How to Prove Yourself after a Promotion

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Everyone has heard of “Impostor Syndrome.” It is a pattern of thought wherein the individual second guesses their success and feels as if they don’t belong. Hopefully that’s never the case for anyone, but those who find themselves in such a position may feel as if they need to prove themselves – whether it is to the company or a boss or to themselves. What are some ways that someone can assuage themselves that yes, in fact you have been chosen on merit? Or that yes, now a promotion has been granted to you, you will try to demonstrate skills you never thought you had?

Positive Thinking

Getting a promotion at work may come with its own set of new rules. There will be more responsibility, a new social circle with more experienced or successful colleagues and more. Simply thinking positively can help with your adjustment. After all, there is a reason why a promotion is given. Decision-makers know the person is up for the job and has stood out in their prior capacities, and feel the person now belongs. If they know, why don’t you? Trying hard to seem impressive is bad in its own way, especially if done from a position of insecurity.

Confidence and Competence

Being respectful, professional and chiming in from a position of authority helps with confidence in knowing that the knowledge required for this new role is there, and more responsibility means that knowledge will be placed into action. Interactions with new colleagues will now take on added meaning, and seeming competent and confident can help.

Socializing

Maybe needing to fit in is an issue. Reaching out to those who have been there, done that is an important piece of the puzzle. Make new friends, and meet new mentors who will help navigate the waters of this new position. Scheduling talks with new workmates may prove to be beneficial as they will see someone who is legitimately interesting in tackling their new role with gusto while also trying to create new relationships and understand the team’s goals. Figuring out how decisions are made and how people interact with each other in this new group may hold the key to knowing exactly where you stand, but make sure to be careful and feel everything out first.

If you have just earned a promotion, congratulations! Now it’s time to prove yourself and get to work. The best way to do this is through positive thinking, confidence and competence and socializing. Follow these tips and you will prove yourself in no time!

Powerful Ways to Thank your Employees

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With today’s fast-paced marketplace and high rate of turnover in some industries, it’s common for employees to feel unappreciated and taken for granted. That’s why it’s important for employers to take the time to express a message of thanks to those hard-working individuals who make a company’s wheels turn smoothly. Here are five powerful ways to thank your employees for their hard work.

Employee of the Month

The traditional, tried-and-true method of showing gratitude by posting a “wall of fame” for outstanding associates will never go out of style.

Gift Card and a Thank You Note

Gift cards have sometimes been a maligned present in social situations. In the workplace, however, a gift card with a written note of thanks is generally perceived as a thoughtful touch, especially if it’s to one of the person’s favorite establishments. It shows that the employer pays attention to the associates as individuals instead of faceless worker bees.

Company Sponsored Trip to an Amusement Park

Roller coasters, waterparks and fun in the sun! Present the gift of a good time by giving family passes to employees after a great financial quarter. Cost need not be a barrier to offering this as a prize; companies can often get prices slashed when purchasing tickets in quantity.

Offering tickets to employees at a steep discount can also ease the burden of paying some of the exorbitant fees of popular amusement parks.

Extra Time Off

Even a person who loves their job longs to make more space in their schedule for work/life balance. What better gift to give an employee than a little time away from the job? Spouses, kids, and pets will rejoice at the opportunity to get to hang out with their loved one on an unexpected free day. Even allowing employees to leave early on a workday would be a wonderful break from the norm.

In Office Feast

The way to employees’ hearts is through their stomachs; who doesn’t love copious amounts of free, delicious food? Setting up a potluck—or better yet, calling in catering is a sure-fire way to get an employer’s gratitude across. The feeling of a satiated appetite and a full belly is always a rewarding experience in the workplace.

How to Start your Mornings on the Right Foot

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The tone of your morning will determine the tone of your day, so it’s time to start planning accordingly. What are some steps you can take to ensure a positive start to your day?

Hydrate

The benefits of drinking water are plenty, but the benefits of drinking water immediately after waking up, instead of coffee, are even greater. After a full night’s rest, our bodies are often dehydrated. Drinking a glass of water when you wake up will not only quench your thirst, it will rehydrate you, fire up your metabolism and provide fuel for your brain.

Make your Bed

Perhaps you think making your bed is a waste of time, or unnecessary. You won’t be home to see it all day, plus, you’re getting back into it at night. Wrong. Making your bed is a very simple action that you can take in the morning that will help you start your day feeling accomplished. Getting the simple and easy tasks out of the way in the morning also give you the foundation to take on larger projects throughout the day.

Exercise

It does not matter what type of exercise you choose to do in the morning, but get your body moving in some way. Whether it be yoga, a brisk walk with your dog or a set of sit-ups, any type of movement in the morning will help get you started on the right foot. As your blood starts flowing, your mental chatter will slow. If you begin to get bored with one type of exercise, change it up.

Stay Unplugged

If you have gotten into the habit of checking your work email as soon as you wake up, it is time to change that. By doing this, you are immediately cultivating a reactive mindset, instead of a proactive one, which will cause you to start your day in a defensive state, rather than a place of inner peace and control. Stay unplugged for the first hour of the day. This will start your day with a peaceful mind, and don’t worry, those work emails will still be there an hour later!

The morning is the setup for our entire day. So instead of rushing through it, slow down and enjoy. Drink water, make your bed, get your blood flowing with exercise and remain unconnected for as long as possible.

How Reading Affects Your Work

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In the past year, about a quarter of American adults did not read even a part of one book. This is an alarming statistic! Why? Reading has so many benefits including many directly related to your job performance. What are those benefits?

Fiction Leads to More Creativity

Reading nonfiction books related to your career and subject matter is a given. If you want to continue to learn and grow in your field, you should absolutely be doing this. However, don’t discount fiction books, According to research conducted at the University of Toronto, study participants who read short-story fiction experienced far less need for “cognitive closure” compared with counterparts who read nonfiction essays. Essentially, they tested as more open-minded than those who solely read nonfiction.

Reading Makes you a Better Leader

When it comes to better connecting with others, one study found that people who read for just thirty minutes per week reported a stronger sense of empathy. This ability to relate to other people—to be able to place yourself in their shoes—is a skill that readers have in common with the best leaders.

It Makes You Smarter

Your brain is like a muscle, and you need to exercise it to keep it healthy. The more you exercise the muscles in your brain, the stronger they become. Reading will not only help you to learn new things, it will improve your overall intelligence, too. Think about reading like lifting weights for your brain. The more consistently you do it, the stronger your brain will become!

Your Vocabulary Improves

This may go without saying, but reading regularly and reading a variety of styles will teach you new words and give you the confidence to use them in everyday life. Strong communication skills and the ability to voice your thoughts in a concise and effective way is a crucial tool for any employee to have in their skillset.

Next time you go to turn the tv on to fall asleep, pick up that book on your nightstand instead. When you’re anticipating waiting in the doctor’s office, bring a book to read. Incorporating reading, both fiction and nonfiction books, into your lifestyle will have many benefits but best of all, it will make you a better employee!

How Robots are Entering the Corporate Finance World

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Robots today are commonly used in the automotive and other manufacturing industries on assembly lines. The mechanical devices have also been implemented in medical settings to disinfect areas, monitor patients and perform surgeries. Robotic process automation or RPA is now venturing into the corporate finance field.

The use of ledgers and spreadsheet programs keep financial processes trapped in the 20th century. Employees commonly spend the majority of their days gathering, consolidating and verifying information. Time is also spent analyzing data and making decisions. Robotic processes and artificial intelligence have the ability to train software robots to automatically process transactions, perform audits and track compliance. The technology will also have the ability to upgrade their functions based on new information and experience.

Analytic Functions

Many financial executives plan on adopting the automated technology and some already use RPA. Robotic processes expedite accounts received and paid out while helping to maintain client relations. When an error occurs, many man hours are typically required to find and correct the problem. However, by automating the process, errors are detected quickly along with having the ability to recommend solutions.

Cost Efficiency

Companies have the potential of losing profits through errors, fraud or overpayment. Manual audits are time-consuming and often may not detect errors or wasted profits. Artificial intelligence requires less time to perform the function and is better able to monitor and analyze transactions. Equipped with current trend information, robotic processes discover problems that may otherwise go unnoticed. In this way, companies save money while being more efficient.

Educational Options

Depending on the type of AI processes implemented, the technology has the potential to educate employees. The technology can be useful for training employees to see patterns or trends in order for individuals to make better informed financial decisions. For example, the processes are capable of saving companies money in terms of business travel. By storing and analyzing travel and accommodation data, robotics would be able to make cost-effective recommendations based on location and time of year.

AI Assistants

Much like Alexa and Siri act as vocal digital assistants, artificial intelligence could benefit financial employees in a wide range of instances from the office to the boardroom. The processes might be equipped with the capability to quickly access and analyze data before CEOs make a decision. Robotics might also answer questions on the spur of the moment.

How to Improve Your Small Business in 2018

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Pepper Rutland How To Improve Your Small Business in 2018Starting a small business is difficult for anyone to do. Small business owners have to do a lot of the work themselves, and this can be very taxing on an individual. With all of the different changes taking place in the economy, small business owners need to be prepared to act quickly in order to gain market share.

 

There are many areas that small business owners can concentrate on in order to improve both sales and profits. Here, I’ve highlighted a few of these areas.

 

Invest in Marketing

 

A marketing plan is critical to growing a company over a long period of time. There are numerous business owners who feel like they do not have time to develop a marketing plan and rely too heavily on word of mouth and social media posting. While both are key elements to a strong brand presence,  this is the wrong approach to take in order to develop a company. Instead, small business owners should decide what marketing tactics will resonate with customers the most.

 

With all of the different marketing options today, the entire process can feel overwhelming. It is important to have a strong online presence for any business. The vast majority of customers search for a product or service online before making a purchase decision.

 

Hire Quality Employees

 

One of the most important aspects of running a successful company is hiring the right workers. There are numerous small business owners who rush through the hiring process. This is not a good plan for growth over a long period of time. One wrong hire can be extremely costly to any business owner. Business owners should spend an adequate amount of time getting to know each potential job candidate. Over time, this is the best way to make a great hiring decision.

 

Develop a Financing Plan

 

Of course, many small business owners want to grow their company in 2018. A lack of capital, however, often prevents them from personally investing in their business. Borrowing money is not necessarily a bad thing if it will help increase sales and profits. It is important to have a plan to pay the loan down as fast as possible. Some business owners get into financial trouble because they attempt to borrow too much money at one time, and don’t have a viable plan in place to spend it wisely, or pay it back in a timely fashion.

 

The economy is starting to show signs of strength in various areas. Now is a great time for business owners to implement changes for the new year. With the right strategy, a business can increase both sales and profits.

3 Entrepreneurs To Watch In 2018

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Pepper Rutland 3 Entrepreneurs to watch in 2018The past few years have seen a surge of startup businesses by young millennials looking to conquer the world. As 2018 begins, we are already seeing go-getters taking their ideas and creating innovative business ideas that could change the world.

 

With so many young entrepreneurs on the scene, there are a few that you should keep an eye on this year. Meet three entrepreneurs that are ready to take 2018 by storm.

 

  1. Nick Mares

 

This young millennial is looking to educate the world on healthy eating habits, one bowl of bone broth at a time. Mares created Kettle and Fire in 2015 with the help of his brother, Justin. Within two short years, their line of bone broths were available in more than 1,700 stores. Their product line has been picked up by Krogers, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and several other popular grocery store chains. Mares plans on introducing a handful of new products this year. Business experts estimate that Kettle and Fire is looking to earn at least eight figures in 2018 alone.

 

  1. Kathryn Minshew

 

To put it lightly, Kathryn has turned the recruiting world on its head. Feeling the pressures of finding the perfect career, Kathryn Minshew decided to take matters into her own hands to help other young, industry hopefuls struggling to find the right positions. She is the founder and CEO of The Muse, a website (and really, an online community) that explores different job prospects in the hopes of giving people the career advice they need.

 

  1. Kai Kloepfer

 

Gun safety is a hot button issue right now and one millennial sees it as a lucrative business opportunity. The MIT sophomore is the mastermind behind Biofire Technologies. With the mission of “building smarter guns with biometrics”, Biofire helps implement smart technology into the manufacturing of guns. For example, one clever innovation by Biofire makes the gun recognize that it is being operated by the correct owner. This technology looks to help make guns safer and smarter.

 

These three twenty somethings are helping change the way the world works. With so many millennials looking to take their innovative ideas to the next level, 2018 is sure to be a year of promising startup companies.

Chatbots and Customer Service

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Every entrepreneur and business owner knows that customer service is key to a lasting and successful project, initiative, or company. Being the department that possibly interacts the most with your audience, it’s highly likely that you have spent countless hours looking for the best customer service employees and tools to elevate your service to the next level. When the digital age arrived, however, the rules with customer service began to change. No longer were you greeted with a, “Hello, how can I help you?” from a real live person, but instead with a, “Please press 1 for more options” message coming from a robotic voice. While both methods are efficient, it’s important to note that the customer service rules have changed, and programs like chatbots will soon become the norm.

 

Chatbots were born out of a necessity to more efficiently police and traffic calls in high volumes. Quite frankly, it would be nearly impossible for a small office of people to handle transferring incoming calls for a large company such as Wells Fargo or Apple in a timely manner. And with the technology available, companies are able to save money by no longer needing to hire that team of switch-board experts. Chatbots are also attractive to businesses because they allow the customer to have total control of the direction of the call, instead of relying on who is on the other end to understand what they need.

 

At first, chatbots were not very sophisticated and often served as a point of frustration for customers. Since they work off of keywords and not actual context, customers had to readjust their own customer service visions and learn how to interact with the new technology. Chatbots have come a long way since then, and have been integrated with machine learning technology that allows for an easier experience thanks to advancements within artificial intelligence.

 

Chatbots are able to do more than just get a customer from one complaint to a solution, however. They also can yield valuable data and metrics that show where the majority of customer complaints come from. Further even from this, because of the real-time nature of chatbots replacing employees live-chatting with customers to troubleshoot, they’re able to point customers in the direction of other services on your site that they may be interested in as well, all from the keywords that you used during your chatbot inquiry. This will drive sales and increase customer satisfaction.

 

The bottom line behind chatbots and customer service is to not be afraid of the growing technology. There is a healthy balance between an in-person customer service rep and chatbots, and by learning about the best practice for both services, you can create a custom service platform that will serve your customers in the best way possible. And as technology continues to advance, look to chatbots to become even more capable of driving your business towards success in more areas than just customer service.

A New, Old Trend: The Business Card Is Back

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Business cards can play a very important part in any professional’s career. A chance meeting with the CEO of a company you admire or a new connection at a young professional’s mixer, the business card once served as a reminder of your encounter. Soon, however, the business card started becoming so common and overused that they started to pile up like drink coasters at a cocktail party. In the digital wave, they were pushed aside for an exchange of numbers and information on smartphones or a connection on Facebook or LinkedIn. The business card seemed like a thing of the past.

 

Thanks to an awakening of new designs, the power of the business card has been reignited. Clever shapes, more valuable messaging, and a lesson in branding is helping the business card make it’s comeback. If you ever ditched a business card before, you’ll think twice about doing it again after seeing (and, in some cases, experiencing) these new design trends.

 

New Materials

The cardstock you use on your business card can make or break it’s effectiveness. If a card is too flimsy, the person receiving your card might think you’re a reflection of the card’s strength. And there are tons of different choices of cardstock to pick from, making any choice possibly overwhelming. To avoid cardstock confusion, some professionals made the move to different materials such as wood, metal, plastic, and even transparent materials.

 

This reinvention of the material in which a business card is made with has revolutionized the industry, especially amongst young professionals who are looking to make important connections and a lasting impression on potential employers against a strong millennial class of competition. By introducing new materials, they body’s sense of touch becomes involved in the card presenter’s first impression, giving it an even stronger, and cooler looking, message.

 

Shapeshifters

Another way to change your view of business cards is to change the way you view a business card. Try making your rectangular card read vertically instead of horizontally, or, just tip the card on it’s side to make it a portrait shape rather than landscape.

 

Where this trend really becomes interesting is when die-cuts and special shapes are introduced. New designs offer square and circular shaped business cards, as well as cards with cutouts. Some cards even go as far as being foldable for convenience and to fit more information, or to be used as a pop-up element to give excitement to your brand. If you really want to go all out, you can design your cards to have arms and legs, as seen on CompanyFolders.com.

 

Valuing Yourself

The last trend that is important to note has to do with your own self confidence. A business card should reflect who you are, as well as give a glimpse into the work you can provide. It’s the connection between your meeting and an interview. Even if you’re not with a company, you should make yourself a business card and give yourself a brand. What symbols and colors represent you? What does a powerful business card feel like to you? Take these questions into consideration before designing your card to make the best choices in representing yourself.

How To Land A Promotion

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I should preface this by saying there are no shortcuts when trying to get promoted. You absolutely cannot expect to put in half the effort and yield all of the desired results. In fact, in order to stand out from the crowd and make a name for yourself, often times you have to go above and beyond what is required of you within your normal day-to-day job description. So what exactly can you do to make the right impression and land that big promotion? The tips below can give you the guidance you need to find the success you’ve been hoping for.

 

Don’t say you want to be a leader; just be a leader.

Depending on your current role and the nature of your work, there are many different ways as to how to you can establish yourself as a true leader within your company. If you’re already in a managing role, going the extra mile to ensure quality of work will certainly help your chances for a promotion. Educate and reach out to those around you – be someone that other employees can go to over small issues or if they need a question answered. If you’re not in a position of management just yet, you can still apply both of these strategies as they will show that can handle the requirements of a role larger than the one you currently have.

 

Think of the team goals, and not of your own.

It can be difficult to not have a “me, me, me” mentality when thinking about your own goals. Thinking of what you want is not a bad thing, however, it can become a bad thing if it’s not applied to the greater good of the company’s overall goals. As stated in a Forbes article on the topic, “…it is impossible to do all the right things for all the wrong reasons.” You have to know how your strengths fit into the larger goal of the company. When approaching the subject of a promotion, position your pitch towards how you want to help the company succeed, and not what you personally deserve as a hard worker.

 

Be willing to ask for what you want, and show the proof as to why you deserve it.

Opportunities are sometimes hard to come by. If you’re in a particularly small or large company, you might have to create your own. This means that you both have to ask for a promotion, and you have to keep records at all times of what you consider your best work. You can’t always wait for your boss to notice your talents and recognize the projects you’ve had a hand in. And by gathering your top work and examples of leadership, you’ve done your boss’ job for them. This may seem like a scary and rather bold prospect, however, even if there are no opportunities available or your company doesn’t have the resources to carve out a new position to showcase you at that time, you’ve now established yourself as someone who wants a bigger piece of the pie. When the time comes, your boss will already have your portfolio on hand and the impression that you have what it takes to be a go-getter.