Tips on Working Remotely

Over the past few years, more and more companies around the world have discovered the benefits of allowing their employees to work from home. Not only does remote work allow companies to save money on their overhead, but employees enjoy spending more time with their families and simply having a more flexible work schedule. However, remote work does also hold its challenges. Thus, the following list includes a few tips on working remotely.

Communication is Key

One of the most challenging parts of working remotely is keeping open a clear communication channel with co-workers. Thus it is incredibly important to invest some time researching the various communication tools available to you and your team. Tools like Slack, Team, and Google Hangouts are some of the most popular of these tools. In addition, you should also take the time to set up communication channels for all your different groups, such as your HR department and clients, to name a few.

Develop a Routine

Working from home can be great, especially if you don’t like your boss breathing down your neck. However, this freedom often leads to procrastination and eventually less than stellar work. Therefore, it is important to give yourself a work routine. This means waking up at the same time, clocking out at the same time as well as giving yourself daily tasks and datelines.

Location, Location, Location

Just because you are able to work from home does not mean you can sit down anywhere and concentrate. You should never work within busy areas of your home, such as the living room or kitchen. Working from within a home office is the ideal situation, but we understand that not many have this luxury. Great alternatives include the bedroom, patio, or even your tool shed.

Give Yourself Breaks

When you’re working from home, you no longer have managers forcing you to get off the computer and go on break. This lack of accountability can lead to people overworking themselves, which can quickly lead to a decline in their work and overall mental health. Instead of simply agreeing to go on break, make it a habit to set up alarms. These can be quick 10 minutes breaks where you are able to get off the computer for a bit or a whole hour that allows you to step outside and simply energize yourself with some sun and food.

This blog was originally published on James Crickmore’s website.

Leading With Respect

Many leaders perpetually wrestle with others as a way to gain respect for their authority instead of realizing that their approach is internally flawed. The missing aspect is honest respect for the value that their team brings. As backward as this sounds, it is the single piece that will strengthen a leader’s success outside of their own personal abilities. Here is why.

Team Efforts Strengthen a Leader’s Vision

Everyone has valuable pieces to offer to the puzzle, and this should not be taken as a threat. In fact, the input of others actually adds to a leader’s vision, providing various perspectives and an influx of ideas to make a plan better than before. A leader’s duty is to encourage the involvement of their team and to credit them as often as possible. This creates a continuous effort of paying favours forward.

Leaders Are Only As Good As Their Team

Being the head honcho can be a disastrous journey if a team is lacking or improperly represented. A true leader recognizes that group efforts produce the most monumental results. By encouraging autonomy, requesting feedback, asking for help, implementing the ideas of others, and showing endless gratitude, team members will go above and beyond to produce the best outcomes. But if they feel disenchanted, a world of dead ends will follow, sending a leader on a downwards slope.

Relatability Is The Greatest Act Of Humility

The bottom line is, people like to be related to, not looked down upon. This is why plenty of talented leaders manage to miss the mark and fail to rise to their greatest potential. Meeting others at eye level is not a way of compromising one’s own power. It is, however, a way of speaking the language of those who are tasked to build and nurture the overall operation. When people can see themselves reflected in a leader’s ways, it bridges the gap between superiority and inferiority, reminding everyone that they are respected for who they are, despite their rank.

There is great strength in numbers. No matter how much talent a leader possesses, without the backing of a strong team that feels honoured to build towards their success, they will never reach their highest potential, limiting their life-long achievements.

This blog was originally published on James Crickmore’s website.

5 Podcasts to Inspire Entrepreneurs of Any Age

Every entrepreneur knows the importance of time management. Sometimes in order to keep on track, you have to multitask. And in that pursuit, many of us reach out to podcasts. For entrepreneurs, there is an incredibly diverse field of podcasts to choose from, most of which aren’t necessarily the highest quality.

How I Built This

This podcast, hosted by Guy Raz, is one of the most traditional podcasts on this list. Guy interviews entrepreneurs from every industry imaginable, and explores their thoughts on what happened before, after, and during their big breaks.

Guy doesn’t shy from difficult conversations about how success – and lack thereof – affected his guest’s personal lives, including their relationships with family and friends. The stories are inspirational and touching in equal measure, this is a must-listen

School of Greatness

This podcast has one of the most robust libraries of past episodes to look through. With over 500 hours of content including interviews with greats like Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss, this podcast can be an incredible resource. Much like other podcasts on this lists, host Lewis Howes really explores how one can apply different skillsets and concepts to many different aspects of your life.

GreenPlanet BluePlanet

This podcast is inspiring to many thanks to its consideration of the environment. Because of how big businesses often let environmentalism fall to the wayside, younger generations are flocking o smaller businesses that put it front and center. Host Julian Guderley platforms his guests, offering them a space to offer up solutions and theories about how to incorporate sustainability, environmental consciousness, and spirituality into entrepreneurship and businesses.

Impact Theory

Tom Bilyeu hosts this podcast, a more philosophical and high-minded exploration of entrepreneurship. His guests are brilliant entrepreneurs who think deeply about the effects they have upon their industries, communities, and businesses. The questions asked and explored are jumping-off points for thinking about how the skills and ideas used for entrepreneurship are really skills and ideas for life.

Everyday Wellness

Whether starting or reinvigorating a business, putting ample work into a concept can be difficult. Long hours, skipped lunches, missed nights of sleep… it can be a struggle to stay healthy during the peak work seasons of a startup. This is why the last podcast I’ll suggest is dedicated to looking inward, thinking about how to stay happy and healthy as you work to achieve your goals.

This blog was originally published on James Crickmore’s website.

How to Retain Top Talent

It has become a bit of a stereotype that modern employees – Especially Millennials – are less likely to stay with a company for longer than a year. The quality of the workforce hasn’t changed, but the modern workplace culture prioritizes moving to a new position over holding on for opportunities to advance. So for a company with a strong young talent pool, the question becomes, “How do we retain our most talented employees?”

Get Them Involved Quickly

Only a 3rd of new hires report feeling engaged with their role. This is frustrating for many departments who have made commendable efforts in improving their onboarding process and communication with new hires.

Investing in software that fosters open communication and collaborative work can really pull a new hire into the fold, and help them find their role’s rhythm. Starting strong can help prevent discouragement.

Be Constructive in Criticism and Frequent With Praise

Nobody is perfect, and mistakes are inevitable. But how we deal with mistakes is more important than avoiding them.

When your workers slip up, make sure to frame your criticism in a constructive way. If a due date was missed, focus on helping them think about time-management. If the budget was exhausted, work with them to trim the fat.

And most importantly, give praise when you can. A worker that feels recognized and appreciated is going to think twice about leaving.

Invest in the Workforce You Have

An average of four hours a week is spent by workers looking for information they need to know. Lack of efficient systems and outdated technology are two of the greatest factors in worker dissatisfaction. So one of the first steps taken to improve productivity and retention should be to reinvigorate and streamline the work experience. Working with employees to find pain points and bottlenecks is a necessary step for maximum productivity.

For every company, the retention of employees is of the utmost importance. No business wants to spend more resources than necessary for hiring and training. But in order to avoid the onboarding investment, you must make an investment in the employees you already have. Sometimes all you have to do to lengthen their time with you is to make the most of it.

This blog was originally published on James Crickmore’s website.

Why Your Business Should Use Social Media

Almost half of the world’s population uses social media, making it an extremely powerful and far-reaching tool. If you don’t have social media profiles for your business, you should strongly consider creating some. Using social media, you can improve brand awareness and interaction, increase your website traffic, and build meaningful relationships with your customers.

Boost Brand Awareness

Social media is one of the best places to reach both new and old customers. Every company should be looking to increase their brand awareness, and social media provides the perfect tool to do just that. Some businesses shy away from social media because they believe that users only follow brands they already know. 60 percent of Instagram users, however, have discovered new products through the social media platform.

Encourage Meaningful Relationships

Many customers are skeptical of an organization or brand until they can see the “human element.” They want to know your values and how your product really works. People want real, human connections. Social media is a great way to virtually foster these connections. You can highlight existing customers and how they use your services. You can also showcase your staff members and introduce potential customers to those who make your company what it is.

Improve Website Traffic

Social media is also a great way to drive more visitors to your company website. If people find the content you post informative and valuable, they’ll be interested in visiting your site to find out more. Focus on putting out high-quality content, such as detailed articles, infographics, or eye-catching images. You could also consider engaging directly with your audience by going live to stream your answers to questions or hosting a weekly chat.

Interact Directly with Customers

Unlike with traditional media, social media offers the ability for two-way communication. Not only do customers get to interact directly with your organization, but you have an opportunity to engage your customers in return. You can answer questions directly. Make sure your responses are “on-brand” and represent your organization well.

Learn More About Customers

Another great thing about social media is that it generates a large amount of data about the demographics of your customers. You can incorporate the data into your company’s strategy, advertising, and more. All of this information will help you make more effective decisions regarding your business.

Social media is a powerful tool. When used wisely, it generates a variety of possibilities to build your business.

This article was originally published on JamesCrickmore.org.uk.

3 Ways to Become a Better Communicator in the Workplace

As skill-sets go, developing the ability to become a better communicator isn’t always easy. Fortunately, there are ways to become a better communicator in the workplace, and for for anyone willing to practice the rudiments of important social skills, the results can be stunning. Here are just a few great ways to up your communication game, and why doing so can lead to life-changing career outcomes.

Focus on Eye Contact

Whether we notice it or not, it’s easy for our eye contact to wain when we’re talking about a subject we’re not particularly interested in. However, failure to maintain eye contact during a conversation can cause make us appear dismissive to the people we’re speaking with. To treat others with respect and consideration, in other words, it’s vitally important that we meet their eye over the course of a conversation. Doing so shows others that we value their time and interests, and it also makes us better leaders.

Use Reflective Listening

When we can adequately summarize a person’s key points in a conversation, we’ll show them that we are truly listening to what they have to say. If we’re focused on other things or simply waiting for our turn to speak when someone else is talking, the conversation is likely to be unsuccessful. Unfortunately, that can make us ineffective leaders; indeed, to be understood as leaders, we must first understand what others have to say and why they are saying it.

Show Genuine Interest in Others

As Dale Carnegie once said in his bestselling book “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” we should strive to find at least one thing that is interesting about a person we’re talking with. If we’re not engaged with what another person is saying, our body language is likely to show our lack of interest. It doesn’t have to be much, but if we can see at least one subject from another person’s point of view, we’ll be able to connect with them in remarkable ways.

For these reasons, becoming a better communicator in the workplace is a skill that can be learned with time. Whether you’re engaging with the interests of others or simply focusing on maintaining eye contact during an important conversation, learning great social skills can truly make you a better leader. And that is business at its best!

This article was originally published at JamesCrickmore.co.uk.

Here’s How to Understand Soft Skills

There are many different kinds of professional skills. Some are easy to measure. Candidates either have a technical qualification, or they don’t. Other skills are harder to quantify. These are known as soft skills. Soft skills are, in many ways, the underpinnings of successful behavior. They can transfer easily from one industry to another. Leadership positions often require extensive soft skills. Because these are hard to measure, it’s important to think of what makes up a soft skill, and how it’s used.

Soft skills include evaluating talent. Hiring is one of the most important functions for any company. Without good people, even a good concept can be difficult to execute. Intelligence, teamwork and motivation can be hard to identify. People who can find good hires quickly are very valuable to an organization, and make great leadership material.

Communication is a key soft skill. Someone who can toggle between dealing with C-level executives and the general public is a great person to have around. Being able to speak and listen to people from all walks of life is important for leaders. Often, vision is seen as the most important trait in a leader. But having a vision without being able to communicate it to others is actually a very lonely place. It’s the opposite of leadership.

A part of communication is being able to say no. A related skill is delegation. Being good at things is key if a worker is going to rise to the top. However, being able to hand off work is very important. A leader can’t get bogged down in administrative business. Those responsibilities should be handed off to other competent workers.

Networking is an incredibly important soft skill, too. Networking often sounds somewhat mercenary when it’s described. In reality, networking just means making connections. It’s closely related to communication. Networking means getting out there and exchanging ideas with people. Building relationships can also be a great aid to recruitment and other tasks.

Soft skills transfer to any field. Traditionally, they’re associated with fields like HR and C-suites. These days, it’s becoming apparent that soft skills are important in every area of a business. Looking for employees with great soft skills in fields like IT can help a business chart a new course. Bringing soft skills to IT can help businesses reach new heights.

This article was originally published on JamesCrickmore.org.uk.

7 Simple Steps For Effective Time Management

With so many things competing for a person’s attention, time management may seem like an impossibility. Here are seven simple steps to get more done in the day:

Deciding What Is Most Important

Effective time management means choosing the tasks that yield the highest returns. In other words, the person must choose which ones are of greatest benefit to him and other interested parties. The greater the number of positive results, the higher on the list those tasks should go.

Creating a Schedule

Planning ahead helps a person evenly spread out their workload. A helpful method is to write down dates and times to perform the tasks. Once the tasks are completed, the person can more smoothly transition to the next ones.

Setting Boundaries

There are moments in the day when you have to move from one task to the next. If the necessary time is longer than expected, that person must stop what he is doing and move forward. Then he may resume on a different date. This prevents the person from becoming overwhelmed, and makes sure they stay on track with their calendar.

Taking a Break

Like exercise, there is a time to work muscles and a time to rest. The same is true for the workplace. The need to work means there is a need to take a break. This can be something like going for a brief walk or out to lunch.

Avoiding the “Weeds”

In other words, the person should refrain from distractions that are counterproductive to effective time management. Examples include sending social media “tweets”, posting online, reading emails, and answering personal phone calls, among other things.

Using Software

Rather than writing tasks on planners and booklets, the person can use digital applications in their place. Here are 15 common time management tools that act as extra hands when the person is pressed for time.

Finishing Tasks On Time

This is the essence of proper time management: the more tasks that get done now, the more spare time there will be later. Putting them off will complicate the person’s schedule.

These seven steps will boost the person’s self-confidence and restore balance. For those who feel overwhelmed by their own to do lists, these simple steps will make their days more manageable.

This article was originally published on JamesCrickmore.co.uk.

Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

If you are a young entrepreneur, this is the best time in history to launch a business. Why? Because technology has made the chances of success much more likely than in times past. However, there is still a lot to consider before you take the plunge. Below are several tips that can point you in the right direction.

Establish a Strategic Plan

Strategic planning is a critical part of business success because it’s imperative that you know where you’re headed. Developing a roadmap for your business will help you determine whether or not your goals are realistic. A strategic plan also gives you a guide that can referenced along the way so that you can make any necessary adjustments.

Do What You Enjoy

People who are the most successful enjoy their work. Although it sounds cliché, you truly will have a better chance of success if you feel passionate about the work you’re doing. When you enjoy your work, you’re more likely to stay motivated, which means you’re more likely to do what’s necessary to excel.

Know the Competition

It’s always necessary to conduct a competitive analysis before launching a business. You need to understand the market so that you are not blindsided by any barriers to success that might exist. You should also understand your target demographics so that you can develop a strategy for reaching your intended audience.

Assess Your Financial Readiness

There are many financial resources available for business owners. However, it can be hard to find the money you need when you’re just getting started. There are investors that like to fund start up companies and even some financial institutions that will provide loans at a higher interest rate. It’s important to know what’s available and to make sure you can meet all of your financial obligations.

These tips can help you avoid some of the pitfalls that many entrepreneurs face. It’s also worth noting that a business mentor can provide guidance, so it’s worth finding one. Just make sure it’s someone with experience in the industry and a willingness to be straightforward when things get tough. More importantly, you must be open to constructive criticism.

This article was originally published on JamesCrickmore.co.uk.

Networking Advice for Entrepreneurs

Becoming an entrepreneur comes with many challenges. One of these, networking, is extremely important, but entrepreneurs overlook its importance or are too intimidated to begin. Networking is vital to the success of your business. By making connections, you’ll be able to create a strong foundation on which to grow your company. Taking the first step can be scary, but the following advice will help you build a group of individuals who can provide you with industry information, advice, or even referrals.

Do Your Research

Before attending a networking event, make sure you have a solid understanding of what the event will be like. Familiarize yourself with details such as the dress code. Make a list of attendees you want to speak with, and determine whether or not it’s possible to reach out to them before the event.

Create an “Elevator Pitch”

Being able to sum up your business and role in a short and eloquent manner is important in all aspects of entrepreneurship. This short summary, also known as an “elevator pitch,” will help you create connections. Keep in mind that this isn’t just another sales pitch. Instead, your goal is to communicate as effectively as possible to those that you’re interested in adding to your network.

Don’t Be Shy

Speaking to strangers is a necessity when it comes to growing your professional network. Because of this, you can’t afford to be shy! Remember that everyone is there to talk to new people. Starting conversations isn’t difficult. Introducing yourself and asking questions are great places to begin. Remember that with every introduction, you’re getting one step closer to establishing a network that will be very helpful in your future endeavours.

Listen to Others

Remember that even though you want to share as much about you and your business as possible, it’s equally important to listen. When you’re nervous, it can be easy to ramble on and accidentally take over the conversation. By listening, making eye contact, and using someone’s name in conversation, you’re stressing that you care about the other person and what they have to say.

Follow Up

Hopefully some of the people you’ve spoken with will have provided you with contact information. This is great! The last important step is to follow up with them after the event. Ideally you want to reach out to them less than 48 hours after meeting. To ensure that they remember you, reference something that you talked about when you met.

Expanding your professional network is a vital part of your success as an entrepreneur. This process doesn’t have to be intimidating. By being prepared, engaging others in conversation, and following up with them, you’ll be able to build a strong network.

This article was originally published at JamesCrickmore.co.uk.