We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them — Albert Einstein
The ability to solve problems and successfully navigate challenges is one of the few qualities that differentiate star performers from average ones, it also differentiates happy and fulfilled people from others who are anxious and miserable.
Problem-solving is important to success and happiness because it enables us to exert control over our environments, learn unique insights and improve personal performance and quality of our relationships.
Mastering the art of solving problems is not only restricted to work or business settings; it also has its place in everyday life scenarios. We all regularly encounter minor and major challenges in our personal and professional lives that require our attention, these problems could present with the following…
#1 Resume readers will be both man and machine
I recently received an interesting and important question on the role of conventional resumes in job search over the next decade or so. This question was asked by a recruiting professional in the not-for-profit space with a specialty in creating employment opportunities for marginalized groups.
As a career consultant with insider experience on how companies vet candidates, this question was a good opportunity for me to put some thought into how we use resumes today and how that might change in the coming decades. …
Catalytic events are historical occurrences that cause important changes. How can you build wealth in the middle of one?
Life is filled with uncertainty, especially in times like this!
We find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic that has triggered an economic recession, escalated racial tensions and increased political instability. All of these factors have amplified financial anxiety which has inevitably taken a toll on our collective physical and mental health.
Analysis by the Institue for Policy Studies shows that since the pandemic started, a staggering $6.5 trillion in household wealth has disappeared and the collective wealth by billionaires has surged by more than $584 billion! Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell noted that “This is the biggest economic shock in the U.S. …
4 steps to upgrade your life
I recently celebrated my 27th birthday a couple of days ago, and this was an excellent opportunity to slow down and reflect on my journey and growth over the years.
I moved to Canada with my family as a 17-year-old, and unsurprisingly this came with many challenges. There was the culture shock, the weather shock (it gets very cold in the winter!) and the challenge of finding new friends and adjusting to a new country.
That being said, these challenges were very welcomed and they forced me to focus on my personal growth and development. …
Yes, your next job interview is within reach!
As a professional recruiter with a focus on accounting and finance roles, I regularly come across hundreds of resumes daily. I am also usually in constant conversations with different companies across multiple industries to get a sense of the types of candidates on paper they are looking for. In this article, I share 3 easily implementable hacks that you can use to upgrade your resume and increase the number of interview call-backs you get.
The 3 Hacks I will talk about:
- Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
- Differentiating yourself with your Accomplishments.
- Demonstrating Emotional Intelligence. …
At the most basic level, influence and persuasion hinge on arousing specific emotions in others.
Persuasion is the art of swaying others and winning them over to your ideas or proposed course of action. People who are persuasive or who have influence are skilled at winning people over and adjusting their presentations to appeal to their audience.
A couple of years ago, I was privileged to be part of an exciting start-up competition called RampUp Weekend Manitoba. The premise for this competition was simple, about 50 competitors pitched their business ideas to strangers. Competitors then tried to persuade others to join their team and transform their ideas over the weekend of the competition into a live business. …
Political awareness is an understanding of the power and influence webs in your organization and an ability to navigate them to achieve your goals and get things done.
Organizational politics occur in any group, team or organization, whether social, commercial or voluntary. It has very little to do with the official organizational hierarchy, it is about people and in particular, building relationships, understanding different personalities and leveraging both dynamics to build influence.
Every organization and work environment has its invisible system and network of connection and influence. …
Diversity champions are individuals who use their emotional intelligence in the name of a diversity value or ideal.
Diversity is the existence of variations of different characteristics in a group of people. These characteristics could be everything that makes us unique, such as our cognitive skills and personality traits, along with the things that shape our identity like race, age and cultural background.
The pandemic and reckoning on racial issues have resulted in serious conversations regarding diversity and bias in organizations and work environments as well as steps to improve diversity and reduce bias.
Diversity programs
Organizations are now realizing that making diversity and inclusion a business imperative will help them attract diverse talent and avoid jeopardizing their reputation. Diverse people often bring different, important and competitively relevant knowledge and perspectives about how to do work; from how to design processes, reach goals, frame tasks, create effective teams, communicate ideas and lead. …
Expecting the best of people can be a self-fulfilling prophecy
The standard image of coaches or mentors that most people have is that of a seasoned veteran or executive helping a favoured younger person along or grooming a promising talent. However, anyone can be a coach and provide help to others; colleagues, novices, peers and even superiors. Managing upward and helping superiors and managers do a better job is also part of the art of sensing other people’s development needs and bolstering their abilities.
Sensing other people’s development needs is an important skill for professionals in today’s ever collaborative and decentralized work environment. Coaching and developing others is a person-to-person art that is centred around counselling. The effectiveness of counselling hinges on empathy and the ability to focus on one’s feelings, insights and perspectives, and sharing them with others. …
A finely tuned ear is at the core of understanding and getting along with others.
Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of someone else coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.
Simply put, it is being able to put yourself in the shoes of others and communicate that understanding back to the other person. Having empathy doesn’t necessarily mean that you will proceed to help everyone in need, however, it is often a vital first step towards any compassionate action.
You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself— John…
