Author: PPM Academy

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Reduce Stress

Stressed? Here Are Some Ways to Reduce It

Reduce Stress
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“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” 
– Ovid 

According to Google, stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” The American Institute of Stress had this to say about stress: “Numerous studies show that job stress is far and away from the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades.” According to this institute, 61% of stress was work-related in 2017. I’m sure that percentage has increased since then. I’ve been doing some research so in this article, we’ll discuss some ways that we can reduce stress whether at work or at home. 

Based on what I’ve seen, there are three main steps to reducing stress. The first step is decreasing food and drink consumption, especially sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. All three of these things add to stress. Having a balanced diet and staying hydrated can help. 

The next step to reducing stress is getting physical activity. Exercising, taking walks, yoga, and aerobics are all great ways to release dopamine into your system. It is said that regular exercise brings about more restful sleep and more restful sleep also helps reduce stress. Try doing some physical activity for at least twenty minutes each day.  

The last step to reducing stress is trying relaxation techniques. I do Brain Gyms – brain exercises that rewire you neurologically – and I find that extremely helpful. Practicing grounding techniques are also a great way to reduce stress. An easy relaxation technique is to sit up straight with your feet planted firmly on the ground and your hands on your legs. Simply sit there and become aware of your breathing and your body. I guarantee you it will help. 

Which step resonated with you? I hope you find peace whatever you do. 

Categories
Streamline Processes

How to Streamline Complex Processes

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“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.“ –Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Would you like to be able to streamline complex processes and increase workflow? Me too! Let’s look at some ways to do just that together. 

According to Trackvia.com, there are six ways to streamline complex processes and increase workflow. The first step has to do with taking a business workflow inventory. The article has this to say about it: “List each process, write down what you believe the purpose of that process is, and then list all of the people within your organization involved with this process.” 

The second step has to do with ranking your processes. Prioritization is key. I recommend giving each process a star ranking from either one star to five stars. It can be a grueling process, but it’s worth it in the end. 

The third step has to do with breaking down the process. The article recommends breaking down the processes on a piece of paper. I’m a visual person so I know this helps me a lot. This is a crucial step because it helps you have practical steps that you can take day to day to make the process work. It’s a lot like goalsetting. When you break down your goals into tiny, realistic steps, you have a higher success rate. 

The fourth step has to do with soliciting feedback. This is another important step. Like the old adage says, “Teamwork makes the dreamwork.” Getting feedback from supervisors and colleagues helps give you perspective and may give you ideas on how to create better workflow.  

The fifth step has to do with automating your business workflow. I personally love automation. It takes the pressure off of you to remember and implement. I highly recommend using a BPM (business process management) software.  

The final step has to do with refining. Nothing is perfect. Everything needs tweaking now and then so don’t be hesitant to go back and look at other ways to improve streamlining complex processes.  

Which step speaks to you? I’d love to hear from you.  

Categories
Make More Money

How to Make More Money with Your Business

Make More Money
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A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.   

–Jonathan Swift 

Money can oftentimes be a difficult thing to talk about, but it is so essential to our way of life, especially if we have businesses. Entrepreneur.com suggests 15 ways that we can make more money with our businesses. Let’s take a look at 5 of those 15 ways. 

  1. Leverage Legitimate SEO Techniques

    The first way to make more money, according to the article on Entrepreneur.com, is to leverage legitimate SEO techniques. What is SEO? SEO stands for search engine optimization. According to Google, SEO is “the process of increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing visibility of a website or a web page to users of a web search engine.” I don’t know about you, but I want more visibility on my websites and web pages. Use SEO properly and you’re guaranteed results. 

  1. Create and Share Content on a Blog: 

    The second way to make more money is to create and share content on a blog. I would recommend writing listicles. Listicles are basically articles that list out certain things. They’re very easy to do (I’m doing it right now!) and it’s easier on the eyes as opposed to blocks of paragraphs. 

  1. Connect  with  Influencers: 

    The third way to make more money is to connect with influencers. This can be difficult to do, but the rewards are worth it. Influencers are people with a large following on social media. I recommend simply reaching out to them and asking for their help. Something Jack Canfield always says is this: Ask, ask, ask, ask, ask!  

  1. Setup a Social Media Content Channel: 

    The fourth way to make more money is to setup a social media content channel. The more content you share, the more likely that people will see your channel. Social media is a great way to connect with consumers. Don’t be afraid to share what your business offers whether it’s a service or a product. 

  1. PR Outreach Via HARO:

     The fifth way to make more money is to use PR outreach via HARO. HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out. This is a great resource to get interviews and be established as an expert in your field. I use this service and all you have to do is subscribe to their email listing. From there, HARO will send you daily emails that have tons of queries from reporters. I highly recommend it. 

What step stood out to you in this article? If you want to see the rest of the 15 steps, click here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/284913. 

Categories
Increase Productivity

How to Increase Productivity in the Workplace

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“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on days when you feel good.”
– Jerry West

Do you want to increase your productivity in the workplace? In this article, we will talk about how to do just that. Let’s start by defining increased productivity.

According to Chron.com, increased productivity means that you are putting out products more quickly or completing services at a more rapid rate than before. Sounds simple enough, right? Now that we’ve defined what increased productivity is let’s discuss how you can increase workplace productivity.

According to Inc.com, there are 15 ways to increase productivity in the workplace:

  1. Track and limit how much time you’re spending on tasks. (Doing so can help you manage your time more effectively.)
  2. Take regular breaks. (This is so important. Take a walk, stretch, or something like that. It makes a big difference.)
  3. Set self-imposed deadlines. (This helps a lot when it comes to open-ended assignments or projects.)
  4. Follow the “two-minute rule.” (The two-minute rule is this: If there’s an assignment or project that takes two minutes, do it immediately. It’s that simple.)
  5. Just say no to meetings. (A direct quote from Inc.com: “According to Atlassian, the average office worker spends over 31 hours each month in unproductive meetings.” Yikes! That’s a lot of time gone to waste.)
  6. Hold standing meetings. (According to Inc.com, standing meetings can increase group arousal, decreased territoriality, and improve performance.)
  7. Quit multitasking. (I know there are many of us out there who think multitasking is a viable asset, but it doesn’t work in reality. Take the time to work on an assignment or project one at a time. You’ll be surprised how productive you’ll be.)
  8. Take advantage of your commute. (Some of you may not commute, but for those that do, utilize the commute time to send emails or create a daily to-do list.)
  9. Give up on the illusion of perfection. (For those of us who are perfectionists, this can be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s not impossible. Take smalls steps to let go of the need for things to be perfect, and you’ll see your productivity increase.)
  10. Take exercise breaks. (This is also important. Again, take a walk, stretch, do something active.)
  11. Be proactive, not reactive. (It can be easy to react to emails or phone calls and allow those things to determine our outlook for the day. It’s recommended to set a particular time to answer emails and phone calls.)
  12. Turn off notifications. (It can be so tempting to check every beep and ring from our devices, but it’s so crucial to increase productivity to turn off notifications. Set aside time to check your devices and so that you’re not constantly distracted.)
  13. Work in 90-minute intervals. (A direct quote from Inc.com: “Researchers at Florida State University have found elite performers (athletes, chess players, musicians, etc.) who work in intervals of no more than 90 minutes are more productive than those who work 90 minutes-plus.” Those breaks are so important for increasing productivity. Be sure you take them!)
  14. Give yourself something nice to look at. (According to Inc.com, outfitting your office with plants, pictures, etc. can increase productivity by 15%. That’s pretty significant. Make sure you surround yourself with aesthetically pleasing objects.)
  15. Minimize interruptions (to the best of your ability). (Turning off notifications and closing your office door are just a few ways that you can help reduce interruptions.)

Which step do you want to take in increasing your productivity today? Which step resonated with you?

Categories
Brain Hacks

Best Practices for Leveraging Neuroscience

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Have you ever hosted a meeting or training session and wanted to get better at engaging your coworkers or team? It all begins with leveraging neuroscience. What is neuroscience exactly? According to Merriam-Webster, neuroscience is a branch (such as neurophysiology) of the life sciences that deals with the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissue their relation to behavior and learning. In this article, we’ll look at ways to leverage neuroscience.

According to the North American Mission Board, there are ten ways to leverage neuroscience:

  1. Emotion – The brain more deeply encodes and more easily retrieves learning that has an emotional component.
  2. Lightbulb Learning – Learning Is more deeply embedded when the learning environment and experience fosters “aha” moments.
  3. Environment – The brain more easily recalls information when in the same environment, it learned the information.
  4. Pre-encoding – Memory is enhanced when a general roadmap or metaphor is given before the presented information.
  5. Humor – Humor activates the brain’s dopamine reward system and stimulates memory and motivation.
  6. Application – When we see how the information applies to us, it’s sticks in our memories better.
  7. Novelty – Unconventional communication techniques or presenting familiar information in surprising ways helps the brain retain information better.
  8. Testing – Frequent testing makes the brain work harder and thus enhances later retention; our brains will retain what they work hard to obtain.
  9. Spacing – Providing breaks and leveraging breaks between review sessions increases retention.
  10. Stories – Telling good stories enhances learning.

Which best practice for leveraging neuroscience sticks out to you? Try to integrate at least two or three of these best practices in your next training session. The result may surprise you!

Categories
Actionable Insights

Actionable Ideas Story

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“Dad?” James asked his father.

“Yes?” his father responded, turning his gaze from the tv to his son.

“I’d like a bike,” James stated, looking hopeful.

“Oh? And how do you plan on getting this bike?” his father questioned with an amused look on his face.

James pouted, replying, “You won’t get it for me?”

His father chuckled, saying, “It would be much more rewarding for you to get the bike yourself. Don’t you think?”

“No,” James grimaced.

His father laughed and said, “James, trust me. It’ll be more satisfying to get the bike on your own than with my help. Why don’t you come up with some actionable ideas?”

“What are actionable ideas?” James asked.

“They are simply ideas that can be put into action. You want a bike, right? What are some actionable ideas you can create that will help you reach your goal?”

James’ brows furrowed in concentration. “I could…” he started after a while, “… I could do stuff around the house for money. I could save up my allowance. I could make a lemonade stand.”

“Those all sound great,” his father smiled. “Why don’t you write down your ideas and then develop to practical steps for each one?”

“Okay,” James smiled back. He scampered off excitedly.

Categories
Thought Leadership

Lead Your Industry Interview

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“So, tell me, Mr. Hawthorne,” Sydney started, “how did you become such a prominent leader in your industry? What’s your secret?”

Mr. Hawthorne chuckled, “I had a lot of help. My team worked with me to make things happen. I couldn’t’ve done it without them.”

“It seems like you really care about your employees,” Sydney noted with a small smile.

“I do. I’m always working with my board of directors to make sure we cultivate a familial culture. I want my employees to come to work feeling as if they never left home.”

Sydney nodded thoughtfully before saying, “Is that all? What about your clients? I’m aware that your company is very hands-on with them. Did that make an impact?”

“Oh, certainly,” Mr. Hawthorne replied with a grin. “We make it a habit at our company to be intimately involved with our clients. They’re our bread and butter. We make it our priority to make sure they’re happy and satisfied with our services.”

“Well, Mr. Hawthorne, if I weren’t a reporter, I’d be tempted to apply to your company. It sounds like you really have cultivated a positive and homey culture.”

“Thank you. When I first started this business, I was so focused on getting things done that I neglected my company’s culture. I wanted so badly to make it to the top that I was willing to do anything to get there. It really hurt our business down the line,” Mr. Hawthorne explained, his eyes staring off into the distance.

“I remember reading about that,” Sydney murmured. “I’m guessing that creating a team and family culture really helped?”

His eyes focused on her face. He smiled, “It did. We picked ourselves back up and really committed to our clients, and reestablished our values. If it weren’t for that, I don’t know where we’d be.”

“I notice you don’t claim the business as solely yours.”

“I make mistakes, but I’m a quick learner. I know this business is more than just mine. Like I said before, I wouldn’t be here without my team. We all made this business what it is today. I’m indebted to my team and my employees.”

“I see. So, to recap: You became a top leader in your industry from your team and your clients. Would you like to add anything before we wrap up?”

“It didn’t hurt to pay attention to the trends out there,” he chuckled. “We played a balancing of being mindful of trends, but not letting them completely dictate our every move. I think all three of those things combined brought us to the top of our industry.”

“Impressive, Mr. Hawthorne. Very impressive,” Sydney commended. “Well, it was a pleasure interviewing you today.” She extended her hand out to him.

He shook her hand, saying, “I hope you get an A on your paper.”

Sydney laughed. “I think I will. I don’t think my professor is going to believe that I interviewed a big wig like yourself.”

“Well, I’m sure it helps that this conversation is being recorded,” he chuckled. “It was great talking with you.” He stood up from his chair.

“Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule. Not many CEOs would do that,” Sydney smiled, stopping the recording on her phone and getting to her feet.

“It’s a pleasure. Good luck on all your endeavors,” Mr. Hawthorne smiled back.

“You as well,” she replied cheerily, watching him go.

What stood out to you from this interview? How can you follow in Mr. Hawthorne’s steps and lead your own industry? In what ways can you cultivate a culture of family and teamwork at your workplace?

Categories
Increase Productivity

Increased Productivity Story

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Nancy was sitting at her desk trying desperately to calm her wildly beating heart. From the moment she sat down at her desk, she had been working nonstop and juggling all these projects that were due by the end of the week. Her palms were sweaty just thinking of the deadlines before her. How was she supposed to get all these projects done when she could barely keep herself together? It seemed impossible.

Then her phone alarm went off. She nearly jumped out of her skin. Then she remembered: She had set her alarm to give herself some time to take a walk.  The very thought of escaping the mile-high stack of paperwork on her desk gave her such joy and relief. She got up and nearly bolted out of the office.

The warm sun greeted her as she exited the building. She took a deep breath, taking in the many scents around her, and started her trek around the courtyard. The wind caressed her face as she walked, helping to clear her mind. She chuckled to herself as she thought about her job. She loved her job, but it seemed nearly impossible to get everything done.

An article that she had read about how to increase productivity in the workplace came to mind suddenly. It had talked about the importance of breaks and working on one project at a time. She had nearly forgotten about it. She felt silly, thinking about how she spent the morning frantically trying to balance all the things she needed to do. She decided then and there that she would follow what the article said.

Her phone alarm went off again as she finished her circuit around the courtyard.  She felt eager and ready to get back to her desk. When she sat down, she categorized the projects she was working on and decided what project she would start on first.

There Nancy was, sitting at her desk and her heart beating calmly. She had a soft smile on her face as she started on her work. Before long, she finished the first project and moved on to the second, then the third, fourth, fifth, etc. By the time the workday ended, she was nearly done with her assignments – and it was only Tuesday.

She left the building, feeling proud of herself and grateful that she had remembered that article on increased productivity.

What can we learn from reading Nancy’s story? How can we integrate breaks into our work schedule? What would it look like to take on projects one at a time?

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Actionable Insights

How to Make Ideas Actionable

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“Nothing will work unless you do.” –Maya Angelou

What is an actionable idea? According to InnovationManagement.se, an actionable idea consists of three characteristics: sponsorship, observability, and measurability. In this article, we will explore ways to make ideas actionable.

According to Entrepreneur.com, there are four steps in order to make actionable ideas: Don’t fear failure, refine your idea, develop a plan, and don’t give up. Oprah Winfrey once said, “What other people label or might try to call failure, I have learned is just God’s way of pointing you in a new direction.” Failure is a part of life. When you learn to embrace that, everything changes. You’ll be able to confidently move forward and make your ideas a reality.

Refining your idea is a critical part of creating actionable ideas. I suggest asking yourself these following questions as you think about your idea:

  1. What are my objectives?
  2. What are my core values when it comes to this idea?
  3. Why do I want this idea to come to fruition?
  4. What do I hope to accomplish?

Developing a plan, according to Entrepreneur.com, consists of three elements: Action steps, backburner items, and references. According to the article on Entrepreneur.com, author Scott Belsky says, “Action steps are tasks that can be articulated and are verbs. These are the steps that you’ll want to put into action, assign to a timeline, and do.” Backburner items are “ideas that randomly come into your head.” References are “notes, articles, and supporting documents.” These are all important in developing a plan.

The last step, according to the article on Entrepreneur.com, is don’t give up. So many people quit before their ideas are realized. Vincent Van Gogh once said, “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” Silence the voices in your head by persevering towards your goal. Life is hard, but not impossible. Keep going.

What is one thing you can do today to make your ideas actionable? Write it down and take action!