Why Your Boss Should Allow Dogs at Work

Why Your Boss Should Allow Dogs at Work The 26th of August is National Dog Day in the USA. “But I treat my dog like my Valentine every day of the year,” you protest. “Surely this is just a ploy by the greeting card industry!” Well, perhaps your dog gets the royalty treatment when you’re at home or in the park. But while she may be number one in your heart (placed significantly above your partner and children), society still considers the canine kind to be distinctly secondary to the human race waves fist furiously at society. The fact is, once you button up your shirt and head out the door to the office this Monday, National Dog Day will be over for your beloved hound. Just like every other day. But what if society has got it all wrong? Reconsidering the value of dog Rather than a greeting card industry ploy, National Dog Day was established as a marketing tool with a serious message by pet expert/animal advocate Colleen Paige. You may know Paige from other American holidays such as National Puppy Day (March 23rd), National Mutt Day (July 31st), and the more generalist National Pet Day (April 11th). For Paige, the main message of National Dog Day is directed at potential owners: “consider choosing adoption first.” However, the holiday is more generally a great opportunity to reconsider how dogs fit into our human-dominated world. Partly for the good of the dogs (how many are put up for adoption because they get too unhappy being left at home all day?) And partly for the good of people. In fact, humans may have more to gain from dogs than you might think. When we work side by side, we have a lot to offer each other. Why not use this National Dog Day as an excuse to advocate to your boss that she allow dogs in the office? Bringing your dog to work It’s good for your boss, after all. In a scientific study at Virginia Commonwealth University, the suspiciously-named Randolph T. Barker and team discovered that employees who bring their dog to work have a more positive perception of their employer. This is due to the organizational support the boss provides to keep the ‘family’ together during the work day. You might point out that dog presence lowers human stress levels. Barker’s study also showed that workers who bring their dog to work feel less stressed than those who leave pooch at home. And as anybody who can list among their most regular friends figures such as “Rex’s dad,” “Buddy’s mum,” and “those kids that bring Henio to the park at the weekend” can attest, owning a dog gets people talking (while offering a useful buffer zone). Having a dog in the office gets colleagues talking to each other, which boosts satisfaction, trust, and interaction within the team. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this creates a stronger sense of office community and an atmosphere of openness and flexibility. Anyway, it’s no bad thing for your boss to have colleagues who communicate with and understand each other. Finally, having a dog in the office is good for the team’s mental and physical health. You’re more likely to take a walk on your break if you have a dog staring at you with her leash in her mouth. Your colleagues can take their turn walking the dog too if they want to. Most people don’t exercise enough. Walking a dog regularly can help prevent health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and colon and breast cancers. This fabulous pro-dogs-in-offices infographic lays out the facts so you can study up on your argument ahead of National Dog Day and leave your boss with no reason to say ‘no.’ Because the real National Dog Day should be every day of the year and not just 26th August! Courtesy of: Headway Capital About the author:  John Cole  writes on behalf of NeoMam Studios. A digital nomad specializing in leadership, digital media, and personal growth topics, his passions include world cinema and biscuits. A native Englishman, he is always on the move, but can most commonly be spotted in the UK, Norway, and the Balkans.

Things That Have To Be Decided Before a Wedding Takes Place

Things That Have To Be Decided Before a Wedding Takes Place Being in a relationship can be a very rewarding and stressful. There will come a time in every relationship when the people involved will need to decide if they are ready to take the next step and get married. Getting married is much more than just choosing northwood engagement rings, there are a variety of decisions that will have to be made before the wedding can happen. Without the right amount of planning, it will be very difficult for a couple to have the wedding they want. Below are some of the things that have to be considered before this process can go off without a hitch. The Right Wedding Jewelry For Both Parties One of the most important decisions that a couple will have to make before the planning of their wedding is what rings they get. There are so many different rings out there and finding the right ones will not be easy. There are a number of couples out there that will want original looking rings. A wooden ring is a great option for a couple looking for some originality in their jewelry selection. Finding the right supplier of these types of rings will allow a couple to get the guidance they need. The Right Venue The next thing that a couple will need to think about before getting married is where they will have it. Finding the right wedding venue will take some hard work. Taking the time to visit all of the venues in an area is the best way to get the firsthand experience of what each one has to offer. Vising the venues will help you to figure out which one is the right fit for your needs. Make sure you get an idea of the amenities being offered with each venue to find out if they are in line with what you need. The Food and Drink The reception is one of the most important parts of any wedding. Usually, food and drink will be served at a reception. In order to get the right food and drink you will need to take the time to research the caterers in your area. The money paid for a great caterer will be more than worth it due to the stress they can take out of this experience. Be sure to research the caterers in your area to find out the type of track record they have before making a hire. Planning out every detail of a wedding is the only way to ensure that there are no disasters on your big day. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

Tips For Using Video To Promote or Monetize Your Website

Tips For Using Video To Promote or Monetize Your Website Have you experimented with putting videos on YouTube, but seen little results compared to your efforts? That’s frustrating for sure.   Because whether you have a blog, a more traditional online store, or are just present on social media, video can be very effective. If you follow the advice in this article, that is all about to change for you. Heres how to start using video. ELEARNING The easiest way to give yourself a raise is by turning your YouTube content into online courses. Of course, you can’t just put up any old YouTube video from an online course website, but if you can repackage your content or create new content that is educational in nature. Or, you can create new courses. Great places to sell your courses are Udemy and Skillshare. You can also sell your courses from your own website like I do with my online course discounts page. i’ll quickly explain the pros and cons of selling from online platforms like Amazon and Skillshare vs. your own website. On Udemy and Skillshare, you have to split revenue with those sites and play by their rules which include rules on pricing. The great thing about those sites is that they bring you many new customers. On the other hand, you can sell your courses on your own website for much higher prices if you can build your own audience. PLR AND CONTENT LICENSING While many people know about Udemy and Skillshare, few people are aware of B2B content licensing opportunities for your content. Content doesn’t have to be just video. Courses, videos and even ebooks are some of the common types of content that gets licensed. PLR stands for Private License Rights. This is where, for a fee, you allow others to resell your content and collect all or most of the revenue. ACCEPT MULTIPLE FORMS OF PAYMENT Did you know that many people might want to buy your courses on Udemy, Skillshare or your own website, but can’t because they don’t have mobile banking or PayPal. There are about 50 countries in the world where not many people have mobile banking and a number of additional countries where PayPal is not allowed. This is where Cryptocurrency comes in. If you accept Bitcoin or other forms of Cryptocurrencies as a form of payment for your courses or other content, you will allow tens if not hundreds of millions more people in the world to purchase your content who otherwise were not able to purchase it. You can even incentivize people to use Cryptocurrencies by offering discounts. Since Bitcoin is up 1000% over the past 12 months, if you accepted a $1,000 payment with Bitcoin last year, this year you would have $10,000. This is something that I personally do. I even created a page where I explain what you can buy with Bitcoin. As you can see, if you already make videos online, you have many additional ways to make money from them. If your current source of income from video is mostly YouTube, if you explore the options outlined in this article, in 12 months, you can make 10x or 20x what you make on YouTube today. This guest post was authored by  Alex Genadinik.   You can connect with him on his YouTube channel.

How to Make Clients Trust You When You Look Young

How to Make Clients Trust You When You Look Young Age-related bias is usually reserved for professionals who are middle-aged or older, but it also affects young professionals viewed as too inexperienced to bring anything of value to the table. They have to fight for respect from their older colleagues, and the battle is even more challenging for young women in the workforce. You cant age yourself overnight or shy away from contributing, but you can take steps that will prove your worth to your superiors. Dress for the Job Image via Flickr by wocintechchat.com It doesnt seem fair that you should have to alter your appearance to gain respect, but in corporate spaces, you still have to dress for the job you want. Think of it as changing your aesthetic from nine to five. However, there are measures you can take to make yourself seem more mature, but not necessarily older. Adopt a wardrobe filled with timeless basics, classic colors, and professional pieces. Choose accessories and jewelry with similar care. Save your wild hairdo and signature style for the weekends. After all, trends are typically viewed as being for younger employees. Show Up, but Dont Show Off Image via Flickr by Ray_LAC Your coworkers act like your age means youre inexperienced and incapable. Prove them wrong by shining brightly. Show up early to work. Get to meetings before anyone else. Be one of the last people to leave any time theres work to do. Step up to come up with creative ideas and offer to take the lead on projects. Be sure to do everything with a sense of humility. No one likes a show-off. It might spark more resentment among your older colleagues. Prove to them that youre also open to their insights, and ask for advice when you need help. Become a High-Tech Standout Image via Flickr by startupphotos Young professionals have technology on their side. Thats not to say that older people dont know how to use the latest tech, but they arent as likely to understand advances and new programs, particularly on mobile devices. Just as your parents call you about everything internet- or computer-related, you can become the office techie. The iPhone 8 is ideal for young employees who want to succeed and impress. Its engineered for fast, smooth multitasking, plus you get the value of Siri as a personal assistant. Use the iPhone 8 on T-Mobiles 4G LTE network and impress your coworkers with your willingness to work on the go, your ability to pull up stats within seconds, and your knowledge of cloud computing. When on a reliable 4G LTE network you have the ability to introduce your colleagues to new apps and programs that streamline business processes and improve communication. Own Every Meeting Dont give your new office buddies the chance to doubt your skills. Arrive prepared for every meeting you attend. Whatever the problem might be, walk in with at least three potential solutions. Youll want to avoid appearing arrogant or cocky, but dont let age bias dim your shine. Never shy away from the tasks set by your superiors, no matter your level of experience. For project meetings, research is critical. Whether your boss wants to launch an incentive program, institute a Coffee Is for Closers activity in the morning, or plan a team outing, bring your ideas to the table. Research what other businesses and companies do. Be proactive and discover what your coworkers think, like, and hate. Adjust Your Body Language Your body language tells other people everything they need to know about you. Are you sending the correct message? You need to tweak your gestures and postures as a young person in a workplace staffed by people older than you. Above all, keep your head high, shoulders back, and spine straight. Maintain eye contact and assert your confidence. Experience is valuable, but it isnt everything. No one should ever make you feel like you cant do something or wont excel at it just because you havent been in the business for that long. Intuition and knowledge are powerful, too. Have you ever encountered age bias in the workplace?

Writing a Bio-Resume - What to Write

Writing a Bio-Resume - What to WriteWriting a bio resume can be very difficult especially if you are not good at writing resumes. However, if you know the basics of writing a resume, then it will not be difficult to write a bio resume as well. With a little knowledge in mind, you will be able to write a bio resume that will stand out from the rest.The first thing that you need to do is to write your resume in a way that you have done before. In other words, try to make it look the same as the resume that you have done previously. If you are doing a job search for the first time, try to use your previous resume. This will ensure that the information that you want to include on your resume is included. By knowing what you want on your resume, you will be able to write a bio resume.Next, you need to focus on the purpose of your resume. As stated earlier, you should include details about your accomplishments and achievements as well as your skills that you can offer to the company. In ad dition, you should know how you have used these skills to help you get the job.Last, but not the least, make sure that you add the main points of your bio to your resume. You should know that each of the statements should be included on your resume as the core points.When you are done with your resume, you can send it to the person who has been assigned to your resume. Remember that you need to make sure that the information on your resume is accurate and objective. By knowing the basics of writing a resume, you will not have any trouble when sending your resume to the right person.By doing this, you will be able to make sure that you get the attention of the company that you are applying for. Itwill be very simple for you to reach the employer if you know how to write a bio resume.You should not hesitate to include your name on your resume. This is important because when the person reads your resume, he or she will know who you are.Lastly, remember that your resume should be optimi zed so that you can make use of all the features that are available. This will ensure that you get hired.

Getting Past Job Search Fears - Pathfinder Careers

Getting Past Job Search Fears - Pathfinder Careers Getting Past Job Search Fears “There is nothing to fear but fear itself” â€" Franklin D. Roosevelt Establishing yourself in the workplace or beginning the hunt for a new job is probably one of the scariest things you can ever do. Most people express a great deal of fear when faced with new opportunities. But it can also be one of the most powerful and rewarding experiences. We grow the most when we overcome things that we fear, and can learn new things about ourselves that can add dimension and depth to our character as well as our understanding of the world. Someone once told me that change is the most terrifying when we actually desire or need it the most. This, in turn, can make us feel like we are standing on the edge of a precipice; uncertain as to whether we can make that leap of faith or not. Understanding the building blocks of your career management strategy will help you become a smarter and wiser job seeker, and ultimately help you overcome the very fears that could be holding you back. Fear is real. And what we are really scared of is the failure of our actions. Life’s lessons will tell you that there never is a guarantee for success in any decision you make. It always comes down to a series of calculated risks and educated guesses… nothing more and nothing less. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. It’s the risk we take, and the fear comes from the uncertainty from the lack of any kind of guarantee. Being conscious of your value in the workplace and responding to opportunities that come along can help you conquer those most of those job search fears.

Loyalty and happiness at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Loyalty and happiness at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Chip Conley, the CEO of the Joie de Vivre chain of hotels, has a great blog post about loyalty in the workplace and how to inspire loyalty in employees, customers and investors. He takes his inspiration from Maslows hierachy of needs: What Abe Maslow helped me realize is that a great business leader deeply understands the motivations of their employees, customers, and investors. And, from that I started to realize that there was a Hierarchy of Needs pyramid for employees, customers, and investors. But, unfortunately, most companies get so caught up with the base survival needs in these relationships that they lose track of the higher needs of each of these three groups. Business has a natural tendency toward the tangible which impedes many companies from moving to the priceless (to use a MasterCard word) intangible elements at the peak of the employee, customer, or investor pyramids. This is not just a lot of fun, its also darn good business: [one study] found that a 5 percent increase in customer retention rates led to increased profits between 25 and 95 percent depending upon the industry. Also Joie de Vivre has an employee turnover rate that is one-fourth the hospitality industry average imagine how much money that saves them in recruitment and training costs. One way Chip creates loyalty is to look at the ratio between positive and negative interactions: Psychologist John Gottman created a landmark study on marriage and found that successful relationships averaged a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions. Other studies in the business world have put this ratio at 3 to 1 with respect to what drives productivity in employees. If your workplace is more focused on giving feedback only when something is going wrong, as opposed to celebrating what?s going right, you may end up with a high divorce rate with your employees These same ratios can also apply to your relationships with your customers, and, miraculously to your investors too (although I know many of you don?t believe a human Hierarchy of Needs may have anything to do with the Return on Investment Robots we call investors). Another is to create peak experiences for employees and customers or even for complete strangers. In another great post, Chip explains how his company invited a bunch of strangers to a party: recently, we created a peak experience for a bunch of strangers albeit strangers who had something in common with each other and the company. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Joie de Vivre, we invited 10,000 people (I?m assuming mostly women) from the state of California with the name ?Joy? to a JOY PARTY at our luxurious Hotel Vitale on San Francisco?s waterfront. we ended up with a roomful of joy (or Joys) ? 125 women sharing the name with dozens and dozens of husbands, significant others, friends, children and even a few media there to capture the occasion. How cool is that! Its an expression of joy, its quirky, it fits great with the companys brand AND its a wonderful example of the abundance mentality at work. I stand in awe of this approach to running a business and it only confirms what I always say: That happy companies are way more efficient than unhappy ones. Their ability to inspire loyalty in employees, customers and investors is just one reason. And thats why the future belongs to the happy! Chip has explained his ideas in his new book Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow, which went into my shopping basket at Amazon [click] right then. A great big thank you to Simon White for telling me about Chips excellent posts! Related: Top 10 reasons why happiness at work is the ultimate productivity booster Five reasons to forget about money and focus on what makes you happy at work The Feel Factor Why no workplace can afford to ignore what people feel Why Motivation by Pizza doesnt work Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related