Overcome your imposter syndrome by refusing to compare yourself with others or obsessing about your progress versus someone else's and instead write your own story of success, writes consultant Marlene Chism. "If you're not confident about your current level of growth and have yet to build your capacity or credibility, that's not imposter syndrome. It's called learning," Chism asserts. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (3/4)
How to improve non-verbal communication Since more than half of our communication is non-verbal, improving how you convey information can get your message across more accurately, ace that job interview or enhance your leadership clout. According to a study by Body Talk, you can improve your non-verbal communication by having a solid posture, using gestures that strengthen your point, releasing body tension by utilizing breathwork techniques and remembering your values to increase internal validation. Full Story: Training magazine (3/1)
Don't connect with a job candidate? Don't give up There are strategies to connecting with a job candidate that you're not connecting with, such as focusing questions on their emotional intelligence or asking them how they would solve a problem your company is facing, suggests leadership coach Rae Ringel. "If you're not connecting with a candidate, resist the temptation to cut things short or check out mentally. Instead, go in the opposite direction. Embrace your curiosity," writes Ringel. Full Story: Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (3/4)
Many job applications are filtered by application tracking systems before reaching hiring managers, with an estimated 75% of applications unseen by humans in 2019 and 98.8% of Fortune 500 companies using an ATS by 2023, writes Andrew Fennell, founder and director of StandOut CV. Job seekers should optimize their resumes with industry-specific keywords, use clear resume sections for readability, opt for a clean and simple design, avoid images and complex graphics and choose an appropriate file type like PDF to increase the chances of their application being seen by hiring professionals, Fennell advises. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (3/4)
The Landscape
Will the 4-day, 32-hour workweek gain momentum? The use of generative artificial intelligence has renewed discussions about four-day, 32-hour workweeks, but employers shouldn't expect the scheduling change to automatically increase employee productivity, write Yaelle Amsallem and Emmanuelle Leon from the ESCP Business School. "As a source of personal fulfillment and satisfaction, highers-up need to activate genuine 'motivational factors,' such as by valuing the work accomplished, employees' autonomy, or making work tasks more interesting," they write. Full Story: The Conversation (2/27)
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Even when you are zoning out, the "default mode network" of your brain is still at work. In fact, neurologists say there are parts of your brain that are inactive until you are "doing nothing." Once you check out, these "task negative" areas activate and then deactivate when your mind goes back to focusing on a given task. Full Story: Wired (tiered subscription model) (3/3)
The Water Cooler
No whey! Gold pulled from e-waste using cheese Researchers at ETH Zurich were able to extract gold from electronic waste using whey protein, a cheesemaking byproduct containing proteins, minerals, lactose and vitamins. The whey proteins were used to sponge gold from computer motherboards that had been dissolved in acid. Of course researchers at a Swiss facility figured out a way to use cheese to make gold! Full Story: Interesting Engineering (3/1)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
"Barbie" joins the ranks of movies having grossed $1 billion in the fastest time (in 17 days, which ranks it No. 7), but which film in the modern era was first to surpass the billion mark?
