Wednesday, September 19, 2018

How to build resilience in young adults


Resilience is the ability to cope or bounce back after a negative event, difficult situation, or challenge.  This concept widely occupies the vocabulary of entrepreneurs and the business environment.  In fact, many experts have highlighted the need to develop this trait as early as possible, such that young people are equipped with it once they join the workplace.

 Many definitions of resilience are out there, one of them being a set of qualities helping a person withstand the effects of adversity.  Resilience is often thought to be a mix of nature and nurture.  Some children are born with it while others are born under circumstances of greater vulnerability to adversity and less predisposition to resilience.
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 Qualities often linked to resilience develop throughout childhood and via life experiences.  These are self-esteem, optimism, faith, and trust, to name a few.  Feelings of security, too, come from a dependable relationship, thus helping someone feel more assured and bounce back from unfortunate situations.

 Building resilience in school means partnering with the school and families, and leading related activities across the school and the community at large to mount a comprehensive approach.  It involves teaching social and emotional skills, as well as supporting young learners with special needs and requiring additional assistance.

 Apart from the school getting together and teaching this life skill in the classroom and outside, it’s important to give way to self-expression.  Tragedy can give rise to different conflicting emotions, and sometimes it’s hard for young people who talk to someone about what they’re going through.  If talking doesn’t cut it, there should be other avenues of expression, from journaling to art therapy.

 Self-care is just as crucial.  Create a “hassle-free zone” such as a home that’s free from stress and anxiety of school work.  Young people should be taught to take care of themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually, and they should know they can take control through small goals, one at a time, in the face of tragedy.

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Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch considers education as tied to success in the world of business. Read more articles on education on this page.




Thursday, August 16, 2018

Tips to retain top talents in the organization

Loyalty to organizations isn’t what it used to be with the millennial generation known to move from one job to another in search of stability and satisfaction, to name a few considerations. But in the age of digital disruption, it’s still possible to retain top talent for a long time. Here are some tips for decision-makers and human resource professionals can consider. 

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Promote mobility and flexibility 

Workers aren’t attracted to the idea of a strict 9-to-5 job anymore. People appreciate the option to work remotely, having flexible hours, and being subjected to fluid organizational policies. They’re likely to stick around for a longer time when they’re happier, more productive, and given these considerations that are fit for the times. 

Let them grow and learn 

Offer an environment that’s conducive to learning and advancing in their career. Provide continuing education classes, on-the-job training, and every opportunity that spells career development. 

Recognize and reward 

It’s not just financial rewards and bonuses that count, but also sincere recognition for a job well done. In performance evaluation sessions, specify what the commendation is for, and make the person feel appreciated for the hard work, creativity, and other skills that made the success possible. Make them feel that their contributions to the business are important. 

Create a culture of inclusiveness and engagement 

Work on your business culture and create a culture of inclusiveness. Have this documented and made known to senior management, and practiced on the ground every day. Constantly engage talent and increase their responsibility, versus preaching and just telling them what to do. 

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Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch believes that any barrier to the growth of any business venture can be eliminated with education. For similar reads, visit this page.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

How To Manage Your Workforce Amid Economic Downturn

The United States and the world have gone through different economic recessions, from the Asian financial crisis in 1997 to the collapse of the U.S. financial markets in 2008. In business organizations, survival became the name of the game. But how should senior executives and leaders lead their organizations during these trying times? Here are some tips to adapt, become agile, and make winning teams out of unfortunate circumstances.

                                   Image source: Pixabay.com


Prepare a contingency plan

Create action steps based on corporate function and operating unit such that the steps are clear and everyone knows what to do. This plan involves headcount and hiring changes; compensation, benefits, and incentive plan adjustments; and asset divestitures. It also includes expense cutbacks, hierarchy for cost-saving initiatives, as well as considering other options, such as outsourcing non-core activities that aren’t strategic to the business.

Keep your people motivated

During financial difficulty, employees will naturally be worried about job security, especially in the private sector. Help keep them calm and put their psychologies at ease without sugarcoating the situation. This starts by communicating with them regularly, encouraging them to open up to their managers and continue to participate in company activities and learning initiatives.

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See it as a teaching moment

Uncertainty naturally breeds anxiety – but it can also be an opportunity to learn, engage workers better, and make them stay laser-focused on the job at hand. Urge everyone to better contribute and see how their job fits into the business strategy and its mission to survive amid the hard times. If there’s agility, people will solve problems instead of mourn over them, and they will innovate for the years to come.

Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch vouches for education’s effectiveness as a tool to achieving success in business. Learn more on this page.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

How To Earn An Mba Amid a Busy Schedule

The idea of getting a post-grad degree is a tempting one, but it isn’t most feasible when is too busy with work and his or her personal affairs. But as in other things in life, balance is key, and it takes smart preparation to get things done. Here are some ways, for instance, that one can earn an MBA despite having a busy lifestyle.

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Find an MBA program that suits you best

There are so many to choose from, and this can get overwhelming at first. Go for what fits your expectations, goals, and availability – such as one focusing on applied learning and real-world experienced through teaching resources. Others may be focusing on theoretical understanding, too.

Create a routine that works for you

Ideal study times can vary from one student to another, so be realistic about how many hours are necessary for it. Afterward, create a routine that can fit an MBA program into one’s daily life. If one’s busy attending to an 8-to-5 job on the weekdays, taking weekend classes would be helpful. One can study during the evenings after completing other personal tasks and commitments, such as taking care of a child.

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Get social support

Turn to your family and people closest to you for support. Discuss your school commitments with them and see how you can better deliver their expectations as well.

Set personal checkpoints

Consider each study term or trimester a small stepping stone to achieving success. Set small goals every week to stay motivated and on track, and give yourself a pat on the back – or a little reward – after completing a full term!

Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch believes that education is a key to building strong skills that are crucial to many aspects of life: personal values, business, social relationships. For similar reads, click here.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Collective Growth: Inspiring Continuous Learning In The Workplace

The workplace shouldn’t be a space for individuals to stop learning and finding new things to do. It’s important for leaders to acknowledge that they have so much to learn before they attain success.

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Leaders should foster the experience of collective growth. As the frontrunners of a team or a company, they must realize that part of their duty is to build an environment of encouraged continuous learning. They have to be voracious learners themselves to inspire others to value education and skills training. By evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of a team, leaders would begin to understand how to train employees more effectively. Knowing what experience and education the team has would assist in setting the next steps towards growth.

Modify learning styles according to team members’ abilities to learn. Value the diversity of the team’s personalities and learning methods as these differences build a more energetic culture befitting a dynamic business. Chase after education opportunities that the whole team can employ, rather than sticking to a single method.

Transparency is key. Leaders who are honest about the gaps in their training are managing the team effectively and creating a genuine and non-judgmental atmosphere for learning. When leaders express their desire to improve their performance, those who are reluctant will have the confidence to follow suit. The leaders are in charge of creating an environment that inspires personal growth and the quest for knowledge.

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Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch considers education as tied to success in business. For more insightful articles on leadership and business success, visit this blog.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

True Leadership Means Better Communication

The greatest business leaders know just how important it is to be on point with all forms of corporate communication. The state of internal communication and the efficiency by which it is relayed to intended recipients or disseminated to the rest of the employees has a heavy bearing on organizational operations. Since communication is a broad topic, let’s break it down further so we can see the exact significance of its role.

First, communication is designed to foster and maintain pleasant relations among all employees. This is necessary for teams to finish assigned tasks, hit targets, and accomplish goals more efficiently. Team members experiencing communication gaps, either between themselves or between them and their superiors will most likely take longer to do what they have to do.

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Another huge advantage of effective communication is the influx of innovative ideas. When the lines of communication are open, employees feel relaxed and confident to share what they know. Often, the best ideas are expressed when people are allowed to speak up. Take communication away and employees with game-changing concepts might never get their ideas off the ground.

And it’s up to leaders and managers to make sure internal communication within an organization remains unhindered. When employees feel that they’re being heard and that they have a voice, they’re more motivated to do good for a company and for its leaders.

Patrick Dwyer of Merill Lynch believes that effective leaders are foremost great listeners. Follow this Twitter page for more articles on leadership.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Some benefits of bringing technology into the classroom

While many educators still resist the idea of embracing technology as an integral part of classroom learning, many developments in the field are pointing to the huge benefits of going digital. 

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The prevalent argument against using technology is that it distracts students from the lessons and relegates teachers to the sidelines. Many schools restrict access to social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in the campus, the idea behind this being the maintenance of an academic atmosphere. However, this is increasingly becoming futile and counter-productive, as most students will have access to the internet via their own smart phones, anyway. 

Incorporating technology in lessons must not be treated as a form of succumbing. Educators would do well to intertwine the benefits of the digital age to straight lectures and analog testing. The aim is to allow for a complementary environment that’s also conducive to learning. Outside the school grounds, students are bombarded by information; there’s no need to pretend otherwise inside the academe and focus instead on the needed filtering. 

Teachers could mine available technology for learning purposes, as a form of active teaching. Students need not be passive receivers of data, but armed with the necessarily critical thinking skills to strain and select. This will eventually lead to self-directed learning and peer collaboration, as highfalutin concepts become clearer and the needed processing becomes more interactive, social, and teacher-guided. 

Finally, technology allows for the teachers themselves to continue down the path of learning. The internet is a treasure trove of innovative approaches and resources for modern pedagogy. Open-mindedness to these will allow for a two-way learning experience that will eventually make for a more adaptable educator. 

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Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch believes that education is key to building strong skills that are crucial to many aspects of life: personal values, business, social relationships. For more reads about the value of learning, check out this website.