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Reading in electronic times

28/05/2015 /

Andrew Piper, Associate Professor in the Department of Languages, Literature, and Cultures at McGill University, is an expert on the changes brought about by the e-books and has published a… paper book on the subject (you can see where this is going already).

In this article, published by the Slate magazine, he resumes his book, Book Was There: Reading in Electronic Times, in which he examines the history and future of (e-)reading, the differences between reading on a tablet or an electronic device and reading a paper book, and how reading a paper books connects our bodies as well our minds to the topic.

 

Read the Printed Word!

What happy people do differently (and why they become great leaders…)

21/05/2015 /

At first glance, some might say this article is not related to leadership skills. In my opinion it is actually the opposite: the author explains 7 fundamental differences between “happy” and “unhappy” people that reveal how attitudes and the way we see the world and the others are decisive to succeed in whatever we do. Succeeding is not just a question of method: first of all, you should have the right approach to daily life and see things the good way. This is the reason why this psychology-oriented article gives good hints about leadership.

The author talks about seven differences in particular (my short comments in brackets):

1. Your default belief is that life is hard (as a consequence, every task will seem impossible)

2. You believe most people can’t be trusted. (this way you won’t be able to delegate)

3. You concentrate on what’s wrong in this world versus what’s right. (this will cause a lack of motivation: why should I get things better if everything around me will always be wrong?)

4. You compare yourself to others and harbor jealousy. (the good leader is never jealous, he appreciates and knows how to exploit for the best other people’s qualities instead)

5. You strive to control your life. (planning, planning, planning!)

6. You consider your future with worry and fear. (this way you’ll remain paralyzed in the process of decision-making)

7. You fill your conversations with gossip and complaints. (those who always complain are just losing time instead of how to solve the problems that caused the complains…)

Read the full article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201306/what-happy-people-do-differently

Janus_coin

image: Wikimedia (public domain)

 

 

What is Tact?

14/05/2015 /

Tact is the art of telling the truth without hurting one’s sensitivity. It can be very important in negotiations and in conflict resolution. Tact encompasses many things, such as emotional intelligence, discretion, compassion, honesty and courtesy.

Mind Tool has published an article with several examples concerning the capacity of being tactful and lists 5 strategies to develop tact.

1. Create the right environment and think before you speak
2. Determine the appropriate time
3. Choose words carefully
4. Watch your body language
5. Never react emotionally

Read the full article

Broken_Egg_by_Noypi_reaverImage source: Deviant art – Noyipi-reaver  (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

12 Simple Things A Leader Can Do To Build A Phenomenal Team

05/05/2015 /

John Hall is an accomplished CEO, who usually shares his views and knowledge about leadership. In an article published on Forbes, he focuses on a crucial aspect for good leadership: teambuilding. Since there is no leader without a team to lead, teambuilding is fundamental. So here are Hall’s 12 advises to succeed in creating the best team possible:

  1. Don’t Settle for Mediocre
  2. Be a Thought Leader
  3. Trust is Crucial
  4. Forget the Money… at First
  5. Personal Lives are Important
  6. Maintain Systematic Processes
  7. Diversity Brings Innovation
  8. It’s Okay to Be Friends
  9. Play to People’s Strengths
  10. Great Teams Read Together
  11. Invest in Your First Five Hires
  12. Give Recognition

To deepen these concepts, you can read the full article here

New_Zealand_national_rugby_league_team_(26_October_2008)Image source: Flickr – Naparazzi – (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The hard truth about soft skills

30/04/2015 /

54 lessons organized in 8 chapters, each of them covering an aspect where soft skills play an important role: career management, getting the job done, communication, handling critics, office politics, self-promotion, dealing with differences and leadership.

In her book “The hard truth about soft skills – workplace lessons smart people wish they’d learned sooner“, Peggy Klaus, tells us about the importance of soft skills on workplace, trying to understand why they are still so often ignored, although they are fundemental in our everyday work. The problem is semantic? What is soft cannot be considered serious? The matter is that most of us think that they are about touchy-feely people skills?

Among the 54 lessons pinted out by Klaus on the basis of her work experience:

hardtruthcover1. Knowing yourself is as important as knowing how to do your job
2. Learn when to stick and when to shift or the details will hang you
3. Know where to draw the line between self-improvement and self-destruction
4. When it comes to gossip, learn the art of deflection
5. Don’t take it personally
6. Your procrastination is trying to tell you something
7. Keep your visibility when you are not face-to-face

 

(How to) Sleep, don’t weep

23/04/2015 /

Improving your own bedtime routines can be an easy way to feel better day by day and to become a more successful and positive person. According to Jacquelyn Smith, Careers Editor for Business Insider, there are nine things successful people do before going to sleep:

  1. They read;
  2. They make a to-do list;
  3. They spend time with family;
  4. They reflect on the day;
  5. They meditate;
  6. They plan out sleep;
  7. They unplug and disconnect from work;
  8. They lie down on a positive note;
  9. They picture tomorrow’s success.

Read the full article here.

Sleep, don't weep

Image source: Flickr – Guilherme Tavares (CC BY 2.0)

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