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7 Things to Quickly Overcome the Imposter Syndrome

imposter syndrome at work

Have you ever felt like you don’t really deserve your achievements? Or maybe that you just got lucky to be in the position you’re in today? Oh, here’s another one—perhaps you’re afraid that your colleagues will find out that you’re an imposter enjoying the benefits of an unfairly earned role? These are common signs of imposter syndrome kicking in.

And before you get too worried about it, we want to underline that it’s not technically a syndrome—it’s a psychological pattern, which means that it’s fairly easy to deal with.

Today’s blog postis all about identifying and exploring this bias. We’ll look into its most common symptoms, the people that are most susceptible to it, as well as an array of techniques to help you manage it effortlessly.

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

Imposter syndrome—the symptoms

The truth is that imposter syndrome can manifest in different people in different ways. Here are a couple of widely known symptoms suggesting that you may be suffering from this psychological pattern:

  • You feel like a fraud—you’ve landed a great job, you’ve received praise for your work, you may have even been awarded for your success, but instead of feeling happy, you feel like you’re part of a great conspiracy. You feel like none of your achievements are earned through merit; it’s all just a sham.
  • You discredit your worth—you helped someone, provided them with a valuable service or guidance, but you refuse to receive praise or money for it.
    You have little to no confidence in your abilities or expertise—you’ve worked hard to learn and get better at what you do, but you refuse to see the value in your knowledge and skills.

Imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome—the people

It’s essential to underline that all people can be subject to this inability to internalize their success, regardless of gender or race.

Valerie Young, an expert on the imposter syndrome, outlined five archetypes for people suffering from this self-directed bias in her book, The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women:

  • Perfectionists—people who set their standards extremely high and occasionally fail to deliver on their expectations. Despite typically being high performers and successful professionals, every failure for them feels like a personal disaster that ends up wiping out any inkling of confidence and self-worth.
  • Experts—the people that are extremely passionate about learning and constantly expanding their skill sets. They hold themselves to a very high standard and typically won’t apply for a job if they don’t meet all the criteria in the job description. People that are part of this archetype are often uncomfortable asking questions in public in fear of being perceived as ignorant.
  • Natural geniuses—they’re gifted individuals that are used to learning and doing things with ease. However, when a task demands extra effort, they often feel like an imposter and feel shame if they haven’t achieved it effortlessly.
  • Soloists—people who fall into this category care a lot about who performed a task, sometimes more than how it was performed. They feel a constant urge to do things alone and are often ashamed of asking for help.
    Supermen or superwomen—they feel the urge to constantly push their boundaries to prove to themselves that they are not imposters. To them, it’s imperative to be successful in all facets of life.

However, you don’t necessarily have to identify with one of these archetypes to experience the imposter syndrome. Fundamentally, we should keep in mind that this is a behavior pattern, and every single person can fall prey to it when they least expect it. Don’t believe it? What if we told you that even extremely successful people such as Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Maya Angelou, and Michelle Obama have had to deal with imposter syndrome at a certain point in the past?

“No matter what we’ve done, there comes the point where you think, ‘How did I get here? When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away from me?’” — Tom Hanks.

How to deal with imposter syndrome

How do I deal with imposter syndrome?

Now that we have a better idea of the ways this pattern can manifest itself, we can explore a variety of things that can help us manage it. More importantly, some of the recommendations below will help you learn more from your experiences and use them as a source of better self-understanding.

1. Start with a reality check

The first step you should take is to scrutinize your negative thoughts just as harshly as you scrutinize your own worth when these thoughts arise. You know, those thoughts that make you believe your coworkers think you’re a fraud, and that you deserve none of your accomplishments.

Before you let these ideas have any impact on you, recognize them as ideas and think of the reason they came to your mind. Take a step back and assess whether there’s any reason to take them seriously.

It’s also important to keep in mind that our emotional state can significantly affect the way we think and feel. Often, the anxiety associated with starting a challenging project can manifest as self-doubt.

Whenever you feel this way about an upcoming challenge, remain mindful of the fact that this is just the way your brain reacts to it. You are the same knowledgeable and valuable person in your team—and nobody can take that away from you.

2. Reach out

Another fairly simple way of dealing with imposter syndrome is to open up to a friend. It’s essential to surround yourself with people that are there to help you when self-doubt strikes. Getting the support that you need in these situations is paramount.

Also, consider opening up to a colleague you trust. If your self-doubt is work-related, they should have a better understanding of your field, as well as how hard you’ve worked to earn your accomplishments.

3. Keep track of your achievements

Reminding ourselves of our achievements isn’t really something we learn to do at work. On the contrary, we’re often too focused on the things we mess up.

Consider creating a list of achievements and skills that you’re particularly proud of, the things that make you a valuable part of your organization—things that make you irreplaceable.

If you want to take this a step further, consider creating a work journal. This practice has a wide array of benefits that range from improved creativity and confidence to reduced stress.

Keep track of your achievements

4. Accept that you’re human

One of the things that foster professional self-doubt is perfectionism and overworking. While there’s nothing wrong with holding yourself to a high standard, it should be practiced in moderation.

To continue being a valuable part of your collective, it’s essential to maintain both your physical and mental health in check. Nobody wins if you end up burning out in the middle of an important project.

Your goal is to accept that you’re human and that you’re more than a cog in a machine. Sometimes, you simply can’t perform to the extent you’re expected to. And you know what? That’s totally fine.

Make an effort to steer clear of the all-work-no-play paradigm. Take the time to practice self-acceptance and self-compassion—and make sure not to feel guilty while doing so. Think of it as an investment in your future productivity.

5. Choose confidence

Being confident isn’t something you’re born with—it’s a mood, it’s a belief that you can succeed in what you’ve set out to achieve. Choose to believe in yourself.

Do small things that will help you revamp your self-confidence—volunteer your expertise, help your colleagues, do whatever it takes to make yourself believe that you’re a knowledgeable and valuable professional.

6. Say your name aloud

Yes, talking to yourself in a supportive and affirmative manner is extremely helpful. And before you brush this off as weird, there’s a huge body of research that supports this claim. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology called “Self-Talk as a Regulatory Mechanism: How You Do It Matters” suggests that positive self-talk influences a person’s ability to manage their thoughts and feelings during stressful periods—this also includes people that are very vulnerable to social anxiety.

There are so many kind things you can tell yourself. Give it a try and see what works best for you. Anything goes. At the end of the day, you’re only saying these affirmations to yourself. Plus, it’s okay to do unconventional things in the privacy of your own self, especially if they help you feel better.

Need a couple of suggestions? Try these for starters, and feel free to tailor them to your individual needs:

  • “I’m a valuable asset to my team.”
  • “I’ve earned my accomplishments, and nobody can take them away from me.”
  • “I know what I’m doing.”
  • “I may make mistakes once in a while, but that doesn’t discount my worth.”

Oh, and don’t forget to add your name to these affirmations. Practicing this regularly will alleviate some of the effects of your imposter syndrome and help you manage it more efficiently.

7. Don’t compare yourself to others

Comparing yourself to others seems like a natural thing to do, especially due to our extensive use of social media.

Most of us will, at a certain point, feel like all of the people around us have it together more than we do. Well, we’re going to state the obvious—it’s not true. If other people’s LinkedIn profiles make you feel like an imposter, don’t fall for it. It’s a game of smoke and mirrors. People’s social media presence will almost never give you the full picture of how a person is really doing.

Whenever you realize that you’re comparing yourself to someone else, remind yourself that you only see what they want you to see. Everyone, absolutely everyone, feels vulnerable at a certain point in their lives. Everyone will, at some point, be consumed by self-doubt.

Imposter syndrome isn’t just about your self-confidence. It’s also about the way you evaluate yourself—and comparing yourself to others is beyond unhelpful and unproductive. As we mentioned above, setting the right standards is critical in dealing with self-doubt.

The take-home message

Opening up about your self-doubt isn’t easy. To many, admitting that they feel as if they don’t deserve their accomplishments is an arduous task, which makes getting help extremely complicated. The first step towards getting better is being honest with yourself. The second step is to share it with a person that you trust.

The modern workplace has created a culture that values overachievers. Yet, the same culture does very little to create a safe, healthy, and open environment where people can speak out about their problems. As a result, people have no choice but to suffer in silence and often disregard their own wellbeing.

Instead of being ashamed of how we feel and glorifying burning out, let’s focus on accepting ourselves and moving forward with a healthier attitude toward our own worth.

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When Morale is in Tailspin, Transparent Leadership Really Turns the Tide

Transparent Leadership

Guests wait up to three months for an available table at Canlis Restaurant in Seattle. Their four-course meal is served at tables that sit alongside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lake Union and the Cascade Mountain Range.

On any given night, the parking valet welcomes two hundred guests to dine. Without fail, he remembers each and every one of their names, and identifies them to their car, entirely from memory.

How does that stack up to your ability to remember names?

More significantly, how does this employee’s dedication stack up to the rest of today’s workforce?

“I am absolutely done with my current job….I have ZERO motivation to do anything. I seriously spend most of my days online shopping, reading blogs, reading the news, etc. I do the bare minimum to get by without someone actually noticing I’m not working like 50% of the time….I ignore my entire email inbox until 4:30 and then frantically respond to everything before I leave for the day,” writes a reader to the popular advice column, Ask a Boss.

According to a Gallup poll, this reader represents the norm. Almost 70% of the workforce in the US admits to sleepwalking through their work days, and 14% are actively disengaged.

How to account for the disparity between a parking valet with a passion for his company, and an idle, unmotivated average? Mark Canlis, owner of Canlis fine dining, offers an explanation:

“What if we could serve our guests by serving our staff? What about that as a business model? …To the degree that you as a boss won’t learn vulnerably in front of your staff, they will not respect you. Your employees know that you don’t know it all. And they want to see the times when you don’t know it. And there is great strength in that sort of vulnerability.”

Leadership

What characterizes this transparent leadership Canlis has made part of its company culture?

It’s a style of leading that seeks to create openness within an organization through remaining vulnerable, acknowledging blunders, listening, disclosing information and serving employees.

Transparent leaders have clear core values that they personify in their professional role, and disseminate throughout the company.

It’s a style of leadership that engages personally with employees, and empowers them to develop their potential.

Let’s look more closely at these facets of transparent leadership, to understand how a company creates a work environment where a parking valet is committed to memorizing more names in a single evening than there are countries in the world.

Essential Qualities of a Transparent Leader

Part I: Essential Qualities of a Transparent Leader

“As a leader you always want to know the answers to all the questions. You always want to be in a position to tell people, ‘Well this is what is going to happen, this is where we are going’,” says Igor Epshteyn, CEO at Coherent Solutions, a software company in Minneapolis.

Leaders readily acknowledge that behaving with transparency requires a conscious effort. It goes against established ideas that a leader is indisputable.

However, habitually behaving with openness and candor is well worth the effort. It generates a loyal and innovative team.

Here are eight ways that leaders cultivate a transparent environment in the workplace.

1. Acknowledge Vulnerabilities

With the outbreak of the 2020 pandemic, it felt disarming for Epshteyn to communicate to his company that so much was out of his hands. However, he found that acknowledging his vulnerabilities, while emphasizing that he was doing everything he could, increased loyalty from his base.

“We didn’t know the answers to a lot of questions. When people working with you understand that you’re doing the best that you can, they pay back with loyalty, and it becomes one big loyal team, with clients and employees.”

Even when we’re not faced with a world-wide pandemic, every leader knows well that there’s much he cannot control.

A transparent leader isn’t hesitant to acknowledge this. “One of the things we always say around here is that there’s very little we can do to affect the number of people that come in through the front door….we need to realize that we’re called to do our best and then trust God for the rest,” says Canlis.

Similarly, Nolan Farris, Chief Sales Officer of the employment website Indeed, was faced head-on with concerns from employees as the company strove to scale in size.

When they approached him to ask if they’d succeed in their efforts, he said: “If we focus on what we can control, and we maximize our productivity, all of these things will come.”

A team appreciates a leader who is honest about her limitations, but who still works as hard as she can. As Epshteyn says, they pay back with loyalty.

2. Disclose Whatever You Can

Have you ever had someone keep a secret from you, just so they could lord it over you that they knew something and you didn’t? The corporate equivalent is a boss hidden in a corner office behind a sound-proof door, discussing big, important matters with a few select individuals.

Transparent leaders don’t hold onto information as a means of maintaining their authority. Granted, there are certain things a boss will know that employees do not, or know before others, and plenty of personal employee information that’s hopefully always undisclosed.

However, transparent leaders share information as far as they can.

“Sometimes leaders have information that they can’t share. Communicating in transparency means you just have to say that. There’s been many times where I’ve had people ask me very pointed, specific questions in regards to something that I definitely know about, and the response has to be, ‘Well the truth is, I can’t tell you,’” says leadership coach and team builder Lorenzo Flores.

This type of candor communicates that the leader doesn’t need to reign above the rest of the team.

When a leader releases this need to be the “holder of all the big secrets”, it allows their other qualities to come to the forefront, such as charisma, enthusiasm, and team building skills. These are the qualities people value and appreciate in a leader in the first place.

Overcommunicate

3. Overcommunicate

Have you ever forgotten to tell someone something really important simply because you got busy and it slipped your mind?

In a company with multiple departments, it is very easy for significant developments to take place in one department that aren’t ever told to another.

However, for company cohesion, it’s necessary for important decisions and breakthroughs to be communicated throughout the company. This makes everyone feel like they’re in on the play, and not benched on the sidelines.

Oftentimes, failures to communicate occur due to poor or non-existent systems. Quarterly meetings, combined with weekly emails (that are required reading) is one way to maintain fluid communication.

Epshteyn says that within his business, it’s important to communicate from the top down, but also across different departments. When people make a decision in one department, others need to know about it as well.

4. Eat Some Crow

Employees want to see a united front with the leaders in their organization. It creates cohesion and stability within the core.

However, when a boss or manager gets away with making a mistake or relaying inaccurate information, it communicates to everyone that seniority and status matter more than honesty.

Even if it entails stepping on someone’s toe or having a little mud thrown in her face, a transparent leader calls out blunders and errors—and the little things count just as much as the big things!

“The truth is the truth. You debate opinions, you don’t debate facts. From a transparent standpoint, I have no problem calling out if someone else is right or wrong, because you know what? I will own it myself if I am wrong,” says Flores.

Employees appreciate an environment where everyone, regardless of title or position, gets called out on the carpet from time to time. When mistakes are pushed under the rug, it festers and creates resentment.

Acknowledging blunders also demonstrates the humanness of the leader. This kind of transparency makes a leader more relatable.

“Employees are impressed by a leader when they see somebody growing in front of them,” Canlis observes.

Let down the mask

5. Let Down the Mask

“This current generation sniffs things out faster than you could possibly imagine–they don’t want to be pitched, they don’t want to be angled. They just want authenticity out of a person, and that’s pretty old fashioned,” says Canlis.

In this social media age, it’s easy to carefully curate our lives and paint an idyllic picture of who we are and what our lives consist of. Everyone sees smiling faces and beautiful vacations, but never the messy kitchen, dirty laundry, or children in the middle of a meltdown.

Any veteran of social media is fatigued with this facade, and wants to know the person behind the artifice.

Farris celebrates that his company has been “in on” his personal life. “These people want to rally behind someone who is relatable…it’s been fun to build a business at the same time that we’re growing our family. I mean, my employees have seen my family grow.”

A transparent leader understands the value of letting employees glimpse behind the curtain to see the “real” you. As Farris says, people want a leader they identify with.

6. Flaunt Faults

“One of my top-tier superpowers is knowing what I suck at….no one can be great at everything,” says Ty James Largo, owner of Aw Collective.

A transparent leader has enough self-knowledge to understand the areas where he needs to improve, or skills he simply will never have. –And enough confidence to admit this to others as well.

Epshteyn readily acknowledges he’s no Tony Robbins when standing in front of his company. He’d much prefer to send emails and communicate in small groups.

“I don’t consider myself to be a very good communicator…..more and more I’ve been pushed by my team to communicate more. It’s been evolution and growth; it’s not something I have in me naturally….people, when they see that you are sincere, open and honest, they forget little details. They don’t pay attention to the nuances of what you said.”

A team appreciates seeing a leader’s flaws and understanding they’re not perfect. This, too, makes a leader more relatable.

Do the little things

7. Do the Little Things

It’s so common for someone to ignore an email, or say they’ll get back to us, and then forget. And plenty of people are so busy they can’t ever seem to show up on time for anything.

Even with the tiny details, transparent leaders behave conscientiously, and keep their word.

Responding to emails, being punctual, and following up on things they say they’ll do communicates that the leader values each and every person, and has time for them. It’s so true that the little things matter just as much as the big things.

It communicates respect—and respect is never a one way street. The leader, in turn, is esteemed and regarded by the team.

8. Poo-Poo Position and Title

“I don’t think of myself as a leader. It’s like we’re a big collective and we’re doing this all together.”

Eileen Fisher, owner of the eponymous women’s clothing company, has achieved great success, but with remarkably little structure within her company.

She admits to “not really” having a CEO, and isn’t too concerned with other positions, either. “I couldn’t tell you what most people’s titles are, I’m always surprised when I hear them. People are on a first name basis, mostly.”

So how does her company function? She has a small group of central leaders and “there is something in the way we work together and listen that is part of the secret.”

This listening and lack of leadership has earned her success: Eileen Fisher has an annual revenue well above one hundred of million, and an employee turnover that is less than half of its competitors.

Maybe her formula for success isn’t such a secret. With Fisher, it’s clear she’s concerned primarily with getting the job done well. A title or position, if it stands in the way, doesn’t matter.

Although it’s unrealistic for most organizations to entirely jettison traditional corporate structure in the way she has, every leader can learn a lesson in transparency from Eileen Fisher.

It’s Open and Shut

It’s counterintuitive that by opening up, being vulnerable, and exposing weaknesses, a leader actually becomes more effective at leading a company.

But adding these traits doesn’t mean a leader takes away any of the qualities that brought her to the leadership position in the first place.

By behaving with transparency, a team recognizes that a leader is not only qualified, but an open, relatable person as well. And they respond with dedication.

Part II: A Transparent Culture Embodies the Company’s Core Values

“Part of the ‘why’ about starting this business had to do with my own discomfort. Any clothing that restricts me adds to my discomfort. That’s such a huge priority, to design clothes that are comfortable, that are simple, that are timeless, that last,” says Fisher.

A transparent leader has crystal clarity around the “why” of his organization. These core values drive all of the decisions within the company.

“It’s really important to be careful where you put your identity. It’s easy to wrap your identity up into a couple things that maybe it shouldn’t be, and that’s not going to help the business,” says Canlis.

He aims his focus on his company’s core values. “For us, our values, in order, are: trustworthy, generous, and other-centered….that’s who we’re hoping to become.”

Identifying and clarifying core values is central to running a transparent company. Integrating these values starts with leadership.

In order to really embody its core values, a company systematically incorporates them into recruiting, assessing employee performance, and creating work environments. This takes time and dedication.

By making it unambiguous what a company stands for, a leader creates a culture of transparency.

Core Work Values

1. Identifying Core Values

Core values are fundamental to creating a transparent work culture, but how does a company create them in the first place?

One approach is to assess the team that you’ve already built.

Epshteyn identified his values using a method outlined in the Entrepreneur Operation System.

“You select the core group of people who you think belong to your organization, and you try to assess what these people have in common. And based on that, you come up with a set of core values.”

A company’s core values are also a reflection of the vision a leader has for her company.

In an industry where the work culture is known for being high-pressure, competitive and hostile, Canlis envisioned flipping the coin, and creating a fundamentally different work environment for his restaurant.

Eileen Fisher envisioned a company where the environment felt fundamentally collaborative.

“What we’re trying to do with this different kind of leadership is to have the leader facilitate the process so you get the team or the craft team in the room together, to ideate together…it’s more about kind of again the holding the space for the team.”

2. Modeling the Company Vision

It’s easy for a company’s core values to be little more than idealistic sentiments recited at quarterly meetings.

However, in order to create an environment where employees feel like the standards are known and predictable, it’s crucial that leaders really live these values.

Does the company promise an “unparalleled working environment?” Then what is the boss doing to make that happen? Does it pride itself on “world-class customer service?” Then setting up protocols and systems to evaluate performance is critical.

When a leader consistently behaves per a certain set of values, the expectations are clear.

In order for the values to really disseminate through the company, it’s not enough for the boss or the owner to imbue them: all leadership, including management, needs to be on board.

As Canlis says: “When you’re making a switch…you’ve got to figure out if your management is doing this, first and foremost. If they’re not, you can’t go any deeper than that. Are they living the values? Are they leading the way?”

Recruiting the Right Team

3. Recruiting the Right Team

“First and foremost, the success of Indeed has come from good hiring. We’ve been able to establish a really good foundation. Hiring is everything–making sure you have the right characters in your play,” says Farris.

Bringing on the right people in the first place is central to ensuring the whole team is in synch with the company’s mission and values.

Prospective employees need to understand the “why” of the business, in order to determine if they fit with the organization.

“When we invite someone into the organization, we say ‘This is what we’re hoping to become, what about you? What do you want in life?’ Of course, there is a professional aspect, but what we’re really trying to get to is the personal aspect. ‘Who are you becoming as a person?’” says Canlis.

Epshteyn has developed a library of questions that help determine if a prospective employee is aligned to the core values of Coherent Solutions. As a business scales, having a system like this in place ensures a consistent practice of hiring talent who are all on the same page.

4. Holding Employees to High Standards

Holding Employees to High StandardsWhen a company sets its core values, they know they’re shooting for the moon.

“When we committed to Vision 2020, our sustainability goals, we decided we wanted to be 100% sustainable. Of course we knew that wasn’t realistic, we just knew if we committed to 100%, we were going to get further faster,” says Fisher.

In the spirit of transparency and setting clear expectations, a leader needs to assess his or her employees according to the standards set by the core values. –While at the same time appreciating that they won’t always be reached.

When overseeing his team, Canlis notes the need to make the distinction between an employee who’s having a case of the Mondays, and one who’s consistently missing the mark.

“There’s not a lot of room not living the values. There’s room for failing at them and wishing that you hadn’t. That’s a key distinction. I expect all of the staff to fail at the values regularly because they are set awfully high. That isn’t so concerning. That is a simple process of holding up a mirror to someone and saying ‘Hey, I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re not living up to what we all agreed to.’”

Establishing this kind of accountability ensures the core values really are lived in the day-to-day work environment.

When an employee persistently doesn’t live up to the values, it’s time to show them the door.

“That’s a key distinction: is the person living a particular way, is that who they are and who’re they becoming, or are they just having an off day and they failed to meet the standards….the former just don’t belong,” says Canlis.

5. Creating a Value-Imbued Work Climate

An organization’s core values determine the way in which work gets done.

A team member at Canlis, where a core value is “other-centered”, is concerned with her employees, and how to improve their days. An employee at Indeed, where one value is “determination”, brings a focused, eye-on-the-prize energy to his work life.

How does a company imbue the climate with the values in such a way that they’re really expressed in the everyday work environment?

As we’ve discussed, hiring the right people and assessing employees play central roles.

Additionally, Farris points out, ensuring that everyone in the company is on the same page means hitting them with the same message, day after day.

“Appreciating that we work in a company with a social mission of helping people find employment…is incredibly important and is something we take to heart and regularly revisit and communicate and over-communicate to reinforce across our teams.”

In another turn, when Amy Hall, the head of social consciousness at Eileen Fisher, felt that the company needed to have sustainability more deeply embedded throughout the organization, she organized a series of workshops within all the departments (designers, advertisers, sales, and stores) in order to align everyone with the mission and value.

Although there are many approaches, the objective of incorporating the core values into the workday of every employee is the same–and it’s a central component to creating a transparent work environment.

Realizing the Vision

Realizing the Vision

Incorporating core values into a company requires a concerted effort from all leaders in the organization. Plus, it entails implementing systems so that values are practiced consistently.

Although this is a lot of work, it creates powerful alignment to direct the company toward its vision.

This alignment creates a culture of transparency, where standards around work and behavior are clearly understood.

Part III: Transparent Leaders Empower Employees

Eileen Fisher hasn’t received many resignation letters since she started the company in 1984. Most of her staff has stayed with her for decades.

“It’s a community, a family in a way. People feel that they’re really a part of it. They’re invested in the success, what is working, what is not working….it makes people want to be there.”

This sense of ownership, in part, is because the employees do in fact own the business. Eileen Fisher follows an ESOP ownership model, and 40% of the company stock is owned by employees.

What else is in the secret sauce to developing loyalty and dedication?
Egalitarian leaders acknowledge that the skills and work power of its employees are the fuel that allows a business to scale and succeed.

“They do all the work, it’s only fair to share, which I think all companies should have to do. I really do,” says Fisher.

Epshteyn agrees. “The people IS the growth of the company. We spend an equal amount of time focusing on employees as we do on our clients.”

Transparent leadership is an employee-centered approach. It seeks to utilize what every team member brings to the table, and also to cultivate personal and mentor relationships with employees.

1. Utilizing the Talent Pool

A transparent leader readily acknowledges that those on his payroll may well be smarter, more capable, and more incisive than he. That is why he hired them.

“The whole process of growing is the ability to surround yourself with people who are much smarter than you are. You have to listen, to understand. Most of the decisions are not easily made….we have to make sure we listen to the key players in the different areas. You have to include them in the decision making process,” says Epshteyn.

This collective approach to decision making allows for the pooling of a wide array of talents and skill sets.

Listening Beyond the Basics

2. Listening Beyond the Basics

A leader certainly needs a strong vision for where he or she wants to take the company, and some idea of how to get there. However, this makes it easy to slip into a pattern of thinking she has all the answers.

When a leader doesn’t acknowledge or listen to her employees, work performance suffers. Any employee whose ideas are shut down and ignored can’t bring his A-game to the table, no matter how brilliant he may be.

Active listening—things like making eye contact and using engaged body language–is certainly in the skill set of a transparent leader. Even more so, a transparent environment is one in which the leader understands just who the employees really are, and treats them as distinct individuals.

“I have a good understanding for people and culture…it’s a manager’s job to understand who they are managing…Everyone in the group comes from a different place, they were raised or educated in different areas, speak different languages. Everyone has their own life experience,” says Farris.

This kind of listening, where the individual is seen and acknowledged for who they really are, gives everyone a sense of place.

3. Know Your Employees

We spend more time at work than we do with our families and friends, as we know all too well. And it turns out that many employees are actually pretty lonely at work.

Water cooler banter apparently isn’t sufficient for creating camaraderie in the workplace. In fact, this kind of real-life conversation occurs less frequently as workplace interaction becomes more virtual.

When people are lonely at work, performance declines. This indeed helps to account for the nearly 85% of the workforce who’ve reported to Gallup that they’re, at best, sleepwalking through their day.

Transparent companies with an employee-centered business plan have systems in place for simply getting to know one another.

Know your employees

For example, the team on the Department of Growth and Appreciation at Canlis regularly takes employees to lunch. Not for recognition, just to talk. The agenda for the lunch is to answer two questions: “Tell me your story,” and “What is it like working at Canlis?”

This policy may seem like a superfluous waste of time, but Canlis finds that it really makes good business sense. “The lunch opens up a wealth of conversation. And you can’t imagine how the details of the business get taken care of magically while the people are having lunch together.”

When employees get to know and like each other, daily work performance improves.

4. Coach and Advance

A transparent leader doesn’t see employees as a means to achieving her own end. Rather, team members are individuals with their own limits, goals and visions. A transparent leader is enthusiastic about enabling and encouraging them.

“Managers are lead blockers….a manager’s job is to ensure their people have a clear path to their personal success and their professional success,” says Farris.

Farris is eager to share what he has learned in his career. Everything he has picked up, he believes, is knowledge to pass on to someone else.

He also has the courage to have difficult conversations with employees about work performance.

“I do not shy away from providing feedback: good, bad or ugly….I’ve worked hard at ensuring employees know where they stand, the things they’re doing well and the things we’re working on together to see them down the yellow brick road.”

Transparent leaders also enable team members to grow. The Department of Growth and Advancement at Canlis has a function of discussing where team members want to be in their careers, then actually taking the steps to make it happen.

Reap Loyalty

Reap Loyalty

“Loyalty is something that does not go one way. You have to be loyal to your people,” says Epshteyn.

It isn’t hard to imagine that a work environment where an employee is listened to, known, and allowed to grow is also one in which they’re going to do their best work.

Transparent leadership that focuses on the employee is key to creating a rich, rewarding work environment.

Nothing Murky About It

If your boss required it, would you be up for the lofty task of memorizing two hundred names in an evening?

What if this boss took the time to know you, coached you, took your advice, and answered your emails to boot? That might affect your answer!

Transparent leadership certainly inspires most to strive for peak work performance. And, as the saying goes, anyone who shoots for the moon lands among the stars.

A transparent work environment, that is to say, is not simply friendly and supportive. It also genuinely improves the productivity of the business.

Incorporating methods of transparent leadership takes work, time and strategy. What would you change about your organization to make it more transparent?

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8 Easy Ways to Increase Focus at Work (and reduce stress!)

Increase focus at work

If there was a way to increase your focus at work, how big of a difference would it make to your productivity during the workday?

Think about it. How often do you find yourself dead center in the middle of an intense work period, when suddenly, your phone goes off or your email dings and that iron-clad focus vanishes into thin air…and becomes increasingly harder to find post distraction?

It’s something we’ve all experienced at one time or another, and it can have a heavy impact on productivity and stress levels throughout your working hours.

Losing focus can happen in an instant, and though it can seem like “no-big-deal” in that moment, it can make a big difference over time. Focus is a skill that’s developed through intentional habits. Most people aren’t naturally born with the ability to direct their attention towards one thing for long periods of time. Pair that with our high-tech world that thrives on the need for instant gratification stemming from our use of the internet (especially from social media), and it’s only natural we’d now find it difficult to concentrate on one specific task for a set amount of time.

2 Main Factors That Affect Your Focus At Work

Our ability to focus at work can be influenced by a number of factors, however, they nearly always fall into one of two categories: environmental and personal.

Environmental

Environmental factors are those that make up the physical and social environment around you. These include the state of your workspace, the people around you, external events (meetings, presentations, workplace events, etc), and the technological distractions you experience, such as your phone or computer. Though not all these aspects are fully within your control, they can often be planned for in advance.

Personal

Personal factors are directly related to you as an individual. Some examples of personal factors that affect focus include your current emotional state, attention inhibiting diagnosis (ex. ADHD), negative or positive self-talk, personality type, and work style. All these things are individual to you and can be developed and strengthened over time to help improve your mental clarity and focus.

Ways To Increase Focus At Work

8 Ways To Increase Focus At Work

Increasing focus in the workplace is a skill that will take time to develop. When you take action to plan for and manage the distractions you face throughout your workday, you’ll find higher levels of concentration beginning to form, while also increasing productivity and reducing stress in the workplace!

Here are our top 8 ways to increase your focus at work:

1. Organize Your Workspace

Organization in the workplace helps set you up for success by making your workspace predictable and easy to manage. Predictability in the workplace boosts focus by removing the obstacles, which allows you to efficiently move throughout your tasks without getting distracted by something you saw or another task you had out on your desk.

2. Create A Daily Schedule (and follow it!)

Often, we create a weekly work plan without thinking twice about making it smaller and more digestible. When you break your week down and create a schedule for each day, you’re able to dial in the efficiency of your workday and promote productivity. This also gives you the freedom to create a schedule that works best for you and your internal clock. If you focus better in the morning, plan for your uninterrupted work to be done during the first portion of the day while giving yourself permission to take several breaks in the afternoon while completing your less intensive tasks (or vice versa). Another way to optimize your daily schedule is to switch between tasks that require low levels of attention and those that need higher amounts. This will naturally provide your brain with time to rest between the more demanding tasks.

Take Breaks

3. Take Breaks

Breaks are essential to productivity and focus. If you go without taking breaks throughout the day, you’ll often find yourself suffering from high levels of mental fatigue and foggy processing. The longer you go without a break, the more likely it is for the quality of your work to decrease. Giving your mind time to recoup at regular intervals will not only lead to greater focus during working periods but it’ll also provide you with a moment to gain some perspective when working through a particularly challenging project.

4. Eliminate Distractions

In a workplace where we’re surrounded by technology, distractions are common. Create uninterrupted working periods by setting your phone to ‘do not disturb’, muting your desktop notifications, and silencing anything else that will steal your attention if alerts go off. If you have an office, you can even put a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on your door to keep colleagues from disrupting you during your working periods.

Avoid Multitasking

5. Avoid Multitasking

When you split your attention into multiple tasks, you’re never fully investing yourself into one singular activity and can distract yourself from the others when one gets challenging. Often, this leads to less work being completed and makes for a more stressful work environment because it creates the illusion that you’re much busier than you actually are. In fact, in a Stanford University study on multitasking, researchers found that habitual multitaskers appeared to struggle with navigating among multiple threads of information, while also being less able to filter out distractions and focus on material that was highly relevant to their end goal.

6. Use A Timer

If you catch yourself checking the clock constantly throughout the day, use a timer to help you remove the anxiety or stress surrounding how fast (or slow) time is going. When you incorporate a timer as part of your work routine (like the pomodoro method), you’re effectively supporting your uninterrupted working time in 2 specific ways…

First, you’re allowing your brain to naturally shift into work mode due to the specific window of time you’ve given yourself to complete the task.

Secondly, it will reduce the desire to look at the clock as there is no anxiety surrounding time because you’ve already determined and set an end time to the work period, effectively making it a predictable and measurable portion of your workday.

7. Respond To Your Brains Cues

If you catch yourself stuck on a difficult aspect of your task, or if you’re finding you’ve lost the flow of your process with no sense of end in sight, try switching to another task that has a high potential for successful completion. Give your mind a break and reinforce your confidence by checking off another item on your list. Quick wins and small rewards are great tools to help you combat resistance and motivate you to return to the original task with a better mindset.

8. Find Your Individual Working Style (and plan accordingly!)

Everyone requires different things to help them focus and move through their workday with success. Consider the following:

  • Do you find rewards appealing? Consider adding them into your day to encourage task completion.
  • Do you need to pre-plan your task to feel confident enough to take it on? Get all your notes in order and make a basic outline to reference as you move through it.
  • Do you need to chunk your work into smaller (or larger) portions? If you’re a person who needs frequent breaks, split your tasks into smaller portions that are easier for you to digest without becoming overwhelmed. If you’re a person who needs to go through a task from start to finish in one sitting to maintain your focus, plan for longer breaks at the end of each task.
  • Do you need silence when you work, or does music help you concentrate? If you need it to be silent, make a plan for how you can achieve that taking your current work environment into consideration. Do you need noise-canceling headphones? Is there a specific playlist that helps you focus (instrumentals or soft white noise?)
  • Do you need more uninterrupted time to work through those more intense objectives, but have a busy office and colleagues that love to stop by for chats? Consider adding a sign on your door to keep people from interrupting, or have a visual schedule for your colleagues to know when you’re available.

This can be digital, like a shared calendar with unavailable times marked, or a physical one by your office space.

Consider what supports your concentration and build it into your work environment.

Working Style

Conclusion

Focus is a skill that can be developed with the right knowledge. When it’s missing from your work habits, it can reduce productivity, create a more stressful environment, and leave you feeling exhausted (and potentially behind schedule) at the end of each workday.

When you include windows of time each day where you are completely focused, you are naturally building up your mind’s tolerance to distractions and strengthening your ability to concentrate and stay on task for longer periods of time.

Evaluate your work habits, consider what you need to help increase your focus at work, and implement it one step at a time.

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A Simple Guide to Daily Work Management Steps

Daily Work Management

Striking out on your own as an entrepreneur or building your own business is stressful. It’s a work in progress and always will be. To make the most out of your growth, you’ll need to implement an effective daily work management protocol.

Daily work management is the process where business leaders break down their management system into a series of daily tasks. By referring back to these steps it helps the entire business to self-regulate, reflect, and grow.

It’s not just people starting out that could benefit from daily work management. If you are a business leader who’s looking for ways to increase productivity and include voices from every level, this is for you as well. Let’s take a look into what daily work management is and what steps are involved.

What is daily work management?

Put simply, it’s a management system that takes a daily approach and involves every department, and requires input from all staff. There are three main areas of daily work management and these are visual management, leadership routines, and accountability practices.

These three elements should play an important part in your business’s operational governance. A daily work management system helps your team to overcome problems with the 4Ms of production – man, machine, material, and methods.

Any leader knows that the beast of business is hard to tame but daily work management steps are a proven model to overcome challenges. It’s a sustenance technique and focuses on problem-solving. Many leading businesses have implemented daily work management steps to facilitate their growth.

Daily Work Management Steps

Daily Work Management Steps

What steps you’ll want to include depends on what type of business you are and the size of your team. While solo entrepreneurs can benefit from looking at demand data and accountability, they won’t have much use for Gemba walks.

Take a look at the steps below and see how they can fit into your daily workflow. If you have employees then remember that this system works best when it’s collaborative. Everyone should have a voice from the entry-level production staff to senior-level leaders.

1. Demand data

Ultimately the people businesses answer to are their customers or clients. Begin your day by reviewing the demand. What is it your customers want from you? A great tool for this is Pivot Tables which is an interactive tool for tracking data.

Pivot Tables let you summarize data quickly. Use them to make comparisons, monitor trends, and discover unanticipated questions. Consider implementing this tool to make the most out of your customer’s data and always stay ahead of demand.

2. Takt time

Once you know your demand you can work out your takt time. Takt time is basically the pace your production needs to run at to keep up with demand. To work this out, all you need to do is take the working time available (what your staff is working minus any breaks) and divide this by the customer demand.

This is not to be confused with cycle time which is how long it takes to create a product. Takt time is not something that can easily change. It is dependant on demand and the working time available.

3. Visual management board

A visual management board is something that’s widely used in production and factories. It has useful data about production progression compared to projections. A production board can be used to record any hindrances that affect the team’s output.

In order to make the most out of visual management boards, leaders shouldn’t use them as a way to intimidate their staff. It should be used as an effective tool to encourage employees by sharing the bigger picture performance of the business.

Daily accountability

4. Daily accountability

Daily accountability meetings are where every employee has the chance to speak and make suggestions to improve the business. Through accountability meetings you’ll learn of any hindrances and if there are any ways to improve productivity. There should also be the opportunity for staff to ask for help if they need it.

Your meetings could be in the form of daily stand-ups which are short meetings held at the start of the day. Refer to the production board and keep staff informed of what’s going on with the business. Other types of meetings may also be relevant such as safety briefings, cleaning, or equipment checks.

5. Leader standard work

Leader standard work is the set of processes that team leaders of all levels use to monitor their team. It’s a way to check in on the day’s progress and how well your team is performing. Make sure they’re following the correct procedures and it’s a great way to find future leaders to develop.

6. Gemba walks

Gemba walks are something a leader can do to learn more about the processes they may not be involved in. It allows bosses to find exceptional people, observe their staff, and gain a deeper understanding of things that do or don’t work well. A good idea is to record your findings to help improve the processes or eliminate any wasted resources.

Collaborative coaching

7. Collaborative coaching

Businesses will thrive when there is a culture of collaboration. By encouraging employees to share their knowledge and skills with one another the overall productivity will tick upwards. Nurture collaboration by rewarding creative problem-solving. This will help employees to think smarter and contribute to company growth.

8. Response planning

Leaders need to take action early to avoid any loss of production due to unforeseen circumstances. This can be achieved by implementing things like job rotations or cross-training. Businesses need to be flexible enough to move staff to cover shortages if they occur.

9. Process confirmation

This method is how managers check the integrity of their processes. Is the work being done as set out in company procedures and is it up to the expected standard? Process confirmation can help to expose any areas which are falling short and even expose potential hazards.

Conclusion

These daily work management steps are great for helping your team to build habits, review your processes, and make sure the business is growing. It can expose vulnerabilities and help to create a system of response to ensure business continuity. Not all steps will be useful for your business but consider implementing the ones that will.

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Management Through History: How We Got Here, And Where We’re Going

Management Through History

Times have changed in the world of management. And definitely for the better! Better for employees, better for managers, and better for the organization. And as it’s still evolving, the future is looking pretty bright.

Rita Gunther McGrath describes the history of management in three eras – execution, expertise, and empathy. Execution refers to the period of science and bureaucracy, where mass production, specialization, standardization, and quality control thrived. When employees were seen more like machines who output than human beings who contribute. Expertise is the period where knowledge starts to accumulate, and motivation is understood better. Empathy is where we’re at now. We’re expecting managers to create complete and meaningful experiences for employees. It’s a pretty good place to be, considering where we came from.

Let’s dive a little bit deeper into the significant influencers and periods that represent the evolution of management and how we got to where we are today.

Management: A History

Scientific Management (late 1800s)

Frederick Taylor is often seen as the father of the Scientific Management period. Emerging in the late 1800s, Taylor focused on the system of management rather than the employee. Taylor believed that production efficiency could be attributed to specialization and division of labor. Employees were seen as specialized and replaceable components.

Let’s just say morale was probably pretty low in the average worker!

The Hawthorne Experiments (1932)

In 1932, Elton Mayo, a Harvard psychologist, conducted experiments at the Hawthorne Works of Western Electric Company. The study was on how characteristics of the work setting affected performance. When productivity increased, no matter what setting they altered or tinkered with, the researchers had to look a little deeper. Mayo realized that when researchers were present in the factory, workers were more productive. This was because they enjoyed receiving attention from the researchers and participating in the study. They were having such a great time that they wanted to cooperate with the researchers and produce the results they believed were desired.

This became known as the ‘Hawthorne effect’, which suggests that the attitude of workers toward managers influences their performance. Researchers began looking into managerial behavior and leadership, and the human relations movement was born. This movement advocated for supervisors to be trained to supervise, so they are able to motivate their teams and increase productivity.

The Hawthorne experiments paved the way for progress. Departing from studying management as a science, organizations and their managers started to recognize the importance of human characteristics.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1950s)

In 1954, Abraham Maslow expanded on his hierarchy of needs in ‘Motivation and Personality’. The theory categorizes human needs into a pyramid, asserting that lower-level needs must be satisfied before humans can be motivated to fulfill their higher-level needs. His work had a major impact on how managers viewed employee motivation.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s hierarchy applied in the workplace:

  • Physiological: To fill the physiological needs, employees need appropriate salaries.
  • Safety: Safety needs can be met by providing employees with job security, a safe and hygienic work environment, and benefits.
  • Social: Social needs are met by teamwork and opportunities to socialize.
  • Esteem: Meeting an employee’s need for esteem can be met by managers who appreciate and reward employees when deserved.
  • Self-actualization: Self-actualization needs can be met by giving employees jobs that challenge them and utilize their skill-set

Learning Organization (1990s)

The Fifth Discipline BookIn the 1990s, Peter Senge came along and developed the learning organization concept. He viewed the workplace as an organism. In his book, Senge describes the learning organization as a place with a group of people who create what they want to create: “where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.”

These are the following characteristics that appear in learning organizations:

  • Present continuous learning opportunities.
  • Members utilize learning to achieve their goals.
  • A connection between individual performance and the organization’s performance.
  • A culture of questioning and conversation is fostered, making the workplace safe for employees to share openly and not be afraid to take risks.
  • Embrace creative tension as a source of energy and renewal.
  • Members are consistently aware of and interact with their environment.

Learning Organization

The key to achieving this type of organization is within Senge’s five disciplines of creating a learning organization:

1. Shared Vision

A shared vision is when all employees are on the same page about the company goals and understand where the organization needs to go. The belief here is that employees who share the vision for the organization will actively participate in getting it there.

2. Mental Models

Mental models explain the assumptions and generalizations that people have which guide their behavior and decisions. In order to change mental models that may hinder someone, people need to be willing to reflect on their own behaviors and beliefs.

3. Team Learning

Team learning has two elements:

  • Effective teamwork leads to results that are greater than what an individual could have accomplished on their own.
  • Team members must be willing to change mental models and be open to learning from their teammates.

4. Personal mastery

In a learning organization, workers should be proactive – consistently continuing to learn and achieve. This isn’t about explicitly achieving for the organization – though that is an assumed residual benefit. It’s about defining what is important to us, seeing reality accurately, and pursuing continuous learning and improvement from there.

5. Systems thinking

Systems thinking in the workplace refers to looking at the organization holistically rather than as small unrelated parts. It implies that one should consider how their actions, behavior, and role affect those around them and the entire organization.

In a learning organization, the argument is that a better appreciation of the system will lead to more considerate and appropriate actions.

Daniel Pink (2009)

In his book ‘Drive’, Daniel Pink goes beyond the traditional motivational theories that support the idea that extrinsic factors (such as high pay and good benefits) motivate people. While they definitely play a role (no one wants to work for peanuts, no matter how great your boss is), intrinsic factors are actually responsible for human initiative. Intrinsic factors include autonomy, mastery, and purpose. For example, suppose you’ve ever had to deal with a boss who loved to micro-manage you at work. In that case, you probably know how vital autonomy and trust are.

Let’s get back to the future.

So, now that we have an overview of what has happened in the organization over all these years, how do we meet the needs of the current workforce today? How can we be good managers that the employees of tomorrow will actually want to work for?

Here are 4 ways you can be a great modern manager:

1. Be a leader

This might sound obvious, but it’s actually been a long-running debate on whether managers should also be leaders. The debate states managers delegate activities and direct a group of people, while leaders guide followers. This is just… silly. If you’re a manager of a team in the modern workforce, you need to lead. If you have been placed in a position of power without having earned followers, influence, and respect – success is unlikely.

Good managers are leaders who inspire, coach, and empower their employees. This is necessary for the modern organization, where every employee contributes to its success and long-term viability. Therefore, employees need to be inspired and encouraged to embrace their own entrepreneurial spirit.

Be a Leader

2. Be inclusive

When important decisions need to be made, many managers believe that their insight is the only one that matters. This is holding them and their organization back.

Participative decision-making (PDM) is the opportunity for an employee to give their input on work-related matters. Employees at every level will have specialized knowledge about their work and how it’s best performed. So if a decision revolves around them in any minute way, why wouldn’t they have a voice? It makes them feel valued and respected.

Here’s some tips for implementing PDM:

  • Discuss as a group (not just one-on-one employee-manager)
  • Provide details and adequate information
  • Foster an environment where people feel encouraged to share and appreciated when they do
  • Make a decision together and implement it

3. Be vulnerable

It’s easy to assume that as a manager you should always hold it together. But employees need to get to see you be vulnerable in order to build deeper connections and trust. Embracing vulnerability in the workplace is essential for communication, collaboration, and discovery.

Be innovative

4. Be innovative

There will be times when the Managers of today and tomorrow must throw caution to the wind and challenge the status quo. Recent history has made it clear that the successful business of the future is the one that is capable of disrupting business-as-usual practice and exploiting opportunities today. This culture of innovation doesn’t come from nowhere: this culture must permeate the whole organization from the C Suite to the humble team manager.

Convention is not a manager’s friend. Insanity is the definition of doing something over and over and expecting the same results. By doing so, they will also encourage their team to be bold and unafraid of offering forward-thinking ideas.

As Andy Warhol once said, “Time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” How you manage your team can make a huge difference. Try out these tips to be a manager of the future – you’ll be amazed at the impact you can have!

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Striking Pay Dirt With a Landscaping Business

Landscaping Business

Are you ready to turn over a new leaf? Does the grass look greener in the world of self-employment?

Starting your own landscaping business offers an undeniable perk: the opportunity to spend your days in the great outdoors. Not to mention setting your own schedule and being your own boss!

Not all of us are gifted with green thumbs. Most homeowners have neither the know-how nor the time to design and maintain their lawns. This means that work for landscapers is never in short-supply.

As with any new line of work, worming your way into a career in landscaping comes with its own set of challenges.

From landing your first clients, to marketing, to expanding your equipment and skill-set, here are several things to keep in mind when starting a landscaping business.

Breaking Ground

A methodical approach to building a landscaping business from scratch takes two to three years. It requires patience—and probably a second income!

When setting out, carefully consider things like seasonal demand, the equipment you need and what services you offer. Most importantly, set your mind on landing those first handful of clients.

1. Seasonal Work Cycle

The demand for landscaping work varies dramatically from season to season.

In colder climates, landscapers find their work dries up completely for three to four months in the wintertime! Even in warmer climates, such as South Carolina, available work tapers around November. Come spring and summer, however, mother nature ensures that every landscaper has plenty of work—and even more besides.

In your first years of running a landscaping business, anticipate the busy spring season. If you’re working a second job, adjust for the spring burst by squeezing landscaping clients in on weekends and weekday evenings.

Setting aside a portion of spring and summer income makes it possible to cover living expenses when work slows down during the winter. Taking up other jobs, such as hardscaping or snow plowing, during this time also solves cash flow issues.

2. Offer What You Can

Even if you’re as green as grass with respect to some facets of landscaping, such as building rock walls or installing sprinkler systems, don’t let this deter you.

The skills you already have provide a place from which to start—services such as mowing, weeding, pruning and watering are always high in demand. At the same time, keep your eye on your objective: be it landscape design-build (designing and building yards) or hardscaping (building patios and rock walls), or something else.

According to Dan Erickson, a landscape designer in Virginia, the base equipment needed to start a landscaping business are a mower, trailer, truck, clipper and leaf blower. A push mower, that can get around trees and through narrow fences, allows for the flexibility to mow all sorts of lawns.

Erickson found that when clients were happy with his lawn maintenance work, they asked him to do other things, such as hardscaping and tree-cutting. This offered a prime opportunity to expand his skill set. Learning on the job is the fastest and most effective way to learn.

Client Hustle

3. Initial Client Hustle

“Landscaping companies usually grow by word of mouth and recommendations; professional contacts. They rely on publicity to grow a brand,” says Andrew Pototschnik, the lawn care marketing expert.

This is especially true when starting out. Landing those first five or six clients means hitting the pavement and getting scrappy. Blake Albertson of B&B Lawn care recommends reaching out to all of your family, friends and contacts.

Don’t be too picky about the kind of work you’ll take on. Building up a satisfied client base who’ll recommend you is the main part of the game at this point.

As these first clients are the seed to your budding landscaping business, nurturing and cultivating them is crucial to healthy growth. Water and fertilize them with quality work and dependable behavior.

In order to be duly compensated, bid carefully on your first jobs, taking into account the size of the yard, and any equipment needed, including things like gas, gravel, mulch, plants, and sod. Writing up a bid that details charges communicates your services clearly, and ensures you and your client are on the same page.

Get the Word Out

Get the Word Out

Once you’ve covered the basics, it’s time to find more clients! Building your brand and reputation around consistent, quality work is central to a successful landscaping business.

As your business develops, also consider your niche or competitive advantage. What services or qualities do you offer that other landscaping companies don’t? Perhaps you have an expertise in rose bushes, hardscaping, or tree-cutting. Or you pride yourself on speedy work, punctuality, or next-day service.

Positioning yourself strategically within the industry allows you to reach clients in need of your specific service.

In order to reach the right clients with advertising, take some time defining the market you want to service with your landscaping company. Is your objective commercial or residential properties? Also define details like the location and demographic you prefer to serve.

In addition to word of mouth, here are some ways to spread the word about your landscaping business and the services you offer.

1. Website

A website is as fundamental as a business card. It needn’t be anything fancy, so long as it details all your services, the locations you’ll travel to, a brief bio, feedback from satisfied clients and photographs of completed work.
Plus, provide a phone number and email for people to contact you.

2. Online Ads

Facebook and Search Engine ads are an efficient way to use marketing dollars, as they enable you to specify details like the region, age, and even annual salary of the people who see the ad. You know you’re getting your message in front of the right people.

Newsletter

3. Newsletter

Sending a newsletter to your current clients keeps you in contact with them throughout the year. It can include work you’re especially proud of, or new services you offer. Customers always appreciate helpful advice, so including yard care tips gives your business an edge.

4. Social Media

Utilizing free social media advertising, such as Instagram and a Facebook page, keeps your followers current on your landscape projects. Using stories allows you to give everyone a glimpse of a regular day on the job.

5. Nextdoor App

Free neighborhood apps such as Nextdoor allow you to advertise your services exclusively to your community and the neighborhoods surrounding it.

Dan Erickson credits this app to his business growth. He went from a lawn maintenance company of just himself, to a landscape and hardscaping company with several employees.

6. Houzz

The popular home design website, Houzz, allows landscape professionals to build a page to showcase their experience and services. As Houzz receives 25 million unique views each month, it’s an effective way to reach your target audience.

7. Car Magnets

Custom magnets for your truck are a simple way to broadcast your services wherever you go. They’re affordable, and easy to create and apply.

8. Print Ads

The days of print ads aren’t entirely over! Advertising your services in the city newspaper, neighborhood publications, and church bulletins gets the word out to the local community. Be strategic about these ads, placing them at the right time of year, and within the neighborhood you aim to serve.

Picking three or four marketing strategies that are within your budget and doing them consistently should be sufficient to broaden your client base. A satisfied client keeps a landscaper on board for three years or longer, so marketing is worth the effort.

Ask your clients how they found out about you, and then periodically adjust your marketing plan toward the advertising that is the most effective.

Client Satisfaction

Keep the Client Satisfied

Landing a base of satisfied clients is the prize rose for any landscaping business. Even with top-notch equipment and brilliant marketing, a landscaping business won’t get liftoff if the clients aren’t happy.

A healthy client relationship entails being responsive, communicative, and punctual. It sounds pretty simple, but in the daily life of a landscaper, that’s easier said than done!

1. Show Up When You Say You Will

This sounds like a no-brainer, but landscapers find it’s hard to gauge just how long certain jobs take in a given day. For this reason, Blake Albertson has a policy of providing windows as to when clients can expect him to come by, such as “in the afternoon” or “in the morning.”

Making a commitment to a specific time means the client may be left waiting around…and he or she may be pretty upset when you finally show up!

2. Know the Client’s Vision

Each lawn is a reflection of the personality and taste of the owner.
Develop a relationship with each client, and understand his or her hopes for their lawn. This allows you to offer boutique, individualized service.

3. Be Responsive

Even though a landscaper juggles all sorts of tasks during the day, from laying mulch to mailing invoices, responding to clients needs to be at the top of the to-do list. Addressing concerns and inquiries within 24 hours assures the client of your dedication and keeps issues from festering.

Following these three simple principles, along with consistently providing quality work, yields a flowering of happy, satisfied customers.

A Booming Business

A Blooming Business

Growing your landscaping business from something you do on the weekends into a full-time occupation is a gradual process of adding new services, increasing education, hiring employees, and buying new equipment.

1. Growing Into a Full-Service Landscaper

From installing sprinkler systems, to building fire pits, to pond construction, to laying patios, to installing outdoor lights, there are endless services you can offer as a landscaper!

The direction you choose to grow and specialize in depends on the demands of your market, and your skill set and preferences. If you live in a heavily wooded area, learning to cut trees can be a lucrative skill.

Or if you love working with wood, learning to build gazebos and pergolas might be a fulfilling direction to take your business.

2. Keep Learning

Many of the skills needed for landscaping are learned and improved on the job. However, formal education is a central component as well.

Understanding the climate you live in, all of the local plants, trees, flowers and bushes, and the nutrients in the soil, are crucial components to becoming a quality landscape designer.

Talking with local landscaping companies is a way to learn about services, equipment, and the best neighborhoods to find work.

Growing beyond a landscape designer and into a landscape architect requires licensing and a bachelor’s degree. So you’ll have to hit the books if this is your aim.

Distribute the Workload

3. Distribute the Workload

Even though you’re eager for clients at the beginning, all landscapers quickly realize there’s a limit to the amount of work he or she can take on.

At some point, expanding your landscaping business entails bringing on additional help. Hiring an employee who’s reliable, does quality work and interacts well with clients is an asset to any business. (But you may not find this person on the first or second try!) Making this employee a valued member of your team is important to the growth of the business.

Assistance with marketing and clerical work gives you free reign to focus on the primary aspect of your business: landscaping! If you’re short on office space, a virtual assistant, who answers phone calls and responds to emails, can take off some of the workload.

4. Adding Equipment

As your services and expertise expand, so will the equipment you use in daily landscaping.

Look closely at numbers before purchasing expensive equipment like sod cutters, chain saws, or a dump truck. How much income do you anticipate to make out of this equipment, compared to its cost? In order to scale with minimal debt, buy things you can pay off right away.

For projects like excavation with a pond installation, consider renting a backhoe, or hiring someone else to do the excavation.

Reaping Success

Reaping Success

In a world where much of the workforce spends eight hours a day behind a computer, a career in landscaping is a real breath of fresh air.

Being a landscape designer allows you to work with your hands, get dirty, and experience the beauty of the yearly seasons—every single day!

The key to building a solid landscaping business is starting small. Adding additional clients, new equipment, employees, and new skills, brick by brick, builds a solid foundation and a sound company.

For someone who loves the outdoors, owning your own landscaping business is ideal, and well within the reach of anyone who pursues it.

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8 Powerful Tips to Help You With Organizing Your Business

Organizing Business

Is your business set up for maximum productivity and free of anything that could cause you stress or anxiety? If you can honestly answer yes, then this article isn’t for you. However, if you’re answer is no, that’s okay. There are plenty of things you can do to help organize your business for success.

Disorganization eats away at you, slows down your focus, and is harmful to your business growth. Reviewing your processes as your business grows is key to making sure you’re optimized. If you want to learn some key elements of organization to help your business succeed, we’ve got you covered.

How Organization Affects Businesses

Stacks of papers piled up in the corner. Desks that can barely be seen because of the clutter. A computer desktop with hundreds of shortcuts that you can’t possibly know what they’re all for.

If that sounds like your office then you might be well overdue for some change. It doesn’t take long for things to start getting messy and out of control. Putting it off is easy because it can be hard to know where to start but it’s holding you back. It’s weighing on your mind and it’s affecting how you work even if you don’t realize it.

An organized office is more efficient. Time is wasted sorting through email and documents that are poorly sorted. You can completely cut unnecessary tasks that slow down team productivity. Better organization helps to save every business time and money. Your bottom line will thank you.

How to Organize Your Business

How to Organize Your Business

Clean Desk Policy

Desk clutter is something that plagues most offices. Many employees have a variety of tasks and when they move on to something new, things start to build up. Bosses can put in place a clean desk policy that requires staff to clear up their desks before the end of the day.

Some companies now rely on hot desking instead of giving employees an assigned desk. Hot desking means employees can sit anywhere within an office. It can be particularly useful when employees are working together on projects.

Clean Desktop

More important than desks these days is the desktop on your computer. Files need to be well organized and in locations that make sense. Cut down how long your staff spends looking for things by naming folders and files in a way that makes them easy to navigate.

Pin only necessary shortcuts to the desktop and delete anything that’s not relevant. Make sure that business workflows are easily accessible and new employees are shown how to navigate company systems.

Automate Processes

Automation is a business’s best friend and learning how to effectively automate things is going to make a big difference. Do you ever come into work and feel overwhelmed by the size of your inbox?

Use automation to sort and organize your incoming mail ready for when you start. Schedule your social media posts in advance to save resources and energy throughout the day. Automating your processes can free up time and save money in the long run.

Digitize Files

Digitize Files

Paper documents take up a lot of space and it takes more time to sort through them. Start digitizing all your paperwork so the hard copies can be destroyed. Depending on the amount of paperwork you have this can free up a lot of new space. Another benefit of having digital files is that they are more accessible for staff to search for.

Office Decor

What you do with your office space is very important for business organization and efficiency. Consider investing in organizational equipment like in/out trays, drawers for desks, monitor stands, desk divider screens, and a stationary cupboard.

If your business needs hard copies of things then you should create a proper storage space for these documents. Plants have been proven to increase concentration by around 15%, so it’s worth investing in some foliage for your office.

Business Templates

Create templates wherever possible for your business that can be used to speed things up in the future. Let’s take marketing as an example. If you have a newsletter that needs to be released weekly, by using a template your team can mock one up quickly. You only need to create one template and it can be reused time and again.

Templates help to ensure continuity among your staff. Make sure the blank copy can be easily located and is accessible for all staff who need to use it.

Accessible Systems

Flexibility is a very sought-after benefit that employees are looking for. Bosses who can offer flexible working are more likely to attract top talent. Start building your systems to be accessible from anywhere. Remote access helps to future-proof your business. If your employees can’t come into the office, they can still work.

Review Your Processes

As your business grows your processes will need to change. A small business that has 5 employees in one room doesn’t need to implement hot desking. But when you’re business expands and you have 50 employees across one floor, hot desking might be more beneficial.

Don’t get stuck in your ways. Change is good and will be a necessity to make the most out of your growth. If your processes don’t change then you could be holding yourself and your staff back. A good rule of thumb is to review your processes every year to make sure you’re organizing your business effectively.

Conclusion

Businesses of all sizes can enjoy better organization. From a freelancer who works by themselves to an enterprise with thousands of employees. How well you’re organized can have a massive effect on your efficiency.

Don’t let your business growth be derailed by disorganization. Put in place the tips we’ve discussed today for a more efficient workspace. Create your processes with one eye on the future. What can you do today that will help you tomorrow? The organization of your business will help you stay successful.

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How To Induce Flow State For Heightened Performance

Flow State

Flow State can also be described as this feeling of deep concentration and high productivity being “in the zone.” You’re beyond distraction, riding a wave of steady creativity, and pouring your whole mind and body into the task before you.

You’re beyond the perception of time — completely absorbed in your task, blocking out all the noise. It’s the kind of productivity you wish happened more often — the type of concentration that should accompany every challenge.

The good news is that you’ve likely experienced this a few times already under specific circumstances. Flow State is not exclusive to those in athletics or in the creative arts — it’s completely achievable for everyone.

What Is Flow State?

Flow theory was first introduced in the late 1970s by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian psychologist with immense contributions to both positive and flow psychology. He became fascinated by artists who became so lost in their creative work, they would lose track of time and barely sleep or eat. He observed this phenomenon occurring in athletes and authors as well.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience BookIn his influential book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, he states:

“[Flow is] being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”

Csikszentmihalyi theorizes that people are happiest when they’re in a state of flow as they’re so engaged in their work that they achieve supreme focus and hyperawareness. In his 2004 Ted Talk, Csikszentmihalyi explains that psychologists have found that the human mind can only attend to a certain amount of information at a time. Specifically, that number is 110 bits per second. For perspective, decoding speech takes about 60 bits of information per second. When you achieve flow state, you allocate all of these bits to the task at hand.

Put simply, achieving flow means being in a mental state where you find yourself so completely immersed in the task itself, you forget about the world around you. Your unique skills automatically take over at an unconscious level, which fuels your productivity. When your mind and body are working harmoniously, you no longer allow intrusive thoughts to distract you. Inducing Flow State brings a period of relaxed high performance that results in powerful outcomes.

Examples Of Flow State In Action:

Let’s take a look at some real-life examples of Flow State:

  • Rappers – During a study done by the NIH to observe the difference in brain functions between improvised rap versus a rehearsed performance, it was theorized that “executive functions” were relaxed in order for more uncensored processes to take over, which could potentially be one of the pillars of creativity. During their performance, the rapper felt that they were outside of “conscious awareness” while doing spontaneous improvisation.

Athlete

  • Athletes – Before a race starts, an athlete is typically nervous about the possible outcome. As soon as they hear the gun go off, they’re in the zone, letting all distractions go, and not even feeling their exhaustion. They make it to the finish line, sometimes forgetting to give out high-gives or participate in celebration because they were so absorbed in their run, they forgot all else.
  • Writing – One of the hallmarks of Flow State is for the experience to be rewarding. When authors are feeling particularly inspired and can imagine how satisfying it will feel to accomplish their writing goals, they can enter a flow state that enables them to produce to meet their writing goal…or maybe even a little more!
  • Gamers – Games simplify the goal for you. It outlines what you need to accomplish, which allows your mind to focus your energy on achieving this goal. Nothing else matters at this point. Combine this with the adrenaline rush that usually accompanies a challenge, gamers can enter a flow state by trusting absolutely in their hand-eye coordination instead of overthinking the situation. Their minds and bodies are working together to achieve the intended outcome: to win!

The Ideal State To Induce Flow

The Ideal State To Induce Flow

(Source: ResearchGate)

In 1987, Csikszentmihalyi developed what’s now known as the Experience Fluctuation Model.

This combination of skill requirement and level of challenge is important in understanding what induces the Flow State. An individual is in a state of apathy (or very low interest in the task) when the activity requires little to no skill and is considered a low challenge. Conversely, when an individual is highly skilled but the challenge is low, they achieve a state of relaxation. However, if the challenge is high and the individual skill level is low, they will be in a state of anxiety.

The ideal state to induce flow is when the challenge and skill level are balanced. The mind is stimulated by the challenge and will utilize higher skill levels to complete the task.

It’s important to remember that In order for flow to occur, individuals must believe in their own skills. The key to unlocking flow is to have confidence that they can fully complete the task before them.

This is much easier said than done, of course. It takes time and practice to achieve a state that is rewarding in its outcome, tests and elevates our skills, and feels meaningful. For many people, the ingredients to induce flow are time, repetition, and resilience. For example, athletes require regular practice in order to develop their skills until it becomes habitual in nature. They’re able to achieve their goals by trusting in the skills they’ve worked so hard to gain and, over time, have built confidence in themselves through careful preparation.

What Are The Characteristics Of Flow State?

There are five factors that need to happen in order to achieve flow:

1. The activity needs to be intrinsically rewarding. It’s harder to induce flow when you’re doing a task that you have to do rather than something you want to do. This has a lot to do with our motivation as it relates to the activity.

2. There must be clear goals and a sense of progress. When a goal is clearly outlined, we’re able to embrace the methods we use to get to the finish line. It’s easier to own (and be proud) of our process, which leads to more confidence.

3. There must be clear and immediate feedback. We need to know what you’re doing, how to get to the goal, and where you’re going. The feedback that you get during and after your process — and the timing in which it happens — is crucial to improving and achieving greater levels of flow the next time you’re in the zone.

4. The challenge must match perceived skills (as outlined in the Experience Fluctuation Model). The ideal state of flow exists when the challenge and the skill level are a match.

5. There needs to be intense focus on the present moment. We can induce flow when we are free of external, and internal, distractions

When all these characteristics have been met, you’ll have an easier time achieving flow. You’ll know when you’re in this blissful state when you have feelings of serenity and no sense of time passing during this time of intense concentration.

Inducing a state of flow can be a surprising dichotomy when you take a step back and reflect on how you felt when you were in this type of mind space:

  • Time stood still, but at the same time, it seemed to fly by.
  • Felt effortless even though the activity was considered to be a challenge.
  • The task itself was intense, yet you were relaxed.
  • You’re more present than ever, but you’ve lost yourself (and sometimes where you were) while completing the task.

Flow State

What Are The Benefits When You Induce Flow State?

There are a number of benefits when you enter the flow state including higher productivity, which is something we all strive to accomplish, but let’s dive deeper than this. Here are more of the meaningful advantages of inducing flow state:

  • You engage in meaningful work. According to Csikszentmihalyi’s Ted Talk, when people are in flow, they’re more likely to enjoy their work, which leads to greater feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment.
  • Your hyperfocus results in an optimal experience. Because of this state of intense concentration, you’re able to complete the task with a high-quality result within your particular zone of genius.
  • You achieve success while tuning out all the noise. In a 2010 Harvard study, research showed that the average human mind wanders about 47% of the time. Combine this with our age of increased external distractions such as social media, streaming, news outlets, and notifications, we’re continuously more distracted throughout the day. By inducing flow state, you can shut out all the disruptions that get in the way of your success.
  • You can be expansive with your creativity. Your mind can operate at a higher level, completely free of internal and external distractions. Intrusive thoughts that normally threaten your confidence and ability to complete the task will be nowhere to be found. This type of optimal performance enables you to think freely and without boundaries.
  • You experience greater happiness. According to Frontier Psychology, an optimal experience of flow is likely related to “place identity” – the identity a person associates with oneself based on feelings of belongingness in their place of preference and the self-identifying activities they participate in. The more they are able to use their skills alongside higher challenges and engage in fulfilling work within their community, the happier they’ll be.
  • You hone and enhance your skill set. In flow state, you can test your existing skill sets and unconsciously elevate them as you proceed through the challenge. A high level of skill and challenge must be equal in order to induce flow, so this eventually leads to continuous growth as you seek harder challenges.
  • You develop more motivation. Your quality of satisfaction with the work, the process in how you arrived at the intended outcome, and how meaningful it is to you are directly related to your motivation to continue growing and improving. Because flow state can create a positive mindset, the more motivated you’ll be overall.
  • You create emotional regulation. There’s a certain level of control associated with flow. As individuals continue to hone their skills in flow state, the more likely they’ll be able to develop the skills to regulate their emotions as well.

How to Induce Flow State

How to Induce Flow State

Now that we understand what Flow State is, how it works, and why it’s beneficial, it’s time to learn what you can do to induce Flow State, allowing an opportunity for your mind and body to be perfectly synchronized.

  • Take care of yourself. You can more easily reach Flow State when you’re feeling more rested, which also means you’re less anxious. It’s best to be as relaxed as possible so you can function at your best when it comes time to work. Creating routines that are centered around your physical and emotional wellbeing can be a huge factor in inducing flow. For example, if a morning routine contains a trip to the gym, this may alleviate some of the pains you’ve been feeling and help you feel more energized. Also, if you have an exercise that you regularly do to calm your mind or practice daily meditations, this can relieve your anxiety. All of these simple steps that you likely already have in your routine can set you up to be in the right headspace.
  • Choose the right tasks. Remember, it’s easier to induce flow when you’re doing something you love, rather than out of obligation. If you don’t find the activity particularly satisfying or meaningful, you might not be able to achieve the flow state. But it’s almost impossible to enjoy every piece of an activity. There’s bound to be something that seems mundane — something that doesn’t really inspire you. If you find yourself constantly bored of a task, it could be that the challenge is not high enough to keep your attention. In this case, it might be time to prioritize your tasks based on importance and meaning.
  • Find an optimal working space. The working environment that we’re in can greatly influence our productivity and concentration. According to a study done by Princeton University, negative clutter can affect our ability to process information. It can make you feel more stressed, lessen creative thinking, and overload your senses, all of which are not conducive to inducing Flow State. It’s best to optimize your space or listen to music or soothing sounds, so it frees you up to concentrate and think creatively. A helpful tip in optimizing your workspace is to identify the distractions that hijack your focus.
  • Practice. Flow state can’t be achieved if you’re just starting to learn a skill. When we refer back to the Experience Fluctuation Model, the higher your skill level (and the higher the challenge), the more likely you are to induce flow. The lower our skill, but the higher the challenge, will also result in more anxiety and fear. So before we try to induce flow, we need to practice and develop our skills.
  • Repetition. Once we’ve learned the skill, it’s time to repeat it until we’ve achieved some level of competence or mastery. Let’s take writing a book as an example. If it’s an author’s first time writing a book, there will likely be some element of learning how to structure a plotline, develop characters, and build a compelling resolution. It’ll take some time for the author to practice new skills to rise to the higher challenge of mastering novel writing. Flow can then be achieved after repetition of these skills in practice (and after continuous feedback and editing in the revision process).
  • Find a feedback system. One of the hallmark characteristics of inducing flow is receiving immediate feedback. It keeps your progress on track and alerts you if anything isn’t working in your process. For example, if you’re writing a paper, you need to be able to have someone in your corner to provide feedback — whether it would be good or bad — on the work and in a timely manner. Going too long without effective feedback can prevent your growth as you may not be aware that something may not be working to its potential.
  • Identify a mindfulness technique. Even if you’re not a big believer in meditation or other mindfulness practices, it could be beneficial to learn one or two breathing exercises that are able to calm you down. It’s hard to keep your concentration when you’re feeling a heightened sense of anxiety or panic. Breathing techniques can help you calm down and relax instead of remaining in a state of increasing stress.

Getting Into The Flow

Getting Into The Flow

Inducing flow state can help cultivate a healthier mindset, which leads to higher productivity, greater satisfaction, and more happiness. Initially, this state of complete focus and heightened creativity seems to be more suited for those pursuing the arts or those in athletics, but it’s completely accessible to everyone no matter what field they’re in.

So long as you identify an activity you love, practice and refine your skills, and have an appropriate level of challenge, you’re taking the first steps in achieving flow. It isn’t easy, and it may cause you to explore other opportunities if you no longer feel inspired, but it’s well worth the reward.

 

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A Simple Technique That Yields Big Results – How To Use Pomodoro To Maximize Productivity

Pomodoro Productivity

The Pomodoro is a time-management technique that fights off procrastination and allows you to remain focused and productive throughout the day. It inspires continuous creativity, keeps you from feeling mentally fatigued, and provides an efficient way to get more done in less time.

The Pomodoro Technique uses a timer to break up our working sessions into intervals with short, but frequent breaks in between. The sprint sessions usually last about 25 minutes each and are immediately followed by 5-minute breaks. After you’ve completed four sets of these Pomodoros, you can then start increasing the duration of the breaks to last between 15-30 minutes, whatever timing you feel best feeds your productivity.

What is the Pomodoro Productivity Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a highly effective time-management method created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s and is now used by people all over the world in a variety of professional and academic settings.

It’s a simple way to increase productivity and retain focus by challenging our beliefs about “time scarcity” – the concept that we have very little time (or resources) to successfully complete any of our given tasks or projects, which then creates a cycle of stress, indecision, and procrastination. The Pomodoro Technique promotes productivity by teaching us how to gain back control over our time — to work with the time we have rather than allowing time to work against us.

Inspired by the tomato (or “Pomodoro” in Italian)-shaped kitchen timer he used to implement this technique during college, he created a method that increases focus and reduces the feeling of burnout after long, intense stretches of concentration with little to no break, which is, unfortunately, the most common way we work or study.

How Does The Pomodoro Technique Work?

The basic structure of a Pomodoro productivity technique works like this:

  • Choose a task that needs to be completed
  • Set your timer for 25 minutes
  • Work on the task
  • Timer goes off
  • Take a 5-minute break
  • Continue this cycle until you have reached four rounds of Pomodoros
  • After the fourth Pomodoro, you can take longer breaks, about 15-30 minutes — or whatever you need!

Pomodoro Technique

Overall, it sounds rather simple, right? Let’s see an example of a Pomodoro in action. Here is an example of how to implement this technique to help you sharpen your focus and get more done without feeling overwhelmed. Let’s take an assignment such as editing a paper.

  • You’ve identified that the important task at hand is editing your paper.
  • Either on your phone, kitchen timer, or app specifically designed to keep time, set a timer for 25 minutes.
  • During the next 25 minutes, there should be no distractions. This means no social media, no TV, or any other type of disruption that can interrupt your focus.
  • When the timer goes off, it’s time to step away from your desk. Try not to remain in the same space that you were working in. (Admittedly, this can be hard to do at first. Once you’ve started, it’ll be hard to stop. But the key to this technique is being consistent and trusting in the method. )
  • Now that you’re taking your 5-minute break, truly take a break. Get a sip of coffee, watch a short video, or take a brief walk. Do anything but work. The important part is that you’re keeping your mind fresh, creating the space for new and inventive ideas instead of continually remaining in a state of continuous strain.
  • Once the break is over, you repeat step #2 and begin your work again.
  • The goal here is to do at least four bursts of work, each followed by a chance to pause.
  • Once you’ve reached the fourth Pomodoro, you can start stretching your break to last longer. In this example of editing, you’ll likely want to take about a 30-minute break to feel recharged when you return to work.
  • You can then continue this method throughout the workday or during a designated time specifically set aside for the task.

Of course, not every Pomodoro will proceed as smoothly as planned. At some point, you may have an emergency, need to take an important phone call, attend to your family, or answer questions from your coworkers.

If this happens, the Pomodoro session needs to be paused and restarted at a later point. Or, if the matter doesn’t demand your immediate attention, you can kindly let them know that you’ll be able to address the issue when you’ve finished the Pomodoro.

One of the most important aspects of the Pomodoro technique to remember is this: you’re not chained to the time constraints of this method. If you find yourself in the zone or are experiencing a highly creative flow when the timer goes off, you can pause the timer, finish your thoughts, and then take your break. You can modify your Pomodoro so that you are supporting your creativity and maintaining your productivity, while also giving yourself the time to take a break.

The Pomodoro technique helps make time your ally, instead of your enemy.

The Science Of The Pomodoro Technique

The Science Of The Pomodoro Technique

The effectiveness of the Pomodoro Technique is ultimately due to its simplicity. Its straightforward approach incorporates the benefits of consistent breaks and optimizes your cognitive capacity.

Several studies show that the average human attention span in working intervals is around 20 minutes. Pomodoros take advantage of this window and allow you to work in the most productive mind space.

According to a study done at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, four groups were observed completing a 50-minute intensive task. The group that took more breaks actually produced more effective results. The same study also showed that short breaks increase concentration. The Pomodoro’s breaks — at least within the first four intervals — are relatively short at 5 minutes. This ensures you have a reliable cadence between your work output and the time needed to recharge. The frequency of the breaks matters and taking them — not working through them — is the key component of the Pomodoro technique. Using a timer can act as a “mini deadline,” which in turn, allows you to work towards your goal faster.

Taking breaks is actually conducive to creativity, bigger and better ideas, and quicker turnaround time. (Yes, you read that right!)

When to use the Pomodoro Technique

When To Use The Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique can be used by virtually anyone who works under tight deadlines, wants to increase productivity or creativity, and needs to reduce the occurrence of repeated procrastination.

With more and more people converting to either an exclusively remote work arrangement or a hybrid of in-person and virtual, we can’t deny that COVID-19 has changed the landscape of our working environment. Although there are a number of benefits to working remotely, our home surroundings and their many distractions are not exactly conducive to productivity. The Pomodoro Technique can be an advantageous method of getting things done effectively, make ample use of your time even in the absence of a traditional workplace setting, and allow you to procrastinate less.

The Pomodoro Technique can also be especially handy for dull or difficult tasks that usually leave us feeling unmotivated or intimidated. The 25-minute sprints help you get started by putting your thoughts on paper, followed by reminders that you need to take much-needed pauses. You can then return to the task a few more times feeling more encouraged than you did when you first began. Overall, these smaller commitments make assignments less daunting and still provide some breathing room, decreasing the amount of mental fatigue at the end of the workday.

People who find gamification particularly helpful or those who work well under pressure may also find the Pomodoro approach especially worthwhile.

Benefits of the Pomodoro Technique

Benefits of the Pomodoro Technique

One of the biggest benefits of the Pomodoro Technique is the ability to boost productivity and minimize distractions throughout the day. However, there are a number of other substantial benefits associated with this method:

  • Crank through projects faster. Because there is an added layer of urgency, you can get through your task quicker by working effectively within the sprint.
  • Keeps you from getting frustrated. The hardest part of an assignment is just getting started, especially when you’re already feeling unmotivated, frustrated, and overwhelmed. The Pomodoro helps you begin your work process and keeps you going at a steady rhythm.
  • Minimizes procrastination. The promise of consistent breaks, and later customizing the breaks once you complete more cycles, allows for your mind to rest and check-in with other matters unrelated to work, which decreases the need to give attention to other distractions.
  • Less fatigue. Focused sprints and ample time for breaks avoid the feeling of fatigue and inspire creativity. Because you’re likely moving around during the break and taking well-deserved time away from your computer screen, you’re less likely to have headaches or eye soreness.
  • Makes planning out your schedule easier. Once you really start to embrace this technique, you can begin scheduling your week. For example, if you know you have a deadline due Friday morning, you can review your work week and decide how many cycles of Pomodoros will get the job in time (or before!) the due date.
  • Boosts your confidence. Nothing feels better than getting a task done and crossing it off your to-do list. When you’re able to produce work in half the time and of the same high caliber, you’ll feel a boost in your confidence, motivation, and capabilities.
  • Teaches you to prioritize. The number one goal of the Pomodoro Technique is to help you accomplish more of your goals. When you’re using this method, you’re prioritizing the task that you need to complete before any distractions that may be around you at the time. As we mentioned, some interruptions are unavoidable. But you’ll be able to easily discern what needs your attention versus what can wait and be addressed at a later time.

In Conclusion

For some of us, it can feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get anything done. We’re continually searching for ways to be more productive, creative, and efficient with our time.

The Pomodoro Technique is one of the simplest, yet most effective ways of boosting productivity. It’s a method that takes into account the science of giving yourself a break so that you’re ready to tackle the task in front of you, while also producing a significant bump in your work output. Give it a try and see if it works for you!

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10 Virtual Team Building Activities Your Employees Will Actually Want To Do

Team Building Activities

Team building exercises are kind of a staple in the workplace. If you’ve held a job, it’s more than likely you’ve taken part in ice breaker questions or a team lunch at one point or another.

As it turns out, there is a right way and a wrong way to build your team’s connection. This might explain why some team-building activities are met with eye rolls and groans, while others leave us feeling appreciative and bonded.

Brian Scudamore said in Forbes, “Activities that overtly aim to draw in leadership lessons or practical takeaways are less powerful. Spending time together, sharing an experience or working towards a common goal allows bonding to happen more organically and far more effectively.”

This makes sense. It explains why many dread traditional corporate team-building activities, even though we love the people we work with.

Team Building

Strong social connections at work are essential – they make people happier, less stressed, have increased engagement and loyalty, and are healthier. All of which results in better performance at work. So if you wouldn’t have fun doing something with your group of friends, you probably won’t enjoy it with your work colleagues. Team-building activities should be enjoyable, so you can relax, be your true self, and connect with your employees personally.

However, the modern workplace is looking a lot different these days. Even before the global pandemic, remote work was becoming increasingly popular. And now that most of us have had a taste of the work from home life, it seems like it’s here to stay, at least in some capacity.

Remote work has a lot of benefits; for example, you save time and money on travel, and you can rock athleisure-wear most days. But there are some downsides too – more people feel lonely and less connected, which affects productivity. A study on neuro-behavioral economics in the work culture found that companies can alleviate remote work-related stress by implementing virtual team-building activities.

So with remote work more popular than ever, team-building is the most important it’s ever been. Although team-building activities on conference calls pose new challenges, there are several ways to make it as productive and effective as in person.

Here are 10 fun team-building activities you can do over a video call:

1. Virtual Scavenger Hunt

A virtual scavenger hunt is where players scramble to complete a list of challenges before the time is up. In most cases, the participants will have to find items in their homes (such as their favorite mug) or something online (a funny work-related meme). It can also be activity-based; for example, participants may have to do ten push-ups or bake a mug cake.

Here is a quick rundown of how a virtual scavenger hunt can work:

Step 1: Choose a theme. Make it fun and creative to get everyone excited. Some simple ideas are childhood, travel, holiday, or murder mystery.

Step 2: Set out some rules. You’ll want to break down how this will work, so set out the time limit, the list of items that the team members have to find, what the teams are, where the team will share the items, how they document them, what the prize is, and so on.

This is an activity that isn’t overtly related to your industry or workplace, so it gives your employees a chance to have a good time together and get creative. You could even make this a monthly activity where different departments take turns planning the scavenger hunt. Make sure you switch up the teams each time so other coworkers get to know one another.

2. Team Trivia

One great way to build a genuine human connection between remote workers is to engage in regular socializing. Recreating pub night trivia on a video call can be a great way to achieve this. Use a platform like Kahoot to create your own team trivia. The trivia doesn’t have to be work or industry-focused, but it can be fun to throw in a few relevant questions. Some topics you could quiz them on are pop culture, sports, history, and geography. You could also get team members to add in some personal questions to gauge how well they know one another.

Mobile marketing start-up Liftoff integrated Kahoot into their team sessions and company all-hands meetings to connect their fast-growing team. Liftoff employees found that playing Kahoot together has helped break down communication barriers, get to know one another better, and enhance the team culture across several offices. They offer prizes to the winning team, giving everyone a good reason to compete.

Make your team trivia event more interesting by raising the stakes. Offer prizes such as free lunch, gift cards, wine, or even an extra day off!

Happy Hours

3. Happy hour

Who doesn’t love a good happy hour? Hosting a regular happy hour can help your team better know each other in a relaxed environment. While there are many games you can play during happy hour, it can also simply be a chance to discuss what is going on outside of work. You can combine the two as well, setting out time for a game and a chat.

Set up a drinking game where you take a sip of your drink when someone says certain phrases or does something specific. Here are some examples of when everyone would have to take a sip of their drink:

  • “Can everyone hear me?”
  • “We lost you for a minute there.”
  • When someone’s pet comes into the frame.
  • When someone tries talking on mute.

Want to make this game even more fun? Make it personal! Create rules surrounded by the quirky and funny things that your coworkers tend to do.

Keep in mind – alcohol is optional with this game. It can be played with any beverage your team would like.

4. Team workout

Got a yogi on board? Why not have them run a low-impact yoga class for your team? If yoga isn’t your jam, it can be anything. Taekwondo, Bootcamp, HIIT, Salsa – the choices are endless. Many studios offer online live classes, so you could always hire them to provide your team with a virtual class once a week.

Doing a workout together is a great way to sweat it out and bond. You’ll release some built-up endorphins and create memories that last.

Thank you

5. Express Gratitude

A simple thank you goes a long way at work. Practicing gratitude has a heap of benefits, such as higher retention rates and increased employee satisfaction. By implementing gratitude as a team-building activity in virtual meetings, we can help employees build stronger bonds. Employees will reflect on what they appreciate about their team, express their thankfulness, and foster a culture of gratitude.

One way to do this is to make it a part of your weekly team meetings. It may be a bit too time-consuming and irrelevant for an all-hands meeting if you’re company is big, so you can always include it in smaller department meetings. Have each team member go around and acknowledge one person who went above and beyond in the past week and why they are grateful for them. It’s human nature to want recognition, so don’t be surprised if you see your employees making changes in their performance so they are more likely to get a taste of that recognition!

6. Virtual Escape Room

Virtual escape rooms put your team’s collaboration skills to the test. Many companies offer online virtual escape room hosting, so all you have to do is show up. They can accommodate teams of any size and happen in real-time. The online escape room will require your team to solve time-sensitive puzzles and answer trivia. Some services even offer tailored questions and clues to fit your industry. There are lots of different themes to choose from, so if your team loves it, you can easily make this a regular event!

Book Club

7. Book club

Got a team full of book worms? Host a monthly book club!

Choose a book that your team will love each month (or quarter, whatever suits) and discuss it over video chat. You’ll quickly get to know more about your teammate’s opinions and tastes. You can even choose books that are industry-related or promote self-development.

You could also take turns choosing the book. When each team member gets a chance to choose a book, their team gets a chance to learn a lot about them. Whether they choose their favorite book or one they’ve always wanted to read, it says a lot about who they are as a person.

The goal is to spark interesting discussions and memories that encourage your employees to relate to one another long-term.

8. Wine tasting

What better way to unwind at the end of a long week than a virtual wine tasting with your team? Team members will be sent a kit with a selection of samples of wine they can swirl, sniff and sip. They’ll learn about the different regions, types, and the best pairings. Make sure everyone has some cheese to go with it!

‘Is this really a team-building activity?’ you may be thinking.

Wine Tasting

Yes, yes it is! A virtual wine tasting isn’t just a chance to drink delicious wine. You’re actively spending time with your team, learning more about what they like, in a relaxed, no-pressure environment.

Your team not really into wine? Or do you just want to be more inclusive of those who don’t drink? No problem! There are so many different things you can do for a tasting that doesn’t involve booze. You could choose a coffee, tea, cheese, or even a chocolate tasting. Either way, your team will love this bonding experience.

Just be sure to inquire about any special dietary requirements or restrictions your team may have before organizing a tasting to avoid anybody feeling left out.

9. Show and tell

Show and tell is no longer just for kindergartners! A virtual show and tell is a great team-building activity to help employees get to know each other better.

The premise is simple – show off something you own or have created and tell your team about it and why it means something to you. It can be anything from memorabilia of your favorite sports team, a symbol of cultural heritage, a hobby you’ve been working on, or a professional achievement. You can have a video conference dedicated to this activity, or it can be spread out over meetings, so a different person has a turn each week.

10. PowerPoint Party

A PowerPoint party is when each person picks a random topic to present, which should last about five minutes. It can be anything – their favorite animal, how candy is made, a tropical destination. This activity gives teammates a chance to show off their personalities, sense of humor, and quirks.

Simple team bonding activities can pay massive dividends

No matter what exercise you choose, the results are clear – a team that is comfortable and social with each other is a team that will go that extra mile and drives high-performance results for your company. At your next Zoom hangout, try some of these activities and see for yourself!