Friday, October 17, 2014

What Successful People Do in the First 15 Minutes of Their Working Day

Starting your day at work might often be a huge boner for you because; yes it’s a workday. But then again, think of it this way—you can make things smooth and better if you know how to start it right. To commence the day, you should motivate yourself in anyway as possible to become productive, just like how a digital marketing agency in the Philippines and their employees do it, as an example.


The first few minutes in the office is crucial; it should set the mood in order to accomplish and score productivity. Below are some ideas on how one can be truly successful at the office, not only for a day but also always.

Think / Reflect

A person who reflects might be able to get a clearer idea of what he or she is going to do during the day. Thinking also helps your brain, making it practice critically or just going around your mind palace. It also helps to reflect so your mind is ready for the challenges up ahead. Questions like, “What did I accomplish toward my goals so far this week?” or “What is the status of my current projects?” or “What do I need to accomplish?” are just a few of which you should answer to keep yourself updated.

Make Yourself Comfortable

Successful people take some time at the beginning of the workday making sure that the items they frequently access such as their keyboard, computer mouse, phone, etc. are all in comfortable reach, most especially the chair or desk they are designated on. Being comfortable makes the tasks to be done easier when performed. You also have to ensure that you have proper lighting to have an ergonomic environment that is functional. But of course, make to a point that you won’t get too comfortable because doing so might have you slacking off.

Stretching Helps

This makes your muscles and your body’s reflexes more prepared to the day’s work and from the sedentary sitting position. Aside from that, stretching makes your blood circulation into a good condition. You should also consider walking or standing in the first few minutes of the workday. With that, it can give you greater control as you tackle the day’s agenda.

Listen to Music

Music helps a lot. This can create a mood, which would make your body and mind ready for the day. Perhaps you might have a workday playlist that you can play (and sing along) while getting ready for the day’s hustle!

Organize Workspace

It is important to have that space in your own desk because you would not be able to move around freely and quickly. Organizing your workspace is a must-do to keep your desk clean. Facing a cleaner slate on your desktop will better clear your mind for the day’s tasks.

Prioritization is The Key

For a person who is about to go on a 9-5 hour work shift, there might be projects coming along the way, not mentioning the current ones that you are working on. Be reminded that to make things smooth flowing, you need to have a priority-list and know which ones are urgent and important. Or, you can go beyond just making a list, and challenge yourself to create a realistic hierarchy for your projects.

Review To Do Lists

It is already a given that you have prepared your to-do-lists. And the many you have on the list, the more of a possibility that you will be able to miss out on them if you don’t keep yourself updated. From time to time, make sure to check and review your list so you could stick to the plan and focus on the more important things.

Strategically Check Emails

Checking your email is maybe one of the most tedious tasks you would be doing especially when you have been doing it from the start of your day. Strategically check your emails by quickly scanning and prioritizing which emails you could answer later as part of your pre-planned day, instead of diving into the entire mass at once.

Map The Day Out

By mapping out your day, it means getting ready for what will happen during the work hours. Organizing your thoughts of which things to prioritize will help, and then maybe you can write down what they are on sticky notes or your organizer. Do what works for you to keep the workflow smooth and easy.

Taking A Moment to Be Grateful

By being grateful, would mean keeping positive vibes to come in. Gratitude on the simple things that come in hand is a good practice. Identifying something you are grateful for, it may be personal or business related is a great way for a successful person to start their day with.


Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Driving Employees Satisfaction beyond Their Works

It’s a great challenge for the companies, to mention few of them, especially some of SEO Consulting Services firm that appoints number of staffs, on how they’re going to treat their employees which will contribute to them good performance and at the same time are satisfied to their works.

Most of the working people or the employees nowadays derive satisfaction from having some control over their working environment. They prefer to work in an environment where they feel comfortable with their colleagues and supervisors that will lead into an enjoyable job that will allow them to work independently for much of the time. But beyond that, the main reason most people seek employment is for the monetary compensation which is a vital aspect of all jobs that employees need most.



In its simplest terms, employee’s competence is their ability to get the job done. Their abilities to set priorities, to separate the relevant from the irrelevant tasks, and then to concentrate single-minded until the job is complete.




For the Wages                 

In view of the fact, that most of the employees of today’s generation are so demanding about their works in order for them to support their living. It may be part of working but the promotion and increment of salary do not ensure that all of the employees are satisfied in an organization. They need to work at their optimum level to have the most job satisfaction where they can fairly presents new challenges and some changes to keep constantly engaged with their works.


For their Stance 
Employees have attitudes or viewpoints about many aspects of their jobs, their careers, and their organizations. However, from the perspective of research, the most focal employee attitude is job satisfaction. Thus, referring to employee attitudes also are specific focus will concern job satisfaction.

Job satisfaction is defined as “a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experience. The importance of both affect, or feeling, and cognition, or thinking, when we think, we have feelings about what we think. Conversely, when we have feelings, we think about what we feel. Cognition and affect are thus inextricably linked, in our psychology and even in our biology. Thus, when evaluating our jobs, as when we assess most anything important to us, both thinking and feeling are involved.” (Locke, 1976)

Being involved in the decision making, autonomy in planning about the employees’ work made to feel that he or she is part of the big picture of the company. Thus, the workers really want is meaningful work that stretches them beyond their current abilities and goals that will force them to learn new skills and work hard at the same time.

 

For their Ideal Workplace
  
They say that it is very important that employers know what their employees need to be satisfied on the job and make every effort to fill those needs well. A great workplace also attracts the loyal and dedicated applicants in the first place. 

The bottom line is that the more satisfied your employee, is the better chance you have to retain them as a productive, loyal staff member who makes your job easier. By managing your workplace in a way that meets your employee’s needs, you can keep them happy for a long time and save yourself the time 
and money to find something new.
 
 If you pay attention to these ten things employees want in a job, you will have a real opportunity to create a team of inspired and highly engaged employees. That's good news for your employees and for your career.

Give your employees a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities and objectives. Do this one on one and with the team.
Always remember, this isn't a one-time event. Do it periodically through the year: monthly to quarterly. Conducting performance reviews only once a year doesn't cut it today. Most performance problems come from a lack of clear expectations or goals and a lack of recognition.

Try to keep in touch with this line: “There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization’s overall performance: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow. It goes without saying that no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”  Jack Welch

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Focus Your Business Efforts to Right Customers

Remember that time when you wanted to date that person you have been eyeing on for prom? When you really tried and asked her out for the reason that you wanted to get to know her better? You’ve sent her bouquet of flowers and treated her for lunch and escorted her to parties but still, your efforts haven’t been paid enough? It may sound desperate but you also need to be noticed. However, this does not always apply every time. And just like having a business, say for example an SEO consulting services firm, or any type of business you are in, it’s like courting your customers, but over the right efforts and right ones.


Despite having that charisma, there would be times when you would feel that your efforts have not been paid off. But won’t you ask yourself, “Am I doing this for the wrong person?” Call it marketing but the truth is you have to keep your radars up and psych on the potential customers and not just wasting time on some different people whom you think would not mind you.

There are a lot of reasons why they don’t notice you that much perhaps because of the following:

Because they compare. They might be looking for some other companies whom they think are better than you.

Tip: Make this as a motivation to be better. You would not know when you’re big break’s going to be so better be prepared.

Because they think you are not good enough. Customers are still finding some proof from you whether you could be of help to them.

Tip: Take this as a challenge. You can banner out the projects you have accomplished from various past and current clients you have been working for. Show them your work.

Because they have found what suits them. Sure, they may have found what suits them. What works for them, works for them. Let them be.

Tip: Learn from the experts. Know their strategies on why people keep on coming for them. There is no better way of learning than experiencing.

Because they just don’t want you. Perhaps because they can’t afford your services, that is why they’re opting for others. You don’t have something at fault. They’re missing the point.

Tip: Hone your skills more and be more passionate about what you are doing. Let them see that what you are doing is truly worth a thousand pennies.

People make decisions and they have their own choices. But oftentimes, they are still finding the right choices even if they have already decided things. By doing so, it would mean keeping you more determined and at the same time, open to ideas for you to grow more and be more than enough a client needs.


Identify Your Key Clients.

By knowing your key clients, it would be easy for you to know what strategies to do and what products you should focus on for a particular customer. It would also be good to have a client relationship to be more comfortable with each other and for your clients to be more receptive as you introduce your services.

As a firm, you can also choose clients that have unrealized potential. By doing so, you will be able to see tangible results as you help them grow their business.

Discovery Process.

A good step to do next is the process of developing a strategy for your firm. In this way, you will be able to approach the list of your target clients properly. For example, you are a link building services firm, by undergoing the discovery process, this would include thinking about the needs of each business, what’s going on in their industry, the goals of your clients, what resources your company can offer them and most importantly, how to communicate those services to them.


By these strategies, your firm will increase the odds of garnering clients who will surely utilize your value added services and in turn, your client’s loyalty to your firm. Once you’ve chosen you clients and when they choose you, alert them of your new services and give them the best that you could do.

Source: entrepreneur.com

Monday, September 29, 2014

How To Create Happy and Motivated Employees and Make Them Stay

For businesses, it is important to value your employees, next to your customers. Why? Because without them, you would not have enough manpower to operate your company and the other duties and responsibilities that are needed to be focused on, that is why proper treatment to your personnel is your task too as an owner of the business. Say for example, you are an owner or head of management of an SEO consulting services firm, which employs quite a number of staff, or any kind of business whatsoever, it should be the management’s task to satisfy your employees in return for the hard work they have invested on your company.


Below are some tidbits a company’s management should know, no matter how many employees you have at the moment:

Define Vision

As the ‘leader’ of the company, the vision should come from you. But in order for this to be realized, you have to let your employees know what your vision and mission is, so they could also embody this within themselves. Aside from that, be an inspiring leader who, not only withholds what good trait a true leader should have but also, motivates his employees of their tasks.



Give Them What They Want and Need

Give your employees the proper training and equipment they need in order to deliver the work you are expecting them to do. Remember that you should not always assume that each and every one of your employees has all the tools and knowledge. As a supervisor, you should know their strengths and weaknesses to be able to know which area they needed to improve on and hone.

Communicate Well and Often

Communication is important. And by communication, it would mean having training sessions, sending out memos, newsletters, and regular meetings or simply allowing them to give you a message whenever an information sent to them turns out to be something they are confused about. Redesign the way the information reaches them if you have to. There has to be an amicable and two-way interaction between you and your employees, so in the long run you would not have the difficulty of engaging with them.


Get Everyone Engaged

Figure out how you could keep your employees engaged in planning and decision-making; something they would be willing to fight for. Whenever possible, make it a point that they’re input and ideas are being asked. This way, they have a vested interest in seeing the project succeed and can empower and motivate themselves.

Coach Success

Give them feedbacks as much as possible. Be a mentor and keep them motivated, not only by you, but also by themselves as well. Don’t wait for periodic reviews; instead, offer feedback as often as possible. Constructive criticisms are all right as long as you explain to them why you have given them such feedback and that they can have the opportunity to discuss ongoing projects and issues. These meetings won’t take a lot of time and they can build strong relationships.



Respect and Act Fairly

As a leader, use your judgment, wisdom and experience to create a supportive judgment. Respect and trust your team and you will get the same in return. Admit that you are wrong whenever your make mistakes and apologize. This way, your employees will gain trust and appreciate your honesty.

Discipline Yet Keep The Fun

It is important to have fun especially if the workload becomes too tough. At the same time, you can keep the discipline among your employees when you practice this with them. There are always a time for duty and pleasure so keep the work-life balance a stable one.


Implement Incentive Programs

This is a perk you can give to your employees based on their actual performance and paid out only after an employee has reached the desired goal. No matter what kind of business you are in, it is important to look into incentive programs. This will make a positive impact on the company as a whole, having your employees strive harder to meet the target needed.


How about you? What kind of work ethics and employee-employer relations can you share? The comment section is always welcome to have your thoughts.

Source: triplepundit.com