Randy Clark's Blog

You Never Know When You’ll be Called to Give

I was shopping at my local Dollar Tree when I was handed an opportunity to give, to make a difference. I was called to give. If you’re unfamiliar with Dollar Tree, almost everything in the store is one dollar or one dollar and twenty-five cents , it’s the 21st-century version of the five and dime store. This has nothing to do with my story, but back when everything was a dollar, twice I convinced cashiers to have some fun and announce over the store sound system, “Price check on register one.” It’s fun to watch folks in line stop and wonder what the …?

In Line at the Register

Anyway, I was in line when the register next to me closed. Two young ladies had been waiting longer than me so, I invited them to jump in front of me in line. It seemed the right thing to do.

Both girls were wearing bright green camp T-shirts, which I asked about. They were camp councilors working at an Indy Parks camp for the summer. When I was a teenager this camp was the local YMCA. I shared a few of my teenage memories with them.

I asked if it was a volunteer position or paid. They laughed and said paid, but not enough. They weren’t negative about it – just honest. 

Popcorn and Pretzels

As I watched them empty their shopping basket, I noticed it was full of snacks – bags of unpopped popcorn, sunflower oil, pretzels, and cookies. I asked the young ladies who the snacks were for and was told it was for the kids at camp. It seems there wasn’t much at the camp in the way of snacks.

And then I asked who was paying for it. I learned the girls were using their own money. I shared that both of my daughters had careers in education and had spent countless out-of-pocket dollars on school supplies. They bought the snacks because they had been called to give.

As the cashier started to ring the two girls purchase, I asked if they’d inserted their charge card. They hadn’t. I asked the cashier to please put their items on my tab. It was $22.00. It was the best $22.00 I spent that week.

Called to Give

When I got home, I told my wife I had a present for her, and then handed her the receipt. She asked me what it was, and I told her the story. She put her arms around my neck, kissed my cheek, and said, “Thank you, it’s a wonderful gift.” Like I said, best $22.00 of the week. So, will you be ready when the opportunity to give presents itself?

If you enjoyed this you might also like, Leadership Development Doesn’t End at the Office.

If you have any leadership questions be sure to Contact Me.

 

 

The post You Never Know When You’ll be Called to Give appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Is Content Really King?

Content is king. Hail the king! Long live the king! Except … is content really king?

Yes, content curation is an effective strategy to bring prospects to the top of the lead generation funnel. Without content, sites end up languishing on page three of a Google search. Therefore, content is a critical need, right?

Not All Content is Good 

Bad content not only doesn’t help, it hurts your marketing efforts. When consumers open your content to disappointment they don’t follow through browsing your website. Their journey is over. Content that disappoints the consumer is bad content. Bad content includes:

Poorly written content

Content creation isn’t texting; grammar and sentence structure matter. It’s not okay to publish poorly written copy. Don’t get me wrong, writers make mistakes. You will publish posts that contain errors. Earlier today I read an article online from a local newspaper that contained “an vicinity.” I didn’t think less of the journalist because they put out thousands of words a day and they try there (see what I did?) best.

I have a problem when the writer doesn’t try. When I see a post with improper grammar, misspelled words, and unclear thoughts throughout the post I leave and I think less of the organization. If you want to improve your writing, if you care what you publish there are many sources, my book How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever covers the basics.

Unappealing typography

We all know that Comic Sans in’t funny, but any font that’s difficult to read or detracts from the content is a problem. Posts with cumbersome layouts, articles that don’t use subheads or bullet points, and blogs that don’t share images are not inviting to readers. When you click a link to a post and find a page of uninterrupted words what do you do? Do you read it? I don’t. I move on. Online content shouldn’t look like a page in a book. It should be pleasing to the eye, invite the reader in, and then hold them with great content.

Improper formatting

This includes content that doesn’t fit all devices from mobile to full screens. Responsive design is key to your content looking good regardless of the size or type of screen. “Put simply, responsive is fluid and adapts to the size of the screen no matter what the target device. Responsive uses CSS media queries to change styles based on the target device such as display type, width, height etc., and only one of these is necessary for the site to adapt to different screens.” — UXpin

False Promises

Click bait (when the title doesn’t match the content) may get you visitors but they will not stay, and they certainly will not interact with you. When an organization sinks to click bait tactics, whether online or through the US Postal System, they often do their brand more harm than good. It’s not the number of visitors you bring to your site that matters it’s the number of visitors your site connects with and converts.

So, Is Content Really King? 

Is content really king? Yes, and no. Good content, content that is useful, that benefits an audience is king and will be into the foreseeable future. However, content for content’s sake isn’t even a prince.

If you enjoyed this post you might like, How to Defeat Writer’s Block.

Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash

The post Is Content Really King? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

7 Steps to the Art of Setting Effective Expectations

Is your team meeting your expectations? If so, I applaud you. But if expectations are unmet and your belief is people should just do their job – good luck with that. My observation is that most managers fall somewhere in the middle. You don’t expect everyone just to do their job because people need direction. But it would be nice if the team met expectations. The 7 steps to the art of setting effective expectations can help.

What Can I Do When My Team Isn’t Meeting my Expectations?

I was chatting with a manager recently when he told me that his team wasn’t getting the job done. They weren’t meeting his expectations. I asked if the team was given clear expectations and he said yes. Then I asked him if he’d ever thought or said, “That’s not how I would’ve done it!” “I can’t believe it took them so long!” or “What were they thinking!?” He said. “Well sure, hasn’t every manager uttered something similar at one time or another?” I told him he was probably right. However, he needed to consider the message behind those statements. When a manager makes statements like the three above, they need to take a hard look at how expectations were given.

If your first thought is that’s not how I would’ve done it. Ask yourself, “Do they know how you would do it?”If you’re upset over how much time a project took, did you set a timetable?If you don’t know what they were thinking, ask yourself, did you share what you were thinking regarding the project?7 Steps to the Art Setting Effective Expectations Don’t assume your team knows what you expect. Make certain they know your expectations.Have the person or team repeat your expectations back to you.Set realistic expectations.Give your team the training and tools they need to meet your expectations.Share your authority with your team so they can procure the resources they need.Follow up throughout the project to ensure the team is on track.Recognize positive behaviors and results.

The next time you’re disappointed when your team or a teammate didn’t meet your expectations look at the seven steps above and ask yourself, “Did I set expectations they could meet?”

How Can I help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a  management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

 

 

The post 7 Steps to the Art of Setting Effective Expectations appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

What is Veterans Day?

Today, 11/11, is Veterans Day, but what is Veterans Day? At the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, in 1918, an armistice, a cessation of fire, went into effect, all but ending World War I. The war to end all wars officially ended 7 months later. In 1919, President Wilson declared the 11th day of the 11th month as Armistice Day.

What is Veterans Day?

As a child, I recall my elders referring to the day as Armistice Day. The nation celebrated with parades, public meetings, and businesses closed at 11 am. In May of 1938, Armistice Day was declared an official Federal holiday, and then in 1954, President Eisenhower officially changed the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

In 1971, in an attempt to give federal employees four 3-day weekends every year, the move was announced with much confusion that it would be celebrated on October 25th. President Ford officially moved the date back to 11/11 in 1978, where it has remained. US Dept of Veterans Affairs.

Why Do We Celebrate Veterans Day?

It seems a silly question. But let me ask you a question – when was the last time you thanked a Veteran? When’s the last time you took a soldier’s hand and shook it? When’s the last time you looked a veteran in the eye and said – thank you? When’s the last time you considered where you’d be without veterans? If you’re not sure where to find a veteran to thank, I’m sure there’s a VFW or American Legion near you.

 Writer Cathy Maxwell may have said it best.

“Thank you for stepping forward when others step back.

Thank you for placing yourself between us and danger.

Thank you for delaying plans for college, marriage, and other opportunities and choosing to serve.

Thank you for braving the unspeakable horrors of war.

Thank you for sacrificing time with your families and missing those significant milestones the rest of us take for granted.

Thank you to your spouses who find themselves living nomadic lives, often far away from the support of loved ones.

Thank you to your children who accept your absence as a way of life and understand they share you with a nation and sometimes the world.

Thank you to your parents who have nothing but prayers to protect you and must now trust you will be safe and that we will offer the best we have to you.

Thank you for continuing to support your country once you leave military service by following new careers and becoming the teachers, clergy, business owners, employees, pilots, civil servants and so much more that we need to be a successful society.

Thank you for involving yourself in your local community, your state, and your country, helping us to solve problems and to create a vision for our future using the skills you learned during your tour of duty.  

Thank you for being a conscience to our nation.

Thank you for serving as a heroic example of who we are and what we can dream to be.”

On this Day

On this Veterans Day my thoughts go to those who have served, are serving, and those who have given the greatest sacrifice for our freedom. One day a year isn’t enough to repay you for your service. You deserve recognition 365 days a year. Your contributions to the security of our great nation are priceless. Thank you.

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

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Why it’s Okay to be Silly at Work

A friend sent me a copy of a letter she’d written for an organization where she mentors high school students. She’d been asked to write about a mentor that had impacted her. She chose me. My favorite thing she said was, “Randy taught me that silliness shouldn’t just be accepted—it should be encouraged!” Here’s why it’s okay to be silly at work.

The Best Workplace Recipe Calls for ½ Cup of Fun

I’ve always thought that humor was a key ingredient for workplace enjoyment. Smart managers learn this and use it. People who enjoy their work are more productive, have lower absenteeism rates, and are less likely to look for another job. Having fun at work is good business. But don’t just take my word for it. Study upon study shows that fun in the workplace isn’t counterproductive, it’s productive.

What Makes People Like Their Job?

“As far back as a 2013 survey of more than 40,000 employees at 30 companies around the world, TINYpulse, a survey and research company, found that the number one reason why people liked their jobs was because they enjoyed the people that they worked with. Employees also liked freedom, autonomy, and flexibility in their jobs — and managers who supported these open environments. Play, pizza lunches, and taking some time for fun at work facilitate these humanistic environments. They encourage employees to stay with the company and they contribute to productivity. This is exactly why managers should make it their business to actively promote fun as well as work.” — Tech Republic, How having fun at work can make employees more productive. 

“A commissioned survey showed that employees who rated their managers’ sense of humor as above average were less likely to look for another job. But those who said their boss’s humor was average or below average didn’t think they would last long on the job.” – Google News

“Each year, the Great Place to Work Institute asks tens of thousands of employees to rate their experience of workplace factors, including, “This is a fun place to work.” On Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, produced by the Great Place to Work Institute, employees in companies that are denoted as “great” responded overwhelmingly — an average of 81 percent — which they are working in a “fun” environment.”  — Monster.com Why fun at work matters.

It’s Not Only Up to the Boss  

Okay, so the boss should help the team have fun at work, but what if you’re not the boss? A title doesn’t make someone a leader, nor does the lack of a title stop someone from taking the lead. Anyone can lead the fun.

How to have Fun at Work Be a Little Silly

Before you do this get your bosses approval. Do not pass go or collect $200 until you get the okay. At one time my work office was two rooms upstairs. I shared one of the rooms with the VP of marketing, and the adjacent room was shared by four graphic designers and a Human Resources Assistant. After only a few weeks on the job, the HR Assistant, began each morning with a quote of the day, which one of the designers set to silly music, which another designer recorded, and then posted it on Snapchat. Everyone upstairs looked forward to the morning inspiration — the silliness started all of our days with a smile. (Ask me about the HR Assistant’s afternoon dance party). He made work fun. He was silly at work.

Make it a Day

Once again, you’ll need your supervisors’ approval for some of these ideas, for example, a casual dress day. A coworker went to management and asked if we could designate Friday’s as support your team day, by wearing team T-shirts. It began as a football season experiment and became a year round.

The upstairs crew had a conversation about things people add to peanut butter sandwiches. I like olives; another said pickles. A peanut butter day was created. The group brought bread, peanut butter, and… stuff.  One of the designers and I tried all the stuff which included olives, Captain Crunch, jalapenos, and pickles; we had a lot of fun. My stomach wasn’t so happy.

Celebrate successes and milestones such as accomplishments, promotions, awards, tenure, and accreditations.

Recognize individuals and teams, not only for results, but also for activities and character.

Compete; initiate a friendly competition between teammates, the prize can be as simple as who buys the morning coffee.

Why it’s Okay to be Silly at Work

I understand not everyone has the silly gene in their DNA, but I’ve met very few people who didn’t enjoy a little silliness around them. Everyone needs to occasionally smile and laugh. Regardless of how serious your work is, the work will improve when the team has fun.

I know that there are jobs that need to be taken seriously but that doesn’t mean every minute of the work day has to be glum.

The HR Assistant, I mentioned earlier used less than two minutes in the morning to put a smile on all of his teammates faces, and did the same in the afternoon with his dance party (you had to be there). Five minutes of being silly is a small investment for a day full of smiles, don’t you think? Have some fun today. Be a little silly. I’d love to hear about the silly things you do at work, leave me a comment.

How Can I Help You? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun.

If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a  management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course im effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program.

Photo by Austin Pacheco on Unsplash

This post first appeared in We Are Recruiters.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Why it’s Okay to be Silly at Work appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Are You Waiting for Others to Change? How’s that Working for You?

Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” For a long time, I thought I understood what he meant, but I was only partially enlightened. It wasn’t until I faced obstacles that stopped me in my tracks that I began to understand what he meant. Are you waiting for others to change?

How’s That Plan Working for You?

Last week a co-worker complained that another department wasn’t giving him all the information he needed. It had been going on for weeks. I asked him what he’d tried to remedy the problem and he said, “I told them twice, and my rule is after that it’s on them. I’m not going to do it for them.” The bottom line is that this strategy has meant he hasn’t had the information he needs for several weeks. The person he’s hurting the most is himself. He’s waiting for others to change to fit his needs.

The Sunday Paper

One Sunday I was having breakfast with my father. It was a Sunday morning ritual when he felt up to it. We rotated restaurants. That eek he chose Denny’s. He likes their biscuits and gravy and coffee. I asked if he’d read an article on the sports page of the Sunday paper. He hadn’t because the paper was thrown on his porch not put in the newspaper holder below his mailbox. My dad was 89-years-old, and he was afraid to bend over on his porch for fear of falling.

I suggested we get him one of those grabber sticks, and his first reaction was that it wasn’t a bad idea. But then he said no,”They’re not doing their job they need to put it in the box! And if they don’t I’ll cancel the paper!” I didn’t argue with him, but my dad looks forward to the morning paper. He plays the word games, reads the sports section, and looks at the grocery ads (He’s a retired Grocery Manager). If he follows through with his threat, he’ll miss all of this. It won’t be the newspaper organization that losses it will be my father.

I’m not Throwing any Stones

There have been times I’ve looked at circumstances out of my control and thought, that’s not my responsibility. And there have been times, more than once, that I’ve given up trying and began blaming others for my failure to hit my goals.

When we point fingers and pass the blame — little will change. Only by taking responsibility can change be affected. Don’t concentrate on what you cannot control; concentrate on what you can control. If you wait for others to change to meet your expectations … you may be waiting a long time. It’s easy to say it’s not your responsibility, or it’s someone else’s fault, but if that’s your plan, you have no plan. How’s the idea of expecting others to change to fit your needs working so far?”

Make a New Plan

The bottom line is that whenever we allow circumstances to prevent us from achieving our best we give ourselves an excuse. And here’s the difficult thing. Our excuse may be real, it might be out of our control, but does that mean we accept it as a reason to give up? Or do we look for a way to improve the situation, because if you’ve tried waiting for others to change to fit your needs, how’s that plan worked for you so far?

How Can I help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a  management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. I’m also available to conduct training.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

This post first appeared in We Are Recruiters. 

The post Are You Waiting for Others to Change? How’s that Working for You? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

What is the Return on Investment of Fun in the Workplace?

Is there a return on investment of fun in the workplace?  Most people will agree having fun is healthy and healthy living is fun, but what about fun in the workplace? Is fun in the workplace disruptive, does it lower production, does it cause personnel problems? Or does fun in the workplace help employee retention, improve performance, and build teams? Is there a return on investment of fun?

There are many proven benefits of fun in the workplace. More employment candidates are looking for cultural fit than ever before. Employees who aren’t happy are less likely to be retained, and organizations that focus on employee engagement are thriving.

What is the return on Investment of Fun?Reduces stress

Work can be stressful, deadlines, unhappy customers, supplier problems, and personnel issues all create friction and build stress. Most human beings aren’t at their best during times of stress; it’s easy to get frustrated, flustered, and angry, which often leads to mistakes. Fun and humor might be used at stressful times to relive this and avoid errors.

Adds Energy

Having fun energizes people. When work becomes drudgery, it sucks energy like a vampire on a vein. Adding fun at work can improve production through added energy.

Builds Teams

People who have fun together appreciate each other more than those who don’t. And when people appreciate each other they help each other get the job done.

Promotes a Positive Work Environment

Where do you think more work gets done, a fun positive work environment or a dark negative one?

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Doctors Sgroi and Eugenio headed a study of 700 workers who were shown 10-minute comedy clips or given refreshments. When these workers returned to their tasks, their productivity improved overall by 12 percent. — Center for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy.

In this Huffington post, New Study Shows Laughter Really is the Best Medicine. They quote studies showing that laughter improves memory and recall, lowers cortisol, and even reduces heart disease all good for the workplace.

It’s Not Only About Playing Ping Pong and Bring Your Dog to Work Day

Workplace fun can be about getting it done. Remember when you didn’t study for that exam because you did something “FUN” instead? The next day, with upset stomach and sweaty palms, you tried to fake your way through the test. When you got the grade, it was awful. Remember that? How fun was it? We Homo Sapiens need to complete tasks and then bask in the glow of accomplishment. Because when we succeed, we feel better about ourselves, and it’s certainly more fun. You don’t have to play to have fun at work, but you can. Throw a Frisbee, play a joke, socialize a little. However, you can make the work, itself, play. For example, check out charthouse.com. When you make work fun, it energizes the team, produces endorphins, and stimulates production.

Is Your Workplace Fun?

Is your workplace fun? Does it need to be? I mean, it’s a job just get it done, collect your check, and go have fun at home with family and friends, right? Or have you considered how having fun, or the lack thereof, affects the work environment? Is your workplace fun? If it is what makes it fun? If not what can you change?

You may also enjoy this post, 10 Ways to Promote Fun at Work .

How Can I Help? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a  management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course im effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program.

Photo credit: Lars Plougmann via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

 

 

The post What is the Return on Investment of Fun in the Workplace? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

The Best Advice I Ever Received

I’ve been fortunate to have been mentored by many wise leaders and friends. However, one piece of advice I received more than 40 years ago stands out because it changed my life. But before I share the advice, let me give you my back story.

Drop out

I was married at 19 years old, dropped out of college, had a child, and went to work. I sold sweepers, cars, and shoes. Then at 28 years of age, I dropped out. I had a mid-life crisis in my twenties. I got divorced and played music full time for the next four years. It wasn’t my proudest moment. I loved performing, but I wasn’t as responsible as I should’ve been.

Near the end of my rocker period I worked with a band who had committed to preforming full time. So, we rehearsed covers we liked and wrote a dozen or so originals. Our first gig was at an outdoor benefit concert with several thousand spectators. We moved up a spot because a regional band with a top 40 hit song wanted to go on first. We rocked. It went well.

After the gig, the drummer and bass player told me they weren’t prepared to go full time. They needed to keep their jobs and play weekends. However, the drummer said he had a job for me. He was the assistant manager of a call center. I took the job.

Fate Happens

About a week later, the lead singer of a top local band broke his jaw in an accident. The band asked me to fill in at a gig and then asked me to join the band. They were hitting the road as an opening act. After a day or two of thought, I turned them down. I had responsibilities to attend to. So, I kept my job. (It wasn’t much later that the band’s equipment truck was stolen, which turned out to be an inside job, and the band broke up.)

About six months into the job, I was promoted to a junior assistant and at one year to assistant manager. My primary responsibilities included quality control and training. I was pretty good at the training. One day the Vice President called me to his office. Of course, my first thought was, “What have I done now!?”

A Life Changer

The VP had me take a seat and to put my mind at ease, he laughed his big booming laugh and told me I wasn’t in trouble. He just wanted to chat. He asked me a few questions about the job and then asked me what I wanted? Where did I see myself in a year from now? I answered that I didn’t know, and he came back with, “If you don’t know, who should I ask?” He laughed.

Then he said something I’ll never forget, “Do you know how good of a trainer you are?” I’d never thought about it, and to be honest, my self-esteem wasn’t at its highest. He went on to share leadership qualities he saw in me that no one else had ever recognized. He told me he saw more potential in me than I saw in myself. And he was right.

His mentoring didn’t end that day; it was only the beginning. He taught me a lot about being a leader, father, and friend. I became the manager, and then district manager, and eventually a VP. Would I have achieved the success that I did if I’d never had someone tell me the potential they saw in me? I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Throughout my leadership career I’ve taken people under my wing. I’ve borrowed my mentors’ words and told people I saw more in them than they realized themselves. Little did they know I was only paying it forward.

Tell someone that you see more in them than they realize. It can change their life. I know.

 How Can I help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a  management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

 

The post The Best Advice I Ever Received appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How to Defeat Writer’s Block

My wife was struggling writing a presentation she was to give in five days. She told me she was blocked because she didn’t know what to write. She had spent more than an hour staring at a blank screen. Not only were the words not coming, she was paralyzed. So, has this ever happened to you? If so, here’s how to defeat writer’s block.

My wife asked me how I overcame writers block. I’m not bragging but I write thousands of words every week and never have writer’s block. Never. It’s not because I have superpowers. It’s because I have a system, and I think my system will work for you. You may have to play with the steps to fit your style, but if you follow the basic structure, you’ll defeat writer’s block too.

The system is based on the idea of knowing what you want to write before you put your fingers on the keyboard. Blocking out an hour or two to write isn’t a plan. It will almost certainly lead to writer’s block. You need a plan. One of the keys to this plan is you don’t attempt to do it all at once – it’s in stages.

Topic  

The first step is to pick a topic. For example, on this blog site, I have eight categories (topics) including, leadership, training, presenting, and writing. I use an editorial calendar to plan my publications by topic.

Idea

The next step is to form an idea for the post, not to write it, but to conceptualize it. For example, under leadership, I have, 5 things every leader should learn, and then two weeks later, 7 steps to the art of setting expectations.

Research

After choosing a topic and creating an idea I research it by googling the idea to see what’s out there. I do this for two reasons, first I often find sources that I can attribute in the post, and sometimes I get ideas I didn’t consider. I never plagiarize, but I will occasionally take an idea and run with it.

Outline

The next step is to create an outline of the topic idea. For example, earlier today I outlined a post tentvely titled 3 Keys to Successful marketing. The 3 keys are  branding, creating a call to action, and attraction. These will become the subheads. Under each of these, I listed three or four bullet points to discuss.

Write

Do you want to know a secret to writing without being blocked? Turn. Off. Spell Check. Yes, when you’re writing, you don’t need the distraction. Spell Check slows your flow and will throw you off the page. Of course, you turn it back on after you’ve written the post, but while your writing – just write. When you attempt to write and edit at the same time, you’re not doing them at the same time you’re task switching, which usually leads to losing your train of thought and making mistakes.

And by the way, “Research also shows that, in addition to slowing you down, multitasking lowers your IQ. A study at the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score declines that were similar to what they’d expect if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night. IQ drops of 15 points for multitasking men lowered their scores to the average range of an 8-year-old child.” — Forbes: Multitasking Damages Your Brain And Career, New Studies Suggest

Edit

Here’s my editing checklist.

Editing Checklist Write drunk edit sober – turn off Spell Check and writeRun through Spell Check at completionLet the post sit at least 24 hoursRead the post aloudRead and review each sentence beginning at the endKeep the following in mindThe less words, the better – cut and cut againIs it the right word? Are you certain? Look it upHave I overused a word? Did I use the same word in the last sentence? Replace itDo one final review. So, you don’t use mediate when you meant meditate.Run it through GrammarlyDid I say one last review – do it again in WordPressPost to WordPress and review through Yoast for reading ease and SEO.Read and review one last time before publishingSo, How to Defeat Writer’s Block?

Pick a topic, create an idea, form an outline, do your research, write and then edit and you’ll never experience writer’s block again. If this post struck a nerve, you might want to check out my book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. The book is full of action plans for you to create a blogging system that works for you.

If you liked this post you may also appreciate, Help for the Office Manager Who Missed Deadlines.

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

 

 

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10 Ways to Promote Fun at Work

I wanted to title this post 10 ways to have fun at work to help your team be more productive and why you should, but WordPress informed me it was too long for a blog post title. So, here’s my point, the reason to promote fun at work isn’t only to have a good time, it’s to improve teamwork by showing appreciation which leads to increased performance  and higher retention while positively impacting the bottom line. So, there it is, besides all the positive things fun at work adds to any organization, it will help your business be more profitable. How does it improve the profit margin you may ask?

Why to Promote Fun at Work

Happy employees are less like to leave, lowering turnover, therefore reducing the cost of recruiting and training replacements.Employees who enjoy coming to work get more done. Most of us have had jobs we dreaded going to. They weren’t our most productive positions. A fun environment is the opposite. It inspires greater performance and production.Fun can be used to break down silos and develop teamwork. Too many departments in too many organizations work against each other or at least ignore the needs of others. Teams that play together learn to work together.When you promote fun at work it shows appreciation and appreciated employees get more done.

All the above, when done properly, having fun can help an organization be more efficient and more profitable.

10 Ways to Promote Fun at Work

When I say have fun at work, I’m not suggesting goofing off. Fun can be getting the job done. Some of the most fun I’ve ever had at work was fun competition between teammates based on completing the best, most, or fastest work. Here are 10 ways to have fun at work and help the team do better.

Non-work Meetings

Once a month or quarter hold a meeting that doesn’t directly tie back to your industry. For example, hire a comedian to hold an improvisation class with your sales team. It’s fun, will bring the team together, and give them some ideas to improve sales presentations.

Create a Fun Committee

Bring in a few team members from different departments to develop a fun committee. Give them the goal of implementing fun initiatives in the workplace that aren’t disruptive or counterproductive. You’ll be surprised what they come up with.

Celebrate

Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, holidays, promotions, and milestones. Take the time every day to recognize what went right and celebrate your victories.

Tell a Joke

Share an appropriate for the workplace joke of the day

Hold a Contest

A company I work with  held a department vs department penny war. Each department decorated a penny box, which was a contest of its own. Then, for a month loose change was collected in the boxes. The company matched the collection and they donated more than 3,000 dollars to a local charity. It was a lot of fun.

Decorate

Allow employees to decorate their workspace. Bring photos of family, knick knacks, and certificates. Decorate work areas for holidays, Halloween, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Casual days

Another group I work with allows sports attire from their favorite team every Friday!

Game it

At a company  worked with the CSR’s took on the challenge of increasing Google reviews. They did so by asking happy customers to leave a review. The new reviews were copied, printed, and placed on a window. Then the CSR’s name was put in a jar for a monthly gift certificate drawing. The reviews went from less than ten to more than 60 in three months with a 4.8 rating. Yea, that was fun.

Get Involved with the community

Create a volunteer committee that looks for ways to involve your team in giving back to the community. When  I worked at TKO Graphix we promoted monthly initiatives, such as, a Blood Drive and a Holiday Toy Collection. The thing is, most employees told me they get more out of it then they gave, and if you want to find a way to break down interdepartmental silos – this is a good start.

Wellness Initiative

A wellness committee can sponsor weight loss contests, smoking cessation drives, and more healthy actions. It works because it’s another great way to bring people together and that’s fun.

Have Some Fun – Pick One!

There you have it, 10 ways to have fun at work, 10 ways to help build a better team that has fun while getting more done. I have a challenge for you. It’s simple. Pick one fun action and get it done. Are you up for having fun?

How Can I help? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a  management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course im effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program.

 

 

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