Internal communications are better received if they're light on formality and use technology to connect in more interesting ways, writes Karin Hurt. Try sending text messages with links to weekly videos that run no more than two minutes or podcasts people can listen to during their commute. Let's Grow Leaders (3/25) Avoid these habits that hurt your effectiveness Certain behaviors prevent people from reaching their full potential, such as not trying to understand other people's perspective or the purpose of their own work, writes Peter A. Gudmundsson. Employees also risk sounding unconfident if they use qualifiers when presenting ideas, such as: "I could be wrong, but ..." U.S. News & World Report (4/1)
Making the Connection
Connectional intelligence allows you to lead others Connectional intelligence is about making things happen by rallying others around a problem, says Erica Dhawan, co-author of "Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence." "If you want to increase your visibility in a company, first understand what you want to be visible for and what brand you're trying to build," says Dhawan. Forbes (3/30)
Poll
Poll question: Have you ever held a government job? Last week we ran a story about the decline in applicants for state jobs, and with the recent federal government shutdown, it will be interesting to see if that brings a decline in federal applicants. Government jobs used to offer security and a pension, but that is changing. Have you ever held a full-time government position? Poll answers on Friday.
Tuition assistance becomes employee benefit trend A growing number of employers are offering tuition assistance to help recruit employees. Officials see the move as a win-win to assist workers with affording higher education and help employers attract ambitious employees. U.S. News & World Report (3/28)
Your Next Challenge
Introverts have assets to leverage during an interview Introverts are not necessarily at a disadvantage during interviews, as they tend to answer more thoughtfully and pick up on nonverbal cues more adroitly, writes Stephanie Vozza. They should, however, apply extra effort to preparing complete answers that relate a narrative about how they look at problems assertively and solve them. Fast Company online (3/27)Ideas for updating a resume after raising kids People returning to the workforce after raising kids can fill gaps in their resumes with the volunteer, freelance or part-time work they did during those years, writes Julia Novakovich. They should adhere to the traditional format, as application tracking systems often reject resumes that displace timelines with a list of skills. Equities (3/29)
Balancing Yourself
App monitors for signs of burnout A U.K. firm has developed Okina, an app that creates a snapshot of someone's mental health based on work clues, such an overwhelmed calendar or a backlog of unanswered emails, writes Darren Slade. Developers say this information will help employees and their managers improve how they deal with burnout. Daily Echo (Bournemouth, England) (3/29)
A Siberian brown bear named Buyan that resides in a zoo in Krasnoyarask, Russia, was given the option of three squashes with photos of Ukrainian presidential candidates as a crowd looked on to see which would be chosen; Buyan ended up eating President Petro Poroshenko's squash, signifying his "prediction" that Poroshenko would win reelection. The zoo also had Buyan guess the winner the 2018 World Cup championship game, and the bear incorrectly chose Croatia. Reuters (3/28)
It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.
