How to Excel at and Enjoy Social Networking Events

How to Excel at and Enjoy Social Networking EventsHow to Excel at and Enjoy Social Networking EventsNetworking is vitally important for your career because it can open the door to exciting possibilities like meeting influential people, a future mentor, or new opportunities.It can also be both personally and professionally enriching. So why do some of us avoid building our network through networking vorstellungs?Maybe its the fear of the unknown or the thought of it makes us feel uneasy. To help you overcome these emotions, heres how to prepare for a networking event and to get the fruchtwein out of the event, while youre there and after you leave. Before You Go Find networking events to attend Two sites that work well are meetup.com and eventbrite.com.Within each site, search for categories that interest you and then select a network type of event. You could also check out associations that your LinkedIn network belongs to and see if they offer networking events or conferences.If an association really interests you, join it and then be sure to subscribe to its newsletter to learn about upcoming events. Preregistering for events is a good idea because you will be less likely to bail if youve already registered.That will also give you time to prepare and so make anticipating the event less stressful. Get mentally prepared Ask yourself these questions to set a goal about what you want to accomplish at the event Are there a number of contacts you want to hit?What will your ask be?Is there a problem youre looking to solve?Are you looking for a new hire?Is there a type of person you want to meet? Having a goal to achieve will help you maintain your focus and keep the nervousness at bay. Next, research what each event is about.If there is a presentation, research the presenter and think of questions youd like to ask them.If the event will be held in an interesting location, read up on it because that will give you a great conversation starter. Prepare a rough outl ine about what professional and/or personal information you will share with new contacts.Having the outline will help you keep the conversation going without babbling on and enable you to avoid those awkward moments of silence. Get physically prepared Plan the outfit you will wear.If its after work, bring a new outfit with you to change, so you will feel fresh and special. Find some time to relax before the event begins.Check yourself out in a mirror to make sure everything is in place.Then take a few slow deep breaths.You are not going into a competition.No one knows about the goal youve set for yourself at this event.Only you will know if you succeed or not. While Youre There Remember to smileYou have worked hard to get to this point and should be proud of what youve already accomplished.So smile for yourself and for others. Believe that you are someone worth meeting because you are Work on your goal As you meet new people, consider ways they could help you meet the goal youve set for yourself. Treat everyone gently and listen attentively to what they have to say, even if you realize they arent someone who can help you achieve that goal. Who knows? You may have met someone who will become a new good friend or who could help you reach a goal- or whom you could help reach a goal- in the future. Enjoy yourself No matter your primary goal, your secondary goal should be to have fun. Dont put so much emphasis on making the event a success that you forget to be yourself at the moment. Youll make a better impression on everyone you meet if youre there in a spirit of fun. Keep track of the new people youve met After youve made a connection with someone, take some notes so youll be able to recall who everyone was. The more people you chat with, the hazier the details may be later. As youre writing your notes, visualize the persons face again so it will be easier to recognize them the next time you see them in person. Leave at the right time Make your exit when you ve accomplished or made satisfactory progress toward your goal. After the Event Review your notes Look over your notes, remember the conversations youve had, and decide whom youd most like to follow up with. Even if you dont feel youve made a worthwhile connection with someone, you should at least follow up with a LinkedIn invite and perhaps an email. Deepen the connection If you really hit it off with someone and/or think theyre an important networking connection, definitely follow up with an email. Ask to meet with them again sometime, perhaps over coffee or for lunch. Dont come on too high-pressure, like a used-car salesman. Let the relationship develop a bit before you ask about job openings at their company or seek an interview, informational or otherwise, with them or someone else in their company. Plan for your next event If you leise feel a bit apprehensive about networking, plan to go to another networking event pretty quickly to keep up your momentum. But now that youv e gotten one down, theyll get easier and youll gain even more confidence and get more out of each one.

How to Keep the Peace in a Workplace Warzone

How to Keep the Peace in a Workplace Warzone How to Keep the Peace in a Workplace Warzone When dealing with problems in the workplace (or anywhere), consider several approaches that may mitigate hostility and promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict at hand. First off, give other people the benefit of the doubt. Dont immediately assume an individual is acting with the worst intentions in mind. Much more likely, poor choices were made based on miscommunication, overwork, or accidental oversight. Approach the issue from the viewpoint that a negative outcome was notlage the result of a personal vendetta. When discussing the issue with a co-worker, try to remain neutral and not let emotions control the direction of the conversation.A great way to get a different perspective on the issue is the tried and true put yourself into the other persons shoes technique. Try to understand the other priorities and pressures your co-worker is facing in addition to the bungled behavior at the r oot of a problem. Putting yourself into a position to feel empathy for another person can help you better understand his or her state of mind that might have led to a mistakes besides outright maliciousness.Workplace tension is often caused by basic misunderstandings especially when conveying instructions for a complex project or other task. Before delegating any assignment to a co-worker, meet with the individual and clarify the precise responsibilities that person is taking on for his or her tasks. Afterward, periodically check in on progredienz to make sure instructions are being followed and to prevent problems from occurring from the start.An easy way to escalate a minor dispute into a full blown argument is to use destructive criticism and name calling. When (not if) disagreements arise, keep criticism constructive and remain supportive. Keeping an even tone and using neutral wording are the primary means of avoiding tension buildup and the development of resentment. Bottom li ne be tactful at all times.A key tactic to keeping problems from reaching your manager is to resolve any conflict rapidly. Dont wait around for the other person to hold out an olive branch. Once your emotions have settled, politely ask to meet with your co-worker and focus on finding a solution to the problem. Sometimes the resolution can be as simple as apologizing or being forgiving. Other times, particularly uncompromising people may not be willing to cooperate in dispelling tension. Especially rude or stubborn people may leave you no other choice than to escalate the issue to a supervisor. Despite the inevitable presence of these people in the workplace, most disagreements can be solved through simple diplomacy and mutual empathy.

These are the states with the best (and worst) career wellbeing

These are the states with the best (and worst) career wellbeingThese are the states with the best (and worst) career wellbeingOur wellbeing is inextricably connected to the workplace. Our overall wohlbefinden factors into our job performance, not to mention our absenteeism. But the relationship goes both ways If were not happy in a job, that means one of the most important parts of our life is off-kilter and our wellbeing suffers the consequences.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSince 2008, Gallup has measuredAmericans wellbeing across the country using an index that includes five essential elements of wellbeing Career, social, financial, community and physical wellbeing. Gallup defines career wellbeing as liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals.GallupGallup just released new rankings from 2018, based on upwards of 115,000 surveys conducted throughou t the year. Overall, high wellbeing appears to be concentrated in the West, with a few areas in the Northeast also scoring well on the index. The South and Midwest, in contrast, tend to rank low on the wellbeing index.States with thehighest overall wellbeingHawaiiWyomingAlaskaMontanaUtahColoradoVermontDelawareSouth DakotaNorth DakotaStates with the lowest overall wellbeingWest VirginiaArkansasKentuckyMississippiTennesseeOklahomaAlabamaLouisianaIlinoisIndianaWhen Gallup refines the results to focus solely on career wellbeing, however, the rankings shift slightly. The top states for career wellbeing are to be expected, based on the top 10 states overall Hawaii, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska all appear to have workers who look forward to going into the schreibstube every day. But the states that dont perform as well in career wellbeing may come as a surprise, as at least one of them is considered a hub for career development.According to Gallups surveys during 2018, New York, Kentu cky, Oregon, Arkansas and West Virginia had the worst scores for career wellbeing. For those of us who grew up watching workplace television series based in New York, or who dreamed of relocating to Manhattan specifically for career growth, the fact that so many New Yorkers are unhappy and unmotivated in their jobs may come as a shock.GallupIn other categories, New York doesnt rank among either the best or worst states. Hawaii again tops the list for social wellbeing alongside Delaware, Vermont, Utah and Florida Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, West Virginia and Arkansas pale in comparison. For financial wellbeing, Hawaii, Alaska, North Dakota, Delaware and New Hampshire nab the top spots, countered by Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana and Oklahoma at the bottom.Community wellbeing is good in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Hawaii and Vermont, but not in Illinois, Maryland, Louisiana, New Mexico or West Virginia. And people feel physically well in Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming, Haw aii and Connecticut (but less so in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and West Virginia).You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from kleine Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people