Thursday, May 28, 2020

5 Traits of a Dysfunctional Team

5 Traits of a Dysfunctional Team Every HR manager strives to cultivate a positive culture at the workplace. However, doing so isn’t easy. Every employee is unique and different. This sometimes creates problems between the team members and stops them from working towards a common goal. Most employees stay professional and don’t let differences come in the way of their work. Nonetheless, that doesn’t stop the negativity to loom over their workplace environment. If not tackled immediately, it may lead to dysfunction and can even affect the overall productivity of the entire team. Now that’s one situation no HR Manager wishes to ever want to deal with. Yet, dealing with dysfunctional teams is a very common problem faced by the organizations. Getting people with conflicting thoughts and views to work together in harmony is tough but it is not impossible. In fact, those who can achieve this tough task will become valuable assets in the eyes of their current as well as prospective employers. However, to tackle the situation before it turns grave, it is important that you identify the same at an early stage. Patrick Lencioni talked about the dysfunctions of a team in his bestselling book, ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team’. The book describes the problems people face when trying to work together towards achieving common goals. HR Managers can apply the knowledge shared in the book to their advantage. It basically talks about identifying the following signs: 1. The team lacks trust The members of a dysfunctional team lack clarity and are constantly worried about being wrong. Lack of clarity prevents them from making decisions in a definitive and timely manner. At the same time, committing to decisions becomes difficult for the team members. Over a period of time, it may leave employees feeling discontented and compelled to change their team or department. 2. The team members fear conflict Dysfunctional teams fear conflict to an extent that they feel more comfortable working in artificial harmony. Team members pretend to be on board with ideas they don’t even agree with just to avoid heated discussions and conflict. However, they don’t realize that healthy conflict is necessary for producing great results. 3. The team is not committed When there is a lack of trust and conflict, it ultimately leads to lack of commitment among the team members. It is a dangerous problem as non-committed team members don’t feel compelled to discuss critical tasks which ultimately leads to delay in the decision-making process. They may also feel that nobody cares about their opinions and hence may not want to contribute to discussions at all. Lack of commitment creates greater problems when even after the team has decided upon a particular course of actions, the individuals in the team seem to be working according to their own will. 4. The team does not focus on the results   The biggest sign of a dysfunctional team is that its team members put their own needs ahead of the team’s collective goals. For them, their ego, personal growth, and recognition are more important than working together as a team to achieve common goals. This desire for individual credit takes away the focus of team members from the collective success. They lose sight of the ultimate goal which ultimately hinders the growth of the company. 5. The team members avoid taking accountability Another positive trait of a dysfunctional team is that it lacks accountability. When people lack accountability they lose sight of team goals. Pushing back deadlines becomes a common phenomenon among such teams. In worst cases, you may even find team members preoccupied with things not relevant to the task at hand and work without any clarity on goals. Identifying the dysfunctional traits affecting the performance of the concerned team early and taking immediate corrective actions can help you build a more cohesive team. Watch out for the above-mentioned signs before it gets late. About the author:  Megha Raizada is a professional writer working with the premium job portal Naukrigulf.com. She has a keen interest in the global job market but also loves to keep a track of everything interesting happening around the globe.  

Monday, May 25, 2020

How to deal with doubt Take a leap

How to deal with doubt Take a leap The farmer broke up with me five times the first five months we were together, last year. So I learned that he had huge commitment issues. I tried to do the advisable thing to do when youre with someone who has commitment issues. I tried to fall in love with someone else. But I didnt. I only missed the farmer more. So I told myself that its okay to be with someone who has commitment issues, as long as I am having fun. But my kids grew to love the farm, and the farmer, almost as quickly as I did. This makes sense. My oldest son was with me on my first visit to the farm, and if you have ever been on a working farm you know that to kids, its like Disney World. So my kids were constantly asking to go to the farm, and constantly trying to figure out, what is the farmer? A friend? An uncle? And why did I kiss him if hes not in my family? This is not a good path for kids if the relationship isnt going toward marriage. So I waited until a day when the farmer and I were holding hands, walking between rows of corn higher than our heads. And I told him that I cant keep bringing the kids to the farm because were not getting married and Im scared the kids will get hurt. The farmer didnt say anything for five minutes. And then he said, Okay. Lets get married. Its taken me months to tell people. Its taken me months because I sort of dont believe it. I didnt want to write that Im worried. You will tell me, in the comments section, Dont get married if you are worried! But Im not sure Id ever NOT worry. How can I not worry about marrying a farmer? I will be moving, with my kids, to his farm. The farm is in the absolute middle of nowhere, outside the town of Darlington, WI. And now, I guess this will be my debut in Darlington, because Im pretty sure there will be no blog outranking me for that search term. But if I didnt marry the farmer, I would be worried, forever, that I should have married him. So its not a hard decision to marry him. I have been married before, and I dont think Im going to change much, so I know what I need, and I know what I have to offer, and we are a good fit. And, I have Asperger Syndrome, which could be summarized as raging intellect and acute sensitivity to outside input. So the farm is a perfect spot for my mind to explore while outside-my-mind is calm. But I worry about the farm for my kids. One of my kids also has Asperger Syndrome, and he is completely addicted to the farm and the animals, and the farmers calm, slow, sunny demeanor. My other son does not have Aspergers and probably does not need of the serenity of life on the farm. Not that serenity is bad. And the family life that grows from farming is intimate and grounded and full of routine. All good things for kids. But I grew up in a world where everything was open to me. Check out my high school: New Trier. Its always ranked in the top twenty-five high schools in the country. I remember the principal telling us that the top 500 kids in our graduating class would go to colleges where most would be the valedictorians of their class. At the time I didnt understand how this could be. But now I understand that in order to compete at the top of the academic field, you need to be the number-one student in your small town. Maybe not number one academically. But number one in soccer if you want to play soccer in college. And number-one in cello if you want to play in an orchestra in college. Wait. No. Its worse than that. Because in Darlington, there is no orchestra in high school. So where will my son play his cello in high school if he wants to play in college? And how will my boys learn to play soccer at a high enough level to play in college if all the kids on the coasts are getting private coaching? Where is the private coaching in Darlington? Its scary how limiting the choices are when you live in a place like Darlington. But competition is scary to me as well. The reason I couldnt keep playing professional beach volleyball is that I didnt care enough about winning. To get to the very top of anything, you have to think youre going to die if you dont win. Thats not me. I belong on a farm, where life is slow, and rhythmic, and people are not breathing down my throat about getting the best of everything. The farmer and I discuss this a lot. He went to graduate school for biology and hated it and went back to the farm. He thinks he could have done anything, so why wont my kids be able to choose anything? I am not sure. I am not sure if its my proximity to overachievers that gave me opportunities, or its my innate optimism and intelligence. Then he tells me that what I really would have wanted from my childhood is to feel love and security, and why dont we just focus on giving the kids that? Hes right. But its hard for me to act on that. So I think this marriage and move are leaps of faith for me, hoping that love and security will trump opportunity and achievement. I hope Im making a good decision for my sons. The Story of the Farmer From the First Day We Met: June 2008 New Way to Measure Blog ROI June 2008 How I started taming my workaholic tendencies Oct. 2008 Self-sabotage is never limited to just one part of your life Nov. 2008 Think of networking as a lifestyle, not an event July 2009 The sign of a great career is having great opportunities, and saying no Sept. 2009 How to deal with an insane commute Oct. 2009 How to deal with doubt: Take a leap

Thursday, May 21, 2020

5 Steps to Stop Wasting Time

5 Steps to Stop Wasting Time Whether applying for a job or managing one’s career, there are constant pressures in  the work environment toward unproductive and wasteful time-use. When analyzed closely, a great deal of one’s day is spent on activities that do not  contribute to the overall goal of either the individual or their company. The problem is  that while other resources are in abundance (i.e. money), time is scarce. No matter how high the demand, the supply will never rise; time is a unique,  irreplaceable and necessary resource. Time-use does improve with  practice, but only constant efforts at managing time can prevent drifting. While yesterday’s time is  gone forever, below you’ll find key  exercise to ensure that you make the most of this scarce resource  going forward. 1) In detail, define what you want to achieve: Instead of wanting to make more money”  or  â€œget a job in marketing,” strive to  â€œmake $60,000” or  â€œobtain a digital marketing position in healthcare.” When you spell out your goals in vivid detail, you begin to see what activities will get you to where you want to be and which  serve little to no purpose. 2) Perform a time- diagnosis and keep track of hours and days real-time: Prior to being able to manage time, you must possess a firm grasp on how your hours and days are used. As opposed to going off sheer memory, the most efficient way to do so is to log where your days are going. The problem with relying on memory is  that psychological  experiments have shown that human beings  are  naturally inept of estimating how much time has passed performing a certain activity. Therefore, if we rely on our memory of the activities we’ve performed, we won’t get an accurate measurement of where our hours and days go. 3)  Pinpoint and eliminate the activities that don’t need to be at all: When  examining your activity log, go down the list of daily functions you perform and ask yourself a key  question,  â€œWhat would happen if I didn’t engage in this  activity?” If the answer is  â€œnothing,” you’ve just defined a time suck that no longer needs to be part of your daily routine. 4) Learn to delegate where possible: Effective delegation can mitigate opportunity cost, relieve stress and allow you to focus on your  strengths. Unfortunately, lack of delegation is a problematic shortcoming of the majority of job seekers whom our recruiters deal with. Over 70% of applicants our sales headhunters deal with spend up to 100+ hours  writing, formatting and tweaking their resume when, in  reality they could have a professional write  the document for under $1,000. Mathematically, unless they are making less than $10 per hour, it is time inefficient to write  their own CV. 5) Don’t bounce from activity to activity, rather break your time into large chunks: Studies have shown that to spend 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there on a project results in little being achieved. When something needs to get done, the name of the game is to lock the office door, disconnect the internet, turn off the cell phone and sit down for 3+  hours without  interruption. In the End Time is a costly thing to waste.  Learn to concentrate on what counts.  While the immature mind hops from one thought to another, never truly getting anything done, those who master concentration realize that time is an  irretrievable resource that you can’t recoup.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Plant Manager Job Description - Algrim.co

Plant Manager Job Description - Algrim.co Plant Manager Job Description Template Download our job description template in Word or PDF format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Using Your Template Follow these instructions to use your new job description template Step one: Fill out all details in your job description template using the provided sample on this page. Step two: Customize your requirements or duties to anything special to your workplace. Be sure to speak with team members and managers to gauge what's required of the position. Step three: When the census of the team has agreed on the description of the work, add in a Equal Employment Opportunity statement to the bottom of your job description. Step four: Check with your legal department, management team, and other team members to ensure the job description looks correct before creating a job advertisement. Choose a job board that's specific to your needs.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

How to Become an Android Developer Without a Degree - CareerMetis.com

How to Become an Android Developer Without a Degree Source : Pexels.comSmartphones have become an indispensable part of our lives and offer endless features that were previously alien to its predecessors.Smartphones allow people to read, play augmented reality games, share files, manage businesses, get directions, connect with people, watch movies, shop amongst numerous other things.This has become possible due to the advent of mobile applications. Mobile applications have opened the doors to newer methods of learning, communicating, living and conducting businesses.evalAndroid is the market leader in mobile application platforms and enjoys 88% of the total Smartphone market. As far as the statistics are concerned, there are over 2 billion active Android devices as of May 2017, and over 3 million applications are available on Google Play store.The number is increasing every day and is bound to grow in the coming years. Covering the diversity of devices it can run on, Android is here to stay. This creates a huge demand for skilled and proficient Android Developers.How to learn Android Development?There are several ways to initiate learning Android Development. Besides standard education, there are several android developers who have taught themselves android development with online reading material, videos, online courses, communities and forums, etc.A successful Android Developer needs expertise in the following areas.1. Computer BasicsevalIt is essential for any Android Developer to have a strong grasp of computer basics to create a problem-solving approach. This is extremely important for Android developers as they will be finding ways to solve problems in android development and create efficient mobile applications.Computer basics for someone who wants to build their career as an Android Developer involve efficiency in Algorithms, Encapsulation, Security, and Software Engineering. The material for all these subjects is available online in a large quantity.2.Java skillsJava is the building block of Android dev elopment, and Android developers need to pick up this skill set to enjoy a successful career. Using Java is fundamental to Android development since Android Software Development Kit includes several standard Java libraries.evalThere are thousands of articles, videos and websites that provide through light on Java and teach Java from scratch. Learning Java will enable people to code efficiently.3.KotlinIt is new language that runs on Java Virtual Machine and is becoming used increasingly in Android Application development. It is compatible with JDK 6, ensuring it can be run on older devices as well. The language’s clearer syntax and newer advancements in programming give it an edge over Java in terms of ease of usage.Android developers can make use of this new language to create more opportunities for themselves. Being a new technology, it does not have as many developers who know this language. Knowledge of Kotlin can help Android developers in getting more jobs.4. SQL and XMLStru ctured Query language and Extensible Markup Language is a skill set that is used to gather data from databases and describe the data. For SQL, Android uses the SQLite version of it which has minor differences in comparison to the general MySQL. XML is primarily used to design the application and for integrations.evalThis makes learning these two concepts so essential. Basics of these two languages are available on the internet, and a basic understanding of these two languages will enable developers to handle databases quickly and with ease.eval5.Android BasicsMobile application development is now a completely different skill set than website development. It is essential to understand how Android devices behave while developing a mobile application. The various features that are offered in Android mobile applications are vastly different to website development.Android development gives the coding part of development the most importance as the code handles every part of the mobile app lication. To allow users to experience a seamless experience, it is important to gain an understanding of this aspect.6.Android ToolsThe tools that are required to develop an android application are not only free for use but are also easily available online. Android applications can be created easily by everyone without any college degree who know how to use the Android Software Development Kit and Android Studio.Android developers can make use of the several pre-developed codes, software, and tools to create a functional application. Tools7.Android APIExpertise in Android API is needed to create strong and powerful Android applications that control smartphone features such as allowing audio and video recording, sending SMS, using WIFI connectivity, using the camera, etc. Integrating them makes your user’s experience better. These skills can be honed by using online resources that are focused on learning API.Creating Android ApplicationsWhen you have gained proficiency in above-me ntioned skill sets, you can practice application development by using Android SDK and Android Studio and publish your application on Google Play Store with nominal registration charges. These charges are just one time registration fees.Developing a strong portfolio of workOnce you are confident in your skills, you can develop a portfolio on GitHub and Behance and also showcase your work on Linkedin. With continuous learning, android development can become your lifelong career without any formal education.These portfolios can also help you fetch some freelancing work. They are the best mediums to learn real time android application development.Stay updatedevalAndroid has been growing immensely since its start. Every update or micro-update comes with new features, patches, upgrades etc. Therefore, it becomes really essential for any Android developer to stay updated on the recent advancements of Android. You can follow some reliable sources like Android authority, Gizmodo, TechCrunch etc. Contributions and DiscussionsBeing a part of the Android Developers community will help you learn and grow. Also, it acts as a best place to test your product or beta application. You can join Android based communities or forums and contribute to it.A few resources could be XDA, Android Forums, Android Community etc. Being a part of a healthy developer network is beneficial.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Stop using yellow sticky notes to manage your job search Heres how to get organized

Stop using yellow sticky notes to manage your job search Heres how to get organized Stop using yellow sticky notes to manage your job search. Im shocked by how unorganized most people are when it comes to the job-search process. And Im not just talking about those who are unemployed. I’m also pointing at those of you who want to make a career move within your company. Even more mind-numbing are all the same excuses for why you dont have a great process in place: Ive never had to organize a job search before. I have my notes and I put them all in a folder. I have a really good memory, so I dont need a better process. Searching for a job is all about meeting people, not running a process. Well, cut the crap and get a job! Using yellow sticky notes to manage your job search isnt going to do you much good. Here is what you need for a successful job search: A computer that has software for writing letters and emails, plus for creating spreadsheets. If you dont own a computer, borrow computer time from a friend or use one for free at your local library. Plus you dont need expensive software. There is a lot of Internet-based software for writing and making spreadsheets. Pen, paper, and a binder What you need to build: Contact List: This is for all of the people with whom you will be meeting. Your network is your most valuable asset, and it should be treasured well past the job-search process. Most contact software will allow you to place each person into a category, such as family, friends, peers, job search, associations, etc. Your Goal Worksheet: Document the hunt and set goals. What kind of job do you want? In what city? In what industry? In which companies? Is there a specific job title? Job Opportunity Tracker: A table, spreadsheet, or simply lines on a paper with each row representing a different job opportunity. It may be a lead from a friend at the gym or a posted job description. If it is something you are ready to pursue, it becomes a row. The most important part of this tracker is the information about when you applied and when you will follow up. After that, any next step must be captured. Calendar: Why is it that so many job seekers use their calendars for work or when to take the kids to school, yet when it comes to the job search, they simply dont use it? Bad things happen to those job seekers. You said, “Yes, Ms. Marshall, I will call you to follow up next Wednesday.” But you forget because it wasnt in your calendar. Now you’re embarrassed, so you never call her. There goes your dream job â€" all because you thought you could remember or you didn’t want to use the right tools. Avoid the job search crap and step up your game by building a strong foundation of tools AND the discipline to use them properly.

Friday, May 8, 2020

What Is Resume Writing Meaning?

What Is Resume Writing Meaning?If you are wondering about what is resume writing meaning, then the problem might lie in the grammar or spelling. It is common for the author to be lazy when writing a resume. The writer sometimes gets carried away with their own creativity and runs away with the grammar in order to make the resume look like a masterpiece.It is not good to write badly on the resume, if you want to do a good job. In such cases, you need to make sure that the resume would not be changed due to grammar or spelling mistakes.This is a very common occurrence, which has happened in the past. Writing an article, a resume, or even writing a novel is easy. If the writer gets carried away by the project, he does not ensure that the resume or article will match the written message. You should first focus on the message.There are many ways to choose the language of the resume. You can go through your work history, the style you use in writing or in typing. If you are serious about t he success of your resume, you should take care of all these aspects.This would help you to go through the sentence structure and syntax. If you find that the things you say in your resume are no match with the words, you need to revise them. The bad and good grammar and spelling errors are reflected in the personality of the writer.If you find that your resume is the reason for not getting a job, you must change it. The professional resume writer is aware of all the nuances of the job market and he can tell if your resume would be a worthy addition or not.If the resume seems genuine, it would not look like a hoax. You may even get new interview requests, depending on your resume. Your skills would have been taken into consideration by the recruiter.So, if you are a serious writer and the quality of your work is not reflected in the resume, you need to improve it. This would help you to achieve the best in your work. If you have already accepted a job offer, you may change your resu me or contact the recruiter and suggest a good writer who can write a good resume.