How to Beat Sunday Sadness

How to Beat Sunday Sadness Though Sunday is supposed to be a restful and relaxing day before the work week starts up again, the reality is that this usually isn’t the case. In reality, 80% of professionals actually spend their Sundays worried about the week ahead, or dreading going back to work.   Given the name “Sunday Scaries,” this Sunday anxiety is reported most highly among Gen Z and millennial professionals, but it is found in all generations currently in the workforce. The Sunday Scaries mostly manifests as anxiety, but those suffering from this condition have also reported sadness and insomnia.   It’s getting harder to find a good work/life balance, especially when we have workplace apps including Slack and email downloaded to our phones, giving us constant insight into our work. And with a large emphasis on “hustle culture,” it’s getting harder to relax outside of the office without worrying about work that still needs to be done.   But in addition to working hard and smart, a healthy lifestyle is a must. Being more mindful of our everyday actions can help beget an overall healthier relationship with our work and minds. By taking steps to be more mindful throughout our work week and our weekend, we can reestablish Sunday as a day for relaxation, not fear. A few tips for combating the Sunday Scaries are the following:   Work On Completing Household Chores Throughout the Week: By checking smaller tasks off your to-do list throughout the week, you can lessen the amount of housework that needs to be done on Sunday and create more time for relaxing.   Put Your Phone Down: Workplace apps like Slack and email create a constant plug into the office even when you’re supposed to be away from work. But in addition to that, social media can also foster negative feelings of loneliness or isolation. Putting your phone down for a few hours on Sunday can help relaxation and happiness.   Avoid Alcohol: Alcohol acts as a depressant, so even though some people use it to help them sleep, it doesn’t beget a good night’s rest. It’s important to avoid alcohol on Sunday nights so you can sleep well and wake up fully rested on Monday morning.   Consider Journaling: Journaling has many benefits. A journal can act as a stress reliever, motivator, and creative outlet. Having a journal handy can help you find a positive place to channel negative thoughts or emotions, on Sunday and beyond.   Exercise: You don’t have to do something high intensity, but being active can help ease anxiety. You can join a yoga class, hit the gym or just take a brisk walk around your neighborhood to feel energized and motivated.   Make a Friend at Work: It can be hard to make a friend at work, especially if you tend to feel anxious or find it hard to talk to people. But office friends are an important resource â€" they give you something to look forward to at work, and can act as an emotional support system or just someone to laugh with in the office. There is no one size fits all solution to combating the Sunday Scaries. In the end, it’s up to you to determine what steps you should take to ease your anxiety and prepare for the week ahead in a healthy way. In addition to the tips listed above, there are plenty of other ways to cope with this phenomenon and help yourself succeed.     Please include attribution to https://hellobestow.com/ with this graphic.

10 Ways Restaurants can use Social Media to become a Hometown Hero

10 Ways Restaurants can use Social Media to become a “Hometown Hero” Did you ever notice that the best local  restaurants are the ones you never see advertised?  That’s because successful local restaurants wouldn’t see a high ROI on print advertisements.   They see a much higher ROI by focusing on their values. Hometown Heroes have 3 things in common They know their customers. They care about their customers. They evolve with their customers. Here are 10 ways you can know your customers, show you care about your customers and evolve with your customers by using social media. Listen, listen, listen!   Smart social media marketers make friends way before they earn customers.   If you dont feel like you have time to listen, hire someone to do it!   Its one of the most important parts of seeing a return on social media marketing! Set up Google Alerts. Include alerts  for your name, your restaurants name, your competitors, restaurant associations, restaurant trends,  etc. Incorporate your findings into specials, events, adjustments and coupons. Monitor specific phrases on Twitter that potential customers might be tweeting about.  Use a  free tool like Tweet Deck or search.twitter.com.   Respond to these phrases.   Chat with these people online. Run a fun and interactive Facebook fan page. One way of doing this is to make your customers into local celebrities.   For example, consider featuring local high school athletes, veterans, new Moms, grandparents or college graduates depending on your target market and offerings. Offer a discount to those who show they are a fan on Facebook or check in using Four Square. Post pollson your website, blog or Facebook fan page to engage visitors and find out peoples favorite dishes.   Use the results  to improve your business. Address customer service issues as they happen by monitoring online “chatter.” If someone complains about bad service or cold lasagna, apologize and offer something to them to prove you really care.   Not only have you learned a valuable tip on how to improve your business (perhaps a staff member needs to go if several people share the same complaint) you’ve left that customer feeling surprised and satisfied that you were listening and addressed their issue personally. Make sure your restaurant is on Yelp.   Monitor the comments from yelpers, address concerns and adjust internally as needed.   Remember, one dissatisfied customer can send one tweet, blog post or status update to thousands of people with the click of a button! Consider starting a blog.   Blogs provide fresh content which makes search engines happy. Happy search engines means more visitors to your website, which equals more customers at your restaurant. Again, if you don’t think you have time to maintain a blog, hire someone to do this to stay consistent with your posting frequency. Add interactive media to your restaurant’s web site or blog.   For example, you could use short videos to introduce the chef and staff.   If you want to get really into it, show how the food is prepped or share a simple cooking technique.   You could get really creative with interactive media! Now your customers can “try before they buy,” a winning strategy for any busines! Bonus Tip: When writing blog posts or copy for your website, incorporate relevant keywords.   For example: the name of your restaurant, the name of your town and/or neighborhood and other phrases that people put into Google searches. Incorporate these keyword phrases into the text as much as you can (without losing readability of course!).   Over time, this strategy will make it easy for locals to find you in Google searches. So, in review Keep 3 things in mind when you use social media marketing for your local restaurant or small business: Know your customers,   care about your customers and evolve with your customers.

Team Building How to Improve Your Employees Ability to Work Together as a Team

Team Building How to Improve Your Employees Ability to Work Together as a Team Unity is strength. . . when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. Mattie Stepanek As a business owner, it is vital for you to ensure that you and your employees can work towards a common goal. Your staff is your company’s most valuable resource, and they are one of the main drivers of your business vision, mission, and goals. However, people often become frustrated, and they can battle to work together in a team. Consequently, the question is how do you, as a leader, keep your staff motivated and enthusiastic about working together towards a common goal? In short, the answer is team building. Team building: What, how, and why? Before we look at the team building skills that are required to improve your staff’s ability to work together, let’s look at what the definition of team building is: Susan Heathfield of TheBalance.com defines team building as the process of turning a group of individual employees into a cohesive team, a group of people organized to work together interdependently and cooperatively to meet the needs of their customers by accomplishing their purpose and goals. Additionally, Bruce Tuckman determined that there are five main stages of team building: Searching, Defining, Identifying, Processing, Assimilating/Reforming. In other words, each team has to go through these five stages before they can truly work together as a team. Now that we understand the concept of team building, let’s have a look at how to utilize this process to enhance your staff’s ability to work together with each other. The process of team building At the onset, it can be helpful to designate a team building manager or hire a consultant to spearhead your efforts (and to avoid any disastrous results). Team formation In this stage, team members will meet to form a clear understanding of what each person’s role in the team is. Members agree on common goals, decide how these goals are broken down into actions, and then role players are assigned to complete each action. Team definition The individual expression of ideas is both a blessing and a curse in a team. At this stage, team members sometimes compete to be the controlling member of the team. It becomes crucial that the team has a clear leader. Leadership style and decision-making methodologies are discussed at this point. Once a leader has been elected, he or she will guide the team towards working together and exercising tolerance and patience with each other. Working together as a team During this phase, under the guidance of an effective leader, the team develops good working habits and a strong work ethic. They work through their predetermined communication methods. Conflict resolution techniques are taught, and all members of the team participate in working together as a professional team. Growing together The team continues to collaborate as a highly-effective and functional unit. They share knowledge with each other, and they trust that all of the team members are continuing to work together for the common good of the team. The team leader’s role changes during this phase, becoming more of a facilitator and mentor rather than a decisive leader. Finalization of project/team It is important that the team celebrates its success once the project has come to an end.  Should a team work together daily and not towards a finite end date, the team will continue to grow together and function more efficiently as a team.

Qualify Your Personal Brands Leads For Increased Sales - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Qualify Your Personal Brand’s Leads For Increased Sales - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When it comes to building a customer base many brands may miss out on more targeted opportunities. Instead of reaching out to a large group of prospects it’s important to better understand who is more willing to make a purchase. A lead scoring method is one way to hone in on who exactly your audience is. Your products or services may have a large appeal, but only a select number of people will be interested in them. Your brand’s marketing outreach is a starting point to discover who the best contacts are for lead nurturing such as subscribers from sign up forms, contests, social media, ect. How exactly can you discover the right prospects? Through careful data research that can be done manually or with the help of online software. Hiring a sales representative or team can also help your brand along in this endeavor. The following are three different ways to approach lead scoring research for less waste and an increase in interested sales. How to discover your brand’s hot prospects Once your brand is able to narrow down interested buyers your chances of increasing your bottom line are greatly increased. • Traditional research methods Large brands and businesses have used this type of lead scoring in the past to determine who have been the most interested customers in the past, and potential leads based on intuition. Researching this way may involve a more complex study of geographical location, the size and budget of a company, online activity and reactions, ect. • Data driven Online software and services can automatically gather data from your leads and customers and provide statistics for you. This method of predictive lead scoring can be a much faster and simpler approach without the demands of having to hire a sales consultant to do the work for you. The automated algorithm can define the behavior of your audience, reasons for leaving or staying on a website, content marketing measurement, and more. • Create a steady flow of communication Once your brand has qualified warm leads the next step is to set up a regular schedule of email communication and follow-ups. This is essential to keeping your prospects interested and informed about new products or services. Taking the time to research your target market will not only create a more focused and clear perception, but also helps you reach out to the most interested leads. This can also improve your brand’s message and communication on social media and your blog.

Overwhelmed Theres a Way Out

Overwhelmed There’s a Way Out Photo Credit Stressed OutWhen I took on the task of converting my communications system to Infusionsoft, I hired a company to help. I provided them with my company’s operations manual, and soon I was presented with an 84-page document for my review. Eight-four pages of email messages was enough to up my stress level in itself. And worse, the draft was so poorly written that I would have been embarrassed to send them to our customers.The language in the emails was too informal for my company’s brand, and there were spelling and grammatical errors in pretty much every one. Not a single email was written in a way that I would want it to appear to my clients. Although my assistant had done some editing on the document already, there was a whole lot left to do. My anger at the low quality of this writing, from a company that had been recommended to me, did not help my attention as I considered the task before me.How would you feel if you received an 84-page document like this to edit? Does “overwhelmed” describe it sufficiently?Light Bulb MomentFor me, “overwhelmed” was a fairly accurate description, which I identify as a combination of anger and fear. As I went through the first 15 pages, however, I began to realize that I did not have to be overwhelmed by this project â€" at least not now. Patterns began to emerge in the errors that had been made, and I suddenly had a big insight: I could delegate editing this document back to my assistant! I wrote a list of four tasks for her that, once completed, would make my job a lot easier.evalMy assistant got the document into much better shape and although I can’t say it was a walk in the park, I was able to edit in a few work sessions without losing my mind.Delegating the Big Tasks The feeling of overwhelm has, no surprise, surfaced in my business many times. I experienced it when I started getting dozens of LinkedIn invitations per week and “had to” respond to all of them myself. I experienced it when I was entering my own bookkeeping data. I experienced it when I was posting my blog article to WordPress every week and finding images to insert. I experienced it when I was creating screenshots for my e-book. And I experienced it while organizing my leads and conversions each month, pulling from multiple email folders to create a complete list.In every one of these cases, I managed to let go of doing the task myself, figure out step by step what I was doing so that someone else could do it, document the task, and hand it over. None of this was easy for me, as I am rather controlling and want things done right. I had to make a shift in thinking from “I’m the only one who can do this” to “I can teach someone else how to do this.”Freeedom!The benefit of successful delegation has been my freedom. My business has grown, and even with more clients I have more time to do things I want to do for myself: cooking, yoga, spending time with friends, traveling, and concentrating on my personal growth.I am now regularly on the lookout for signs of overwhelm because I know that it means it’s time to expand, let go, trust, and create freedom in a way I might not have believed was possible.Where in your life are you experiencing overwhelmed by a project? How can you enroll others to make it look more doable? I’d love to hear about the challenges you’ve experienced, solutions you’ve implemented, and any new ideas you have for approaching big tasks so you can thrive.

Should You Be Active On Multiple Social Media Platforms

Should You Be Active On Multiple Social Media Platforms Can you be both genuine and active if you are on  multiple social media platforms? This is the issue Mark Babbitt and I discuss. And we both agree, there are smart ways to use social media for your career growth without investing tons of time and still come across as genuine. This post was inspired by a tweet I got from Scott Berkun. Scott Berkun (author and speaker, “keynoting important conferences and  teaching inspiring lessons about creativity, management, leadership, innovation and  more”) asked: “But how can anyone authentically invest in all these mediums at the same time? There are a surplus of opportunities @careersherpa But how can anyone authentically invest in all these mediums at the same time? There are a surplus of opportunities â€" Scott Berkun (@berkun) February 21, 2017 This is a great question. Is it possible to be active on several social media channels and come across as genuine while keeping your sanity? Do you suffer from  FOMO (fear of missing out) or worse, NGPTG (not going to play that game)? Think about this statistic 41% of employers say they are less likely to interview job candidates if they are unable to find information about that person online â€" a 6% increase since last year. (CareerBuilder 2016) Finding the right balance  of being just active enough will net you many amazing and often unexpected results. New friends, learning new things, exposure to new ideas, and a wee bit of social media savvy. It is no longer advisable NOT to be on social media. I turned to someone I know is active on social media and author of  A World Gone Social  to get his take on this conundrum- Mark S. Babbitt. Mark is CEO of YouTern, a community that enables young talent to become highly employable by connecting them to internships, mentors and contemporary career advice. Mark is also President of Switch and Shift, a consultancy that champions social leadership, creation of an optimistic workplace and human-centered business models. His newest community, ForwardHeroes.org, will launch in 2017 to help our military veterans transition successfully into civilian careers. Hes an entrepreneur, mentor and leader who, early on, saw social and digital media as not just another way to communicate but as a foundation on which we can build community, demonstrate expertise and launch entire brands, from personal to corporate. When not working to help clients from start-ups to Fortune 100 clients embrace the Social Age, Mark writes for outlets such as Harvard Business Review, Inc.com, Forbes, Huffington Post and Bloomberg News.  The Questions Ambitiously, I drafted these questions, though we didnt quite get through all of them Which  social networks/platforms do you have profiles on? How many do you actively use? How much time do you spend on social a day? Is there a down-side to being on too many social networks? Let’s answer Scott Berkun’s question: “How can anyone authentically invest in all these mediums at the same time?” What advice would you give someone just starting out on social Recap: Should You Be Active On Multiple Social Media Platforms? Why not! Social Media Doesnt Have To Be A Time Suck Once you come up the learning curve, it doesnt take a lot of time to stay active on  multiple social media platforms. You need a plan. Mark  said, during an  interview with David Burkuss Work Smarter Summit, that he spends  1/3 of his time composing, 1/3 of his  time listening and 1/3 of his  time extending the conversation through commenting. Mark has multiple companies as well as his own personal brand and yet he spends a little over an hour  a day on social. Can you invest 30 minutes a day?  20 Things You Can Do To Help Your Career (In Under 5 Minutes) What Social Media Platforms Are Best The answer isit depends. Obviously, LinkedIn should be mastered first. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram  are the more popular social media platforms right now. Mark and I use them all. You can read Claim Your Digital Terrain for help use each of these social media platforms (and more)

How to Teach a Resume Writing Class

How to Teach a Resume Writing ClassYou can teach a resume writing class at your local community college. It doesn't matter if you're a teacher, an employer or even an employer's assistant. The only thing that matters is the ability to teach, and if you have any passion for something you can do it, especially if you're an instructional writer.Resume writing classes are available to everyone that's passionate about teaching. Even if you don't know how to write a resume that will look good on the page, you can still be an instructor and teach a resume writing class. If you're looking for a job, a teacher, or an instructional writer, this is the perfect way to begin your education.There are hundreds of instructors all over the country who are looking for students who want to teach. It doesn't matter what your background is, where you've been, or what your dreams are, you can teach as long as you want to. You don't need a degree or certification to teach. You just need a love for the subj ect and a desire to teach others.As an instructor, how you teach a resume writing class will be up to you. You can offer free online coursework, or you can charge a small fee to take a course and take your training from the comfort of your own home. Either way, you'll be in control of your schedule and the equipment you use. You won't be limited by a schedule because of a lack of funding.Instructors need to be fully equipped to teach their classes. Without everything needed, the class could fall apart quickly, and when that happens, students can't go the next day. Students who go the next day to miss out on being taught, and they don't learn as much as they would if they were able to enroll and take the class in the first place.Teaching is no different than being an instructor in any field of study. The only difference is the discipline and the ability to succeed in order to create a product. Without this discipline, it's impossible to produce a good product.The process of teaching a resume writing class begins with the student and then moving on to the instructor. Each student needs to learn how to write a resume from scratch, and they all need to learn how to explain their experience in a way that the potential employer or hiring manager will understand. A great instructor will explain all of the details for you so that you don't have to worry about explaining it yourself.Teaching resumes isn't easy. There's plenty of work involved and some research to do. For these reasons, most instructors choose to offer online courses to keep things simple. However, if you're committed to taking a personal resume writing class at your local community college, or if you have the desire to teach a resume writing class, there are some ways you can do it.