Are you stuck in the Shallow of life Heres how to get out

Are you stuck in the Shallow of life Heres how to get outAre you stuck in the Shallow of life Heres how to get outMy wife and I recently saw the movie A Star Is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady durchgeknallt. The movie follows a hard-drinking, country music star (Cooper) who discovers and falls in love with a young, undiscovered singer (Gaga).The movie is a remake of several earlier versions. My wife and I thought it welches terrific. In one scene, Lady Gagas character impresses the country music star (Cooper) by singing a song she has written. They later perform the song togetzu sich on stage. Heres a trailer of that sceneBesides the fact that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga sing beautifully together, what I love about the song is the lyrics. They contain an important question for all of us, as well as the promise of transcendence.Are you happy in this modern world?The duet that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga sing is called, Shallow. It opens with Cooper playing guitar and singing the following lyricsTell me somethin, girlAre you happy in this modern world?Or do you need more?Is there somethin else youre searchin for?Lady Gaga responds with the following lyricsTell me something, boyArent you tired tryin to fill that void?Or do you need more?Aint it hard keepin it so hardcore?And finally, Lady Gaga belts out the bridge to the song, with the followingIm off the deep end, watch as I dive inIll never meet the groundCrash through the surface where they cant hurt usWere far from the shallow nowHow about you? Are you happy in this modern world? Are you far from the shallow? Its an important question because, lets face it, life can be hard.Even Bradley Coopers character in the movie, despite all his fame and fortune, isnt happy. He escapes with liquor. Hes stuck in the shallow of life.Drowning in the deep end of lifeWhen were young, fruchtwein of us get to experience several of lifes milestones. Stuff like getting ur drivers license. High school graduation. Turning 1 8 and being able to vote. Turning 21 and being able to hit the brewery.For many, there is college and/or career beginnings. Marriage, maybe kids. Work promotions. Life has a structure and trajectory to it. We keep moving along, and dont feel mired in the shallow of life. Weve learned how to swim.But then we start to age. The milestones of life slow down a bit. Divorces and layoffs can happen. Health challenges. We may not be in the shallow end of life anymore, but diving into the deep end brings its own hardships.Ive written about this before. The notion that diving in the deep end means there is a lot of water above you, bearing down. And water has weight.The deeper you swim, the more pressure there is. Kinda like the longer you live, the greater the weight of all those years behind you. It can sometimes feel like youre drowning in the deep end of life.This difficult season in many peoples lives is often referred to as a mid-life crisis.Its a period when youthful looks are beginnin g to geschmacksarm. The guy who welches the football captain in college is now battling a beer gut and receding hairline. The gal who was a popular cheerleader in high school is noticing crows feet around her eyes and dimples on her thighs.Time is not gentle. Doubts about our accomplishments and lifes purpose can start to gnaw away at our minds.She has become invisibleAuthor Doris Lessing (the 11th woman and oldest partie ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature) explored this midlife crisis issue in her moving novel, The Summer Before Dark.A review on Amazon.com noted that the book is a brilliant excursion into the terrifying gulf between youth and old age.The novels main character is Kate Brown, an attractive, intelligent, 45-year-old, married woman with a house in the London suburbs and three grown children.Over the summer, her life changes substantially. Her husband leaves for a conference in the states, and she takes a position as an interpreter. She has an affair with a much younger man, and later she becomes quite ill.Writer Joan Gage, referring to the novel in an article in the Huffington Post, recounts what happens nextBy the time shes well enough to get out of bed, Kate has lost 15 pounds, her clothes hang on her, her dyed red hair is coming out gray at the roots and her face has aged dramatically. As she weakly walks around London, even passing her own house, where her best friend doesnt recognize her, Kate realizes that, by suddenly aging from an attractive, stylish, curvy redhead into a skeletal old hag in baggy clothes, she has become invisible.Clearly, Kate has not developed a strong interior life to weather the rigors of aging. She hasnt learned how to transcend vanity and drink from the deeper wells of love, friendship, good books and more mindful living.An article in the website Honeygood.com notesWhen you are emotionally fulfilled, you become a visible woman. You feel your step has a bounce and your laughter is contagious. You stand e rect with great posture, with your head held high. You know you are respected by your husband, your family and your peers who see your relevancy, not your looks.Subtler means of beingThe reality is that well all get there, at one time or another. Well all confront our diminishing looks, career obsolescence, invisibility or general sense of irrelevancy.So what do we do? How do we inoculate or rescue ourselves from the shallow of life? How do we cope with unterstellung unwanted challenges and realities of middle age and beyond?Develop a strong interior life.A strong interior life involves slowing down enough to read, think, reflect and embrace a contemplative practice. Its the complete opposite of todays 24/7 pace. Its about shutting off all those glowing devices and social media rabbit holes.Each of us have an intimate conversation going on within ourselves. Weve been doing it all our lives. That voice inside you, checking in. Questioning. Congratulating. Doubting. Worrying. Rejoicin g.When was the last time you really had a thoughtful conversation with yourself? The real you?From Native American and Eastern spiritual traditions to todays monotheistic religions and secular, mindfulness movements, human beings have sought purpose and meaning.Developing an interior life is all about enriching the mind and soul. For some, it is a spiritual conversation. For others, it may be a metaphysical examination. Pragmatists may scoff and call it navel gazing, until the full weight of life slams them into reconsidering bigger questions.Developing an inward life of balance, enrichment and reflection is how we inoculate ourselves against the slings and arrows of worldly life. The unending march of daily living, with its commitments, responsibilities and worries, stifles our ability to align with subtler means of being.Forever in the shallowsAccording to an article in Psychology TodaySpiritual traditions have always insisted on maintaining the depth and dimensionality of life. T hey have developed practices to ensure that this occurs including meditation, contemplation and various forms of self-reflection. With the loss of religion more generally we have also lost these safeguards against staying forever in the shallows.The article goes on to noteThe importance of creating both time and space for solitude was recognized across the worlds traditions and viewed as essential for psychological well-being and personal growth. Though the modes of self-cultivation varied these were linked to the ability to think deeply and to access higher modes of consciousness fostering positive states such as attitudes of compassion and gratitude.Monks and religious ascetics who choose a monastic life have always fascinated me. People like the monk James Finley. Perhaps theyre ahead of us, having figured out how to transcend the noise of daily life?James Finley, Ph.D, lived as a monk at the secluded Trappist monastery of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where the world-reno wned monk and author Thomas Merton was his spiritual mentor.The Psychology Today mentions Finley in the following quoteCommenting on the lack of space for introspection in contemporary life, James Finley argues that Its the crises of our age, the loss of the interior of our lives.An inside jobI recently read Anne Lamotts new book, Almost Everything - Notes On Hope. Ever the eloquent writer, Lamott makes a better argument than I for why we need to develop a strong, interior lifeThere is almost nothing outside you that will help in any kind of lasting way, unless you are waiting for a donor organ. You cant buy, achieve or date serenity. Peace of mind is an inside job, unrelated to fame, fortune or whether your partner loves you. Horribly, what this means is that it is also an inside job for the few people you love most desperately in the world. We cannot arrange lasting safety or happiness for our most beloved people. They have to find their own ways, their own answers.If developing your interior life sounds foreign to you, here are a few suggestions that might help.Learn how to meditate. There are countless online resources to teach you the basics of proper posture and breathing.Read broadly about how to develop a contemplative world view. Authors like Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama may be helpful.If you are religious, incorporate prayer into your daily routine. The act of praying can help you think about loved ones, yourself, others, and how to establish a stronger inner life and relationship with God.Start keeping a journal, and set aside quiet time to write daily about your life, thoughts, feelings and personal growth.Embrace nature. Getting outdoors, breathing fresh air, and enjoying exercise in the great outdoors can help you appreciate life more.Make time for quiet and stillness. This can be at home, in your car, or anywhere where you can take time to contemplate, reflect and center yourself.Daydream. We did this as children, but somehow abandon it in adulthood as a time waster. Daydreams can uncover solutions and deeper meaning in our lives.Make your creative passions more of a priority. Heres a helpful quote along those linesAspire to live quietly, mind your own affairs and work with your hands. -1 Thessalonians 411Help others. When we embrace kindness and humility towards others, good things happen. We become less selfish and egocentric. We worry less about vanity and wealth, and our sense of well-being and interior life improve.Forgive. They say that anger is a hot coal. You can throw it at the person youre angry with, but the coal still burns your hand. Forgiveness is a gift we give others, and ourselves. Its not always easy, but well worth it.Acceptance. Learn to accept the things you cannot change and focus on the things you can.Superficial thingsIm no authority on how best to develop a strong, fulfilling, interior life. Maybe some of you are experts and can add to this essay. I only know that vanity, jealousy, comparison, and egocentrism do not serve us well in life. And unfortunately, so much of American culture is marinating in these superficial things (not to mention many other cultures).If we fail to develop our intellectual curiosity, which is a part of a healthy, interior life, then we are left with more shallow tools to sustain us as we age. The Internet, television, movies, and social media all have their place (in moderation). Theres nothing wrong with healthy entertainment, but such things arent enough to develop a strong, interior life.Our looks will fade and our bodies will slowly fail us. If we dont learn how to develop a strong interior life, aging will be harder, and we might find ourselves marooned in the shallow of life.Better to develop your inner life, and thereby live the words sung by Lady GagaIm off the deep end, watch as I dive inIll never meet the groundCrash through the surface where they cant hurt usWere far from the shallow nowBefore you goIm John P. Weiss. I paint landsca pes, draw cartoons and write about life. Thanks for readingThis article first appeared on Medium.

Bartender Job Description for Resume

Bartender Job Description for ResumeBartender Job Description for ResumeAny restaurant, pub or bar requires one or more bartenders to look after and serve drinks etc. While the primary job of a bartender is to mix and serve drinks when there are guests, he or she also has other responsibilities that are related to the bar that need to be carried out.Bartender Job DutiesWhen it comes to being a bartender there are plenty of responsibilities that one has to carry out. Below is a list of responsibilities that come with being a good bartender.1) Mixing various ingredients to make cocktails and mocktails. Pouring of wine and beer is also necessary.2) Washing of equipment, barware and glasses after use.3) Collecting payments and operating the cash register.4) Serving customers who sit at the bar with food and drinks.5) Deciding on whether a customer has had too much of alcohol.6) Cleaning of the work area and the bar counter.7) Taking orders and serving them to the right customers.8) Order ing supplies that are required for the bar.9) Arranging of bottles etc. at the bar to make it look good.10) Checking to ensure that customers meet the legal age requirements before buying tobacco and alcohol products.Create this ResumeBartender Knowledge and Skills1) Bartenders must be able to move and handle glasses, bottles etc. with care and in a manner that they will not break.2) They need to be able to follow drink recipes and mix ingredients in the appropriate quantities.3) They need to have a good memory to be able to memorize orders and ensure that the right order gets to the right customer.4) Good interpersonal skills are a must as they absprache with the customers directly.5) The ability to deal with difficult or intoxicated customers in a professional manner.Bartender Educational Qualifications and Experience1) Certification from a bartending vocational course.2) If certification is not available, then relevant training. Most bar tenders opt for this option.3) He or she m ust meet the minimum age requirements.4) Experience as a waiter helps.Bartender Salary and Benefits1) The average salary that a bartender gets is around $7 per hour.2) Additional income comes in the way of tips which depends solely on the customers and how well you serve them.3) Bartenders usually get free meals at the restaurant / bar that they work in.4) Paid holidays and a paid vacation are also included.5) Those who work at larger establishments like hotels also enjoy the benefits of health insurance, life and accident insurance.Customize ResumeMore Sample Job Description ArticlesArt Teacher Job Description Automotive Technician Job Description Bank Teller Job Description Bartender Job Description

The Banjo The Engineers Instrument

The Banjo The Engineers Instrument The Banjo The Engineers Instrument Steve Martin plays one. So does Winston Marshall from the group Mumford and Sons, and even Taylor Swift, kind of (its a six-string). And yet, however much polish this recent uptick in popularity has lent the banjo, its not yet shed its reputation as a hillbilly utensil that belongs in the hands of an old-time farmer rather than a rock star. Never mind the fact that all the early bluegrass banjo players wore suits and ties on stage. (The image persists, thanks, largely, to a five-minute scene in the movie Deliverance, reviled by banjoists everywhere.)The truth is somewhere on the other end of the backward/advanced spectrum. In fact, a strikingly large percentage of bluegrass banjo players are engineers, tinkerers, mathematicians, and programmers.Noam Pikelny, whose instrumental banjo album was recently nominated for a Grammy, studied engineering at the University of Illinois. Ben Eldridge, of the once hugely popular bluegrass band Seldom Scene, develops signal-processing algorithms for the Navys underwater acoustics programs today. Tony Ellis, who played with Bill Monroe, studied engineering between musical pursuits. Lamar Grier, also a Blue Grass Boy for Monroe, went on to work for IBM for 17 years. And thats just to name the famous ones. I will say that the number of engineers I have run into playing banjo is statistically significant, says Stan Moore, an electrical and computer engineer and an accomplished banjo player for some 35 years.So what leads the engineering-minded to pick up the five-string? The answer has something to do with how the instrument is played and how the instrument is made.Bill Keith engineered what have become standard tuning pegs for the banjo. renommee Beaconbanjo.comPlaying Five StringsThe bluegrass banjo is not as straightforward as other instruments. With a piano, a trumpet, or even a saw and a bow, if you need to play a note of a melody, you play the note of the melody. With the banjo its not so simple. This has something to do with the fact that eliciting the traditional sound requires three fingers playing five strings with four beats to a measure. To get the ring and drive associated with the banjo, each consecutive note is played on a different string. (On other stringed instruments, like the guitar or the fiddle, its common for several consecutive notes to be played on the same string.) This means that melody notes are not always where you want them. It takes a certain kind of problem-solving to learn how to work melody notes into that string-changing ringing sound.Its sort of an engineering mindset or logical mindset. I dont know what you call it, but its the kind of stuff Im into, says Bill Keith. Keith is one of bluegrass banjos most influential players thanks to the melodic style he developed. In short, he figured out how to play melodies and scales with higher notes being played on lower stringsa counterintuitive concept to strin g players of any genre. He was also a Blue Grass Boy in 1963.Keith was a dissector of mora than music. When he was 15 he bought his first car, a Model A Ford. I took the car completely apart, he says. The body was off the frame, the engine was out. I did all the frame restoration, the brakes, replaced the rings and the engine and did a valve job the old fashioned way. Later he acquired a 1910 single cylinder Brush. He needed help with the engine and wound up making the acquaintance of a machinist. A real antique guy. Old equipment, overhead shafting, big fat leather belts. The whole shop ran on DC using drain oil to power a Hercules diesel.Keith Banjo Tuners. Image Beaconbanjo.comA Tinkerers DreamA lot of important stuff for the banjo happened there. After examining the planetary transmission found in a model T as well as his Brush, he thought of using a similar idea for tuning pegs. With his friend Dan Bump, he engineered a tuning peg that would allow players to bend notes lower, t o a specific, predetermined pitch (listen to the first notes of Flint Hill Special and youll understand). These pegsknown as Keith tunersbecame the industry standard. They also represent a sizable portion of Keiths income.When I was trying to learn Earl Scruggs stuff I basically had to take it apart to see what he was doing. That was fairly analytical, sort of reverse engineering. I had the product and I had to figure out what it was made of.Though Keith recognized the connection between the analytical and the musical, other engineers claim that the primary attraction is the hardware itself. I chose the banjo because given the tools available to me, I could make the most parts for one, of any stringed instrument that I could think of, says one mechanical engineering graduate student. Music is what engineers hear in their heads when they finally connect the dots to some problem, says Marc Smith, a senior engineer for a defense contractor. Youll find many, many musically inclined engi neers. Ive found that the more artsy they are, the more they gravitate towards guitars and keyboards. The more mechanical and hands on they are, the more theyre likely to pick the banjo. Smith grew up working underneath cars and listening to Tchaikovsky, Texas swing, WWII era swing, Country and Ragtime. He took to engineering like a baby duck to water. Hes been playing banjo since 1979 and is a master of Classic and Minstrel styles as well as bluegrass banjo.For me, the banjo represents a tinkerers dream. Endless hours may be spent on just getting all the components to hang together efficiently, says Smith.Mechanics of MusicUnlike a guitar, or a celloor a piccolofor that matter, a banjo can be completely disassembled and put back together in a matter of hours. Every part of a banjo can be swapped out and tweaked. Theres a drumhead sitting on a metal tone ring resting on a wooden rim. Behind it all is a resonator to bounce the sound away from the players body. Its all held together b y brackets and just waiting for adjustment and improvement. And thats ignoring the neck, the bridge, the tailpiece, and more.More patents have been granted on banjos, their parts, and pieces than almost any other single item . . . ever, says Smith.When it comes to taking a banjo apart, putting back together, the physics of the banjo sound, the angles of attack etc, I very much go into engineering mode, says Andrew Cartoun, an engineering consultant for high rise buildings in New York. Cartoun received his degree in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt, a school he picked because of its schauplatz in Nashville, TN. The engineering had more to do with the actual instrument, setup, than the act of playing music. He admits, though, that there may be subliminal problem-solving that goes on while playing.Of course, for many a banjo-playing engineer, the mechanics of the instrument, the peculiar difficulties of playing it, even the precision and intricacies of the sound, have little to d o with why they picked it up in the first placeit was just the music. The banjo is a weird and joyous instrument, says Smith. It begs to be improved and yet resists improvements in every direction. It is frustrating and mind-numbing, exhilarating and relaxing. It attracts young and old, rich and poor, tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, whites, blacks, Asians, Martians . . . and engineers.Michael Abrams is an independent writer.Youll find many, many musically inclined engineers. The more mechanical and hands on they are, the more theyre likely to pick the banjo.Marc Smith, a senior engineer for a defense contractor

Anonymity the secret killer of company culture

Anonymity the secret killer of company cultureAnonymity the secret killer of company cultureThe end of every year at my company used to hit me with a sudden bout of anxiety. Not because of any particular thing to do with the business December is usually our best month. Its because thats when my partners and I would solicit anonymous reviews from our employeesa practice were now winding down.The fact that those reviews filled me with fear and loathing isnt why were axing them, though. Its leaders jobs to respond to their teams concerns, take tough criticism to heart, and move everybody forward. We decided to end the practice because the anonymity welches hindering that crucial moving everybody forward part.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraIf the past years HR crises have proved anything, its that employees need safe places where they can report workplaces issues and trust that the yll be dealt with. That absolutely demands confidentiality and in some cases anonymity. But those two things arent identical, mutually exclusive, or even mutually reinforcing. Heres how my company learned the hard way.HELPFUL INSIGHTS VERSUS HURT FEELINGSSome of the things in my review would be niceKeep up the good work.Thanks for focusing so much on company culture.I would love to get him in front of mora of our bigger clients next year.This made me feel good, although I wished I knew who said it so I could thank them.But then there would be feedback like this (and these come from my actual 2016 review)He needs to be more professional and grow up.He sometimes undermines his own leadership.Does he even know what hes doing?Wed instituted anonymous reviews of our senior leaders because we wanted to get better and didnt want anybody to feel afraid to speak up. But many of the reviews left us with little but hurt feelings Inwhich situations did I need to be more professional?Whatparticu lar thingswas I doing to undermine my leadership? I take criticism like this seriously, but without the ability to ask follow-up questions, I couldnt take any actions on it. Yet I knew that asking for more specificity would reveal reviewers identities. Lacking that, a snide, vague remark like, Does he even know what hes doing? just made me want to find the asshole who said it and put greasy fingerprints all over their computer screen.And so our anonymous review process, set up to make people feel safe while giving us information to help us improve, only made us unhappy.A similar thing used to happen at our quarterly meetings when we founders would answer questions shared anonymously by employees. Many would be great Whats the product road map for next year? Is there a plan to do something about not enough room on the bike rack? Which of the founders can grow a better beard? (The answer is Dave.)But inevitably thered be a couple snarky questions When are we going to get competent lea dership? Some revealed that an employee was feeling strung thin (Why do some people get to slack off while I bust my ass?) or heartbreakingly isolated (I dont feel accepted on my team). Since we didnt know who, we felt powerless to help. Plus, even if 98% of the company was happy, that embittered 2% managed to emotionally hijack the conversation.Samuel Culbert of UCLA has spent his entire career re-envisioning management to address issues like the ones wed walked right into with our anonymous review process. His new book,Good People, Bad Managers How Work Culture Corrupts Good Intentions, shows how many common practices that are meant to help employees feel safe actually make things worse. One of the biggest culprits, he says, is anonymity.A slew of companies and apps (likeBlind,Sarahah,Sayat.me, andSuggestion Ox) exist based on the idea that anonymous reviews help people and organizations get better. The employee engagement gurus at Hppyclaimthat anonymity allows employees to expre ss themselves freely and provide valuable insights, and that an anonymous feedback instrument gives you real power to combat issues that threaten your organization.However, as Culbert sees it, the idea that anonymous feedback can be constructive is based on assumptions that betray human-nature common senseincludingAnonymity reinforces the idea that its risky to speak up.It can be mistaken for objectivity, despite making it easier to push an opinion as fact, grind an axe, or peddle an outright lie. Because it doesnt allow for follow-up, anonymity can make dubious statements the final word. It assumes people giving feedback are unbiased,Culbert says. Its the same logic that contends hate mail should be believed. Of course, sometimes it should be But probably not all the time, and the key is being able to tell the difference.Anonymous feedback presumes that the people who receive it will interpret it the way the people providing it intended, which Culbert argues they wont One managers team player is another managers conflict avoider.Anonymity can set off an emotionally charged hunt for the person behind them, sowing frustration and fear rather than a good-faith effort to find solutions.Anonymous feedback is often completely inactionable. With no chance for a conversation, its impossible to tease out the nuances or check to see whether any remedies are working.In other words, as Culbert bluntly puts it, Its a stupid exercise that destroys goodwill and teamwork.IS ANONYMITY EVER VALUABLE?Harvard Business Reviewhas reportedon numerous studies finding that when employees can voice their concerns freely, organizations see increased retention and stronger performance.One study showed, for example, that teams at financial-services companies whose members spoke up more had much better financial results than others.For my upcoming bookDream Teams, I conducted a national study of employee/employer dynamics at 500 U.S. companies, surveying a total of 879 employees. One of t he strongest findings was that the ability to speak freely, disagree with others opinions, and express ones point of view each correlated strongly with how innovative the company was. The more people could speak up, the more groundbreaking the companys progress.The MeToo movement is a perfect example of this on a national scale. For decades, countless women (and many men) have not spoken up about workplace sexual assault and harassmentbecause, among other things, they risked personal or professional retaliationfor stepping forward. Now that our culture is (albeit fitfully and unevenly)making it safer to speak out about inappropriate workplace behavior, more people are coming forward with their stories. But it took dozens of trailblazers brave enough to put their names behind their stories for things to begin to change its unlikely that Harvey Weinstein would ever have been outed for his alleged crimes if only anonymous people had accused him.In fact, there are only two categories of instances where anonymity tends to be helpful in resolving workplace issuesAnonymity can allow people to express unpopular ideas that might not otherwise get surfaced but are useful for sparking debate and different thinking. If its not safe to go against the grain, an anonymous idea box can be helpful. However, if the team dynamic is right, it should be safe to express unpopular ideas anyway.Anonymity can be important for reporting HR issues, like sexual harassment, in environments where coming forward is risky or unsafe for the victim. Unfortunately, if a specific issue is to be resolved, the identity of the accuser often has to be revealed confidentially to investigators. Not only does anonymous reporting make that difficult, it can even undermine trust that confidential allegations will be looked into seriously. This puts victims of mistreatment in a double bind,leading too many to simply not report issues.The real goal should be to make your workplace safer for people to speak up non-anonymously, even if they need to do so confidentially. This distinction is crucial. To get there, you really have just two optionsIf appropriate, train the offender to change their behavior.Terminate them.Whichever course you take, its outcome needs to be visible to others. Thats the only way youll instill confidence in your team members that speaking up has a positive impact. Otherwise, if you ignore or tolerate the behavior (and again, sometimes anonymous feedback leaves you no other choices), youll poison your company culture. And people will want to be anonymous again.COMBATING FEAR WITH CANDORThe antidote to fear is acceptance, says Jim Dethmer, founder of theConscious Leadership Group. Creating an accepting environment is primarily leaders responsibility, but everyone in an organization contributes. To do this, Dethmer suggests each of us do the followingPractice listening.The key to acceptance is non-judgmental listening, he explains. Peoples fear decreases when they experience someone really listening to them and seeking to understand them deeply.Hone your self-awareness.Are you entering situations and confrontations in a way that creates fear? This level of self-awareness, personal responsibility, and ownership goes a long way for creating trust-based versus fear-based cultures, Dethmer says.Ask for candid feedback.Inviting candor helps people feel more comfortable using it, and helps you to be less defensive when you hear things you dont want to hear.Offer constructive feedback in a supportive way.That shows others how to be candid, Dethmer says. Conscious candor done well breeds more candor.About a year ago, a student of Dethmers conscious leadership philosophy joined the C-suite of our company. She helped us teach each other how to deliver feedback in ways that make others less defensive. Through a series of town hall discussions with our employees, she helped us get the company on board with removing anonymity and implementing candor (pai red where necessary, of course, with confidentiality).All this helped us start a culture shift. It was always a pretty good place to work (I think), and we still have some habits to work out of our system. But the mind-set change so far has helped many previously unhappy employees breathe easier at work, and cut down negativity.Now I just have to work on that beard.ShaneSnowis the bestselling author ofDream Teamsand aglobal keynote speakeron innovation, teamwork, and human behavior.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Ruthless Modern Resume Template Strategies Exploited

Ruthless Modern Resume Template Strategies Exploited Whats Truly Happening with Modern Resume Template Now, its possible to easily receive a no cost on-line Resume Templates Printable on the internet to take on your job easily. This infographic-style resume template is absolutely free, but for a small charge, you may download extra templates to earn matching small business cards and portfolio pages. You are able to import the simple information from social media such as Google, Facebook or Twitter. Even some productive sites relieve many konzeptions in 1 day. Things You Wont Like About Modern Resume Template and Things You Will Its high-quality PSD file is totally customizable. In case the template appears different than the example it might be because you dont have the right font. It will help you design an impressive resume for your target job. It is free to download. Simple doesnt need to mean uninspired and boring. Microsoft Word includes a choice of templates design ed for numerous forms of resumes, but if youre dissatisfied with the default selection of resume templates, you may download others in Word. Employing Word, you may create your own templates for just about any application, including resumes. The header also has basic contact information and links to other relevant on-line profiles. Each template gives structure, examples and tips so you dont need to start from scratch when creating your resume. Have a look at our variety of contemporary templates and get started creating an effective resume promptly. The Pain of Modern Resume Template Its important to get your resume stand out from the work competition. No matter your job preference, you have to prepare yourself a sturdy resume to locate the job which you desire. No matter if its your very first job resume or not, it is necessary to know that any resume should have 5 vital elements. Make certain you didnt miss whatever could cost you the job that you dream about What a fanta stic product The clean and easy design can help you to demonstrate your skills, portfolio items in an important way. Choosing which style is going to be decided by the sort of the work and your past working experience. How to Get Started with Modern Resume Template? A resume thats sometimes regarded as a curriculum vitae is important if youre looking for employment. Employing a template can decrease the quantity of time you need to spend formatting your document, which enables you to concentrate on adding content and polishing your resume. The template is made by A distinctive and modern resume template with experience timeline and education timeline. The majority of the templates are supplied by named, resume writing specialists and thus the quality is extremely excellent. There are lots of free creative resume templates you are able to use, allowing you to focus your energy on everything else you have to do. The creating process isnt really within the cost. How well you layout your resume is critical to increasing your odds of getting hired. A good resume would aid with that. Utilizing the right resume format is essential in quickly draw in the eye of a prospective employer. Employers know your purpose is to find the job. They examine the information written in the resume to determine whether the applicant is qualified for a certain position. A possible employer should understand what you are bringing to the table. The History of Modern Resume Template Refuted You might be interested in the following related articles also. Because a free resume template already has the ideal format for a company or work resume, all you have to do is fill it with accurate information regarding your work and education. By making use of a template, you receive a feeling of what information to include in your resume and the way to arrange it. Utilizing a resume template is now an acceptable and smart practice for numerous factors. Ruthless Modern Resume Temp late Strategies Exploited Theres no doubt that a resume which is both cohesive and professional will have a much better prospect of standing from the crowd even supposing its made utilizing a template. Typically, individuals consider a resume to be a job-hunting tool, but it is crucial to realize that a resume can only help you receive an interview. In order to acquire into the corporate world your resume must be quite presentable to your upcoming boss. Double check to be certain that everything on the last version of the resume is about you. Career Perfect is a superb supply of resume advice and seems to have a superb reputation online too. Resume Samples will be able to help you present your employment and education information the proper way. Resumes are traditionally regarded as parts of paper that sum up your qualifications and achievements in order to assist you find an appropriate job. The Chronological Resume indicates the precise timeline of an individuals job histor y and illustrates their abilities and experience.

First Jobs and Life Lessons (Pt. 1)

First Jobs and Life Lessons (Pt. 1) Forbes.com recently published an interesting article, 8 Lessons We Learned From Our First Jobs, where it shared the many different things people learned from their very first jobs. The story offered insight from Next Avenue readers, a PBS website catering to Americas 50+ population. As I read the many things people have learned from their first jobs, I realized that, although younger than those polled, I too have learned some of the same things from my first role. Yet, some of the lessons listed I found to be opposite in my life, even though Ive heard older generations say workers will learn these things at their first jobs.Now, were all aware that there are some major differences (in terms of thinking) between Baby Boomers and millennials, but as I read each lesson and compared it to my own and those of others I knew, I began to wonder if the similarities and d ifferences arent so much about age as they are about the evolution of ur workforce.So many things have changed over the years, especially with the addition of technology and social media. And although how and where we work has evolved, some aspects of the workplace and/or working and professional life in general remain the same.For example, interviews arent just conducted face-to-face anymore now we have video interviewing. Yet, the general rule of thumb is still that interviewees should dress professionally for an interviewwhether it is in person or online.So, below are the eight lessons people learned from the Forbes article and my opinion on if they are still relevant lessons that can be applied today or if they are areas where our workforce has evolved.1. A bad first job can focus your career goals.The article explains that several readers learned pretty quickly from their first jobs that they wanted to do something else.I partially agree with this lesson. For myself and most pe ople I know, our first jobs had nothing to do with our career goalsthey were just quick ways of making money. My first job was as a bagger and cart pusher for Kroger. I knew pushing carts had nothing to do with my career goalsI knew Kroger in general had nothing to do with my career goals. It didnt take me working at my first job to realize or focus my career goals the role didnt serve that purpose. Most people I know simply worked at their first jobs as a way to begin making money.Now, thats not to say that a first job cannot help focus a persons career goals. Although not the norm (because first jobs are usually low paying), a first job can give someone a new experience and show him/her that he/she ultimately wants to continue in that line of work or industry. Contrastingly, a first job can be so unbearable that it confirms to a person that he or she would never ultimately work in XYZ industry.2. Start working early.The article quotes Joseph McManus, of North Andover, Mass.who beg an work in 1957 at 10-years-old delivering newspapersas saying, I recommend you go to work as early in life as possible in order to encounter the feedback from boss and client expectations, experience the rigors of a full schedule and the rewards of realizing early in life that you can earn your way.I disagree with Josephs lesson. My first job was at 15 and a half and I wish I would have waited instead of being so eager to start working. As I continued to work throughout high school, I missed many family trips, gatherings and even worked on Thanksgiving and Christmas day my senior year of high school. When I look back on that, I realize my little wages of $7-10/hour at the time wasnt worth memories with my family and friends.I do think working when youre younger is good and teaches you valuable lessons, but I also believe children and teens still need to be just that, and not miss out on parts of their childhood being so eager to work or working excessively.3. Low pay is better than no pay.Some jobs our readers held first paid almost nothing, like $1 per hour for cleaning a school after hours, $1.25 per hour for typing reports or a whopping $1.89 per hour for a nurse starting out in a pediatric hospital unit, the article says.This lesson I think mostno matter the agewould agree with when it comes to a first job. If you were like me, before your first job your income was $0 so, anything aboveeven if minimum wage (which at the time at Kroger was $7)is a step above.4. No job is too menial.Many of the Next Avenue readers started with some tough jobs in fields that are under-appreciated and often underpaid.I think this lesson is still relevant today. In my case, pushing carts and bagging groceries seemed menial at the time, but all of us know just how helpful it is to have someone packaging your goods at the grocery store, or to not have to wander around the parking lot looking for a cart because theyre all aligned inside the store.Whether its cleaning the bathroom s, dropping off mail or tweeting from the company Twitter account eight hours per day, no job is too menial because something always needs to be done and needs someone to do it.As you stay tuned for part 2 of this article, take a trip down memory lane to your first job. What were some of the biggest lessons it taught you?

TV Sweeps Tips for Higher News Channel Viewership

TV Sweeps Tips for Higher News Channel ViewershipTV Sweeps Tips for Higher News Channel ViewershipTV sweeps periods bring a combination of excitement and anxiety to most people who work in television. Its the time that Nielsen ratings are taken at stations and the networks. Those measurements determine what is broadcast and can change TV careers forever. TV Sweeps Periods In most local DMA areas, Nielsen ratings are taken in February, May, July, and November. Each of these rating periods (also called sweeps) are conducted over four weeks. Depending on the size of the DMA, the ratings are recorded electronically or by paper diary. Nielsen selects a small number of families whose TV viewing patterns will be used to reflect those of the local area or of the entire nation. Nielsen will release overnights, which are the previous days ratings results based on the numbers it gets electronically. Thats why you can get a snapshot of the ratings of network shows like American Idol the day after it is broadcast. The overnight ratings dont take into account the viewers who fill out diaries of what they watched and mail them to Nielsen. Those numbers usually take about a month to tabulate and release. The reason TV sweeps periods create tension in the TV industry is that they are a report card of the programs viewers like best and which ones they ignore. From a newsroom at a small affiliate station all the way up to the top jobs at the networks, the ratings can lead to firings, promotions or TV show cancellations. Boost Your Content During TV Sweeps You can mark your calendar for the four rating months and know those will be the times youll see the best programming. TV executives are all competing to grab your attention. During prime-time, youll see special guests, cliffhanger episodes and other devices used to get more people to watch a show. Local TV stations follow the same pattern with their newscasts, producing investigative reports and special features that ar e broadcast specifically during a TV sweeps period to boost their audience. A common way to boost content is through a tie-in to another program. If a character in a popular prime-time show is the victim of date rape, you can produce a local news report on date rape to air in that nights newscast. This technique can also be found on the network morning shows, which might preview the date rape episode, interview a date rape victim and talk to a date rape expert all as a way of capitalizing on the storyline in the prime time show. Sharpen Your aufsteigen During TV Sweeps All your efforts to produce better content during TV sweeps periods will be wasted if theyre not promoted correctly. Your advertising is a critical part of building your audience. Of the six types of media advertising, topical promotion is the most important during TV sweeps. Your message needs to be both compelling and simple Watch us tonight. Using the date rape example, it is critical that during the prime-ti me program featuring that topic there appears a topical promotion for that nights newscast touting the local date rape story. You want to drive the prime time audience straight to the newscast. Thats a good method to get viewers to sample a newscast that isnt number one in the DMA. Youre telling people who may otherwise switch to the market-leading station they usually watch to give your station a try because of this important story. Other Ways to Improve Your Ratings During TV Sweeps TV executives are masters at manipulating audiences during TV sweeps. They have tricks beyond focusing on content or promotion. Expect to see some stations and occasionally the networks unveil lavish watch and win sweepstakes or another type of media contest. Prizes are awarded if a viewer stays glued to the TV and calls in with a secret phrase at the appointed time. The TV executives are counting on some of these people to also be Nielsen families, who will have their viewing habits recorded. A st ation or network wouldnt be able to produce a commercial saying, If you are a Nielsen family during this TV sweeps period, remember that youre watching Channel 4. Nielsen doesnt allow such blatant attempts to skew their results. Some stations may skirt the line by putting out ads that say, If anyone asks, tell them youre watching Channel 4. That may seem like a lot of effort directed at just a handful of families in the DMA, but remember that if even just a few of them change what they report to Nielsen, it can have a huge impact on the ratings. All of this may seem silly, especially to people who work in industries outside media, but when TV careers are on the line based on the viewing habits of a handful of people, every effort has to be made to drive up the numbers. A TV sales department then uses the higher ratings to boost their ad rates to bring in more money by selling TV advertising.

The small behaviors that create excellence at work

The small behaviors that create excellence at workThe small behaviors that create excellence at workTom Peters is a leading business mind and the bestselling author of sixteen books, including In Search of Excellence (with Robert H. Waterman, Jr.), which is often cited among the best business books ever written. He recently joined Caroline Webb, CEO of Sevenshift and author of How to Have a Good Day, to discuss the timeless words and gestures that create excellence - and give you a serious edge - while on the job.Caroline So what was it that made you write The Excellence Dividend now, as opposed to ten years ago?Tom The story that I always like to tell is the time that I was flying from Albany, New York, to Baltimore-Washington International on Southwest Airlines. The pilot was running toward the gate from a prior tuch that had arrived late. There were six people in wheelchairs at the gate, and he turns to the woman in the front wheelchair and says, Would you mind if I rolled you d own the jetway?That, Caroline, is unmitigated, pure excellence to me - it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The former president of Southwest, Colleen Barrett, has said, We hire people based on listening, caring, smiling, saying thank you, and being warm.Years ago, I was talking to a Starbucks regional manager, and I had just come back from Dammam in Saudi Arabia. I said to this woman, What in the hell is going on? The people in Starbucks in Dammam smile just as much as the people on Charles Street in Boston. And she said, We hire people that smile. The ones that smile the fruchtwein, we promote.Those differentiators are going to bring you success for quite a while. There may be a day when 97th generation artificial intelligence can push the wheelchair down the jetway, but I think weve got a little time.Caroline A long time ago, you coined the phrase, People first - the idea that the job of a leader is to create a culture where people come first. And you are maintain ing that even more fiercely as we think about what you call the tech tsunami. What turned you on to that so long ago?The job of a leader is to create a culture where people come first.Tom When we started working on our 1982 book, In Search of Excellence, my co-author Bob Waterman and I were in San Francisco. We were looking for good companies, and there was an interesting upstart 30 miles down the road called Hewlett-Packard. Bob said, Why dont you binnensee if you can set up an appointment with John Young, who was the president. So I go to a phone book, look up the number, and call Hewlett-Packard. I say, Can I speak to John Young? About 15 seconds later, a gruff voice comes on This is John Young, who is this?It was a holy sh-t moment. You could have a large institution and not run it as a family business.Caroline Yeah, but everybody treated each other like humans.Tom And that meeting was really the life changer, when he told us about the HP way - managing by wandering around, or MBWA.All it means is hanging out with the people who do the work. Get in touch with them, learn whats going on. And its fun If you do not take deep joy in hanging out with the distribution center crew at 100 am, then go home, write a letter, and resign as a leader.I write about a Nordstrom woman a little bit - she said that when she was a store manager and everything would go to hell in a handbasket, she would get up and wander the store for 20 minutes.Caroline Yeah, it could be a deep one-on-one conversation, or a huge, extroverted chat, but that sense of reconnecting to what your organization is about reminds you of the whole point of your work.Technology is hugely enabling, but its also going to dramatically change the future of work. What advice do you give a manager who is trying to keep his or her workforce excited, motivated, and not terrified that they will lose their jobs?Tom I think every leader has a moral responsibility to make their people better prepared when they wal k away, whether they work for that leader for two months or ten years.Caroline I agree. If we think about human strengths as opposed to strengths of robots, its about empathy. Its creativity, innovation, and wisdom. We are going to need managers who know enough about the human mind to elicit those human strengths from the people around them. Its an imperative that has long existed - you wrote about this in 1982.Tom Well, the difference is that it used to be a lovely vorkaufsrecht for getting ahead. Now its a survival requisite.Caroline Leaders need to understand what people truly find rewarding and motivating, which is a sense of competence, autonomy, purpose, being treated fairly, being included, and being respected. Its not that hard - you just need to work out, Okay, well what can I do on a tiny basis from day to day, from minute to minute, that makes people feel rewarded in that profound, intrinsic way?You use the phrase fierce listening. Why is listening so important?Tom Fier ce listening comes from Susan Scott. I also found a wonderful book from the former U.S. Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, where he writes, The best way to persuade someone is with your ears. And it makes perfect sense. All this academic literature says, The reason that 9 out of 10 sales calls fail is because the salesperson talks instead of listens.I was in the UK, and I picked up Richard Bransons management book. The entire first section, 150 pages, is called Listening. One word. And one of the things I remember him saying is, We have eight traits associated with effective leadership at Virgin, and seven of those eight traits are based on listening.I was having an interview with somebody in Amsterdam. The interviewer did two things she nodded her head all the time, and she took notes. And I said to somebody, If shed gone on for another ten minutes, I would have admitted to mass murders that I havent even committed Because shes looking me in the eye and taking notes, and shes saying, E verything you say is of critical importance to me.Caroline On the science side, it is inherently, deeply rewarding to be listened to. It sparks all sorts of feelings of pleasure and self-respect that we know make an enormous difference to peoples ability to think clearly. It lowers peoples stress levels, and we think better when were not stressed.Tom You can say these things that sound soft, but in the age of advanced neuroscience, theres science behind it. There isnt anything soft about it in terms of its impact.Caroline Absolutely. You make someone smile by really paying attention and listening to them. And asking real questions, not just pausing to reload your answers.Tom Well, a guy named Dave Wheeler said, The four most important words in an organization are, What do you think? Caroline Oh, I love that. And with that in mind, youre more likely to reach for it in the heat of the moment, when you realize that youve been taking 90% of the airtime. You can catch yourself and say, I realize that Ive been talking a lot. What do you think?Why is thank you so important and underused?Tom Thank you for small things is a hundred times more powerful than thank you for big things. In my last book, my epigraph was from the American statesman Henry Clay. Its something like, Courtesies of the small sort are the ones we take to the grave.I had a friend one time who, because of his background, had problems saying thank you. He was in a fundraising event, and I said, Look, just do this for me Send out thank you notes. You will get so many wonderful responses, you will just have to do it more often in the future.Caroline Youve become so adept at labeling the small, everyday behaviors that we can all embrace, which has shaped my work enormously. The great things that a company might achieve are built on these small, everyday things.Tom Absolutely. And I love Rich Karlgaards book, The Soft Edge. Hes right in the heart of Silicon Valley, and one of the things he says is, When i t really pays off is at a time of adversity.Caroline Right, its like the fact that the pilot gets paid for the ten seconds when things are about to go wrong, not for anything else.So what advice would you give a leader whos going through a crisis?Tom The cheap answer is the MBWA thing. Go hang out. A lot of things will seem a lot less awful when youre doing that, assuming youve put the groundwork in place.Caroline How have you handled crises in your life?Tom Im not sure that Im a good model - I go berserk and overcompensate. Some of the ways that I react to a crisis would drive an organization totally crazy. So Im going to throw it back to you - lets say youre the CEO of United Airlines, and things have been going well. You wake up in the morning, and an employee of yours put a dog in the overhead bin and killed it. Its the seventh time you guys have made a mistake like that. What would you do?Caroline I think that we respond well to signs of authenticity and vulnerability. And on e thing that marks great leaders in a crisis is their ability to convey a sense of clarity on the process thats going to unfold - how theyre going to find out what went wrong, how theyre going to fix it.And also being comfortable acknowledging how terrible it makes you feel - naming the emotion and acknowledging your own skin in the game.Tom One thing I would add is dont listen to the lawyers. I dont mean that in some funny lawyer joke way - theyre going to tell you to couch your words, to make sure youre not in trouble during the lawsuit two years from now. No - own up to it.Caroline Actually you talk in the book about the importance of saying, Im sorry, and recognizing that you have blind spots. In a crisis that becomes really, really crucial, because nobody has the whole picture, and unless you acknowledge what you dont know and whats gone wrong, its very hard to find the solution.Tom You know Toro, the lawn mower company, started apologizing for accidents. Their average sett lement rate - this may be wrong, but its directionally correct - went from something like $300,000 to $15,000. And they hadnt even been in court Its shamelessly true how well it works.This article was originally published on Heleo.com.

How to tell your wife that you want to get a divorce

How to tell your wife that you want to get a divorceHow to tell your wife that you want to get a divorceThe messiness ofdivorcehas been well documented. Theattorneys, thecustody battles, dividing everything up. But when you are sure - absolutely sure - you want to go through with one, how do you tell your spouse you want a divorce? In movies, its often blurted out in the midst of a heatedargument, with one mann an ihrer seite or the other dramatically shouting, I want a divorce But in life, things tend to go a bit differently.And, if you wantthe ensuing legal battleto be civil, its in ones best interest to take pause and really determine how to tell the person they vowed to spend the rest of their life with that its over. So how does one deliver this particularly life-altering bit of news?Theres no one way to do it. But there are some guidelines to keep in mind.Timing is everythingTo say that telling your lebenspartner you want a divorce is delicate is an understatement. It is an e normous decision, one that, when broached, will alter both of your lives forever. As such, you want to make sure that you choose to have the conversation at a time when your partner is emotionally capable of receiving the news. In other words, dont tell them you want a divorce when theyrestressedor emotional. You know your partner better than anyone, so dont make the disastrous mistake of bringing up divorce in the middle of an important life event, advises relationship coachAlice Wood. Be patient and remember that the announcement can wait until a moment when its impact will be the least damaging. Is this obvious? Yes. But its essential.Find the right locationIdeally, you want to break the news in a private, quiet space. Dont have theconversationin a crowded restaurant or even at home when the kids are in the next room. Benjamin Valencia II, a partner and certified family law specialist at Meyer, Olson, Lowy, and Meyerssuggests that, if thecouple is in therapy, the therapists offic e might be a good location. In this way, both parties can feel tresor and free to ask questions and/or gain an understanding of what the other cocktailparty is thinking without erupting into an argument, he says. Further, the therapist can help create healthy boundaries moving forward which can prove invaluable when the going gets tough.Avoid detailsWhen the time is right to bring up the topic of divorce, Kelly A. Frawley and Emily S. Pollock, partners at the law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres and specialists in matrimonial and family law, suggest not getting into details or specifics of how the divorce will work,custody arrangementsor anything other specifics, as they will only overwhelm your partner further. If he or she is just hearing about the possibility of divorce for the first time, they say, dont go in details about how you are going to divide the brokerage account, who should have the kids for Christmas this year, or how you are already looking for a new apartment. The key is to give the person time to digest the concept, show emotion, and ask questions.Choose your wordsTelling your partner you want a divorce is undoubtedly difficult. Theres no need to make it worse by blaming your spouse for their shortcomings or using phrases like, You should have, You dont, or You didnt. You also need to be honest about what youre feeling and why you believe this decision is the right one. So, whentalking about divorce,you have to be specific in your language - this isnt the time to be vague. If your words are ambiguous, you may leave your spouse/partner with a glimmer of hope that the marriage can be saved, when that is not your intention, says Craig S. Pedersen, a partner at Meyer, Olson, Lowy and Meyers. That can only create further problems down the line.Acknowledge your mutual unhappinessEven if a divorce is more one-sided, chances are that neither party in the marriage is particularly thrilled about the way things have been going. With this in mind, its wise t o open the conversation by laying the cards on the tabled. I usually will suggest that they start the conversation with a statement such as As you know, I have not been happy in the marriage for a long time. I also think you have not been happy either, says New York divorce lawyerJacqueline Newman, author of theSoon to be Exseries of books. If the other person can acknowledge that he or she is also unhappy, it makes it an easier conversation to have as it is not so one-sided.Consider a team approachRather than focusing on the fact that you and your partner are separating, its essential to shift the perspective a bit and talk about how you both will work together to make this whole process as easy as possible. Divorce does not have to be a battle, reminds Valencia. Especially if you have children, your common goal should be what is in their best interests. Approaching a divorce by listing the common goals will help both parties realize they are in this together and cooperating behoov es both of them.Thisarticlewas originally published on Fatherly.