WHY WORKING REMOTELY IS BETTER FOR BUSINESS

STOP PREPARING FOR THE WAYS YOUR WORKFLOW, COWORKERS, AND MANAGEMENT WILL CHANGE--BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE.

BY SEAN KIM

It’s a beautiful afternoon as I write this post at the Dineen coffee shop in Toronto.

I’m also instant messaging a co-worker in New York City, about to get on a Skype call with our Community Manager in the Netherlands, and sending an email to our development team in Paris.

Some may think this isn’t an organized and efficient way to operate a growing company. To us, this is the future of work.

Many of the greatest companies in the 21st century, including Virgin, 37signals, andIBM have built successful businesses providing people the freedom to work where they want, when they want, and how they want.

Here’s why.

YOU GET SHIT DONE

Shorter commutes, private office, flexible work hours.

This all leads to: less time wasted, more productive work hours, and increased happiness among employees.

In 2013, Stanford University conducted a study by randomly assigning employees at a call center to work from home and others to work in the office for nine months. The result was a 13% performance increase by those working from home, of which 9% was from working more hours.

People criticize working remotely because they find it difficult to measure the number of hours their employees are working. What they forget is that going into the office does not equal productive work.

“Office workers are interrupted--or self-interrupted--roughly every three minutes.” -- The Wall Street Journal

In fact, once thrown off, it can take over 23 minutes for a worker to retrieve focus on their original task.

Give people the freedom to work where they want, and begin to re-think the 9-5 working style. By adopting a culture of trust and respect, you’re empowering individuals to not just show up, but to show results.

WORK AND RETAIN THE BEST PEOPLE

We hear it over and over again. Always hire the best people.

The company’s that embrace telecommuting have a significant advantage over those that haven’t figured it out. For each candidate that is available to work in your city, there are hundreds more around the world that can do it better and cheaper.

Hiring top talent is already hard enough as it is, why limit the single most important ingredient for the success of your business?

It’s inevitable that more and more skilled workers will adapt to a remote working lifestyle, and it’s the companies that can accommodate the lifestyles of these talents that will become the market leaders in the future.

REMOTE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER

The good news is, it’s now easier than ever to coordinate the work of individuals from around the world. As long as we have access to a lab top and the internet, there are hundreds of tools that have been created to make the process seamless.

Now I’m not suggesting that it’s a walk in the park. There are setbacks to working remotely that is simply easier with in-person interactions, such as training, instant feedback, and relationship building.

Here’s how to make working remotely work for you:

1. THINK OUTPUT

Focusing on a results-orientated system is the initial step to take when going remote. At the end of the day, the output that we produce is the only tangible result we can present that brings the business forward.

I’m a huge fan of focusing on output because it forces me to prioritize my focus to tasks that will have the biggest impact, and helps me stay productive.

Too often we see this in today’s working environment:

• Person A takes 5 hours to complete a project, and Person B takes 30 minutes to complete the same project.

• Person A comes in early and stays late at the office, while Person B can leave the office earlier to recharge or plan new projects that will bring value for the company. Yet Person A is rewarded for their “hard work” and dedication, when Person B has accomplished the same outputs, if not more from being productive.

Systems such as ROWE (Results Only Work Environment) are being introduced to promote output work cultures, where employees are evaluated on performance, not presence. It has been implemented in companies such as Best Buy and Gap, where they’ve seen: 20% improvement in productivity, 90% decrease in turnover rates, and increased customer satisfaction.

2. GET SMART

Now that we’re focused on results, we need to set the right goals and metrics for ourselves.

Creating goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely are the 5 most important factors to consider. Investing the time to plan and write down your smart goals will do wonders for your output.

If you’re a coder, you could set a goal to release a certain feature in the next week. If you’re in sales, it could be calling 50 people a day with a target to close 10 per week.

I encourage you to set your own goals, as you’re the best person that knows your working style.

There’s no better feeling than waking up each morning and having a clear target for exactly what you’re going to accomplish that day, week, or month.

3. COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

I can’t stress this enough.

The caveat to working remotely is that we miss out on 70% of nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, voice tones, and eye contact. Working from other sides of the world, communicating the smallest things are a must. This is why we use HipChat at Sketchfab as our instant messaging tool to keep in regular contact in an informal manner. It allows me to be myself and have more natural flowing conversations with my co-workers.

The beauty of working online is that it has forced me to articulate everything I communicate. Seven-hundred and fifty-word long emails have to be shortened to 300 word emails, while getting the same message across. This has helped me keep my writing short and concise, which has transferred over to my speaking skills as well.

4. CREATE A COMPANY BULLETIN BOARD

All this means is have a project management system or a “bulletin board” that allows each team member to see what everyone else is working on.

Sometimes we get so ingrained about our own tasks, that we forget what’s happening with the rest of our team members.

We use Pivotal Tracker, but there are several others that just as effective, such as Basecamp, Asana, and Trello. This helps me understand what the high-level priorities are for the company, and allows me to assign tasks to any team member without having to bug them about it.

5. HAVE REGULAR FEEDBACK

It’s difficult to know if your work is producing the impact that your team members expect when working. You can never have too much feedback, because we can always improve our work, become better team members, and have greater impact.

Design a structure for individual regular feedback, whether it’s bi-weekly or monthly. Creating a culture for continuous improvement will allow members to feel that they’re personally improving, which leads to increased work engagement, and greater loyalty for the business.

Avoid using email and take feedback to video chats as much as you can.

You can’t risk leaving out 70% of your nonverbal communication for something as personal as individual feedback.

In order to build a successful business in a talent shortage economy, we have to hire the best people--period. The opportunity to tap into a global talent market has never been more possible in the world that we live in.

The future of work is already here, it’s up to you to take advantage of it.

10 Ways You Annoy Your Co-workers

by Meredith Lepore, April 25, 2013

What is your opinion on gum in the office? 

A) One should never chew gum in the office! It is not polite!

B) It is fine to chew gum in the office if you’re quiet.

C) It is awesome! I have bubble blowing contests!

When you put on perfume do you:

A) Spritz a little on your wrists and neck?

B) Spray a fair amount on your clothes so you will definitely make a mark when someone is near you?

C) Take a bath in it?

How far away should you stand when you are speaking to someone?

A) An arm and a half’s distance away.

B) An arm length’s distance.

C) Close enough so you can study every detail of their face. That is called being a good listener.

If you answered C for all of these, you need to read this list below. When you work in an office, you are often in very close and open quarters where people can see everything you are doing whether they want to or not. There are things that are really perfectly reasonable at home and in social situations that are just not going to fly at work, so we want you to be aware of them so you don’t annoy your co-workers.

1. Chewing Loudly

“I mean, if you stop to think about, like, chewing… what it really is? How people just do it, like, in public.” —Angela Chase, My So-Called Life

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time, because the wisest teenage girl in television history is right. When you really think about chewing or mastication, it is gross. And if someone is doing it so loudly that it is actually distracting, well then, that is a crime.

2. Popping Gum

“You know how some people have these little habits that get you down? Like Bernie. Bernie liked to chew gum. No, not chew. POP. So I come home from work one night and I’m real irritated, and I’m looking for a little sympathy. And there’s Bernie, lying on the couch, drinking a beer and chewin’. No, not chewin’. POPPIN’. So I said, “If you pop that gum one more time…” And he did. So I took the shotgun off the wall and fired two warning shots… into his head.” —Chicago

And that is what happens when you pop gum too loudly at work. It is only cute if you are Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell. 

3. Bringing in Smelly Food

Lorelai: Oh, you’re ordering the Indian food?

Rory: Yup.

Lorelai: Good, enjoy. Can you burn the house down afterward? ‘Cause that’s the only way we’ll get the smell out. —Gilmore Girls

Bringing in smelly food to a room full of people can be offensive. It may smell delicious to you, but it will infiltrate everyone else’s taste buds and whatever they are eating (or not eating) as well. For something especially potent, bring it into the breakroom.

4. Lingering

Every office has one person who doesn’t really understand the concept of a conversation ending. You are trying to go back to work and they are still hanging out near your desk like a puppy waiting for a treat. There is work to do so have your talk, and then exit!

5. Close Talker

As we know, practically everything we learned on Seinfeld can be attributed to real life, and this is one of them. A close talker, or really anyone that invades your personal space, can really upset people. We work together; we don’t need to touch each other. I can hear you just as well when you are two feet away from me.

6. Too Much Email

Hey, we all love a video of a cat sitting on a dog while wearing a sombrero, but not every email chain or video is going to be that precious. You do not want to be that person in your office that forwards every email. This can also go for work emails as well. Is it easier to go talk to the person, or call them or do you need to send them 60 emails?

7. Loud Talker

I suffer from something called phone deafness. It hasn’t been diagnosed by a medical doctor, but I am pretty sure I have it. I can’t hear the other person as well so I speak really loudly when I am on the phone as if I were performing in a play. This is why I leave the room if I am near people when I make a phone call. Not everyone is interested in hearing about my personal life (shocking, I know) or a mundane work call.

8. Slob in Shared Spaces

It is fine to be a messy person at home. Heck, give Oscar the Grouch a run for his money. But when you are sharing an area with people, you need to be obsessive about your cleanup. Like, Mary Poppins obsessive.

9. Being a Debbie Downer

Constructive feedback is necessary in any operation, but you don’t need to find something negative with every situation. People will start to dread your presence. You don’t need to bum your whole office out. There is already too much negativity in the world.

10. Smelly Perfume

You may love your perfume a whole lot, but other people may be very sensitive to it. “Keep scent so light that it’s undetectable to anyone more than an arm’s length away from you in any direction—everyone has a personal ‘scent circle,’” Mary Ellen Lapsansky, a Vice President of the New York City-based Fragrance Foundation, told Real Simple. Finding the right amount may take some experimenting on a weekend with a trusted friend.

How to stand up to a bad boss

YOU CAN'T AVOID THIS FOREVER: IF YOU HAVE A BAD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BOSS, HERE'S HOW TO SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF WITHOUT GETTING FIRED.

BY TERESA TOBAT

Your relationship with your boss is the most important factor in your working life.
If you’ve got a great one, it can make your day-to-day life seem perfect. If don’t have the best relationship, well, let’s just say your life can be a little harder. But no matter what kind of relationship you have, you’ll have to stand up to this person at some point. And doing so isn’t always easy. To help, career coach and author of Careeranista: The Woman’s Guide to Success After College, Chaz Pitts-Kyser shares her expert advice for solving problems and creating a more harmonious work environment.

DEFINE THE CONFLICT
“Makes sure this is a conflict and not a pet peeve. If a boss is doing something that affects you emotionally, or prevents you from doing your job effectively, that is a real conflict,” Pitts-Kyser says. But if you have a personality conflict, that doesn’t mean it’s a real conflict. For example, you might want to let the fact that your supervisor never replaces the water cooler go.

ARTICULATE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN
When you’re going into any type of situation, you want to visualize what you want to happen, Pitts-Kyser suggests. To alleviate nerves, practice the conversation beforehand in front of a mirror or with someone.

SET A MEETING
Pitts-Kyser cautions that it’s not a good idea to spring this on your supervisor without warning. Schedule a meeting with him or her to talk, preferably when you think he or she will be in a good mood. Feel free to keep the subject vague and just say you’ve been having issues and you’d like to talk. If your boss pries, just say it’s a personal issue.

BE CONCISE
“Say what the issue is,” Pitts-Kyser says. “Use very clear examples.” Come prepared with a list of dates and times your boss did something you want to address. “Instead of putting direct blame on your boss, you need to articulate how she or he makes you feel,” Pitts-Kyser says. Pitts-Kyser once coached a young woman who told her supervisor she felt belittled each time her boss shot down an idea she had in meetings. After the young professional gave her supervisor clear examples of that, her boss apologized.

THINK ABOUT YOUR SUPERVISOR’S RATIONALE
“Be honest with yourself, and make sure that you’re not doing something to upset your boss,” Pitts-Kyser says. For instance, if you’ve been showing up late recently and your boss has an attitude about it, you may want to start arriving on time.

DO NOT GO TO HR AFTER THE FIRST INSTANCE
“If you have a really horrible relationship with your boss, you don’t want to go over their head and talk to HR about how your boss is treating you. Because although it seems like it’s HR’s job to make sure everyone gets along, they’re mostly going to be interested in what your boss has to say. And your boss has way more pull than you do. If they’re going to get rid of someone, they’re probably going to get rid of you,” Pitts-Kyser says. She suggests that you always want to directly address the problem with your boss first. After all, you want to be fair and give the person you’re in conflict with a chance to speak.

DO NOT SHARE HOW MUCH YOU DISLIKE YOUR BOSS WITH OTHERS
Venting is natural. Just try your best not to do in front of your colleagues. “More than likely, it’s going to come back to you,” Pitts-Kyser says.

WORK ON SMALL CONFLICTS FIRST
If you’re really shy or intimidated by your boss, tackle small conflicts at home before you talk to your boss. That way, you can work your way up to addressing the problematic issues at the office. If you’re having trouble visualizing how you feel, write a letter. Although you should always address it verbally first, “if you find that you absolutely cannot work up the nerve to address a conflict with your boss, you don’t just want to let it fester. If you feel like there’s nothing else you can do, then go ahead and send an email addressing the concern.” Afterward, set up a time to discuss it in person. Pitts-Kyser does caution that you should only use this as a last resort and if you’re extremely shy.

If the idea of confronting your boss makes you cringe, realize that the discomfort you feel when discussing an uncomfortable topic can ultimately lead to a better working life. “Everyone needs to and deserves to work in an environment where they feel respected and are comfortable. Whether it’s your colleagues or your boss, you want to have good relationships with people,” Pitts-Kyser says. “Standing up to your boss enables you to have a better working relationship.” And having a sound work relationship is something everyone can agree on.

Teresa Tobat is a writer and editor based out of the Washington, D.C., area. In her spare time she enjoys exercising, traveling, hitting up the best restaurants in town and playing with her two long-haired Chihuahuas.

View her website at teresaktobat.com. Follow her tweets @ttobat88.

Remembering Priya Haji: “The Best Social Entrepreneur Of Our Generation”

With her mix of passion, smarts, and approachability, Priya Haji was a precocious, prolific, and pioneering force in Silicon Valley. She died earlier this month.

The story of Priya Haji's life is full of numbers. There are upsetting numbers, like 44--her age when she died earlier this month from a suspected pulmonary embolism. There are awe-inspiring numbers, like the 500,000 people (at least) in 70 countries served by her socially conscious startups. And there are tongue-in-cheek numbers, like 325,510, a rough estimate of the total voice mail messages she left family and friends--messages full of her warmth, optimism, insight, self-deprecating humor, and advice.

These and other numbers were projected onto a screen at a recent memorial service for Haji at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. As her friends and relatives, still stunned by the news, spent hours putting together the tribute, they wondered how they could do justice to such a prolific, pioneering, and dynamic entrepreneur and friend. Then they thought about what she would have done. They decided to apply the strategy that had served her so well in business: quantifying the impact of her work.

Casting a wider net to others friends and former colleagues, they amassed all sorts of data, some conventional, some not (such as hours of advice given, solicited or not), and created a PowerPoint presentation about Haji. It was inspiring, personal, and funny--pure Haji. "We were absolutely channeling Priya," Jagadha Sivan, a former colleague and close friend, tells Co.Exist.

As a social entrepreneur, Haji was rare: a big dreamer with the pragmatism of a dutiful MBA. For her, the business ideas worth pursuing were those that changed people's lives, in ways you could actually measure. Like SaveUp, a clever rewards-based financial app and her most recent company (she was CEO). In its first two years, SaveUp has helped Americans pay down $856 million of debt and increase savings by $1.2 billion.

Van Jones, another close friend and an accomplished social entrepreneur in his own right, told the Haas audience that Haji was "the best social entrepreneur of our generation." Unlike most social entrepreneurs who are fortunate to start one successful organization, she started five. Unlike most who choose for-profit or not-for-profit organizations, she created both. And unlike those who focus on one issue, she tackled a remarkable breadth of problems: health care accessibility, third-world poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, and crippling debt.

"Priya was completely fearless about diving into something new and conquering it," David Guendelman, a close friend and the CFO of SaveUp tells Co.Exist.

Haji began her career as a social entrepreneur at 16. She opened Health for All, a free health clinic in Bryan, Texas, a town of 78,000 between Austin and Houston, so that her father, a doctor, could see low-income patients. A sense of activism and social justice ran in the family, says Aleem Ahmed, a younger cousin and a fellow entrepreneur. Haji's maternal grandfather had run a similar clinic in India. Her grandmother had marched with Mahatma Gandi. "All of this was in the air, around us," says Ahmed. "Priya put her unique entrepreneurial twist on it."

At Stanford, Haji considered becoming a doctor, too, (she was pre-med and got into medical school) but figured she could help more people by creating the right organization. As an undergrad, she learned about the widespread drug and alcohol addiction in nearby East Palo Alto. Dressed in cowboy boots and hoop earrings, Haji became a fixture while co-founding Free at Last, a treatment center that became a national model. The prevailing wisdom, she told a TEDx crowd in 2011, was to bring in outside experts. She did the opposite. "At 21, you see the problem differently," she said. "Communities could rebuild from within."

After earning her MBA at Haas, she and a classmate started World of Good in 2004. Haji had been troubled by global economic disparity since childhood, during family trips to India where she first saw firsthand its vast slums. As an adult, she traveled to other developing countries and became convinced that the key to reducing poverty was helping women. Many were trying to support their families by making handcrafted goods. With a novel business model--for-profit and nonprofit operations supporting each other--World of Good gave importers of Fair Trade goods access to the U.S. market at Whole Foods, Disney and Hallmark stores, and online.

"Priya was one of the first people I knew who was making a for-profit business in Silicon Valley with a social mission happen," says Lisa Gansky, a longtime entrepreneur in the Valley and the bestselling author of The Mesh.

Haji's passion, unshakable conviction, work ethic were contagious. "You dreamed her dream," says Sivan, whom Haji convinced to leave IBM and join World of Good early on. "You believed you could change people's lives, and we were all in it together. I don't think I’ve met another person who made me feel that way."

Haji was also adept at articulating and deciphering the crux of a problem. In one of her first meetings with eBay, which became a major partner and eventually acquired World of Good, she came up with a way to streamline a potentially confusing online marketplace for Fair Trade crafts. "She took this complicated industry--sellers, producers, supply chain partners, certifiers, all the different dimensions of social responsibility--and simplified it," said Robert Chatwani, the head of Internet marketing at eBay, who became a close friend.

To be friends with Haji was to have the same analytic powers she deployed in her work applied to your life and your problems. "She had this way of seeing deeply into who you are, but also who you could become, which you might not be fully aware of yourself," says Guendelman.

She seemed to know when to take matters into her own hands. Like the time that World of Good co-founder Siddharth Sanghvi's apartment burned down while he was out of the country on vacation. Haji picked him and his wife up at the airport. They were expecting the worst. Instead, she drove them to a new place she had outfitted for them in no time. After the fire, she had rushed from the office in time to salvage some of their belongings, tiptoeing in heels through the charred scene.

Haji, whose mother nicknamed her Firecracker (her birthday was the fourth of July), was an unusual CEO--approachable and relatable. She didn’t believe in putting up a wall between her work and personal lives. Dating woes. Trying to have a baby as a single woman. Haji put it all out there. "What set her apart, and this is something that is important for leadership in the corporate world--she wasn't afraid to expose her vulnerabilities, things that were difficult for her," says Guendelman. "That created an amazing trust."

While raising money for SaveUp, she wouldn’t hesitate, in follow-up meetings with venture capitalists, to mention that she was pregnant. “Priya wasn’t even showing,” Guendelman says, “but she'd say, ‘I’m going to be a single mom, and I'm going to be CEO of this company. You should fund me.’”

As her friends like to say, "There was one Priya." She was the same whether she was with high-profile CEOs (among her mentors was former Gap CEO Bob Fisher), her colleagues, or impoverished artisans she met in her travels.

Since her death, people in Silicon Valley and beyond have been eager to help her family as she helped others. Cheryl Dahle, the founder and executive director of Chicago-based Future of Fish (and a former Fast Company editor who oversaw social capitalism coverage) started a Fundly campaign for the education of Haji's children, two-year-old Zen and 11-month-old Omi. So far, the effort has raised more than $93,000. Veteran venture capitalist Tim Draper promised them scholarships at his entrepreneurship school if they're admitted. President Obama wrote to Zen and Omi, extolling their mother's legacy. Sivan read the letter at the memorial service.

The friends, relatives, colleagues, and coworkers who organized the event call themselves Team Priya now. They've vowed to keep meeting on a regular basis, to remember and celebrate Haji--even emulate her. They'll listen, advise, and support one another. "We want to do for each other what Priya did for each of us," says Sivan.

That kind of ongoing impact is hard to quantify. But one thing's clear: It will continue to multiply.

We've collected remembrances from Haji's friends and coworkers from interviews and a from a memorial Facebook page:

• “There are people who think about solving the world’s problems in incremental ways. That wasn’t Priya. She liked to say, “Dream a solution the size of the problem you’re addressing.’” --Robert Chatwani, the head of Internet marketing at eBay

• “She was a female social entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, which is an exception within an exception within an exception. On top of that, she was a single mom with two kids. How do you do all that?”--Aleem Ahmed, founder, Love Grain

• “She wasn’t afraid to try crazy ideas--often those innovative ideas worked and she found a way to solve a real problem for people with technology. --Shaherose Charinia, founder, Women 2.0 founder

• “She was like a mama bear to her companies. I consider her my main role model.”

--David Guendelman, CFO, SaveUp

• “One of the words du jour in business is "collaborative." Some people just have that ability naturally. It starts with an open heart. Priya was one of those people.”--Lisa Gansky, founder, Mesh Labs

• “Priya was one of the pioneers of female entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley. At SaveUp we fed off her energy and passion to build something that helped the world. We lost a wonderful leader, innovator, and friend.”--Sammy Shreibati, co-founder and CTO, SaveUp

• “Her bandwidth for people was unmatched. Everybody felt like when Priya when she was with you, there was nothing more important to her than the conversation you were having.”--Beau Seil, managing partner, Unitus Impact

• “One of the most influential, passionate, entrepreneurs I have ever had the pleasure of sharing lunches and thoughts with. I'm very, very saddened by the loss of such a great soul. However, thank goodness you came, and realized so many of your ideals.”--Lynda Fassa, founder, Green Babies

• “I especially admired her for her dedication to building social enterprises - something many think about and very few do. Even fewer are successful. Priya was unusual in her ability to take something that's good for you - but not that fun: saving - and build a company around making it fun. We have lost a dedicated young change agent.”--Arjan Schutte, founder, Core Innovation Capital

• “Priya was an inspiration to so many aspiring changemakers. She was brilliant, passionate, and visionary. Her legacy lives on in so many people that she touched in ways big and small.”--Liz Maw, CEO, Net Impact

RIP 15-07-2014

HOW TO START A NETWORKING GROUP THAT WILL ACTUALLY WORK

Feel like your get-together efforts always fall flat--or start with enthusiasm, and eventually die? Here's how to keep the excitement going.

BY LAURA VANDERKAM

Networking can help you meet new people and advance your career. But what if you’re not sure you’ll find a group that fits your needs? Starting your own group can be an option, though it’s a risky proposition. Here’s how to increase your odds of creating something that will last long enough to make an impact.

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Attend copious events sponsored by other organizations to see what works. You’ll meet people, learn the local landscape, and save yourself much work if you figure out that another group is amenable enough to your interests that you can steer it that way.

2. BE SPECIFIC.

If you decide to go ahead, know that strong groups have specific aims. Years ago, Allison Steiner and a few colleagues looked around and found that while there were groups for women scientists, there was nothing focused on young women in their field: the earth sciences. In academia, “the specific discipline actually really matters,” she says. To help these scientists start their careers, they founded the Earth Science Women’s Network, with a focus on peer mentoring, workshops, and networking at professional conferences. “We didn’t find the mentoring we needed so we decided to create our own,” she says.

3. CURATE.

Work/life management expert Samantha Ettus notes that “Picking people is the most important part of a networking group. You’re literally curating people.” You don’t just want awesome members, you want those who will show up.

There’s nothing wrong with approaching influential or famous types, but you might want to invite them in as speakers or panelists first to get them interested in joining. As for regular members, lean toward enthusiastic sorts. “It’s almost like choosing a friend,” Ettus says. “You want to choose a friend who’s fun but also a friend who’s loyal.”

4. GET SOMETHING(S) ON THE CALENDAR, QUICKLY.

To start a group, you need an event right away, so you have something specific to invite people to. Choose a venue you’re comfortable with. But, just as importantly, get another date on the calendar too. If you’d like to meet monthly, then you’ll want a second event on the calendar in exactly a month, so people leave the first event with something else they can get excited about.

“It’s important to have a routine,” says Andrea Murphy, community team manager at Meetup, the network that helps people organize local get-togethers. “You really want to set that cadence so they know the ebbs and flows of activity in the group.” When events are sporadic, “people don’t know what to expect. Routines are good in groups.”

5. LISTEN TO YOUR MEMBERS.

In looking at successful networks among Meetup’s 168,000-plus groups, Murphy’s seen that “Your members really drive where your Meetup group goes.” So listen, find out what people are interested in and seeking, and then “provide a diverse array of opportunities for members in your group around networking.”

Maybe you bring in speakers who can teach interesting things, or you create structured conversations on topics people want covered. A “mixed bag of events” gives people multiple reasons to come, but whatever you do, make sure to create time for people to chat. “Don’t let them all walk out of there without talking to each other,” Murphy says. “The relationships people are building at those Meetups are what’s going to keep them coming back for more.”

6. GROW CAREFULLY.

Shannon Little, who works in digital promotions and communications, found that many networking groups she tried in Memphis were too focused on business card exchanges. So she and a few others “took it upon ourselves to start a group that offered more idea generation and support.” Now, Memphis Young Creatives meets monthly at different local bars and restaurants.

“To get the word out, we set up a Facebook event page and invite the people we know in the business. They invite their contacts, etc., etc. We don’t like to broadcast the event city-wide, because we want to make sure that the conversation and attendees fit with the purpose of the group as much as possible,” she says. This slow growth involves a trade-off, because one upside of networking events is meeting people you wouldn’t meet otherwise. But Little says that “In the end, we decided that it was better to have a small group of quality contacts that we could eventually grow as opposed to a large group where we would have to search for quality.”

7. PICTURE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.

Even if you think you’ll grow slowly, life can surprise you. The Earth Science Women’s Network quickly found itself with several hundred interested members. The group was offered financial help from institutions looking to advance women in the sciences. “We kind of did it backwards,” Steiner says. When they got funding, “We had to look more organized than we were!”

Looking back, she’d advise people starting groups to recognize that “organizational planning at the beginning goes along with a vision of a successful trajectory--what would that look like?” In 10 years, what would you like your organization to be doing? This can change, of course, but fantasizing helps you look for opportunities.

And, eventually, those fantasies might come true. The Earth Science Women’s Network now has over 2,000 members. Steiner has co-authored papers with people she’s met through it. Her founder status helped build her credibility as a leader in her field. “It’s a big time investment, but I definitely think it paid off,” she says.

7 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR TEAM FROM FEELING OVERWORKED

FIND THE SWEET SPOT BETWEEN BORED AND STRESSED WITH THESE TIME-MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR YOUR TEAM.

BY LAURA VANDERKAM

Call it the time paradox: Empirically, people are working less, but feeling more overworked. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the average work week at 34.5 hours. The number of hours Americans work yearly has fallen from about 1,900 in the 1950s to about 1,700 now.

And yet people are always talking about how overworked they feel. A recent poll by PGi (a maker of meeting and collaboration technology) found that 88% of respondents claimed to work more than 40 hours a week. A recent poll by Seamless Corporate Accounts (the online food delivery company) found that 48% of respondents claimed to work nights and weekends some or all of the time.

Time use researchers know that people exaggerate their work hours, and that negative events appear more frequent than positive ones. Nonetheless, if you’re managing teams, perception matters as much as reality. So how can you keep people from feeling overworked?

1. SAVE YOUR EMAILS FOR BUSINESS HOURS.

If you sit in meetings all day, and try to preserve evenings for family time, you likely send emails at ridiculous hours. That’s fine for your work/life balance, but the problem is that people tend to respond to their bosses immediately. That leads people to keep their phones on all night. Sean O’Brien, executive vice president for strategy and communications at PGi, says he’s seen this. “Even if I said ‘no rush’ in the subject line, I’ve got a hyper-competitive team. They’ll immediately jump on it,” he says. Feel free to write emails whenever, but save them in a draft folder and send them out at 7 a.m.

2. ENCOURAGE BREAKS.

People take frequent breaks throughout the day, even if they don’t recognize they’re doing it. (Did you plan to be reading Fast Company right now?) But breaks at the computer don’t feel as refreshing as those that involve stepping away. Take people out for coffee, or start a walking club, or otherwise show your team that it’s okay to get up from the desk for 20 minutes. Some studies find breaks make people more productive anyway.

3. SHOW IT’S OKAY TO HAVE A LIFE.

If people do need to work late sometimes, let them know you don’t mind the occasional personal errand or family event during the day. Do such things yourself, and be clear that’s what you’re doing. That way people know you won’t judge them. Team members “want to know their jobs are not at stake,” says O’Brien. “They want to know they’re viewed as good employees,” even if they go to a school event.

4. HAVE PEOPLE COVER FOR EACH OTHER.

If a client is demanding around-the-clock attention, staff people so that each team member is “on call” during certain hours. That way, people can work late cheerfully two nights per week, knowing they’ll definitely get the others off.

5. ENFORCE VACATION TIME.

If people feel overworked, they need time off. But people also like to feel indispensable, and may dial in to calls, thinking they’ll get team-player points. You can discourage this. Indeed, since many PGi meetings are virtual, O’Brien reports that he’s actually disconnected people when they’ve come to a meeting while officially on vacation. “I have done that on more than one occasion,” he says.

6. SAY THANK YOU.

Karen Miller, senior vice president of people at GrubHub Inc., says that, “People are willing to do a lot if they feel appreciated.” Publicly thanking people who pitched in can make team members feel that any long hours they worked were worthwhile.

7. MAKE SURE PEOPLE ENJOY THEIR JOBS.

“If people love their jobs and their work and their environment, they’ll put in a lot of extra,” Miller says. To be sure, thinking about whether people are in roles that challenge and excite them is more complicated than making sure they never get emails that arrive at 3:00 a.m. But if you can tap people’s intrinsic motivations, long hours don’t seem nearly so taxing as if people are bored stiff.

9 THINGS I WISH I KNEW WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER

THEY MIGHT MAKE IT LOOK EASY NOW, BUT MOST PROFESSIONALS WOULD DO A FEW THINGS DIFFERENTLY. THESE PIECES OF ADVICE APPLY AT ANY AGE.

BY KAYLEEN SCHAEFER

Ever wished you could go back and talk to your younger, twentysomething self? You know, the one who was just starting out and could have used some sound career advice--or at least a bit of reassurance that you were doing the right thing?

While you can’t go back in a time, you can pay it forward. Hindsight is 20/20--and some of the best insights come from past experiences.

That’s why we asked well-established professionals across the country to share their career lessons learned, everything from wishing they’d saved more of their paychecks to taking the plunge with a riskier job and, of course, what they didn’t know then that they’d pass on to their younger selves now.

1. WEIGH THAT CAREER “GROWTH OPPORTUNITY” CAREFULLY

“I was six months into my first job out of college in the mortgage industry and flourishing. I was making great money while living in Dallas, and before long, I was offered an opportunity to join the New York branch. On paper, it seemed like a great chance for growth and it included a healthy raise. I was so excited that I didn’t ask the questions necessary to understand if the opportunity was a fit for me and where I was professionally.

By the time I reached New York, that $8,000 raise all but disappeared, and based on the cost of living, I was actually making less money. From a cultural perspective, I traded a nurturing environment full of seasoned professionals who were invested in my professional success for a bottom-line-driven environment full of young sharks trying to make their mark.

[I learned] it’s important to carefully evaluate every "growth opportunity" against your skills, values and personal opportunity cost. Sometimes when opportunity knocks, we have to look through the peephole before we answer.”

--Brian Lawrence, 32, career counselor, St. Louis, Mo.

2. START SAVING YOUR PAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

“Like most young professionals, I heard this message but thought, I’m young and still have time, and instead told myself I would start saving consistently when I earned more or finished paying for this or that.

In retrospect, I should have saved 10% to 15% of every paycheck. I’m actually a very frugal person, but frugality doesn’t necessarily equate to money in the bank if you’re not actually putting it there. I could have saved thousands upon thousands of dollars by now at age 35!”

--Chaz Pitts-Kyser, 35, author of Careeranista: The Woman’s Guide to Success After College, Alexandria, Va.

3. ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN IT’S NOT A GOOD CAREER MATCH

“When I was in my 20s and working at my second job out of college, I realized three months in that it wasn’t the right place for me. But when I was offered a great opportunity to move from the Bay Area to Boston for another opportunity that I was excited about, I decided to stay at [my current] job because I thought [leaving] would make my résumé look flaky or noncommitted.

My advice to my younger self? If a job really isn’t working out, find something new and change. Life is too short. It’s the random experiences that make life exciting and will lead to new opportunities.”

--Jennifer Hill, 38, cofounder of Sixty Vocab, Hoboken, N.J.

4. FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER

“I started my first business, specializing in entertainment for weddings, out of my college dorm. I was setting up meetings with my clients at McDonald’s because I didn’t have an office, and I also dressed like a typical student--less than professional. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t getting any business, even though I was one of the best DJs in town.

Then a mentor suggested I lose the college attire, and meet clients in a more professional setting. To my surprise, my business started booming: I booked over 4,000 events per year before I sold the business. I have since launched nine successful companies--and I am forever grateful to that mentor.”

--Clay Clark, 33, CEO of Thrive15.com, Tulsa, Okla.

5. JOB-HOP MORE THOUGHTFULLY

“The biggest mistake I ever made was grinding through my 20s thinking that a job would ever make me [feel] ‘wealthy.’ I’ve worked several horrible jobs, including selling timeshares at a resort and corporate real estate jobs that were absolutely soul-sucking. However, they did serve a purpose in my journey to doing what I ultimately desired to do: write books, mentor people and speak on the topic of personal development.

If you feel stuck or are growing resentful of your work situation, the solution isn’t to simply quit your job and find another one. Suck it up for a little bit longer, and research what it is you actually want to do. Once you’ve identified your dream situation, begin working toward that end result--while financing it through your existing job.”

--Brenden Dilley, 32, self-help author and life coach, Phoenix

6. IT’S OKAY TO FOLLOW YOUR GUT

“I started my first successful business when I was a junior in college with my roommate. We were driven and passionate about our idea, but we hadn’t finished our undergraduate degrees, so we were working with advisers who were older and all held MBAs.

What I should have known was that no amount of education would replace the insight my friend and I had into our business because it was our business. But I was young and lacked confidence, so I was too often swayed from my common sense by people who I assumed were smarter because of their degrees. I’ve since learned to trust my instincts because they’ve proven more valuable than an MBA ever could.”

--Sara Sutton Fell, 40, CEO of FlexJobs, Boulder, Colo.

7. DON’T FORCE YOURSELF INTO A BAD CAREER MOVE

“One of the biggest mistakes I made was allowing an employer to decide my career direction. I really liked the company that I worked for, but there were only two possible mid-level positions [that I could be promoted to]. Instead of taking the leap to look for more fulfilling work elsewhere, I convinced myself to squeeze my talents into one of the positions.

After a few months, I realized that I had made the wrong decision--and I had to change jobs almost immediately after the promotion. I could have saved myself and the company time and money if I had been honest with myself.”

--LaTisha Styles, 31, investment analyst, Atlanta, Ga.

8. NEVER SELL YOURSELF SHORT

“I went to a state university and majored in economics, and my GPA wasn’t the best. Because of that, none of the major financial companies would take a second look at my résumé. When I was just entering the job market, I assumed the candidates with high GPAs who got the high-paying jobs were smarter than me--and I convinced myself that I should be satisfied with getting any job out of college.

It was a big career mistake, because I then limited myself to the types of jobs I pursued, effectively accepting lower salaries and doing double the amount of work as those who were making more than me.”

--Yi Wang, 30, financial consultant, Westchester, N.Y.

9. SUCCESS ISN’T JUST FOUND IN THE BIG POND

“As a new college graduate, I chased the money and the title, partially because I thought that it was proof of success--and because my student loans weren’t going to pay themselves. Over the next ten years, my income grew, the bonuses were bigger, my title was more superior, and my work was more fulfilling. However, with all of that came a tremendous amount of stress and worry about succeeding at the next level.

Then I started a family and my view shifted. I previously commuted over an hour each way, so I could have the better salary and opportunity with a larger company. I was on track for senior-level management, but I saw my family less and less. Earlier this year, I came to the end of my rope.

Recently, I accepted a position with a smaller company, just 10 minutes from my home. The salary is less, the company is smaller, and there is no ‘race to the top’ because I am already there. The stress is less, and I am truly happy with my decision to make this fundamental change. Now I just wish I had done it sooner.”

--Michelle Brammer, 33, marketing and PR manager for an advertising firm, Middletown, Del.

Source: Fast Company

Gaza y el racismo de Israel

Cartas al Director | Sábado 2 de agosto 2014 18:28 hrs.

Una noche de dictadura desperté de improviso, jadeante desperté, en el instante justo para ver desaparecer por el umbral de la puerta la sombra de la muerte. Creo que llevaba un violín a cuestas mientras me miraba con unos ojos lacerantes, tan oscuros eran que me perforaron de miedo el cráneo. Es que la muerte puede llegar en cualquier momento, de día o de noche, con violín o levita, de fiesta o de mal humor. Pero llega.

Lo injusto es que les llegue del cielo a los niños palestinos que ni siquiera han tenido tiempo de jugar; que se consuman entre llamas candentes antes de haber conocido la ternura del amor. Lo injusto es que se les haya incrustado un país en su país, un extraño en su tierra, un balazo en la frente, una cadena en sus manitas de ángel para que no vuelen. Lo injusto en que se les desplace y hacine en campamentos por décadas para crear asentamientos colonizadores y profundamente racistas. Todo para que a la muerte le sea más fácil deslizarse por entre las grietas del desierto para continuar su derrotero de exterminio.

Porque de eso se trata, de devastar todo lo devastable, destruir todo lo destruible. Desde pequeños hay que asesinar a los palestinos: atemorizarlos, aterrarlos, invalidarlos, anularlos, mutilarlos, da lo mismo cómo, dónde y con qué. Después de todo tienen todo el apoyo de Estados Unidos que sustenta política y económicamente a Israel. 4 mil millones anuales al Estado sionista y quizás cuántos miles de millones más en cifras encubiertas. Además, por cierto, de haber transformado a ese país en la égida de la política imperialista en el medio oriente, el vórtice de la geopolítica, un poder, ya no en las sombras, sino que de manera ostensible.

Por ello es que Israel mata sin vergüenza, sin asco, a vista de todos, porque es hijo de puta de Estados Unidos y de la industria armamentista cuyas ventas ascienden a la sideral suma de 410 mil millones de dólares anuales. Hace apenas 2 años atrás el Departamento de Defensa comunicó al Congreso que firmó un nuevo convenio con Israel para venderle armamento de precisión por valor de 647 millones de dólares. En adición a esto, y pese a la ingente maquinaria de guerra que ya posee Israel, el presidente Obama acaba de aprobar otros 225 millones de dólares para reforzar el sistema anti-cohetes que tiene el país.

Mientras tanto la muerte sigue cayendo a borbotones de fuego, a ramalazos de esquirlas, sobre escuelas, casas, hospitales, calles, carpas, playas, esquinas. Su sombra se cierne como remedo de guerra, pero no hay guerra, sino que lisa y llanamente una matanza de un ejército armado hasta los dientes contra una población civil.

Hay resistencia, como ha habido siempre, pues el pueblo palestino es valiente, pero señalar que hay guerra y que el Estado israelí se está defendiendo ante ataques terroristas no sólo es una falacia sino que un argumento absurdo e insólito.

Es el argumento de los cobardes a quienes les aterra la sonrisa de los niños, los mismos que algún día mirarán perplejos aquel muro de concreto de 721 kilómetros de extensión construidos por los israelís para mantener la pureza de su raza ¿No es lo mismo que buscaron hacer los nazis con ellos? ¿No son increíbles los misterios de la historia? Por supuesto que el Estado de Israel no utiliza conceptos como raza o limpieza étnica, sino que más bien términos como: seguridad, defensa ante el terrorismo u otros eufemismos que, desafortunadamente para ellos, no logran ocultar la masacre de niños y adultos por igual en esta nueva ofensiva armada.

En el intertanto, la comunidad internacional –particularmente las Naciones Unidades– demuestran su ineficiencia para detener la catástrofe humanitaria provocada por Israel y Estados Unidos: la falta de alimentos, suministro de agua, electricidad, combustible, entre otros. Y, por supuesto, el desplazamiento de millares de personas, así como el asesinato de casi 2 mil palestinos y 10 mil heridos.

Una noche de dictadura desperté de improviso, jadeante desperté, en el instante justo para ver desaparecer por el umbral de la puerta la sombra de la muerte. Es que la muerte puede llegar en cualquier momento. Lo injusto es que les llegue del cielo a los niños palestinos que ni siquiera han tenido tiempo de jugar.

Dr. Tito Tricot
Sociólogo
Director del Centro de Estudios de América Latina y el Caribe-CEALC
Valparaíso - Chile

7 cosas que te ponen de mal humor en tu hogar, ¡y cómo evitarlas!

¿Te sientes un poco incómoda, malhumorada o quizás hasta deprimida últimamente? La forma en que has decorado tu casa podría ser la culpable. Descubre las 7 cosas te ponen de mal humor en tu hogar y qué hacer para evitarlas.

#1 No tienes plantas a la vista 

Las brillantes hojas verdes dan vida (literalmente) a tu casa. Las plantas de interior pueden purificar el aire en el interior, el cual puede estar cinco veces más contaminado que el aire exterior. Además, los estudios han demostrado que colocar una planta en un sitio vacío puede ayudar a reducir el estrés.

#2 Tu única fuente de luz está en el techo

Si dependes de la iluminación focal empotrada (especialmente en la cocina), no puedes darte cuenta de que todavía estás viviendo en la oscuridad. Las luces empotradas no permiten que una bombilla brille al máximo, por lo que las superficies verticales no quedan suficientemente iluminadas. Las luces de tarea (como las lámparas de mesa o la iluminación bajo mesada) te ayudan a ver realmente lo que estás haciendo, y crean un espacio verdaderamente brillante, feliz.

#3 El punto focal de tu dormitorio es la televisión

Estar sentado frente a la pantalla fluorescente antes de acostarte podría obstaculizar tu capacidad para quedarte dormida. Además, un estudio encontró que las parejas que tienen un televisor en su habitación tienen relaciones sexuales con la mitad la frecuencia que las parejas que no lo hacen. Eso no suena muy divertido.

#4 Tu entrada está diseñada para ser el lugar donde se deja de todo

Un improvisado cuartito a la entrada con ganchos y contenedores puede sonar inteligente, pero los principios del feng shui consideran que una entrada despejada es lo mejor. Debes ser capaz de abrir la puerta hasta el final sin chocar con nada (y lo ideal, sin encontrarte con montones de desorden tan pronto como llegas a casa).

#5 Pintaste tu comedor de un azul frío

Ciertos tonos de azul pueden resultar fríos en lugar de cálidos y acogedores. Y algunos estudios han encontrado que en realidad ese color reduce el apetito. Esto puede sonar muy bien si lo que buscas es bajar de peso (algunos dietistas sugieren incluso comer en un plato azul), pero no tanto durante la cena de Navidad.

#6 Tus cortinas están colgadas demasiado bajas

Cuelga tus cortinas desde el techo, no desde la parte superior del marco de la ventana. De esta manera, la habitación se sentirá más alta, y la barra de la cortina no bloqueará la alegre luz natural.

#7 Cada accesorio que tienes es de un color sólido

Al elegir las almohadas, los floreros y el papel pintado, no cometas el error de exagerar al combinar. Mezcla diferentes modelos y colores para dar textura y personalidad a la habitación. Si eliges colores sólidos en el mismo tono, tu diseño será demasiado plano y no muy energizante.

Cambia estas 7 cosas que te ponen de mal humor en tu hogar, y combínalas con estas ideas sobre Cómo decorar un hogar feliz.

5 cosas que puedes hacer si no consigues trabajo

02/08/2014

Te gradúas, pasa el tiempo y aún no consigues un trabajo adecuado a tus aspiraciones. ¡No te preocupes! Existen algunas cosas que puedes hacer mientras esperas tu gran oportunidad.

1. Revisa tu currículum.

Si te has tomado el tiempo de redactar lo que consideras un buen currículum y no recibes ninguna llamada, quizás debas replantearte revisarlo de nuevo. Muchas veces incurrimos en el error de hacer largos listados de logros académicos y trabajos anteriores sin describir en profundidad nuestras funciones o lo que realmente aprendimos a través de estas experiencias.

2. Reconsidera tus opciones.

¿Has pensado detenidamente a cuántas empresas has enviado tu postulación? Muchas veces, repartir el currículum indiscriminadamente puede ser contraproducente. Antes de lanzarte a tu búsqueda laboral debes estudiar bien cómo se mueve el mercado, qué tipo de empresas buscan profesionales con tu perfil, etc.

3. Escribe una carta motivacional.

La carta motivacional puede ser el complemento perfecto para el currículum, siempre y cuando esté redactada de forma breve, concisa y llamativa. Explica en ella qué características personales y profesionales te destacan de los otros candidatos, y por qué eres la persona idónea para ocupar ese puesto.

4. Consigue un trabajo temporal.

Quizás no se trate del trabajo de tus sueños o para lo que te preparaste durante mucho tiempo, pero conseguir un trabajo temporal puede ser una buena opción, especialmente si estás en apuros económicos. A través de este tipo de empleo puedes generar nuevos contactos y adquirir un poco más de experiencia sobre cómo funcionan las organizaciones.

5. Realiza un voluntariado.

Otra alternativa que tampoco debes descartar es realizar un voluntariado, especialmente si tienes poca experiencia laboral que ostentar en tu CV. Si bien no tendrás réditos económicos, podrás conocer gente distinta, aprender nuevas habilidades y demostrar que tienes ganas de desarrollarte profesionalmente.