How To Be A More Effective Leader At Your Company

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Being a leader is hard enough, but then you have to worry about being an effective one on top of it, which can, in turn, be incredibly stressful. Your company is counting on you to deliver your best results and you can’t be caught dragging your feet on the job. Being a good leader means you’re willing to step up and put yourself out there with the purpose of benefiting the group.

Always be brushing up on your leadership skills and thinking about what you could be doing better. The minute you start to get comfortable is when you’re going to lose your edge, which may cause you to lose some of your pull too. Your first step is to learn a few tips that will help you be more effective in your leadership position.

Always Make Time for you

Where some professionals get it wrong is that they’re always focusing on their tasks and other people. Remember that being a strong leader comes from inside you. This is why it’s important to put yourself first and take care of yourself. You can’t lead if you don’t feel your best and have the energy to do so. It also includes you taking the time to educate and train yourself on what you need to know to be more effective in your role.

Speak up

Leadership is all about having the courage to speak up and ignite change. If you notice a process that’s in place that’s holding everyone up then address it with the relevant parties. For example, if payroll is failing to provide pay stubs efficiently then tell them to use a company who can provide the service at a low cost and avoid fake paystub maker. Although it’s not your job to implement this change, you’re speaking up and being a leader to help the greater good.

Expand your Circle

To be a good leader you have to step outside your circle and get to know other people from different departments. There’s no room for having clicks and being secretive if you want to take charge at your company. Make time to get to know people in all positions and ask for their feedback regarding how it’s going for them. Have an open door policy and let everyone know they’re always welcome to step in and chat about anything that’s on their minds.

Delegate Wisely

First, you have to know how to delegate, and then you have to do it wisely. This means assigning appropriate responsibilities to others and people seeing you as an authority figure, so the work gets done on time. You must be clear and assertive in your delivery. To be an effective leader you have to be viewed as someone who means business, but also as someone who is easily approachable if there are questions or concerns.

Conclusion

Being a leader is crucial to the inner workings of your company. There’s always room for improving your skills and becoming more effective. The best way to learn is to start practicing new behaviors and getting more experience.

Crucial Investing Tips for 2018

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In the early days of 2018, it’s a good time to consider what’s the same and what’s new as the new year unfolds. With investing specifically, some basic principles remain unchanged, but there are some new kids on the block to pay attention to as well.

Let’s dive right in with a few investing tips for 2018.

Crypto Currencies

Everyone is curious about crypto currencies right now. With the sudden rise in Bitcoin during 2017 and other digital currencies being discussed like Ethereum and LiteCoin, there’s certainly good speculative money to be made. The old idea of “buying on the dips” is likely to prove useful to handle the ups and downs of these internet currencies.

Just be careful about the fees involved with each purchase as small batch sizes sometimes, especially in the case of Bitcoin, become quite expensive to complete. Be aware of how you’re buying the bitcoin and where it’s being stored too.

While it’s common to use an intermediary to make the purchase, it’s possible to hold a balance in a digital wallet like Electrum which is open-source and cross-platform (they have multiple desktop client and mobile apps too). This way, it’s not tied to a digital wallet provider and not at risk from the digital currency robberies that have taken place previously; this is the way Bitcoin was originally intended and set up where an intermediate was not required.

Fast-moving NASDAQ Technology Stocks

NASDAQ stocks are primarily technology based. They’re often quite expensive, but they go through periodic price adjustments where there’s often good opportunities to pick up bargains. At stateschronicle.com, they cover NASDAQ stocks that have recently fallen in price and are worth researching ahead of a possible purchase. Obviously, always perform your own due diligence before diving in.

Re-balancing a Portfolio

When setting up a portfolio, you create allocations for each planned asset class. These are based on your level of equity exposure that you’re comfortable with along with a sensible mix of non-correlated assets where some zig when others zag in the markets. Balancing a portfolio in this manner helps to mitigate steep moves upwards (or downwards) and smooths out the bumps.

For instance, in 2017 U.S. stocks had a banner year having risen over 21 percent. However, investors who put an equal amount into international stocks would have enjoyed over 27 percent return on their foreign investments. A 50/50 split would have achieved 24.5 percent return pre-costs.

 

Rebalancing a portfolio is a semi-regular action that sells down investments that have risen in price and buys more of what has been in the doldrums. While it may seem counterintuitive to sell your winners, the idea is to keep reasonably close to your planned asset allocation while avoiding any whipsaw with inflated investments coming crashing down. By rebalancing, the accepted risk levels of a portfolio are maintained too.

Investing in 2018 isn’t much different to other years except there are more opportunities for smaller investors to buy different types of alternative investments including dabbling in digital currencies. Keeping a sensible eye on maintaining a proper balance to your portfolio avoids overdoing things.

How to Get a Work-Life Balance When Working at Home

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Although there are many advantages to working from home, there can also be problems associated with trying to work in the same place you live. Not only do you need to make sure you get all your work completed, but you also want to spend time with your family. Here are some of the ways you can try to achieve a better work/life balance.

Set Yourself a Schedule

When you are working from home, it can be easy to just pop into the office room and answer a few emails. However, if you do that, you will find yourself doing it more often, with opening a couple of emails to replying to them and then working a few extra hours – just because. It is important that you stick to a schedule, so create one that sets out your day carefully and includes an end to your work. Allow yourself time to work, but also make sure that you only spend set hours in the office. If you are working for someone else, then it is important that you are honest and clear about the hours you work from the beginning of your employment.

Give Yourself Space You Need

While you can set up your office area anywhere in your house, it can make a lot of difference if you need peace and quiet. Ideally, you need a room to yourself that you can use as an office, then you can close the door, and the others in the house will know you’re working. Alternatively, you can always look at mobile offices that you can set up in the garden. It will give you a dedicated space, and it won’t take up a room in your home.

Work Smarter Not Harder

There are some that believe you have to work all the hours you can to be successful. While you need to put in the hours to do a good job, you don’t have to spend the whole day and night in the office. By doing the things you need to do efficiently, you can get far more work completed in less time. If you have a lot of jobs to do, consider taking on a virtual assistant that can help you with the routine tasks.

Learn to Say No

It can be easy just to continue to do a thing for your clients or your boss without thinking about what it means to your family. You are not obliged to work 24 hours a day, so you should learn to say no when they are asking things that are unreasonable. If you have set hours of work, then it makes it easier to say you are not available. If you have a mobile phone for your work, then you need to make sure you turn it off when you are not available. People can leave you a message, and you can get back to them later.

There are many people who love working from home and still manage to fit both home and work life into their day. All you need is a little planning and to learn to say no when you aren’t available.

Highly Effective Habits That Make You More Productive at Work

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Whether you are a business owner or an executive, staying effective at work can be a challenge. There will be times when you are less productive and can’t seem to focus on the tasks in hand. Other times you cannot do things correctly and keep making unnecessary mistakes.

After speaking to a lot of successful entrepreneurs and professionals, we discovered that this issue can be solved by developing a few effective habits. We are going to take a look at those habits in this article.

Develop a Morning Routine

Having a solid morning routine is a must. It helps prepare the brain for a busy day ahead and it allows you to enjoy little, pleasant things as you start the day. Some entrepreneurs love to start the day by having a cup of coffee and reading the news. You can tailor your Google News feed based on your interests or catch up with the latest financial news from America Herald online.

Remember that you are free to develop a morning routine that works for you. You can add a short exercise – a 30-minute walk or jog can be very refreshing in the morning – and fine-tune every part of the morning routine to suit you personally. The only thing to keep in mind is staying consistent. You want the brain to know, unconsciously, that the morning routine means it is time to start the day.

Work in Short Bursts

Staying focused for a long period of time can be challenging, which is why it is often better to work in short bursts. Most entrepreneurs love to work for 30 minutes, and then take a break for 15 minutes before repeating the cycle. Others opt for shorter bursts with a longer break between them.

The time you allocate for working doesn’t matter. What matters is that you devote your entire attention and energy to getting some work done during those short bursts. You will be surprised by how much more productive you can be, even when the day is a difficult one to handle.

You can also use the breaks for productive yet relaxing activities. You can read books, check the latest news and updates, or deal with easier tasks that also help you refresh.

Get Enough Rest

Going the extra mile and working long hours are very tempting, especially when you’re trying to get your business or your career of the ground. That said, spending 5 out of 5 workdays a week working late is not necessarily something you want to do if you want to stay productive in the long run.

Keeping a balanced life is still important. In fact, multiple studies have shown that professionals who are able to maintain a more balanced life are also more productive at work. When it is time to leave the office, stop worrying about work and shut that part of your brain for a moment. Focus on leisure activities or getting enough rest instead so that you are ready for the challenges that come tomorrow.

These habits are easy to get into with a bit of practice, but they are known to be very effective in helping you become more productive at work. Give them a try and be sure to share your experience in the Comments section below!

How to Turn Traveling the World into a Career

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It’s a story everyone has heard and maybe even experienced a hundred times before – the hard worker desperate to escape their monotonous corporate life to pursue adventure in far off lands. Each of us has at least a seed of wanderlust waiting to grow and tempt us away from routine and stability. The biggest obstacle people face when torn between staying and leaving is usually their finances. How do you expect to support yourself and perhaps your family while you give in to your dreams of chasing the horizon?

Think Carefully

The romance of fleeing the stifling regularity of living in one place and sailing off into the sunset could come crashing down when you are suddenly struck by how much you miss your own shower or bed, so make sure you’re mentally prepared for your trips. Take a few weeks to think about your reasons for traveling – do you want to experience more of the world? Are you seeking excitement and new stories to tell? Or are you simply a bit bored and could easily cheer yourself up with a short holiday? Before spending a lot of money on tickets and hotels, check with yourself that you won’t regret it once you’re halfway across the world.

Get Organized and Explore Your Options

Now that you’ve thought about it carefully and got the right vaccinations, make sure to plan at least a little bit ahead, even if the lack of schedule is precisely why you want to travel. Decide on a few key locations and do your research. There are sites dedicated to helping you on your journey such as www.mrhudsonexplores.com where you can learn from the experiences of others before venturing out for yourself. Focus on the reasons you are traveling and make them marketable. Here are a few examples to inspire you:

• Foodies can get in touch with businesses to blog about the restaurants they visit in different countries.

• Backpackers and hikers are sought after by companies that sell travel products because they make great spokespeople for reviewing the equipment. You would be paid to test their gear and write about it to boost their sales.

• You can find work abroad teaching English as a foreign language.

• Working in the travel or tourism industry will allow you to visit new places while being paid. Cruise ships are especially good at offering a wide variety of jobs – chefs, hairdressers, entertainers, bartenders – the list is endless.

• Hotels also require a vast range of staff. Working in an international hotel will give you opportunities to live in exciting places and contribute to the fun of other people’s vacations.

• If you consider yourself very knowledgeable about the places you love, why not become a tour guide? Share your passion for the place by teaching others all about it. You will be paid to work in your favorite locations while getting to know them more intimately.

Look online for companies willing to sponsor you to travel for them or simply apply for jobs where ships, planes or hotels are involved. Everyone has skills that would be valuable abroad, so find out what yours are and book them a seat on your next flight.