question, however it is critical because a Gallup study conducted last year found that about 50% of the 7,200 adults surveyed left a job “to get away from their manager.”  The answer to this question will help you determine your long-term success in the role versus a premature departure.  Your direct manager may ask you to clarify the question, so have a few follow-up questions in your back pocket such as, “Are you more of a hands-off or hands-on manager?”  Also, “Which characteristics and behaviors do you value most in the employees you manage?”

What are the top three challenges I would need to overcome in this role?  No one wants a job at which they are destined to fail, so it’s important to understand potential performance pitfalls.  Dale Carnegie’s 3^rd Human Relations principle, ‘Arouse in the other person an eager want,’ underscores the importance of appealing to the hiring manager during the interview process.  Inquiring about potential challenges shows that you are realistic and genuinely interested in all aspects of the role, both positive and negative.  Ask additional clarifying questions as needed to help you ascertain if you would be overwhelmed by the challenges or if you could more than likely overcome them.

Arming yourself with questions to pose during interviews will minimize any feelings of anxiety and maximize your confidence level.  Just be sure to actively listen to the responses.

For more information, visit our website!

eTip #620 Overcome These Four Fears to Fuel Your Professional Success

Overcome These Four Fears to Fuel Your Professional Success

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

Encountering awkward situations in the workplace is inevitable, however fortunately we have control over how we respond to them.  We can gain the skills required to handle uncomfortable situations adeptly or continue feeling awkward indefinitely.  Dale Carnegie said, “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.”

Here are four fears to overcome in order to fortify your future professional success.

Accepting critical feedback.  Hearing critical feedback about your performance on the job usually stings.  Consider this—the average annual revenue generated by business coaching in the U.S. is a whopping 8.6 billion dollars!¹ Instead of viewing critical feedback as sheer criticism, think about it as free, constructive professional coaching.  When you hear critical feedback, take a deep breath, listen to everything being said and take some notes.  Ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand how and what to modify—and to demonstrate that you are eagerly willing to improve.

Admitting when you’re wrong.  No one likes to admit when they’ve made a mistake, however doing so demonstrates maturity, accountability and strong leadership principles.  Apply Dale Carnegie’s 11^th Human Relations principle, ‘If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically,’ to remedy the situation.  If the mistake can be immediately corrected, first resolve the issue.  Next, admit that you made a mistake and let those impacted know that you have already resolved the issue.  If you are unable to immediately reverse your faux-pas, create a plan of action, and then follow the aforementioned steps.

Starting small talk.  Whether you are introverted or extroverted, the ability to confidently start a conversation with someone is paramount to your professional success.  Dale Carnegie’s 8^th principle, ‘Talk in terms of the other person’s interests,’ is a surefire way to break the ice and engage new contacts in conversation.  Develop a small-talk formula such as the conversation stack taught in the Dale Carnegie Course.  While the initial questions posed will be general, you can follow-up with additional questions that show you are truly interested in the other person. For example, if you open by asking if this is the first time someone is attending a conference, you can follow-up with questions about the person’s role in their organization or what they hope to learn from the conference. Showing your genuine interest will enable you to not only start small talk, but keep the conversation going naturally.

Giving critical feedback.  The only thing more awkward than receiving critical feedback is giving it.  Consider it an opportunity to coach an employee by being gentle, yet direct.  State the area of improvement and provide at least two concrete examples so the person on the receiving end is crystal clear about what he or she did incorrectly.  Next, guide the employee in a discussion about how it could—and should, have been handled differently.  This approach reinforces trust; minimizes confusion and enables the employee to learn from her mistakes.

For more information, visit our website!

eTip #619 Three Steps to Set Clear Expectations and Drive Employee Engagement

Three Steps to Set Clear Expectations and Drive Employee Engagement

By: Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

A recent Gallup Business Journal article reveals that many employees are not currently engaged in their jobs because they don’t know what is expected of them.  Employee engagement is the degree to which employees are involved in and enthusiastic about their role and working environment.  Today, only one third of all U.S. employees are engaged which is slightly greater than the same time last year when it was 30%.

While there is abundant research reinforcing that managers have a key role to play in employee engagement, few companies are focused on increasing it and are therefore leaving money on the table.  In fact, U.S. businesses lose $11 billion annually as a result of employee turnover according to the Bureau of National Affairs.  Moreover, Gallup’s latest meta-analysis shows that business units in the top quartile of employee engagement are 21% more profitable, are 17% more productive, have 10% better customer ratings, experience 41% less absenteeism and suffer 70% fewer safety incidents compared with business units in the bottom quartile.

Since only about half of all workers strongly indicate that they know what is expected of them at work, setting and modifying clear expectations is a viable way to drive employee engagement in the short term. Here are three tactics to set expectations and increase employee engagement.

Collaborate.  Dale Carnegie’s 7^th Human Relations principle, ‘Be a good listener.  Encourage others to talk about themselves,’ underscores that it is critical for companies to gather workers’ input and collaborate with them regarding role expectations.  This approach makes employees feel valued and increases the likelihood of their succeeding.  Having the opportunity to offer opinions makes them feel respected, and discussing the role’s expectations sets them up for success because they clearly understand what is expected of them.   

Aim high.  ‘Throw down a challenge,’ is Dale Carnegie’s 21^st principle because competition motivates human beings.  Think about what inspires you to go above and beyond both in your personal and professional life.  For example, if you want to lose weight, you most likely set a goal toward which you are working. 

Employees aren’t inspired by minimum job standards; rather they are inspired when they are motivated to attain a goal.  Managers who lead by example in terms of performance and productivity, and those who reveal what top performers do differently, set a high standard.  When they set high standards and clear expectations, employees understand what they need to do differently to model leaders’ and top performers’ best-in-class behaviors.

Navigate strengths.  I don’t know anyone who wants to spend time on tasks in which they lack interest or expertise.  Managers who invest time in learning what comes naturally to team members, their innate strengths, can capitalize on them.  By positioning employees’ unique talents against the tasks at hand, managers increase employee engagement and equally important, employee performance.

To learn more about employee engagement and why it is so very important, download our free employee engagement white paper.

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eTip #618 Forget IQ-Tree "Q's" You Need to Succeed

Forget IQ—Three ‘Q’s You Need to Succeed

by Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

Most people are familiar with ‘IQ,’ an indicator of logical reasoning ability and technical intelligence.  Albert Einstein’s IQ was estimated at 160 and John F. Kennedy’s was only 119.  Traditional hiring and promoting methods often required a high IQ for climbing to the top ranks of American businesses, however today many companies are turning to more effective metrics.

Truth be told—your IQ is insignificant where compared to your EQ (Emotional Intelligence), MQ (Moral Intelligence), and BQ (Body Intelligence).  In fact, 85% of a person’s success is due to their human engineering skills according to Carnegie Institute of Technology research.  The team of researchers defined it as a person’s ability to communicate, negotiate and lead, coupled with his or her personality. 

Here are the right ‘Qs’ to pay attention to:

Emotional Intelligence was first coined by scientists Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer as, “a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.” 

Learning and applying Dale Carnegie’s Human Relations principles is an ideal, systematic way to increase your EQ.  For example, principle ‘Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view,’ enables you to determine when it is appropriate to say vs. save something.  Being open and honest with people reinforces their trust so that they in turn feel comfortable sharing with you.  There are, however, statements better served when saved—anything that may hurt another person or make her feel awkward.  The higher your EQ level, the more likely you are to be aware of your inner dialogue so you can respond appropriately to others and ultimately foster healthy, productive relationships. 

Moral Intelligence dovetails emotional intelligence as it relates to a person’s integrity, responsibility, sympathy, and forgiveness.  Essentially, it is the Golden Rule—‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’  Dale Carnegie’s 19^th principle, ‘Appeal to nobler motives,’ underscores the importance of having an ideal moral code. Acting with integrity in all you do; being accountable when you make mistakes; demonstrating respect, acceptance, tolerance and understanding of others, are a few examples.  When faced with a tough decision, ask yourself if you are acting with integrity or may lose the respect of others.  This is a surefire way to increase your MQ.

Body Intelligence reflects how you feel about and manage your body.  Listening to your inner dialogue; getting sufficient sleep and exercise; and maintaining a healthy diet fuel your BQ level.  Some people ignore their bodies because they assume these matters are unrelated to job performance, however your BQ directly impacts your feelings, thoughts, self-confidence and state of mind.  Therefore strong body intelligence is required to reach your peak performance in terms of productivity, relationships with others, etc. 

Bottom line—improving your EQ, MQ and BQ levels will help propel your personal and professional success!

For more information, visit our website! 

eTip #617 Four Ways to Master Your Next Job Interview

If one of your goals for this year was to land a new job and you haven’t yet, the clock is ticking.  The consensus among top recruiters is that hiring peaks when most people are in the office.  With summer vacations behind and the hustle and bustle of holidays ahead, late September and the month of October are strong hiring periods.

Once you land the interview, here are four tips to follow in order to increase your odds of securing an offer.

Don’t throw anyone under the bus.  Perhaps you and your current boss bump heads or there is someone on your team who you rubs you the wrong way.  A job interview is the last place to share these negative sentiments.  When you are asked why you want to leave your current employer—or have already left, focus on why you want to grow and where you want to go.  Dale Carnegie’s first Human Relations principle, ‘Don’t criticize, condemn or complain,’ reinforces that while it’s easy to complain about a situation, it takes a strong self-starter to explore and implement solutions. Demonstrate your ‘can-do’ attitude by focusing on how your work experience makes you an ideal fit for the job opportunity.

Listen up!  Dale Carnegie’s 7^th principle is, ‘Be a good listener.  Encourage others to talk about themselves.’  A job interview is like a date—you and your potential employer learn about each other.  Avoid launching into a soliloquy about your stellar education and roster of amazing roles.  Instead, first, actively listen to the interviewer’s questions.  Next, share aspects about your professional experience that correlate to the specific question. Responding in this fashion demonstrates that you are a good listener and have respect for others. 

Smile.  Body language speaks volumes.  In fact, a person’s voice inflection, facial expressions and body language can make up over 90% of their message.  Use Dale Carnegie’s 5^th principle, ‘Smile,’ to your advantage during the interview.  Not smiling can be interpreted in many detrimental ways.  For example, a recruiter may assume you are not interested in or enthusiastic about the job opportunity.  Worse yet, the perception may be that you are complacent, over-confident, self-absorbed or other negative characteristics. Smiling when appropriate sends the message that you are excited and engaged—which hiring managers value.

Show some love.  Dale Carnegie’s 2^nd principle, ‘Give honest, sincere appreciation,’ reminds us to give thanks in every situation.  A popular interview question, “What do you like most and least about your current role, and why?” is ideal to show your sincere appreciation.  For example, you may share that you appreciate the autonomy your current boss has given you because it enabled you to uncover more efficient and effective approaches to outdated processes.  Remember, each question the interviewer poses is an opportunity for you to shine, smile and show your gratitude for all of the work experiences that have paved away for this next potential role. 

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle 

For moreinformation, visit our website!

eTip #616 Three Reasons and Ways to Stop Overworking

Although technology has enabled employees’ efficiency to excel in many ways, being constantly plugged-in can equate to never officially clocking out. 

Here are three reasons and ways to stop overworking.

Overworking makes mistakes more likely.  If you tend to work through lunch, stay late most evenings and/or work from home during ‘off’ hours, the tendency to make mistakes soars.  The results of being overworked are exhaustion and stress.  When a person is tired and stressed, the brain has to work much harder to process and respond to information. This means that being overworked can make interpersonal communication, judgement calls and regulating one’s own emotional reactions far more difficult according to Harvard Business Review¹. Moreover, working without breaks causes most people to lose focus according to a 2011 study by the University of Illinois. 

To minimize mistakes, maximize breaks.  Carve out and commit to taking mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks.  Dale Carnegie’s 5^th principle for Breaking the Worry Habit Before It Breaks You is, ‘Decide just how much anxiety a thing may be worth and refuse to give it more.’  Should you feel anxiety about stopping for a break, remind yourself that if you skip it, you will most likely make more mistakes.  By keeping your commitment, you will return to your task with a recharged and refreshed focus.

Working too much inhibits good habits.  Overworking also takes its toll outside of the workplace.  Anxiety and stress levels inevitably spill into other areas of employees’ lives.  Stressed people usually struggle to sleep (sleep debt) which causes them to make poor choices out of sheer exhaustion, such as consuming a ton of caffeine with hopes of propelling productivity levels.

Exhausted employees tend to make unhealthy food choices as well, like fast food on a regular basis which also drains energy over time.  Dale Carnegie’s first Basic Techniques in Analyzing Worry principle is, ‘Get all the facts.’ Now that you know overworking will ultimately make you more tired, stressed and likely to opt for poor beverage and meal options, honor yourself by unplugging for a good night’s rest—every night, and eating well daily.

Prevent an intervention.  It’s admirable to work late or over a weekend when there is an urgent and important issue, however when this behavior becomes the norm versus the exception, it can become an addiction.  In fact, 27% of workers claim to be workaholics, and an estimated 10% might be clinically considered work addicts.

If you are often the last one to leave your office; unable to take breaks and/or are constantly plugged in at home, you may have an addiction.  If so, your family and friends have probably mentioned their concerns about your overworking.  Fret not—Dale Carnegie said, “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”  Choose a tactic to begin with, such as taking a regular mid-morning break, to develop success from failure.  Next, enlist your colleagues, friends and family to help keep you accountable.

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

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Tip #615

Boost Your Productivity by Breaking These Four Bad Habits

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle 

Break these four bad habits to pump up your productivity. 

 Waking up without a morning routine.  Rushing through the morning can have negative consequences on your sense of emotional well-being and overall productivity.  Without a morning routine, it’s easy to skip important activities such as meditating, working out, and worse yet—skipping breakfast.  Starting your day off in a frenzy requires your brain to work extra hard as it’s pumped with adrenaline first thing in the morning, inevitably causing it to crash later on.  Dale Carnegie’s first Human Relations principle to overcome worry, ‘Live in “day-tight compartments,”’reminds us to resolve and follow a morning regimen. Carve out a morning ritual of what you must do before leaving for work to be your best all day long, and watch your productivity, mood and attitude soar!

 Tackling easy tasks first.  It is human nature to address the easiest of all of our day’s tasks first.  The satisfaction of crossing items off our to-do lists is all too tempting, however this approach is an ineffective way to use our brains.  Taking on the most challenging tasks early on in your day will maximize your productivity according to countless studies.  For example, as revealed in the book, The Willpower Instinct, researchers have concluded that willpower is a finite resource that steadily declines during your workday.  It’s best to tackle tough tasks early in the morning when you’re most focused.  The satisfaction and momentum from completing the more challenging tasks will also give you a feeling of accomplishment and confidence that will last all day long.

 Rapidly responding.  Yes, it’s important to be responsive, but interruptions such as instant messaging and a constant deluge of email jar our focus.  The cost of rapidly responding is vast—it takes more than 25 minutes, on average, to resume a task after being interrupted! ¹  When the urge to respond to email is coupled with our psychological need to check our social media notifications, our productivity plummets.  Instead, carve out specific blocks of time when you will check email and your social media feeds.  Turn off any notifications you possibly can to ensure you stay focused on the task at hand.  Not turning notifications off means they will continue constantly interrupting you all day long, causing your productivity to crash. 

 Paying only half attention.  All of the aforementioned distractions make it practically impossible to actively listen to other people.  Dale Carnegie’s 7th Human Relations principle, ‘Be a good listener.  Encourage others to talk about themselves,’ underscores the importance of paying full attention to the other person speaking.  Only listening to half of what someone has to say can cause confusion and sends the message that the other person frankly is not worthy of your undivided attention.  Instead of looking at your laptop or phone during meetings or an impromptu watercooler chat, make strong eye-contact and fully listen to the other person.  If not, it could cost you in terms of productivity—and relationships.

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Tip #614

The Right Way to Say ‘No’ to Your Boss

By Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle 

Are you comfortable saying, “no” to your boss?  It’s important to be a team player, however if your boss continuously piles new projects on your plate, inevitably you will have to delay other work or worse yet, not complete the request at all—which will reflect poorly on you.

The ability to say “no” is a skill many employees need, but few foster. Following these three steps will spare you from wasted time and potential pain.

Hear your boss out.  Dale Carnegie’s 13^th Human Relations principle is,‘Begin in a friendly way.’  The first step to saying “no” without actually saying it is to validate the request.  An affirmation such as, “I understand why this is a high priority,” shows that you are listening without actually accepting the request—yet.  There could be someone to whom you can delegate the task or perhaps accepting the request may enable you to assign something else on your plate to someone else to allow you time to complete the new request.  Consider all of the possibilities before you immediately push-back.

Dig deep for the details.   Dale Carnegie’s 17^th principle is, ‘Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.’  Your boss needs help, otherwise the request would not have been made.  Perhaps the requested task is part of an overall company high-visibility project that you may actually feel honored to work on.  Before you become flustered, ask clarifying questions to understand the timing and level of detail so you can ascertain exactly how much time the task will take and if there is anyone to whom you can delegate all or a portion of the task. 

The answers to these questions serve as inputs to your response.  For example, you may need to politely push back by asking for more time to complete the request or to request for help with one of your other responsibilities. By understanding your boss’s perspective, you’ll be able to confidently frame your response, even if it’s solely to ask for the afternoon to think about it.  Unless the request is super urgent, your boss will most likely grant you time to evaluate.

Propose a viable solution.  If you are leaning towards, “no,” develop a list of possible solutions to the challenge. There may be other team members who desire to grow their careers that would jump at the chance to work on the project.  There could be an opportunity to postpone the request based on information to which you may be privy, but your boss is not.  Maybe someone on your team has performed a similar task in the past and could complete it in half of the time that you would.  List your options, ferret out the details and conclude which one or two options are the best recommendation to make to your boss.  Your proposed solution will show that you have thoroughly and respectfully considered your boss’s request, and that you seek a win-win solution without saying, “NO.”

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Tip #613

Labor Day Lessons—The Residual Impacts of Employee Recognition

 Liz Scavnicky-Yaekle

As leaders and organizations seek strategies to attract and retain top talent, many overlook one of the most basic and easily executed strategies—employee recognition.  Shockingly, only one in three workers in the U.S. strongly agree that they received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days according to a recent Gallup poll.

It only takes a little to give A LOT.  Employee recognition is free and easy, yet employees are rarely ever praised.  Think about how you felt the last time someone recognized you for a job well done; amazing, right?  Recognizing even the smallest successful step, for example, an employee who finally wrote a stellar report summary, pays major dividends for such little investment of time and resources.  Dale Carnegie said, “Let us praise even the slightest improvement. That inspires the other person to keep on improving.”  No matter how big or small of an achievement, be sure to praise employees and encourage others to do the same. 

Positive feedback pays out beyond the workplace.  A study conducted by the Harvard Business School concluded that hearing positive feedback makes employees more productive and happy, and helps to reduce their stress levels. When employees are happier at work, they are happier at home.  From the study of positive psychology, we can glean that this ‘broaden-and-build theory’ of positive emotions means that the receipt of positive emotions broaden a person’s awareness level and encourages exploratory thoughts and actions. As time passes, this broadened behavioral method builds skills and resources. 

Praise strengthens relationships.  Switch gears and consider the person giving positive feedback versus receiving it.  Not only does it feel good to commend others, but doing so demonstrates that the person actually pays attention to what the employee does and has therefore witnessed performance worthy of praise.  This is one of our most basic psychological needs—the need for others to see and recognize the good in us.  Praising others is therefore a win-win strategy.

One statement of praise can last a lifetime.  If you excelled in an extracurricular activity during your school years, odds are you still have award ribbons, trophies, certificates of recognition, etc. stored somewhere.  It is human nature to want to remember these prized moments of achievement, no matter how old we are.  You can have a similar impact on another person!  Something you say or an award you present to an employee may positively impact them for the rest of their lives.  I still have cards, certificates and medals from both my school and early career days which I refer to when I feel discouraged.

Dale Carnegie said, “Let’s cease thinking of our accomplishments, our wants. Let’s try to figure out the other man’s good points. Then forget flattery. Give honest, sincere appreciation. Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise, and people will cherish your words and treasure them and repeat them over a lifetime – repeat them years after you have forgotten them.” 

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