10 Habits Stunting Your Productivity

by murika Comment Closed
If you've ever felt like it's becoming increasingly difficult to have a productive workday, you aren't alone. With so many events like coronavirus and the effects it is having on our lives, as well as getting used to a new kind of work environment, everything may feel like it's in flux. However, there are a few things that we tend to do on a regular basis that may be contributing to our disruptive workdays. Fortunately, these actions and habits can be changed once we recognize them. Acknowledging if and when we do them can help us take notice of how they affect our work. Here are a few habits that may be sabotaging your work and productivity. ...
Read More

4 Strategies to Actively Get Ahead of Burnout

by murika Comment Closed
As business ebbs and flows, we all go through periods that require more energy and attention from us than we're used to giving. A problem arises when this period extends over the long term, requiring us to overwork ourselves with no end in sight. I like to think of burnout as the complete extinguishing of the candle within you that fuels your daily work. When we're exhausted and overworked, it's almost impossible to revive the same sense of creativity, productivity, and strategy that we have when we take care of ourselves....
Read More

How to Manage a Stubborn, Defensive, or Defiant Employee

by murika Comment Closed
Some of the hardest employees to manage are people who are consistently oppositional. They might actively debate or ignore feedback, refuse to follow instructions they disagree with, or create a constant stream of negative comments about new initiatives. Most often, these behaviors are meant to make the employee look strong and mask a fear of change, an aversion to anticipated conflict, or the worry that they will look stupid or incompetent. I’ve found in my 30 years of consulting for both public and privately held companies, that there are three distinct approaches that can help you get the best from oppositional employees....
Read More

6 Reasons Improving This Leadership Skill Should Be Your Top Priority

by murika Comment Closed
As a leader, directing and delegating may come naturally, but listening has become a lost art. Perhaps it's because we're all running in high gear, productivity is paramount, and we simply don't take the time to slow down and truly hear what's going on around us. For leaders, this can be risky, because it could mean missing out on vital cues that impact performance, and even your own effectiveness and career growth. ...
Read More

How to Tell Your Boss That You’re Not Engaged at Work

by murika Comment Closed
Many people think of employee engagement as a relatively new idea, but scientists have been studying it for years. William Kahn first introduced the term in 1990, defining it as “the degree of psychological identification employees experience with their job role or work persona.” He noticed that organizations tended to overlook the influence that everyday experiences have on people’s work motivation, focusing instead on their talents, skills, and expertise. Although such qualities are no doubt critical, they are not sufficient to account for the wide range of subjective experiences employees have at work....
Read More

Mindfulness Meditation Is a Management Tool

by murika Comment Closed
I've been reading (and writing) business books since the 1980s, and, as I've pointed out previously, much of the advice they give today seems hopelessly dated. Ditto with the advice of management gurus. The world has changed; things are different. Given that's the case, where should an entrepreneur (either internal or external) be looking to improve their leadership skills? Outside of reading about how great leaders (like Winston Churchill) managed during a crisis, I think there's only one place to turn: inward. ...
Read More

Still Trying to Multitask? How to Make More Time for Deep Work

by murika Comment Closed
As a small-business owner, you likely turn to multitasking to manage competing priorities. Unfortunately, the brain is not set up to work on more than one thing at a time. According to "The Myth of Multitasking," an article from the Center for the Study of Technology and Society, it takes an average of 25 minutes to get back to what you were doing after interruptions by phone or email. Clearly, multitasking is not the best way to get things done. Instead, experts recommend deep work--thoughtfully eliminating distractions and focusing on one thing at a time. ...
Read More

6 Ways to Look More Confident During a Presentation

by murika Comment Closed
Several years ago, colleagues and I were invited to predict the results of a start-up pitch contest in Vienna, where 2,500 tech entrepreneurs were competing to win thousands of euros in funds. We observed the presentations, but rather than paying attention to the ideas the entrepreneurs were pitching, we were watching the body language and microexpressions of the judges as they listened. We gave our prediction of who would win before the winners were announced and, as we and the audience soon learned, we were spot on. We had spoiled the surprise....
Read More

Why Strong Leadership Skills Are More Important Now Than Ever

by murika Comment Closed
Across the United States, nearly every nonessential business big and small has been forced to go remote. This puts people in leadership positions in a unique spot. As academic director of the Columbia Executive M.S. in Technology Management program, I interact with and coach hundreds of emerging leaders each year. The global health crisis has made the leadership skills we teach more important than ever. Related: How to Lessen Loneliness and Boost Belonging at Work Despite what you may have heard, leadership is not innate: It can be taught. If you’re struggling to lead your team during this pandemic, here’s a roundup of my advice with the help of some successful students and alumni....
Read More

How to Find a Job During a Pandemic

by murika Comment Closed
I am no stranger to the world of unemployment, but when I was let go from my role as an events manager at Oracle earlier this year, I still panicked. With so many people in the world being made redundant at once, I was worried about how I would fare against other job seekers in the market. Thankfully, within two weeks I got an offer at a large tech firm. A week later, I was offered a position at a multinational bank. Was it because I am an extraordinary candidate? Far from it. It was because I took effective steps in my job search, and so can you. Based on my experience, here are the steps you can take to stand out:...
Read More

Peter Kuguru: What being in business for 47 years has taught me

by murika Comment Closed
Meet Peter Kuguru, the man behind Softa Soda, the soft drink that was loved by many children in the 90s. His business, Softa Bottling Company, gave giant soft drink companies sleepless nights. The company eventually went out of business after many years and the businessman went on to pursue other ventures. Only recently, Kuguru, who is the Chief Executive of Kuguru Food Company, invited Kenyans to harvest locusts, which he would buy from them at Sh50 a kilo. As everyone else complained about the ravaging locusts, Kuguru saw an opportunity to harvest them and process them into animal feeds and supplement. He shares with Hustle the ups and downs of a business journey that transformed him into a force. ...
Read More

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR JOB.

by murika Comment Closed
On the 26th of October 2016, my then boss called me into her office and informed me that I had been affected in a restructuring exercise. It was 2.00pm on a Wednesday, I had been preparing for my evening TV show, The Business Centre. In a matter of minutes I had lost a very well paying and prestigious job as a TV host in the country’s leading media house. It was a difficult time and I cried every night, wallwing in self -pity and anxiety. I realised that even though I was emotionally broken I needed to face the truth and needed to quickly deal with the feelings of betrayal, rejection, denial, and the anger that I felt. I had no choice but to focus on what the future held for me and my family. As a sole breadwinner, I was completely anxious about the future. I had a bank loan, school fees, rent etc that I needed to take care of. I was...
Read More