Think you're communicating well? 6 signs say otherwise | Despite best efforts, we're not built for multitasking | 5 ways to master communication remotely
Why giving 85% is the best way to give it your all Top athletes know that they can't give 100% all the time, and instead push themselves to 80%-85% performance, giving only 100% when necessary, something Kristin Hendrix writes, should be the model for our work teams. "Retaining our energy and pushing ourselves selectively means we can better deliver when surge capacity is needed," Hendrix writes. Full Story: Leadership Vitae (5/4)
Failure to communicate effectively with your employees can leave them feeling dispirited and disconnected and could result in them leaving, becoming less productive or starting rumors, writes Beth Braccio Hering, who offers six examples, and advice for how to fix them. "People may feel very clear about what they think in their own head, but good communication involves adapting to the audience's perspective," Braccio Hering writes. Full Story: Business Management Daily (tiered subscription model) (5/3)
Despite best efforts, we're not built for multitasking The pace of 21st century life forces most people to try their hand at multitasking. We work while we eat, exercise while we work and try endlessly to squeeze multiple tasks into the same moment in time, but the human brain isn't really wired to work this way. Experts say about 2.5% of people are so-called supertaskers who can absorb and process multiple streams of information at once, and most people are actually just task switching when they think they're multitasking. For most people, focusing on one task at a time may be more productive. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (5/8)
Making the Connection
5 ways to master communication remotely Scheduling brief video catch-ups, for 10 minutes long, is an effective way to beat Zoom-fatigue and recapture the in-office water-cooler moments missing from hybrid work, writes Neat's Hellene Yelda-Garcia. Other tips for effective communication for remote working include not forgetting to say goodbye at the end of video meetings and being more attentive to facial expressions to really understand how colleagues are getting on. Full Story: MarketingProfs (free registration) (5/4)
The Landscape
Some remote tech roles will stay relevant in next 5 years More US companies are opting to replace remote workers with artificial intelligence or outsource employees overseas, says Stanford economics professor Nicholas Bloom. However, many tech jobs are remote-eligible prior to the pandemic as they don't require a lot of in-person interaction, says economist PJ Lambert, who adds that software developer jobs, in particular, have "been traditionally remote and will likely stay fully remote because you can see how many lines of code were written that day." Full Story: CNBC (5/5)
Unemployment rate falls as US adds 253K jobs The US added 253,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate ticked downward to 3.4%, according to Labor Department data released Friday. The better-than-expected job data indicates sustained strength in a US labor market that continues to defy the many other economic indicators pointing toward a slowing economy. Average hourly earnings were up 0.5% in April, with wages rising 4.4% year over year. Full Story: Reuters (5/5),The Washington Post (5/5)
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This is a really smart piece about Google's current position as the dominant player in the internet search space. After years of essentially crafting the rules of internet search and bending content creation norms to its will, two key developments represent a threat to Google's perch atop search. The interesting thing is that Google has played big a role in creating both threats. Full Story: The Verge (5/8)
If you or someone you know might be planning a wedding, be sure to give this article a read. One of the latest trends in wedding-planning involves giving swag to the guests. Most of the time, the items aren't as rad as the happy couple thinks they are. This article offers some sage advice: Don't do wedding swag. Full Story: The Atlantic (tiered subscription model) (5/8)
SmartBrief Podcast Network
How to diversify the engineering workforce in the energy industry Proponents of the energy transition like to talk about all the jobs, jobs, jobs it will bring, but what exactly will that workforce look like? Jasmine Robinson, a project manager at IHI Terrasun Solutions, outlines what the energy sector can do to recruit, develop and retain more women. Robinson started honing her engineering skills at an early age and she's determined to see more young girls and women follow in her footsteps. That's why Robinson's keen to see things like STEM classes, mentoring programs, and other initiatives used to develop a pipeline of talented women to seize all those jobs, jobs, jobs. Full Story: Renewable Energy SmartPod (5/2)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Pancho Gonzales (b. May 9, 1928) and Charlie Pasarell played a Wimbledon tennis match that lasted how many games? Check your answer here.
