SkillInside

Respecting the gap Millennials bring fresh perspectives to the workplace. And more than any earlier generation, they have a clear sense of what they will (and won’t ) tolerate. If you want your best employees to stick around, avoid these phrases. 1. Don't be too extreme with your sense of authority. Respectful interaction is important. That means engaging in conversation, and welcoming questions and feedback. 2. Young workers thrive on encouragement and empowerment. Dismissing their ideas out of hand--instead of discussing the positive and negatives--will shut them down completely. 3.   Millennials require the freedom to engage, create, and innovate. In their view, tradition is less important than innovation. 4.   Every generation says this to the next--remember how lousy it made you feel to hear it? Don’t discount a Millennial’s efforts--or anyone’s. 5.   Open c

Whatever kind of work you're doing, you're probably fighting some kind of distraction--whether it's electronic, in person, or internal. Your ability to stay focused is more than just a worthwhile thing to cultivate--it's a critical factor in your success or failure. Getting things done is imperative, and focus is the key to getting things done. Here are 10 tips to help you stay focused at work by managing distraction, drawing healthy boundaries, and eliminating opportunities for procrastination: 1. Check up on yourself. Distractions can be internal as well as external, so start by looking within. If you're all over the place, ask yourself what's really going on. What's the source of your flightiness or anxiety? What do you need to be working on in your life? 2. Pinpoint the cause. Once you have your internal priorities sorted out, look at more external causes. Is it your office setup? An intrusive co-worker? A lack of skill, ideas, or tim

Never underestimate the value and reach of a loyal, repeat customer. Keep customers coming back for more--and bringing their friends with them--with these smart tips. Money can't buy one of the most important things you need to promote your business: relationships. How do customer relationships drive your business? It's all about finding people who believe in your products or services. And when it comes to tracking these people down, you have two choices: You can do all the legwork yourself and spend big marketing dollars. But that's like rolling a boulder up a hill. You want to drive your business into new territory, but every step is hard and expensive. There's another less painful--and potentially more profitable-way... You can create an army to help you push that boulder up the hill instead. How do you do that? You develop relationships with people who don't just understand your particular expertise, product or service, but who are excited and buzzin

Because I teach a course on product management at Harvard Business School, I am routinely asked “What is the role of a product manager?” The role of product manager (PM) is often referred to as the “CEO of the product.” I disagree because, as Martin Eriksson points out, “Product managers simply don’t have any direct authority over most of the things needed to make their products successful — from user and data research through design and development to marketing, sales, and support.” PMs are not the CEO of product, and their roles vary widely depending on a number of factors. So, what should you consider if you’re thinking of pursuing a PM role? Aspiring PMs should consider three primary factors when evaluating a role:  core competencies ,  emotional intelligence   (EQ) , and  company fit . The best PMs I have worked with have mastered the core competencies, have a high EQ, and work for the right company for them. Beyond shipping new features on a regular cadence and keeping th