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As we become more and more dependent on email, text messaging, Facebook, and Twitter for communicating, it is easy to overlook the power of sending a physical message. Physical messages can be letters, notes, flowers, etc. Anything that is going to have to be actually handled can be physical communication. Here is an example. I had a relative who was sick and needed a letter from a doctor for some insurance claims. The letter wasn't a standard form and required the doctor to actually sit down and put some time into writing it. They had been trying for weeks to get the letter. The doctor said he would, but it never got done. After hearing about the difficulty they were having, I called … [Read more...] about The Power of Physical Communication

In our last post, we talked about the future of work and looked at how outsourcing and telecommuting are trends you need to be aware of and prepare for in order to do well in your career. In this post, we are going to look at a few more areas that may dramatically change the way we work in the future. Education for New Employees Right now, employers don't feel that they are getting highly trained employees from university graduates. There are a number of programs that are trying to better align what is taught in college courses with what the business world needs. These efforts may help, but I think we are going to continue to see a large separation between what you learn in school and … [Read more...] about The Future of Work Part II

Have you ever taken some time to think about what work will look like 5, 10 or even 20 years from now? If you haven't, it is probably worth the effort because a changing work environment may have dramatic implications for how you are employed in the future. In these two posts, I want to talk about some of the trends I'm seeing and how they may play out in the coming years. Outsourcing Companies are getting better and better at spinning off specific business functions and letting them be handled by others. For example, many businesses can't justify running payroll in-house. It is cheaper to hire a company that specializes in payroll and let them handle it. We are seeing the same thing … [Read more...] about The Future of Work Part I

In this post, we are going to look at 10 little habits that can have some big benefits. Often the difference between people who are healthy vs. unhealthy, educated vs. uneducated, rich vs. poor comes down to a bunch of little habits that compound overtime. Because of this, it is worth thinking about the "little" things once in a while and seeing if your individual habits are guiding you toward success or failure in life. 1. Take the stairs Obviously this isn't going to work if you are on the 100th floor of an office building, but if you work on the 3rd or 4th floor, taking the stairs can often save you time and help offset some effects of a sedentary workday. It isn't just about taking … [Read more...] about 10 Little Habits

Every few years, I have trouble with my eyes getting tired when I'm really busy. For me, "really busy" means spending a lot of time in front of a 30-inch monitor working. The last time this happened, I made some changes to my reading habits. I'm not sure if it contributed to my eyes getting better, but the changes have made my reading much more productive and I wanted to talk about it here. In the past, I've done a lot of reading on the computer. My original theory about why my eyes were getting tired was that staring at the bright screen was just wearing them out. As a result, I was looking for a way to get my reading off of the computer. I have an old Sony e-reader that used e-ink … [Read more...] about Changing My Reading Habits

In the past month, I've had several people contact me for help or advice in finding a job. Typically when I start talking with someone and looking at their resume, the fundamental problem I find is that they think about the whole process from their perspective instead of from the employer's. If someone is looking at hiring you, they want to know if you are going to be productive for them. They want to know if you are going to be able to make them more money than what you will cost them in salary and benefits. So how do you show an employer that you can be productive? Here are some tips: 1. Completed Projects Finishing is hard. It doesn't matter if you are writing a song, creating a … [Read more...] about Productivity and Finding a Job

Think of someone you know who would be 10 times more successful if they would just follow good advice. Maybe it is a coworker who has a lot of potential if he'd just show up for work on time and comb his hair. Maybe it is a relative who just needs to get some basic money management skills so he or she isn't always broke. Maybe it is a friend who just isn't willing to take the risks necessary to apply for a job where his talents could really be used. My point is that everyone can look around and find people they know who aren't living up to their full potential because of they way they view life. Maybe it is a simple mental shift, a discipline they need to acquire or just constrained … [Read more...] about Your Glass Ceiling

Several months ago, I sat down with my grandmother and looked through some of the old papers she had from her father. My great grandfather did a lot of things. He was a preacher, ran the newspaper and was the lawyer in the small town where they lived. My grandmother was showing me his diplomas and other papers. He had a diploma from college, a diploma from seminary, and a law license. I noticed that we didn't have his diploma from law school. When I asked about it, my grandma told me that he never went for a law degree. He was enrolled in law school and after the first semester, a friend dared him to take the bar exam. He took it, passed and dropped out of school to begin practicing … [Read more...] about Education for Free