One of the first steps in learning a new skill is reducing it to its simplest form and then breaking the skill into short lessons you can absorb in chunks, writes Andrew Medal. Depending on your learning style, you can talk about what you've learned with someone or write down some notes to better retain your new knowledge. Entrepreneur online (8/2) Skills every aspiring manager needs to learn Any professional who wants to become a manager must be able to delegate responsibilities effectively and prioritize the tasks he or she is responsible for, writes Emily Moore. Other skills that will help aspiring managers include the ability to communicate with fellow employees at all levels and a willingness to voice opinions or make tough decisions. Glassdoor (8/2)
From Baby Boomer to Millennial Michael Parrish Dudell, bestselling author and one of nation's leading Millennial voices, explains why now, more than ever, is the time for businesses to anticipate the rapidly evolving expectations of the new workforce or face the very real threat of irrelevance. Read the brief to get the facts on the huge impact Millennials will and are making in the workplace.
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Making the Connection
Practicing compassion toward people you don't like You can reduce stress and form better career relationships by learning to prepare mentally for interactions with unpleasant people, writes Kirsten Akens. Acknowledge any anxiety you feel beforehand to allow your brain to relax, and try to view situations from the other person's perspective in order to be more compassionate, she advises. Lifehacker (8/2)
Do-it-yourself vs. Doing it right A highly-engaged workforce drives results and employee engagement programs are key to success. But most companies still lack on-the-ground programs for employee engagement and alignment. Learn how to leverage time and resources with a social recognition program in the whitepaper "Do-it-yourself vs. Doing it right".
Trust your instincts and be the most knowledgeable person in the room, former White House press secretary Dana Perino tells current press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Perino offers 10 lessons she learned in the West Wing, including a need to nurture skills of talented staffers, then help them move on. Fox News (7/26)
Your Next Challenge
Is having a job you love worth taking a pay cut? It may seem counterintuitive to take a pay cut to change careers, but doing so is worth the adjustment if you enjoy your new line of work, writes Stacey Lastoe. She cautions that it's important to consider why you're unhappy with your current job and whether the problem can be fixed before you decide to leave. The Muse (8/2)
Balancing Yourself
N.Y. company wants to help people use VR to relax A New York-based production firm known as "m ss ng p eces" has developed a virtual reality experience that aims to capture the positive benefits of meditation. The experience centers upon a 360-degree video that lets participants virtually inhabit a meditation center. Fast Company online (8/2)
The Water Cooler
Is being "gifted" just a myth? The idea of "gifted" children is a myth, and most people can reach high performance standards and improve their IQs with curiosity, hard work and sustained effort, says author and professor Deborah Eyre. The theory is common among experts: education psychologist Anders Ericsson of Florida State University says the key to mastery of any skill is deliberate practice, not innate talent. The Guardian (London) (7/25)
You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.
Oprah Winfrey, media personality, businesswoman and philanthropist
