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  • How to Enhance Your Leadership Skills

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    You probably work part-time or more as a student in order to pay for your education. In your capacity as an employee, you have the chance to apply your leadership skills.

    Read More: richard w warke

    Seek out mentors

    Seek out executives in your company who are open to serving as your mentors. Learn from them the qualities of a great leader. Be receptive to learning, and when they bring out areas where you may improve, be willing to hear them out. If you grow as a leader while working with your mentor, get an evaluation of your leadership abilities from them.

    There are two ways a mentor may help you. They can, first and foremost, provide you a practical example of what it means to be a recognized and trustworthy leader. Second, they may be able to elevate you to more senior leadership roles within the organization if they find that you are a teachable employee.

    Review Emerging Leaders

    Look into previous great leaders; they have many traits in common with strong leaders today. Some of these leaders may be someone you look up to, while others are historical personalities who amassed huge followings for reasons you may not share. The leadership strategies these individuals employed to get people to support their cause are more important to note while reading about these leaders than the causes they supported. Make a note of the things that seemed to work and the things that didn’t as you read about these leaders.

    Assign assignments and track outcomes

    An crucial leadership ability is goal-setting and goal-monitoring. You should learn how to accomplish this for both your team and yourself as a leader if you progress into a leadership role in your company. Setting objectives enables you and your group to remain concentrated on the duties you have undertaken on behalf of your business. It can help you become more creative and prevents you from becoming distracted.

    Employ Your Leadership Skills

    Even as a student, you will have opportunities to put these refined leadership skills to use. You have the chance to hone your leadership abilities and get better at what you do in your personal, professional, and communal lives.

    Assuming Leadership Roles at Work

    Make the most of your leadership skills as soon as you start work. Even in the absence of managerial expertise, you may still mentor the other team members. Here are some recommendations:

    Lead by example by pitching in and finishing any jobs that need to be done.

    Encourage collaboration by taking the initiative when your group is given a big assignment and motivating your peers to help out as well.

    Positivity is contagious and is what motivates leaders, so have a positive frame of mind while you conquer challenges in your day-to-day job.

    successful communication: When conversing with coworkers or clients, apply successful communication strategies like active listening.

    Being in Charge in Your Neighborhood

    You can exercise leadership in your community, which could be your town or university. Look for volunteer work or groups to join, then show excellent leadership in those contexts. Upon locating a place, you can apply your leadership abilities in the following ways:

    Take the initiative: Is there a big project that has to be started? Does the chairman position apply to committees? Take the initiative and accept the challenge.

    Step outside your comfort zone: For a normal college student, taking on leadership roles in the community might occasionally put them in unfamiliar territory. Always be ready to jump in and help out when needed.

    Start a fresh project: In addition to accepting leadership roles in established organizations, you may also offer your services to start a new project. Do you think your community is lacking in something? Decide to take charge of accepting it and organizing a team to do the task.

    Taking Personal Responsibility

    In what ways can you apply your leadership skills in your day-to-day activities? You may do several activities that can help you become a better leader even in your regular life, like:

    Have self-control: As a future leader, you will need self-control to accomplish your goals in both your personal and professional life. Respect due dates. Observe a strict schedule. You may better prepare yourself for the future by practicing self-discipline today.

    Handling disputes: Leaders will inevitably encounter disagreements. If you can learn effective conflict resolution strategies for yourself, you’ll be better equipped to handle disagreements in a leadership position down the road.

    The capacity to foresee problems before they exist and to think through potential solutions is known as critical thinking. Your capacity for critical thought may be used to every area of your life and will make you a more capable leader down the road.

    Improve your capacity for introspection. You will benefit from this as a future leader since it will enable you to evaluate your advantages and disadvantages and make the required corrections.

  • What does it mean to work effectively with others?

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    A hiring manager might inquire about your interpersonal skills prior to making an offer. Team members and project managers might also anticipate that you will collaborate well with others in order to be productive and promote a positive work atmosphere. Developing these abilities and applying them to any career or industry can be facilitated by learning what qualities make someone a good team player. This article explains what it means to collaborate with others effectively, goes over the benefits of teamwork in the workplace, and offers a list of nine strategies for doing so.

    Read More: Leef Brands Inc

    What does it mean to collaborate with others efficiently?

    When a supervisor or interviewer inquires about your ability to work well with others, they are attempting to ascertain how you communicate with coworkers or superiors and whether you are capable of working in a group. By doing this, you can combine a variety of soft skills or innate personality traits that affect your ability to communicate and make decisions. Understanding how to function in a group culture with common values is necessary for effective work. Effective workers recognize the value of collaborative planning and team decision-making.

    What makes working as a team important?

    Working as a team in the workplace is crucial for a variety of reasons, such as:

    Making work enjoyable: Working in a team gives you people to talk to, exchange knowledge with, and tell stories with. This makes work more fulfilling.

    Getting things done quickly: Working together can make things get done more quickly. For instance, a project with five hour-long tasks might take a single person most of a day to complete, but with five people working on it, it might only take an hour.

    Promoting varied viewpoints: Team projects bring together the abilities and skills of various individuals to assist in achieving a desired common objective.

    Increasing innovation: Collaborative work necessitates idea sharing and group intellectual analysis.

    Increasing tolerance, adaptability, and flexibility: Working together can teach you how to accommodate schedule changes and accommodate other people’s schedules when working on a group project.

    Increasing the productivity of meetings: Because everyone participates, group work meetings might be more fruitful than other business get-togethers. Rather than being lectures, they might function more like discussion forums.

    Employee engagement: When workers collaborate, they feel more like they’re making a difference in the company’s objectives and the production of new materials rather than merely carrying out orders.

    Features of productive team players

    There are certain characteristics that people who function well in teams and groups may have in common, such as:

    Interaction

    Effective writing and speaking skills can facilitate communication with teammates and coworkers. It can help you avoid misunderstandings and make sure that all important topics are discussed and included in meetings, emails, and brainstorming sessions. Respectful interactions with others may be more common among those with strong communication skills.

    Compassion

    The capacity to see a situation from another person’s point of view and comprehend their emotions is known as empathy. When working with others, this can be crucial as it maintains composure and minimizes the possibility of miscommunication. It can also assist you in determining how to respond appropriately to inquiries or requests from others and in deciding how to interact with them.

    Adaptability

    As a project progresses, deadlines, objectives, and expectations can occasionally change. When working in a team, it can be beneficial to be adaptable and change course, act quickly, or generate fresh ideas. It may motivate you to be flexible and take the required steps to finish a project on schedule or under budget.

    Including

    Treating colleagues equally or judging them on their abilities at work rather than characteristics outside of their control, such as gender, sexual orientation, or race, is a key component of inclusion in the workplace. The most effective teams are made up of individuals with a variety of backgrounds and creative ideas. More creativity and the free exchange of ideas can result from knowing how to accept these differences.

    Paying attention

    When working in groups, it can be helpful to listen carefully, comprehend what others are saying, and react appropriately. It can be courteous to listen without trying to answer. It can also assist you in learning new information that will be useful to you later in your career or in noticing crucial details about a project.

    Be patient.

    Developing patience can be beneficial when working with others if you are accustomed to working alone. Sometimes you have to wait your turn to finish a particular section of a project that has deadlines or requires several levels of creation and approval. Knowing how to do this will help you recognize what you can and cannot control and maintain composure before deadlines or under pressure.

    courtesy

    It’s possible to maintain mutual respect even in the face of disagreement among team members. Respect is demonstrated by the way you behave toward team members, how you speak, and how you respond to fresh perspectives. One way to get respect in return is to give it.

    Have faith

    The foundation of many effective teams is trust. Always be truthful when responding to inquiries. Only divulge facts that you are certain of. By acting in this way, you can build your teammates’ trust, and they will be more likely to trust you in return.

  • HOW TO CREATE A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT

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    ACKNOWLEDGE THOUGHTFUL WORK

    A happy workplace is one where staff members believe their efforts are appreciated and acknowledged.

    In order to motivate people to engage in specific behaviors, rewards are required. Another name for this is positive reinforcement.

    These incentives don’t always need to be financial in nature. Expressing gratitude to an employee for a job well done can be enough at times.

    When you properly acknowledge and reward hard work, your employees will feel that the company values them.

    This will encourage them to give every task they take on their all and improve the atmosphere at work as a whole.

    Read More: elite generations reviews

    PROVIDE CHANCES FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

    It’s simple for managers and employers to become fixated on immediate productivity gains. Nonetheless, education and the advancement of an employee’s career and personal life are equally crucial to success.

    What makes this so crucial? It results in improved performance, which benefits the company in the long run.

    Seminars are one type of learning and development opportunity; these days, a lot of them are live streamed from all over the world.

    You may be able to take advantage of your company’s study leave policy to attend classes or complete assessments.

    Employees find short courses ideal because they can finish them in a matter of months, sometimes even days. Self-paced and online courses are especially helpful for people who are attempting to balance their studies with a full-time job.

    Informal learning will also be advantageous to employees. This is different from conventional, structured learning since it is frequently done on one’s own.

    Resources on company channels, such as a monthly newsletter on Microsoft Teams or Slack, can be shared to promote this kind of learning. Scheduling informal “show and tell” meetings, where teams can exchange knowledge with one another, is also beneficial.

    Establish a relaxing workspace

    The physical layout of a workplace can have a significant impact on productivity and general satisfaction among employees.

    Consider yourself working in a dank, dimly lit, or artificially lit space. The temperature is consistently set a few degrees too warm or cold, and the furniture is awkward and uncomfortable.

    Contrast this with a place of work that has:

    an abundance of windows or soft lighting

    ergonomic furnishings

    interiors with controlled temperature.

    It is imperative to create environments that facilitate both cooperative work and relaxation, as this will motivate staff members to cultivate personal relationships and tend to their psychological needs.

    PROMOTE TEAMWORK & COLLABORATION SPIRIT

    Any issues that may arise within the company can be handled by a cohesive team.

    Unity is engendered by a strong sense of teamwork. Workers are aware that they are collaborating to achieve a common objective rather than working alone.

    Establishing a strong sense of teamwork can be difficult. It necessitates embracing the diversity among team members.

    You can use team-bonding exercises, which allow workers to concentrate on the individual strengths of each team member, thereby fostering connections.

    Collaborating to resolve problems is crucial; whatever you do, make sure you do it as a team.

    There are several methods for you as a manager or employer to foster a sense of belonging and community among your team members:

    commemorate birthdays

    Host year-end lunches or celebrations.

    Plan group activities.

    Activities can be as easy as getting together for drinks after work or taking a casual cooking class or learning a new skill like watercolor painting.

    You can even start a volunteer social or cultural club that has money set aside for planning group activities.

    The general atmosphere at work in your organization can be greatly improved by even these small steps.

    PROMOTE INTERACTION & DIVERSITY

    The secret to building creative, progressive organizations and a happy workplace is to have diverse, inclusive teams.

    Accepting individuals of all ages, genders, races, cultures, and religions is advantageous to the business as well as to the diverse hires’ experiences.

    Diversity, in our opinion at VU, is an asset that enhances our workplace, research, and educational opportunities.

    Being one of Australia’s most culturally diverse universities, we work hard to foster an atmosphere where everyone, from the top down, feels appreciated, respected, and empowered to succeed.

    PROVIDE ADAPTABLE WORK OPTIONS

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift in work arrangements, with many employees finding success with flexible work schedules.

    These initiatives offer benefits to more than just employees. Flexible work schedules may lead to:

    enhanced equilibrium between work and life

    lower expenses for companies, especially when using hot-desking programs

    enhanced creativity and productivity

    enhanced health and morale among staff members.

    In addition to helping employers retain their current workforce, flexible work schedules can draw in talent that wants greater flexibility from their employer.

    This is frequently a deciding factor when accepting a job offer, which may open doors for your business by hiring applicants who would not have otherwise been able to be hired.

    WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO IMPROVE THE WORK ENVIRONMENT?

    You might be wondering how to foster a happy workplace culture in both small and large companies.

    If you work as a manager, HR representative, or member of the leadership team, the effort you put into fostering strong values can spread throughout the company.

    AS AN EMPLOYEE, HOW CAN I HELP CREATE A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT?

    It is not necessary to be a manager to foster a positive work environment.

    It all comes down to building strong bonds and connections with your coworkers.

    Maybe you could offer to plan a social event for your team once a month or so to foster camaraderie.

    Alternatively, it could be as easy as asking everyone on the team to join you for a morning coffee run, checking in with those who work from home, or cleaning your dishes after lunch rather than putting them in the communal kitchen to be done by someone else.

  • How then are decision-makers expected to navigate this complicated terrain and guarantee the sustained success of their businesses?

    The answer is that a business leader’s ability to understand the system as a whole from a single perspective is extremely difficult, if not impossible. This difficulty increases when one takes into account the extremely varied array of interconnected elements and layers that make up an organizational ecosystem.

    Read More: Leef Brands Inc

    Many executives think they can process and make sense of the deluge of information that is thrown at them on a daily basis, but in practice, many senior managers tend to act hastily, taking significant decisions without fully understanding the potential ramifications for the organizational system.

    But as history has repeatedly shown, exceptional leaders possess a sharp understanding of the business environment and the regulations that govern everything, which allows them to make quick and wise decisions that improve their organization.

    How do they pull this off?

    While there isn’t a foolproof formula for becoming a great leader, knowing your company and its members inside and out is a great place to start when acquiring the essential leadership skills required to thrive in the complicated and dynamic world of today.

    Prior to implementing advanced development strategies or making any significant adjustments, leaders must thoroughly map out the current state of their organization. Even seemingly insignificant decisions can have unexpected consequences in a complex setting.

    What opportunities and strengths does the company have? Why do certain teams not work properly? Why do some clients stay while others leave? Why don’t some operations perform as well as they ought to? To optimize the company’s resources and capitalize on its opportunities, as well as to address underperforming areas, these are the vital questions that every senior executive needs to know the answers to.

    Combining uncertainty and meaning

    Organizational sensemaking is the process that enables leaders to make better decisions, comprehend all of this information, and handle novel, unexpected, or perplexing events.

    Scientists have been studying organizational sensemaking for many years with the goal of assisting leaders in better understanding a difficult environment and supporting other leadership activities such as strategic thinking, long-term planning, and innovation.

    Organizational sensemaking can involve learning about new technologies, customer migration, and shifting markets in the larger business landscape. It could entail learning about a problem you’ve never seen before or the politics, culture, and structure of a brand-new business. It could entail determining the reason behind the failure of a previously successful business plan.

    “If you don’t understand the mechanics of the thing you’re trying to change, how can you hope to achieve the change you want?” is the fundamental question at the heart of sensemaking from an organizational standpoint.

    Organizational sensemaking assists leaders in drawing a map that removes ambiguity and adds coherence, resulting in better performance and more efficient action.

    Senior executives can unite the organization behind a shared goal by establishing shared values and a common purpose at all levels with a clear vision of their current state and future direction.

    Collaboration and teamwork are replacing “command and control” management styles in the majority of business models. Successful organizations today seek to be more agile, to collaborate more effectively, and to have stronger analytics capabilities.

    Furthermore, organizational sensemaking—which empowers senior executives to comprehend both the broad strokes and the finer points through data collection, experience, dialogue, and action—is essential for accomplishing these goals.

    Many traditional CEOs still spend a lot of time and money on antiquated consultancies that take six months to produce scholarly reports on the internal and external variables affecting the growth of the company. And they have that option.

    Thanks to technology advancements, forward-thinking senior executives can now use new, faster, more affordable tools that automate the entire process and provide incisive insights in minutes.

    A shared comprehension

    Through organizational sensemaking, you can gain a better understanding of both internal and external business developments, enabling you to confidently map out your desired outcomes.

    Keep in mind that organizational sensemaking is a collaborative process that is ineffective without a thorough understanding of the actual situation inside the organization.

    Achieving the much-desired 360-degree view of the company can only be facilitated by asking for and appreciating different points of view from employees and remaining receptive to a wide range of input. Employees will also experience a sense of appreciation and motivation to contribute their best ideas.

    A shared goal of excellent performance

    To facilitate collaborative action, a high-performing team and organization require a shared vision. Additionally, communication and cooperation are far more successful when you have a deeper understanding of the individuals you collaborate with.

    However, leaders must always remember that sensemaking within an organization is a continuous process. Working in a complicated and unpredictable environment necessitates making swift course corrections when necessary. You must be quick to recognize, contain, and recover from any unforeseen situations. Therefore, improving organizational sensemaking makes it possible for you to identify, modify, and then produce tangible business results faster and more precisely.

    Finding creative solutions to issues as they arise, as opposed to allowing them to worsen and spiral out of control, is the key to long-term success.

    In summary, it is imperative for senior executives to comprehend not only the dynamic global landscape filled with unforeseen circumstances and fluctuating political, economic, environmental, and social landscapes, but also the consequences of the policies and tactics they are advocating for within the company they oversee.

    Furthermore, encouraging organizational sensemaking as a fundamental skill for individuals, teams, and organizations will enable you to operate at a high level under any circumstance, even when faced with complexity and uncertainty.

  • In the media, there is a stark gender gap. Not only are women in positions of power frequently the targets of sexist insults, but our voices are also disproportionately left out of important public conversations.

    Read More: Mark Bourrie

    Only 19% of news specialists are women, according to the Women’s Media Center. Less than 25% of OpEd writers are women. On Sunday talk programs, the average ratio of male to female guests is 4-to-1.

    The fact that many women do not present themselves as experts and take the effort to approach media outlets with their work is one of the elements that contributes to this imbalance. Women frequently think that in order to be seen as reliable media sources, they must have more education or expertise. They undervalue the importance of their expertise overall.

    Deciding that your voice matters is the first step towards sharing your skills. You have the ability to lead with compassion and as a cultural healer, influencing the dialogues that bring about change and increase awareness. These pointers can help you establish yourself as a media expert if you are prepared to speak up on the topics that really matter and accept the truth about your power and worth:

    1. What area of expertise do you possess?

    Limit it to a single, distinct subject. Now give three arguments for your subject-matter competence. Pay attention to the most impressive accomplishments and credibility elements. What would the chyron beside your name read if you were on television tonight? Give us a brief summary of who you are. It might be as easy as putting the word expert after your topic.

    2. Which organizations do you belong to?

    Join organizations that are relevant to you. Alternatively, make your own. New projects always pique the curiosity of media outlets. Remember that activism may be a route to knowledge as well. Invest time with groups who share your enthusiasm for the same problems. Make connections and show initiative to assume a leadership role.

    3. Express yourself!

    Make a free speaking offer to your neighborhood. Locate non-profits, businesses, or business associations in your area, and explain to them how your presentation may help their employees or clientele. Take a video of yourself and utilize the experience to get more employment. Don’t forget to request recommendations for more possible places. One step in developing a paid speaking career is to do this.

    4. Write about your areas of expertise.

    Launch a blog with an emphasis on your particular niche. Alternatively, ask a member of your network whether you may submit a guest article. With an issue-focused blog, you may begin modestly and work your way up to greater prominence. Reach out to bloggers and offer yourself as a source. You can approach more prestigious websites and submit an article once you’ve gained some experience and writing examples. To establish your media brand and boost your reputation, provide links to your pieces on your website.

    5. Create a list of regional media outlets.

    Find out what local reporters cover and who covers it. Establish connections with journalists who are curious about your area of expertise. Accessing local and regional news sources is typically simpler. By doing this, you will get the credibility you need to finally contact national news forums. Speaking on a tiny online radio program or for local newspapers will help you gain composure and confidence.

    6. Construct a compelling pitch.

    Select a hot topic for current events in your industry. Briefly summarize your argument, establish your credibility, and show yourself as an authority. Provide the reporter or producer with three succinct talking points to help them understand your message. Including a recent research, current affairs, or human interest component is beneficial. In your pitch, respond to the following queries: Why you? Why this time? What now? Make it very evident what is at risk. Don’t forget to set yourself apart from other coverage by saying something like, “The New York Times covered this, but here’s what they didn’t cover.”

    7. Use social media to build genuine communities.

    Create a Facebook profile of your own and connect with other online advocates for the same cause. People are not interested in being sold anything. They desire to participate in and add to an insightful conversation. Promote more than just yourself. Provide your followers with insightful and timely material, and concentrate on how you can motivate the entire community to take up your chosen cause.

    8. Look for media leads from sources.

    Make an application for a be included in an expert database like ExpertClick or SheSource. You may create and distribute your own news releases using PR Web. PR Leads provides a monthly membership service that allows requests from journalists and media outlets to be forwarded to your email address. The OpEd Project offers advice and training for writing comments, and Help A Reporter Out (HARO) is a free resource for locating leads that are urgent.

    Try to rediscover your reasons for being enthusiastic about your chosen subject if you are feeling afraid or resistant to approaching the media. You will notice results if you make a commitment to building your media platform one step at a time.

    Remain tenacious. You are worthy of being acknowledged.

    “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid,” feminist author Audre Lorde once stated.

  • How to Develop Your Capabilities as a Leader

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    It’s likely that you are a student who works part-time or more to pay for school. You have opportunities to put your leadership abilities to use in your role as an employee.

    Read More: lawrence bloomberg bloombergsen

    Look for Mentors

    Look for leaders in your organization who would be willing to mentor you. Find out from them what it takes to be a successful leader. Be teachable, and when they point out areas for you to get better, be open to receiving that feedback. Ask your mentor for an assessment of your leadership skills if you develop into a leader during your time with them.

    A mentor can assist you in two ways. First of all, they can provide you with a real-world illustration of what it takes to be a trustworthy and well-respected leader. Second, if they discover that you are a teachable employee, they might be able to promote you to more senior leadership positions within the company.

    Read Up on Promising Leaders

    Take some time to research past successful leaders as they share many similar characteristics with current successful leaders. While some of these leaders are historical figures who gathered sizable followings for reasons you may not agree with, others may be people you admire. When reading about these leaders, what matters most is not the cause they championed, but rather the leadership techniques they used to inspire others to join them in their cause. As you read about these leaders, make notes about what seemed to work and what didn’t.

    Assign tasks and monitor results

    Setting and monitoring goals is an essential leadership skill. If you advance into a leadership position in your organization, you should learn how to do this for your team as well as for yourself as a leader. Establishing goals helps you and your team stay focused on the tasks you have taken on for your employer. It keeps you from getting sidetracked and can boost your creativity.

    Apply Your Leadership Capabilities

    You will have chances to apply these well honed leadership abilities even while you are a student. You have opportunities to practice your leadership skills and improve at what you do in your job, community, and personal life.

    Taking Charge at Work

    Use your leadership abilities as soon as you get to work. You can guide the other team members even if you don’t have managerial experience. Here are some suggestions:

    Set a good example by being the first to jump in and complete any tasks that need to be done.

    Promote teamwork by taking the lead when a large task is assigned to your group and encouraging your teammates to pitch in as well.

    Have a positive attitude: Positive attitudes are what inspire leaders, so maintain a positive outlook while you overcome obstacles in your day-to-day work.

    Engage in effective communication: Utilize effective communication techniques, such as active listening, when speaking with coworkers or customers.

    Taking Charge in Your Community

    Leadership is something you can also practice in your community, which could be your town or campus. Seek out volunteer opportunities or organizations to join, and then demonstrate strong leadership in those settings. Here are some ways to put your leadership skills into practice once you’ve located a location:

    Show initiative: Is there a large project that requires initiating? Does any committee require a chairperson? Accept the challenge and show initiative.

    Venture beyond your comfort zone: Leadership positions in the community can occasionally be outside the comfort zone of the typical college student. Be prepared to step in when assistance is required.

    Launch a new initiative: You have the option to volunteer to launch a new initiative in addition to taking on leadership positions in already-existing organizations. Do you believe there is an unmet need in your community? Take the initiative to accept it and assemble a group of people to complete the assignment.

    Taking Charge in Your Own Life

    How can you put your leadership abilities into practice in your daily life? Even in your daily life, you can practice a number of things that will improve your leadership skills, such as:

    Possess self-control: You will require self-control to achieve your goals in both your personal and professional lives as a future leader. Observe deadlines. Maintain a meticulous timetable. By developing self-discipline now, you can better equip yourself for the future.

    Managing conflicts: Conflicts will arise for leaders. You will be more prepared to manage conflicts in a future leadership role if you can develop effective conflict resolution techniques for yourself.

    Critical thinking is the ability to anticipate issues before they arise and to consider possible solutions. You can use your critical thinking abilities in any aspect of your life, and they will help you become a stronger leader in the future.

    Develop your ability to self-reflect. This will help you as a future leader since it will allow you to consider your strengths and weaknesses and make the necessary adjustments.

  • How To Become A Media Expert: 8 Ways to Amplify Your Voice

    ·

    In the media, there is a stark gender gap. Not only are women in positions of power frequently the targets of sexist insults, but our voices are also disproportionately left out of important public conversations.

    Read More: mark bourrie

    Only 19% of news specialists are women, according to the Women’s Media Center. Less than 25% of OpEd writers are women. On Sunday talk programs, the average ratio of male to female guests is 4-to-1.

    The fact that many women do not present themselves as experts and take the effort to approach media outlets with their work is one of the elements that contributes to this imbalance. Women frequently think that in order to be seen as reliable media sources, they must have more education or expertise. They undervalue the importance of their expertise overall.

    Deciding that your voice matters is the first step towards sharing your skills. You have the ability to lead with compassion and as a cultural healer, influencing the dialogues that bring about change and increase awareness. These pointers can help you establish yourself as a media expert if you are prepared to speak up on the topics that really matter and accept the truth about your power and worth:

    1. What area of expertise do you possess?

    Limit it to a single, distinct subject. Now give three arguments for your subject-matter competence. Pay attention to the most impressive accomplishments and credibility elements. What would the chyron beside your name read if you were on television tonight? Give us a brief summary of who you are. It might be as easy as putting the word expert after your topic.

    2. Which organizations do you belong to?

    Join organizations that are relevant to you. Alternatively, make your own. New projects always pique the curiosity of media outlets. Remember that activism may be a route to knowledge as well. Invest time with groups who share your enthusiasm for the same problems. Make connections and show initiative to assume a leadership role.

    3. Express yourself!

    Make a free speaking offer to your neighborhood. Locate non-profits, businesses, or business associations in your area, and explain to them how your presentation may help their employees or clientele. Take a video of yourself and utilize the experience to get more employment. Don’t forget to request recommendations for more possible places. One step in developing a paid speaking career is to do this.

    4. Write about your areas of expertise.

    Launch a blog with an emphasis on your particular niche. Alternatively, ask a member of your network whether you may submit a guest article. With an issue-focused blog, you may begin modestly and work your way up to greater prominence. Reach out to bloggers and offer yourself as a source. You can approach more prestigious websites and submit an article once you’ve gained some experience and writing examples. To establish your media brand and boost your reputation, provide links to your pieces on your website.

    5. Create a list of regional media outlets.

    Find out what local reporters cover and who covers it. Establish connections with journalists who are curious about your area of expertise. Accessing local and regional news sources is typically simpler. By doing this, you will get the credibility you need to finally contact national news forums. Speaking on a tiny online radio program or for local newspapers will help you gain composure and confidence.

    6. Construct a compelling pitch.

    Select a hot topic for current events in your industry. Briefly summarize your argument, establish your credibility, and show yourself as an authority. Provide the reporter or producer with three succinct talking points to help them understand your message. Including a recent research, current affairs, or human interest component is beneficial. In your pitch, respond to the following queries: Why you? Why this time? What now? Make it very evident what is at risk. Don’t forget to set yourself apart from other coverage by saying something like, “The New York Times covered this, but here’s what they didn’t cover.”

    7. Use social media to build genuine communities.

    Create a Facebook profile of your own and connect with other online advocates for the same cause. People are not interested in being sold anything. They desire to participate in and add to an insightful conversation. Promote more than just yourself. Provide your followers with insightful and timely material, and concentrate on how you can motivate the entire community to take up your chosen cause.

    8. Look for media leads from sources.

    Make an application for a be included in an expert database like ExpertClick or SheSource. You may create and distribute your own news releases using PR Web. PR Leads provides a monthly membership service that allows requests from journalists and media outlets to be forwarded to your email address. The OpEd Project offers advice and training for writing comments, and Help A Reporter Out (HARO) is a free resource for locating leads that are urgent.

    Try to rediscover your reasons for being enthusiastic about your chosen subject if you are feeling afraid or resistant to approaching the media. You will notice results if you make a commitment to building your media platform one step at a time.

    Remain tenacious. You are worthy of being acknowledged.

    “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid,” feminist author Audre Lorde once stated.

  • The Six Ps of Social Entrepreneurship

    ·

    Before launching their ventures, social entrepreneurs frequently address the following six issues. A social entrepreneur may frequently come into various resources, obstacles, or phases that fall under each of these categories.

    Read More: craig kielburger

    People

    The majority of social entrepreneurs begin their projects by deciding who they want to help. This occasionally refers to the inhabitants of that particular geographic area. Other times, these are members of a specific demographic (low-income individuals, for example). The social entrepreneur will find it challenging to adequately define the scope of their firm if they do not have a clear vision of the people they wish to serve. This makes it possible that the creature that has not yet been established will lack a distinct vision.

    Problem

    Social entrepreneurs work to address issues. More precisely, social entrepreneurs pinpoint an issue that the folks in the preceding section deal with. Typically, a social entrepreneur will connect the two at an entity’s brainstorming stage. Social entrepreneurs could, for instance, work to end homelessness in their community. In this case, a social entrepreneur works to solve an issue (lack of housing) for a specific group of people, who are low income folks.

    Plan

    Once the problem and its individuals have been identified, a social entrepreneur needs to come up with a solution. Together with developing a business strategy to run an organization, social entrepreneurs also need to think through how to secure money and maintain the entity’s financial viability. In order to accomplish its social objectives, the social entrepreneur must also consider how other parties may assist it.

    Prioritize

    Lack of resources to address the issue a social entrepreneur wants to solve is one of their biggest obstacles. Social entrepreneurs confront several obstacles, such as inadequate funding, insufficient specialized knowledge, or uncontrollable external influences. This implies they have to set priorities for the problems they attempt to answer, the way they work, and the nature of their expansion.

    Prototype

    Due to resource constraints, social entrepreneurs frequently test their ideas in smaller markets before growing. This entails developing test versions of goods, services, or procedures. It also tries out how various forms of money and resources might support it in achieving its objectives. Other upfront investors could value seeing a minimal viable product or prototype, even though at this point the social entrepreneur’s initial backers might not feel more trusted.

    Pursue

    After the test case is completed, social entrepreneurs determine what worked and what didn’t. It frequently polls both the people who benefited from the solution and the people who helped put it together. This final stage completes the activity, but a social entrepreneur should keep an eye out for opportunities to improve their social change and frequently assess each component.

    Comparing Social Entrepreneurship with Other Social Concepts

    Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and socially responsible investment (SRI) are linked to social entrepreneurship. investment in businesses and funds that have a good social impact is known as socially responsible investment (SRI). In recent years, SRI has also become more and more popular.

    Investors that prioritize social responsibility will frequently avoid funding businesses that manufacture or distribute addictive products, such as alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. Additionally, they could look for businesses that are involved in clean technology, alternative energy, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

    Investors that prioritize social responsibility scrutinize prospective new ventures based on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. This set of guidelines takes into account an organization’s actions as a good steward of the environment, its interactions with workers, vendors, clients, and the communities in which it operates. It also takes into account how an organization handles its leadership, pays its executives, and handles internal controls, audits, and shareholder rights.

    Social Entrepreneurship Case Studies

    Another example of social entrepreneurship is the delivery of freshwater services through the building of additional wells. The objective of a social entrepreneur may be to give communities without reliable utilities of their own access.

    These days, social entrepreneurship is frequently paired with technological resources. One such example is providing high-speed internet connection to isolated areas so that school-age children have more access to knowledge and information resources. Microfinance institutions serve as an additional example, offering banking services to low-income or jobless individuals or organizations that would not otherwise have access to financial services.

    Another method social entrepreneurship is demonstrated is through the creation of mobile applications that address the requirements of a certain community. Giving people opportunities to notify their local government of issues like broken water mains, downed powerlines, or recurring traffic accident patterns is one way to achieve this. Additionally, there are applications designed to report violations by law police or local authorities that can aid in providing the community with a technological voice.

    Other instances of social entrepreneurship include aiding orphaned children from epidemic diseases, offering financial services in underprivileged communities, and implementing educational initiatives. The goal of all these initiatives is to fill in the gaps in the requirements of underserved populations that have been disregarded or denied access to basic necessities, goods, or services that are available in more developed areas.

    What Are the Steps to Becoming a Social Entrepreneur?

    By deciding who you want to assist and what issue you want to tackle, you may start a social enterprise. After you have a focused idea, it’s usually preferable to start gathering information, identifying your constraints, and selecting the outside collaborators you want to work with to assist develop the project.

    How Do Profits Get Made by Social Entrepreneurs?

    Social entrepreneurs network with other community members to raise financing for their businesses. “Community” does not always refer to a geographical place, since some businesses may work together globally for a shared social goal. A social entrepreneur may employ personal resources, grants, or upfront contributions from significant contributors in exchange for public recognition.

    Taxes Paid by Social Entrepreneurs?

    It varies. Social entrepreneurs typically have personal tax obligations. This implies that regardless of whether the company they work for is a social business or not, practically everyone is subject to income tax. However, in order to conduct their businesses tax-free, the majority of social entrepreneurs organize their companies as non-profit organizations.

  • Benefits of working as part of a team

    ·

    Innovation and the exchange of ideas. Not only can having multiple brains on the job lead to more ideas, but it also allows for idea development through discussion and the benefit of one person’s ideas igniting another’s.

    Read More: Leef Brands

    distributing the work. Many hands make light work. It’s quicker and simpler to finish projects when you can divide them up wisely and give each person the work that best fits their skills.

    recognizing and utilizing one another’s advantages. Team members can function as a cohesive unit and adjust to various tasks by assigning the appropriate person to the right role when they are aware of each other’s abilities, backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses.

    mutual assistance. Being a member of a team is a common experience that can strengthen relationships between people. When there is a “team first” mentality in place, teammates want to encourage and celebrate one another.

    gaining knowledge from others. Collaborating with others facilitates the acquisition of new abilities and ways of thinking. When you work side by side with your teammates every day, positive habits that you pick up from them become ingrained.

    Increased productivity. A cohesive team is greater than the sum of its individual members. Energy and a sense of accomplishment that you might not obtain on your own are provided by being a part of a team. It can be a strong motivator to work for the team rather than for yourself and your personal objectives.

    How do you collaborate with people effectively?

    Some people are just adept at cooperating with others by nature. What if you’re not, though? Is it a skill you can acquire? Fortunately, being a good team player involves a number of very teachable abilities.

    Paying attention

    People frequently undervalue the skill of listening, particularly active listening. But when you get the hang of it, it can be truly life-changing. In order to listen well, you must focus on everything the other person is saying and fight the impulse to interject your own ideas or thoughts.

    Seek methods to show the person speaking that you are paying attention, such as making eye contact, nodding affirmatively, giving vocal acknowledgements, asking questions, and summarizing what you have understood.

    To speak

    Whether speaking with someone in person or over the phone, spoken communication is crucial. Practice speaking clearly and confidently while articulating your ideas aloud.

    Watch out for habits like rushing or mumbling your words when you speak, as well as the use of filler words like um, uh, or like. Recall that taking a moment to pause can effectively emphasize your points and allow your audience to consider and digest what you’re saying.

    Compassion

    It’s a life skill as well as a work skill. The capacity to place oneself in another person’s shoes and experience what they might be going through in a particular circumstance is known as empathy.

    By spending some time each day thinking about someone you care about, you can cultivate empathy. How are they feeling and what is going on in their lives? What role do you play in their situation and what would be a suitable response?

    Adaptability

    Working with others entails accepting viewpoints and ideas that diverge from your own and letting them have an impact on a result that matters to you. It might take some time to develop this skill if you’re someone who has strong opinions or if you’re used to working alone and in complete control.

    Develop the habit of concentrating on the here and now rather than the past. Instead of placing blame or obsessing over whether a different approach would have produced the same results, focus on the solutions and results. “Defaulting to yes”—treating every idea as viable until proven otherwise—is another helpful habit.

    Be patient.

    Sometimes work can be very frustrating. One of the most important abilities to reduce stress, prevent disagreements within the team, and maintain focus on a task is patience.

    Understanding what you can and cannot control is the foundation of developing patience. The next thing you should do in a frustrating situation if you are unable to take positive action is to turn your attention to your response in order to reduce both your stress level and your response. Could you please recast the scenario? How much of an impact does this have in the big picture?

    Talking things out

    Your ability to negotiate can help you resolve possible conflicts at work and come to a satisfying agreement. To succeed, you must maintain your composure and remain open to alternative solutions while maintaining your goal-focused mindset. This is true even when the subject matter is very important to you. Empathy and listening are also crucial.

    Laughter

    Well, so maybe you can’t learn to laugh, but you can try to be receptive to other people’s humor at work and deliberately try to find the positive aspects of difficult circumstances.

    Putting the person first

    People are the foundation of any successful team, and no two are alike. Being able to recognize and value the various experiences, viewpoints, and ideologies that your coworkers bring to the table is one of the most fulfilling aspects of working in a team. It goes beyond simple teamwork skills.

  • Benefits of working as part of a team

    ·

    Innovation and the exchange of ideas. Not only can having multiple brains on the job lead to more ideas, but it also allows for idea development through discussion and the benefit of one person’s ideas igniting another’s.

    Read More: Leef Brands

    distributing the work. Many hands make light work. It’s quicker and simpler to finish projects when you can divide them up wisely and give each person the work that best fits their skills.

    recognizing and utilizing one another’s advantages. Team members can function as a cohesive unit and adjust to various tasks by assigning the appropriate person to the right role when they are aware of each other’s abilities, backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses.

    mutual assistance. Being a member of a team is a common experience that can strengthen relationships between people. When there is a “team first” mentality in place, teammates want to encourage and celebrate one another.

    gaining knowledge from others. Collaborating with others facilitates the acquisition of new abilities and ways of thinking. When you work side by side with your teammates every day, positive habits that you pick up from them become ingrained.

    Increased productivity. A cohesive team is greater than the sum of its individual members. Energy and a sense of accomplishment that you might not obtain on your own are provided by being a part of a team. It can be a strong motivator to work for the team rather than for yourself and your personal objectives.

    How do you collaborate with people effectively?

    Some people are just adept at cooperating with others by nature. What if you’re not, though? Is it a skill you can acquire? Fortunately, being a good team player involves a number of very teachable abilities.

    Paying attention

    People frequently undervalue the skill of listening, particularly active listening. But when you get the hang of it, it can be truly life-changing. In order to listen well, you must focus on everything the other person is saying and fight the impulse to interject your own ideas or thoughts.

    Seek methods to show the person speaking that you are paying attention, such as making eye contact, nodding affirmatively, giving vocal acknowledgements, asking questions, and summarizing what you have understood.

    To speak

    Whether speaking with someone in person or over the phone, spoken communication is crucial. Practice speaking clearly and confidently while articulating your ideas aloud.

    Watch out for habits like rushing or mumbling your words when you speak, as well as the use of filler words like um, uh, or like. Recall that taking a moment to pause can effectively emphasize your points and allow your audience to consider and digest what you’re saying.

    Compassion

    It’s a life skill as well as a work skill. The capacity to place oneself in another person’s shoes and experience what they might be going through in a particular circumstance is known as empathy.

    By spending some time each day thinking about someone you care about, you can cultivate empathy. How are they feeling and what is going on in their lives? What role do you play in their situation and what would be a suitable response?

    Adaptability

    Working with others entails accepting viewpoints and ideas that diverge from your own and letting them have an impact on a result that matters to you. It might take some time to develop this skill if you’re someone who has strong opinions or if you’re used to working alone and in complete control.

    Develop the habit of concentrating on the here and now rather than the past. Instead of placing blame or obsessing over whether a different approach would have produced the same results, focus on the solutions and results. “Defaulting to yes”—treating every idea as viable until proven otherwise—is another helpful habit.

    Be patient.

    Sometimes work can be very frustrating. One of the most important abilities to reduce stress, prevent disagreements within the team, and maintain focus on a task is patience.

    Understanding what you can and cannot control is the foundation of developing patience. The next thing you should do in a frustrating situation if you are unable to take positive action is to turn your attention to your response in order to reduce both your stress level and your response. Could you please recast the scenario? How much of an impact does this have in the big picture?

    Talking things out

    Your ability to negotiate can help you resolve possible conflicts at work and come to a satisfying agreement. To succeed, you must maintain your composure and remain open to alternative solutions while maintaining your goal-focused mindset. This is true even when the subject matter is very important to you. Empathy and listening are also crucial.

    Laughter

    Well, so maybe you can’t learn to laugh, but you can try to be receptive to other people’s humor at work and deliberately try to find the positive aspects of difficult circumstances.

    Putting the person first

    People are the foundation of any successful team, and no two are alike. Being able to recognize and value the various experiences, viewpoints, and ideologies that your coworkers bring to the table is one of the most fulfilling aspects of working in a team. It goes beyond simple teamwork skills.