SkillInside

It's a common debate that is gaining more traction as we move towards the future of work: should you be a generalist or a specialist? It's a common debate that is gaining more traction as we move towards the future of work: should you be a  generalist  or a  specialist ? There are pros and cons to both answers, but the best solution might be right in the middle. Generalists can typically do many different things, such as a handyman who can fix a number of  problems  around the house like plumbing and woodworking or a marketer who can cover everything from social media to broad advertising campaigns. The benefit of this approach is that a generalist has a variety of skills, which can be incredibly useful in the freelancing economy; with a broader skill set, it can be easier to market yourself. If something needs to be done, a generalist can typically do it fairly well and can be called upon in a number of situations. However, there's also the notion of "j...

A major issue continues to plague the modern workplace -- a lack of recognition. As a September 2016  Leadership IQ study  found, most employees aren’t sure if they’re doing a good job. It’s difficult for employees to feel engaged and motivated when they can’t tell if they’re meeting expectations. The best way to tell employees they are succeeding is by offering them career development. Nothing tops investing in the future of the workforce. It establishes trust and respect within the office. To get the most out of employees, focus on establishing a growth oriented culture. When everyone is in the same growth mindset, there is more support and enthusiasm behind efforts that contribute to career management, like a talent mobility program. But it all has to start with a culture that celebrates growth. Here’s how to make those changes: Adjust Your Values and Vision Review the company’s core values once management agrees on emphasizing growth. How do the current valu...

It's time to change your approach . Are you overwhelmed by selling, but underwhelmed by your sales results? Making small tweaks to your professional and personal life can make a huge difference. In fact, you can dramatically   increase your sales  by implementing just a few high-impact changes , at home and at work. Check out these seven proven life hacks for consistently beating your sales goals—without adding to your stress level. Make these powerful habits part of your daily routine to start crushing your sales goals today: 1. Rethink your to-do list.  This might sound controversial, but to-do lists almost can lead to procrastination. If you’re like most salespeople, then you have an ongoing list of items to complete. Most of those items probably get carried over to the next day—and the next day, and the next. Why does this happen? To-do lists are overwhelming: They lack specific deadlines and quickly take on a life of their own. Inst...

Managing your team is a serious responsibility. Are your employees enthusiastic about coming to work? Do they trust and support your vision? To grow your business, you need to do more than supervise. You need to engage and inspire the people you work with to go above and beyond what is being asked of them -- because they want to. One of the best ways of leading is by example. Successful leaders do the following. 1. They never say they’re too busy. Successful leaders know how to manage their time. It’s pretty simple. You either care enough to make time, or you don’t. In my view, helping others is not the enemy of productivity. To better understand what I mean, I recommend reading  an article   The New York Times  magazine published several years ago titled, “Is Giving the Secret to Getting Ahead?” It might stick with you, too. 2. They put forth solutions as often as they identify problems. Pointing out a mistake or that something could be better is easy. ...

The skills gap is widening and workers are feeling it. In fact, Lynda.com recently conducted an  online survey  of nearly 10,000 respondents, and found that about half of them lacked confidence in their job skills. This presents a problem when onboarding new hires. Chances are, they’re feeling the pressure to "know it all" right from the start.The survey found this to be the case with 94 percent of respondents. Such a lack of confidence, of course, would make settling into new jobs potentially rocky experience without the right people and tools to help guide them. Here are four tips to help bring out your new hires’ best qualities from day one, using the right onboarding and social learning experiences: 1. Provide a training path. To be successful, every learning and development initiative needs to begin with a plan. New hires need to know with whom they are training, when they’re training and what they’ll learn, so they don’t feel lost coming into...

You are likely familiar with the concept that employees don't quit companies, they quit leaders. It is with this in mind that many organizations invest time, energy, and resources developing leaders who foster employee engagement.  Yes, employees might quit an organization because of a bad leader; however, these same employees may quit their own bad behaviors because of a good leader. In other words,  great leaders create a culture of quitters! Some of you may be thinking... Wait a second; great leaders create cultures that encourage people to try new approaches, take on different roles, and apply new solutions. They don't create a culture of quitters. Oh, yes they do!  Great leaders encourage people to quit trying in four key areas.  I invite you to invest a few minutes reading about each area and reflecting on your mindset, behaviors, and results.  1. Quit Trying to Please Everyone Blame it on your upbringing, your DNA, o...

Culture doesn't happen overnight. It happens  over time! by Mattson Newell ( @MattsonNewell ), Director for Partners In Leadership. The culture within an organization isn't built overnight. It doesn't happen after that great employee conference you just had. It happens methodically over time. Culture isn't an event; it is a process. As with anything worthwhile in life, it requires consistent effort. Culture vs. Strategy The effort required to drive culture is often-overshadowed by the quick hits a change in strategy can provide. Leaders can quickly change strategic gears and hire, fire, bonus, incentivize, invest, open, close, re-direct focus and quickly re-shape the strategic focus of an organization. All of these changes can be for naught if you don't have the right culture in place. As the great Peter Drucker said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Yet, take a look at the data from a recent Partners In Leadership Workplace Study below ...