Efficiency is the name of the game, so tech writer Sean Captain looks at apps that help users streamline work tasks and maximize personal time. Apps such as Microsoft To Do and Any.Do help with organizing tasks and calendars, while Rescue Time and Forest keep mobile use in check. Fast Company online (12/25)
Once you have viable leads, ask who they are, what they want, and what questions they have, marketing executive Faye Ferris writes. Make sure the leads are sales-ready and the timing is right, and provide relevant content and unique resources. Business 2 Community (12/25)
Poll
Poll results: Does your office close down for more than Christmas Day? How is it that those two days off this week went by so fast? But we get to do it again next week!
Closed one day
39.70%
Closed two days
33.94%
Closed all week
20.00%
Open all week
6.36%
The Landscape
Isolation, stalled career are concerns of remote staff While many employees are clamoring for flexible and remote-work options, there are disadvantages to working remotely. Two primary concerns are loneliness of workers and a lack of career progression, as remote workers miss out on opportunities for collaboration and evaluation. Forbes (12/26)
Your Next Challenge
Small steps help you grow into a better public speaker To become a better public speaker, communications coach Michael Thompson has 10 small steps to help you improve, including recording yourself, talking with comfortable company and building up your audience sizes. One easy way to practice is to ask a question during a Q&A session or meeting, he says. Business Insider (12/26)
Balancing Yourself
How to channel your ambition and spare time Famous CEOs and entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Ryan Selkis perpetuate the attitude that workers in their 20s need to spend weekends and nights devoted to work, but Sarah Todd disagrees. Rather than put the company first, use your extra ambition and enthusiasm for independent projects, as this can be more rewarding at a lower risk of burnout. Quartz (tiered subscription model) (12/26)
If you are looking for one more reason to back off the booze and/or candy as part of your New Year's resolution, you can now claim you are doing so to protect the environment. While meat eaters have caught grief for quite a while about the carbon footprint of what they put on their plate, a new study says families who consume large amounts of sweets and booze may have an even larger carbon footprint. Quartz (tiered subscription model) (12/23)
Have knowledge of what you're talking about. Read and be curious. Always listen.
Andre Leon Talley, fashion journalist, magazine editor
