Dont get caught doing any of these 5 things at work in 2018

Dont get caught doing any of these 5 things at work in 2018Dont get caught doing any of these 5 things at work in 2018Before you know it, 2018 will be here. Heres what not to do at work in the new year.Being a know-it-all coworkerBlah, blah, blah we get it already, you know-it-allYou may think that youre right again, but it might just be that people fear challenging your viewpointsbecause its always your way or the highway when collaborating on team projects.So give someone else the floor for a change, andresist the urge to name drop your industry connections during every chance you get - youll look just as insecure as you probably feel.Ruining other peoples daysScience says that witnessing rudeness at the beginning of the day can ruin the rest of it, but that doesnt give you a free pass to take it out on others.So the next time you want to complain to the person in the cubicle next to you about how you didnt get what you want (yet again), remind yourself that its a part of life and find a healthier outlet to let out your frustration.Go for a walk. Hydrate. Make a brief phone call in private if you need to reach out to someone outside of work. Hit the gym later.But if someone is bringing your mood down at work, back up - dont verbally lose it.Failing to put yourself out there - even if you dont succeedYou just might have nothing to lose.Monster Contributing Writer Megan Malugani writes about how you shouldnt be blending into the woodwork in the new year.Even if youve always had ahard time speaking upin meetings or expressing your opinion to your boss, its never too late to abflug putting in your two cents. Pick one work-related issue that is close to your heart and that youre knowledgeable about. Contribute a few comments on this issue during a meeting - you may be surprised at how seriously people take the input of someone who speaks sparingly she writes.You might not get the reception you wanted, but you cant say you didnt try.Wasting peoples timeSo you l ike to chat a lot.Youre starting to realize that people dodge you because of how much you waste their time in the office.Note to self While engaging with others can help you build bonds with your coworkers, maintain a healthy balance by paying attention to when its ok to briefly catch up at the water cooler, and when its better to attack that huge stack of files on your desk.USING JARRING EMAIL SUBJECT LINESThis threw you off, didnt it? I thought so - all those capital letters are literally screaming on your screen right now.So unless its a dire emergency, in which case you should probably zupflmmel up the phone, dont do this to someone else if you expect them to respond cordially online.Other email subject line practices to avoid using one word only, too many exclamation points, and more.You can set yourself up for success in 2018 by cutting out these behaviors.

How to Coach Effectively as an HR Professional

How to Coach Effectively as an HR ProfessionalHow to Coach Effectively as an HR ProfessionalWant to find out about the essential components of a coaching relationship? Executives, managers, and others interested in career growth and development increasingly turn to a business coach for a rolleally tailored development process.They turn to coaches rather than training for their ongoing leadership development. Human resources staff and managers need to get on board as coaches or miss this exciting opportunity to influence the next evolution of your organizations management potential. According to Winston Connor, formerly an HR Vice President and currently an executive coach, Coaching is a different delivery system for training, since training, especially with long-term managers and people who are further along in their careers, is not working. The coach works with the manager to tailor the training program in skill areas where we will have an impact. The coach helps managers make behav ioral changes needed for growth. Connor advises that coaches need to be, clear on the competencies that have an impact on the bottom line. Measure them. Provide support for growth and change. Then measure again. Connor thinks the HR rolle should be the change agent within his organization He has the opportunity to provide the leadership needed, to become a part of the coaching venture, rather than an obstacle to progress. Connor also warns internal HR practitioners against, trying to repackage old skills as coaching. In the consultancy approach, the HR person brings solutions. He is the expert. In coaching, we dont bring the answer. We bring a system, a process for helping the client discover the answers. You Need Permission to Coach The effective coach defines the boundaries of her relationship with each manager. Is she a trusted advisor and friend? Does she listen and provide feedback? Or, does she help the manager obtain 360-degree feedback and develop action plans to increas e his capability as a leader? The agreement the HR professional develops with each manager can be different. The coaching role must be agreed upon to work. Most importantly, the HR specialist pushes the window with each manager to assist them to grow professionally to promote the success of the organization and of the individual. Christine Zelazek, SPHR, Director of HR at the Mennonite Home of Albany, Oregon, offers her key strategy for the HR coach Set the situation up so the person asks for help, rather than me forcing the help upon her. The Coach Is Not in Control The HR professional is a resource for managers who seek out their services. They dont control the relationship or the actions and decisions of the person they are coaching. At best, the HR manager forms a partnership with the coached manager that results in good choices for the organization and personal growth for the manager. The manager, however, makes the final decision about what they will do in any given situat ion. Your knowledge, your effectiveness as a communicator, your developed relationship with the manager and your perceived competence will impact a managers willingness to use your coaching input. Tell the Truth When You Dont Know the Answer A manager or supervisor seeks input from you most frequently when they are uncertain about how they handled a particular situation. Or, they seek input prior to making a mistake in the handling of an issue. More recently, managers seek targeted assistance from a coach with their own growth as managers. This means you will most often receive the most difficult and delicate questions. After all, why consult you when they know the answer? Recognize too, that sometimes the manager is seeking reassurance and confirmation and may already know the answer to the question they are asking. You will enhance their capabilities and self-esteem if you ask them what they think, and where possible, confirm that their answer is the correct path. Your role as a coach is to strengthen their competency, not to demonstrate that you know the answers. When you dont know the correct answer or are speculating about the right course of action, tell the truth. It is far better to say you dont know, that you will check and find out, than to appear to have all of the answers, and give bad advice. Youll only ruin your reputation and undermine your credibility as a coach forever. Help the Manager Develop herbei Own Solutions People generally know what is the right or appropriate thing to do. Often your job is to draw the answer out of the individual. If you give the person the answer, the manager is less likely to own and fully enroll in the solution or answer. Winston Connor suggests the coach say to the manager, Lets explore the possibilities. What is it that you really want? He feels that theresult will be stronger and richer because we fostered ownership. You can provide options and recommend resources. You can give your opinion. You can ans wer questions, but ultimately, the answer must be the managers. (This is the type of question, you may want to ask How do you think the situation should be handled? What have you considered doing? What do you think you need to do to move to the next level?) Practice Highly Honed Communication Skills for Coaching Listen to hear the specific needs of the manager who seeks your assistance. Dont automatically assume that this question or this situation is like any other you have encountered. Give your customer your full attention and take in information that will lead to insightful, personalized responses to the managers questions. Listen also to what the individual is not saying verbally. Watch facial expression, body language, and movements. Listen to the tone of voice and any expressions of emotion. Ask open-ended questions to draw out the manager, such as, Tell me what you are considering doing. Questions that appear to seek out motives such as, why did you do that? will shut th e discussion down. The Coach Is Always an Educator As an HR professional or manager in a coaching role, you educate managers and supervisors as you work with them as a supportive partner and coach. Your goal is to make them self-sufficient. You give them the tools they need to be successful in their business-related and interpersonal functions. You assist by supplying a process they can follow to build their own skills. A manager should leave an HR professional feeling stronger, more knowledgeable, and more capable of addressing the opportunities in the future.

Recruiting the Overqualified

Recruiting the OverqualifiedRecruiting the OverqualifiedRecruiting the OverqualifiedIts increasingly common to see a number of overqualified candidates apply for open positions. This can be overwhelming when youre simply looking to find qualified candidates. But some managers may be reluctant to hire the overqualified, either because they believe that they wont make good employees, or because they feel threatened by people who are more qualified than they are. The bottom line be sure your recruitment strategy will help you attract the great employees.Management Advisor Joanne Murray spoke with about ways to overcome the reluctance to hire the overqualified candidateMonster Overqualified candidates often have a stigma attached to them. Why? Joanne Murray This is one of a series of old rules that havent applied for a very long time. Individuals used to be tainted if theyd been laid off, and now its kind of a rite of passage. There welches a whole set of reluctances that could be justif ied or warranted back then, but in the current market, its standard practice for overqualified people to apply.What were the old rules? You mentioned that in the past there were concerns that might have been justifiable. I think the old rules were that if you hired somebody that was overqualified, he or she will be dissatisfied, will leave quickly, will ask for a promotion before youre ready to give them one, will want more money and will be resentful and a problem employee. I really think its a myth that people leave I think people who go for positions for which theyre overqualified, I dont think there are any data out there to suggest that they leave with any greater frequency than people who are normally qualified.I think the new rules are that many people have taken a period of unemployment as a time to reflect on whats really important to them, and they may very well be applying for a job for which theyre overqualified but that has really, truly been a better fit. But employers have to really mine for that, because it may just be that thats the only job there, but they dont really want it.Does personality and fit then become more of a concern if youre dealing with an overqualified group of candidates? Because the pools are so clearly competent and qualified, personality and fit although theyve always been important are the basis of the decision nowadays. Because it isnt just a matter of this person could do the job. Its would I enjoy having this person, in this environment, doing this job with me? Can I manage to ride up on the elevator every day with her, or is she going to make me crazy?What if there is personal reluctance to hire someone who is overqualified and/or more qualified than they are? I think its an understandable concern, but its a weakness. The strongest managers hire the most qualified people, and then foster an environment where they can just take off. If they can keep the broader goal of the overall accomplishments and performance of t he department in mind, then they definitely want to have the most dynamic, talented kollektiv they can get.But personal threat is a real consideration, because they also dont want somebody whos going to come in and show them up or jump over their head or in some way challenge their leadership. The pivotal moment for them is, is this because theyre personally threatened, or is this a legitimate threat?How do you determine if a candidate might be a legitimate threat? One is you can directly talk to the person about it, and then gauge what kind of response you get. I would address the issue of being overqualified from the beginning and directly ask, How is it that youre going to be able to live on $30,000 less a year? How is it that youre going to deal with not being decision maker and sometimes needing to implement decisions with which you strongly disagree, and do so cheerfully?The last thing I would say is that its really important to trust your gut. In a world of overqualified cand idates, companies have their choice, and they should never rush a search. They should always take the time to find the right person. People often move too quickly to hire people, and then they really regret it.

How Online Content Can Enhance your Company Branding

How Online Content Can Enhance your Company Branding How Online Content Can Enhance your Company Branding How Online Content Can Enhance your Company Branding Handley Your web site doesnt get much traffic, yet its key to your businesss visibility on the web. How can you retool your web presence to improve both your search engine rankings and up your engagement with your would-be clients? You need a content strategy. In this multi-part series, content expert Ann Handley explains how to rethink your site content to make it more engaging to enhance your small business marketing and social media strategy. This article is excerpted, in part, from her book, Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (Wiley, 2011). Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other online platforms are giving organizations like yours an enormous opportunity to engage directly with your customers or would-be customers. Thats a lucky thing, because instead of creating awareness about your company or your brand solely the old-school way you now have an unprecedented and enormous opportunity. Thanks to the advent of the Internet and, more specifically, the rise of web-based tools and technologies, you can create online content blog posts, videos, webinars, and web sites that will attract customers to you, so you wont have to chase after them. Whats more, you can entice your customers to share that content with each other, all across the Web. Produce great online content and your customers will come to you. Produce really great stuff, and your customers will share and disseminate your message for you. More than ever before, content is king! Content rules! Content is King, so Make it the Rule Of course, content may rule, but your online content must be the right sort of content: Customer-focused. Authentic. Compelling. Entertaining. Surprising. Valuable. Interesting. In other words, you must earn the attention of people. That sounds like work, doesnt it? It is. Its work to create and publish compelling content. But heres a fundamental Content Rule to follow:Share or solve; dont shill. Be sure your content shares a resource, solves a problem, helps your customers do their jobs better, improves their lives, or makes them smarter, wittier, better-looking, taller, better-networked, cooler, more enlightened, and with better backhands and cuter kids. In short, your content should be of high value to your customers, in whatever way resonates best with them. Good content creates value by positioning you as a reliable and valuable source of vendor-agnostic information. Next: The Six Defining Elements of Great Online Content Author Bio: Ann Handley is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs and the co-author with C.C. Chapman of Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (Wiley, 2011).

5 Ways the Most Successful People Stay Incredibly Calm

5 Ways the Most Successful People Stay Incredibly Calm 5 Ways the Most Successful People Stay Incredibly Calm If you spend much of your day being frantic in your pursuit of success, you should know that research shows that the vast, vast majority of high performers are actually very calm. Being hectic (if not downright panicked) isn’t a hallmark of success; it’s a sign you’re making it difficult to reach your own peak level of performance. That’s the message of a recent LinkedIn post from TalentSmart president Travis Bradberry. “TalentSmart has conducted research with more than a million people, and we’ve found that 90% of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control,” he writes. In the post, he lays out his company’s findings about the emotional state of super-achievers and offers a roundup of recent research on stress. He also suggests some tips on how the rest of us can emulate their calm. Here are a few to get you started. 1. Gratitude If you’re never satisfied, you’re never calm. A fact high performers have figured out, according to Bradberry. Top-tier talent may be strivers, but they also understand the importance of gratitude for what they already have, he contends. “Taking time to contemplate what you’re grateful for isn’t merely the ‘right’ thing to do. It also improves your mood, because it reduces the stress hormone cortisol by 23%. Research conducted at the University of California, Davis, found that people who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood, energy, and physical well-being,” Bradberry reports. Another recent study found gratitude can also improve decision-making by making us less impatient. 2. Disconnect “Given the importance of keeping stress intermittent, it’s easy to see how taking regular time off the grid can help keep your stress under control. When you make yourself available to your work 24/7, you expose yourself to a constant barrage of stressors. Forcing yourself offline and even- gulp!- turning off your phone gives your body a break from a constant source of stress,” Bradberry says. High performers know that if you’re always on, you’re never at your best and unplug accordingly. Best-selling author Tim Ferriss, for example, recommends leaving your smartphone at home (or otherwise out of reach) at least one day a week. 3. Sleep You probably know this one already, so come on, why aren’t you acting on it? “I’ve beaten this one to death over the years and can’t say enough about the importance of sleep to increasing your emotional intelligence and managing your stress levels,” insists Bradberry. Need more convincing? I could link to limitless studies about the horrors of sleep deprivation as well as posts from people you admire urging you to go to bed already! 4. Self-talk How you talk to yourself (in your head) matters. High flyers know this and nip negative self-talk in the bud. Bradberry suggests a way to follow their example and do just that: “The more you ruminate on negative thoughts, the more power you give them. Most of our negative thoughts are just that- thoughts, not facts. When you find yourself believing the negative and pessimistic things, your inner voice says, ‘It’s time to stop and write them down.’ Literally stop what you’re doing and write down what you’re thinking. Once you’ve taken a moment to slow down the negative momentum of your thoughts, you will be more rational and clear-headed in evaluating their veracity.” 5. Breathe “The easiest way to make stress intermittent lies in something that you have to do every day anyway: breathe. The practice of being in the moment with your breathing will begin to train your brain to focus solely on the task at hand and get the stress monkey off your back. When you’re feeling stressed, take a couple of minutes to focus on your breathing,” writes Bradberry. Do this in a routine and organized way and it’s called meditation (a technique endorsed by tons of impressive entrepreneurs), but don’t think you need any fancy equipment or lengthy meditation training to get started calming yourself by paying attention to your breath. More From Inc. 9 Habits of Remarkably Persuasive People 3 Types of Focused Leaders Is Your Environment Hurting Your Chances for Success? Photo of woman on beach courtesy of Shutterstock.

The Parts of an Airplane

The Parts of an Airplane The Parts of an Airplane The basic structure and components of an  airplane  are explained below, including the fuselage, wings, horizontal stabilizer, and powerplant, along with structural materials and frame design. Fuselage The fuselage is the main part of the aircraft, located centrally to the entire aircraft. Its the area where the passengers and baggage are typically held and the part of the plane to which the wings and empennage are attached. Its basically a large, hollow tube that tapers at the back. Wings The wings are attached to the fuselage on either side. The wings are the source of lift for the aircraft. They are attached near the top of the fuselage on high-wing aircraft like  Cessnas 162  and at the bottom of the fuselage on low-wing aircraft, such as the Terrafugia Transition. The front of the wing is called the leading edge and the back of the wing is called the trailing edge. The wing is held together and supported by metal spars, ribs, and stringers and covered by a fabric, aluminum, or composite shell. On the rear part of the wing (the trailing edge), you can find the aileron and flaps, which change the shape of the wing to create more or less lift for different phases of flight. Aileron: The aileron  is  found near the tip of the wing on the trailing edge. Its a rectangular-shaped airfoil that rises to disturb the airflow over the wing. Ailerons are used to turn the airplane. They work by disrupting the airflow over the wing, which creates more lift on one wing than the other.Flaps: Flaps are smaller airfoils found on the rear part of the wing nearest to the fuselage. Flaps can be extended to increase the wing surface area, creating more lift for takeoff and landing. There are different types of flaps; designs vary by aircraft. Some types include  plain  flap, slotted flap, split flap, Fowler flap, and the slotted Fowler flap. Empennage The empennage consists of the vertical stabilizer (the tail of the airplane) and the horizontal stabilizer or stabilator. Rudder: The rudder is a movable piece of the vertical stabilizer that allows the airplane to turn left or right about the airplanes vertical axis when activated. The rudder is connected to the foot pedals in the cockpit of the airplane.Elevator: The elevator is located on the rear part of the horizontal stabilizer. It moves up and down in order to make the airplanes nose move up or down. The elevator is connected to the yoke. If you were to pull back on the yoke in the cockpit, the elevator would be moved upward, forcing the horizontal stabilizer to go down and the aircrafts nose to go up. Stabilator: A stabilator is similar to a horizontal stabilizer but doesnt include an elevator. The stabilator is one large piece of material with an anti-servo tab that doubles as a trim tab.Trim Tab: Trim tabs are small rectangle-shaped pieces of material on the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer. Theyre meant to be moved gradually, as set by the pilot, to ease control pressure and make the aircraft easier to handle. Powerplant The powerplant consists of the engine and all engine components, the propeller, and electrical system. It can be located on the front of the aircraft fuselage or toward the rear of the airplane. In multi-engine aircraft, the engines are typically located under the wings on each side. Landing Gear The landing gear on most aircraft consists of wheels and struts. Some aircraft have skis or floats in order to land on snow or water, respectively. A typical single-engine land airplane will have either tricycle landing gear or conventional landing gear. Tricycle gear means that there are two main wheels with a nose wheel in front. On  aircraft with conventional gear, there are two main wheels with a single wheel in back, under the tail. Aircraft with conventional type gear are often called tailwheel airplanes or taildraggers. Most airplanes are also steered on the ground with the use of a tricycle type landing gear configuration. Aircraft Frame Material Aircraft can be made of different types of material and methods, including truss, monocoque, semi-monocoque, and composite material. Truss structure is an older type of structure and is created by welding tubes together to form a rectangular frame. It could be left open or covered by a cloth or metal skin, but is not as aerodynamic as more current methods. Monocoque structures are basically hollow designs with a stretched fabric or material such as aluminum skin over the open framework. Its simple and pretty sturdy around the edges, but the inner parts of the structure cant withstand much external pressure. Semi-monocoque airplanes are designed in a similar fashion as a monocoque, but with added support and a substructure. Composite materials are becoming more popular and are used in modern aircraft frequently. Composite materials are lighter and stronger than traditional aluminum. Composite materials such as carbon fiber and fiberglass are more expensive than traditional materials but are less prone to corrosion and metal fatigue.

Floating Turbines Harness Offshore Wind

Floating Turbines Harness Offshore Wind Floating Turbines Harness Offshore Wind Floating Turbines Harness Offshore Wind Until now, offshore wind has meant fixed wind towers built into the seabed near the shore. Their proximity to the shoreline often raises issues, ranging from marring the seascape and unwanted noise to killing birds that fly near them. Locating them further from shore resolves some of those problems, which is likely to speed permitting needed to build wind farms. It also opens up more real estate on which to build. Dominique Roddier, CTO of Principle Power. Image: Principle Power Floating wind turbines is still new technology, and Principle Power is one of the few companies with hands-on experience with full scale prototypes and financed contracts. ASME.org recently spoke with Principle Power CTO Dominique Roddier about how his companys WindFloat a floating wind turbine platformworks. ASME: You did not start your career with wind power in mind, did you? DR: I always loved the ocean, and being out on the ocean was always a big part of my life. In college, I studied ocean engineering and naval architecture and other ocean related activities. I also taught sailingthat was my side job and a pretty good one. After college, I worked for ExxonMobile on offshore projects and later co-founded a consulting company, Marine Innovation Technology. Hear more on ASME TechCast: Renewable Energy Experts Shine Light on Solar Farms and Grids ASME: How did you make the move to wind energy? DR: What became our WindFloat technology was a little side project we started at Marine Innovation Technology. Eventually, it grew on us and we decided to go full speed ahead and form a company, Principle Power. Later, we merged Marine Innovation Technology and Principle Power into one business and now we are focused entirely on offshore wind. ASME: Does Principle Power build and install its platforms? DR: At Principle Power, we make thousands of engineering documents that we send to a fabricator in a shipyard who then builds the WindFloat platform based on our specifications. The end result is a floating platform with a turbine placed on top. Move in the Right Direction: Five Steps from Engineer to Leadership ASME: A lot of companies are offering something similar. What make your platforms different? DR: The WindFloat platform uses an active ballast system that helps the tower remain vertical and water entrapment plates at the towers base that help keep it balanced. These innovative features let our WindFloat platform withstand winds of 25-30 meter per second and waves over 25 feet high. In rare circumstances, when winds or waves exceed the limits, the turbines automatically shut down. ASME: Your platforms are designed to be built in a shipyard and towed to their location, much like an offshore oil platform. How do you anchor it? DR: Prior to towing, another vessel would have already set the anchor lines at the location. These lines are similar to those used by sailboats [or offshore platforms]they have anchors and chains, only much bigger, and we place them in the seabed beforehand. When the platform arrives, we pick up the anchor lines from the seabed and connect them to the platform so it keeps its position. Our towers are very slender structures, so they incur low wave exciting forces. This reduces the wave loading on the platform and lets us have a relatively small mooring system. Consequently, we are a fairly light operation. We dont have to do heavy drilling, or use lots of concrete, or bring cranes offshore, which makes the economics of our setup very good. With our WindFloat, we strive to be very competitive with other forms of offshore wind productionwe try to be under 10 cents per kilowatt when doing commercial projects. And we are very much on track to get there. Join ASME and Leading Industry Experts for Offshore Wind Turbine Webinar series ASME: Principle Powers first WindFloat project was off the coast of Portugal. How did you launch it? DR: At the time, few companies were willing to take a chance on this very new technology, but a local electricity company, Energias de Portugal, financed our prototypes. So in 2011, Principle Power deployed a full-scale 2 MW WindFloat prototype, which was fully assembled onshore and then towed about 400 kilometers along the Portuguese coast. The system produced over 16 GW of electricity delivered by sub-sea cable to the local grid until it was decommissioned five years later. It completed all of its project objectives. From this project, Principle Power gained important operational data and experience for future WindFloat systems. ASME: What projects are you working on now? DR: Currently, we have three ongoing projects that are already financed. We plan to install the first one, a 25-MW project with three 8.3 MW turbines in Portugal this summer. Right now, we are spending a lot of time in the shipyard, and we are almost done. The second is in Scotland, a 50-MW installation with five 9.5-MW turbines for which we have just bought steel. And the third one is in southern France. It is a 24-MW project that will receive four next-generation turbines. In the pipeline, we also have projects in California, Hawaii, Korea, and Taiwan. ASME: What is your take on the current state of the offshore wind industry? DR: The fixed offshore wind industry is very mature. Last year, capacity was 16 GW and now it is at 18 GW. The floating industry is starting to grow now, as well. There are players that do believe in it now, and its pretty awesome to see that. We are really active all over the world, and we look forward to working on new projects. Lina Zeldovich is a freelance writer based in Woodside, N.Y. Register today for ASMEs Offshore Wind Summit to learn about the latest technologies, opportunities, and supply chain strategies from leaders in the oil, gas and wind energy industries. The Best Stories of the Month! Insect Drone with Camera Flies Like a Bee Research into Kids Knees Could Prevent ACL Tears Rats Play VR Game to Explain How Human Brain Works The fixed offshore wind industry is very mature. Last year, capacity was 16 GW and now it is at 18 GW. The floating industry is starting to grow now, as well.Dominique Roddier, Principle Power