What the Workplace of the Future Will Look Like

With all of the technological advances and evolving styles of communication and management, the modern American workplace is drastically different from what it was just a decade ago. But the business world is still changing, perhaps even more quickly now than ever before.

"Mobile and social are driving a huge cultural shift and, in fact, are creating a whole new work style," said Oudi Antebi, senior vice president of products at social business software provider Jive. "People aren't chained to their desks the way they were even five years ago. As a modern, mobile workforce, we're shedding the desktop and clunky software in for systems and tools that give us the freedom to work with anyone."

What will the office of tomorrow look like? Two experts speculated about trends in technological tools, office layout and company culture that will shape the workplace in the coming years.

Technology

Today's workers use many different technological tools to work together. For many organizations, email is still the primary method of communication, but this could change in the near future.

"We'll still be using an inbox five years from now, but it will look vastly different than today's antiquated email experience, which is cumbersome and limited," he told Business News Daily. "There are countless startups focused on reimagining email inboxes, building real-time messaging for the workplace and tackling the challenge of weaving together disparate cloud services into a more unified experience. I believe those tools will come together to provide the answer to the question, what's after email?"

Antebi believes that business software will evolve to provide a more personalized, consumerlike experience for end users.

"[There is] new emphasis on designing enterprise platforms and tools that will enable workers to collaborate seamlessly with colleagues and customers across devices, across teams and across the world," he said. "Enterprise apps [will be] all about user experience and building products that people love. Software must deliver new innovation quickly with minimal work on the user's end." 

Layout

In recent years, the corporate world has begun to shift away from cubicles and C-suite offices in favor of a more open office environment. While it's certainly more cost-effective to eliminate physical barriers, John Michael, vice president of furniture and general manager of business interiors for Staples Advantage, believes there's another reason companies are implementing this type of layout.

"The most recent workforce generation is [comprised of] digital natives who have engaged with technology all their lives," he said. "They're used to multitasking, and like to engage and collaborate with co-workers. An open office encourages this type of dynamic among employees."

Baby boomer and Generation X executives sometimes have difficulty with the idea of an open work environment, as the more traditional closed-door office is often associated with status and privacy, Michael said. An open layout that includes private spaces for meetings and confidential discussions allows for the best of the old and the new, he said.

"Open plans are less about having individual work stations and more about having work settings," Michael told Business News Daily. "Employees need the ability to move from setting to setting that supports the type of work they're doing at the time."

Culture

Collaboration has become the cultural goal of many companies today, and for good reason: A collaborative work environment leads to more productivity, creativity and innovation.

"Collaboration yields exponential benefits, sparks new ideas that would have never arisen from within a silo, and creates new opportunities for employees to share and use information," Antebi said. "Beyond that, collaboration makes workers feel more connected to their colleagues and company, and allows them to build meaningful relationships that enhance their lives both professionally and personally."

As Michael noted, an open office layout better accommodates group work activity, and goes hand in hand with a collaborative culture. Whether you're deciding how to design the workspace or figuring out how to tackle a project, gathering input from as much of the team as possible is key to promoting this type of environment.

"Be inclusive in terms of understanding both workflow needs and the personal needs of employees," Michael said. "When people see that their input is valued and used, it helps create buy-in, and you'll have a more successful outcome."

From Business News Daily

Movement

This is for you...    

Martin Luther King.

Mahatma Gandhi.

Nelson Mandela.

You?

You were meant for something greater and it's time to share it with the world.

Start your movement.

*****


I was recently asked by a YouTuber: "Evan, how do you define success?"

For me the answer is simple.

Success is happiness.

We all want to be happy.

We know what happiness feels likes.

And we look for it in our daily lives.

Success isn't about money.

It's not about the car you drive.

It's not about what you have on your resume.

To me, if you're happy, then you're successful.

So how do you stay happy?


This is different for everybody but here's what makes me happy:

1) Freedom
I need freedom to be able to do what I want, when I want.

(any surprise I became an entrepreneur?)

When I'm told what to do or restricted in what and when I can do things, I get frustrated and lose my happiness.

You could make $10 million per year but if you're working 100 hour weeks and don't have the freedom to enjoy it, does that make you successful?

Not in my mind.

2) Growth
I'm happy when I'm growing.

I'm also not happy when I'm not learning something new and feel like I'm stagnating.

It might be a new project in my business, a new travel adventure with my family, learning new salsa dance moves, whatever...

The growth can come from anywhere but if I'm stuck in the same pattern for too long and not learning something new, I get unhappy.

3) Impact
This to me is actually the most important one and the least common with most people.

Think about when you are the happiest.

It's usually when you are helping other people. 

You bailed your friend out of a tough jam.

You helped a random stranger on the street.

You made a customer's day with your service.

If I'm not making an impact, a real difference in people's lives then I'm unhappy.

I'd even give up Freedom and Growth to have Impact because that's the real happiness driver for me.

Movement

If Impact drives you then the next step up is building a movement.

Now it's not you just helping your friend, or a random stranger, or a customer.

It's changing the world.

Your story, vision, and passion can change the lives of millions of people.

I love helping entrepreneurs.

It's in my soul and I'll never stop.

But my real interest lies in helping entrepreneurs who want to make a powerful difference in the world.

When I die I want the world to be a better place because of the work I did.

I want the same thing for you too.



Start your movement.


#Believe

From EvanCarmichael.com

Three Ways To Keep Your Team Constantly Motivated

When good students suddenly lose motivation, parents may threaten to take away the smartphone or the car. When a fantastic team TISI +2.15% member suddenly begins producing poor work in the office, a manager’s first reaction is usually to give him a raise.

But neither of these tactics provides good, long-term motivation. To get students back on track, parents can instead enlist the help of a tutor. As a manager, you too can draw upon elite tutors’ strategies to motivate your team. Here’s how:

Identify the Source of Lost Motivation

The first step in motivating a faltering individual is identifying the reason for the changed behavior. While it’s tempting to attribute the issue to boredom or laziness, there’s very likely a more significant problem.

• Loss of purpose: Consider the schoolwork you dreaded most: those tedious worksheets that seemed to serve no purpose other than filling time. As a student, you just tried to get them over with. Similarly, if team members no longer believe in the company mission, they may stop caring about the quality of their work. Evaluate recent changes in your organization’s direction or policies, and ask yourself if your team has become detached from the vision.
• Loss of ownership: Research shows that motivation in the classroom can be linked to a sense of autonomy. Young adults perform best when they feel they have some control over their duties and goals. This also applies to the freedom to suggest shifts and improvements in the workplace.
• Personal problems: When a student’s grades suffer, it can indicate problems outside of school. Likewise, as adults, it’s unrealistic to assume our personal lives have no impact on our professional performance. Life and work don’t fit neatly into separate categories. Develop a rapport with your team so they feel comfortable sharing potential health or family issues with you.

Set Goals

When tutors and students create goals together, they share ownership and a commitment to the learning process. Goal setting can also help you motivate your team.

• Create a timeline: People are unlikely to meet indistinct goals with vague target dates. Concrete goals with firm deadlines promote a sense of productive urgency, which establishes accountability among team members.
• Make progress visible: A visual depiction of goals on a chart or whiteboard helps people monitor their progress. Moreover, viewing this progress each day provides positive feelings of accomplishment and leads to an increase in the quantity and quality of work completed. This sense of progress ultimately fuels pursuit of the next goal.

Provide Authentic Feedback

Everyone deserves genuine feedback on his or her performance. Feedback rewards individuals for their accomplishments, encourages them to improve, and empowers them to achieve their goals. Authentic feedback does more than just validate the person who earns it — it validates the relationship between the giver and the receiver.

• Acknowledge progress: Recognizing when your team has reached significant milestones will undoubtedly keep individuals performing at their best. Acknowledgment not only builds confidence in struggling students but also signals to team members that you notice and appreciate their hard work.
• Give meaningful praise: Don’t offer insincere praise just for the sake of encouragement. You should, however, praise individuals for devoting extra care to a project. Students and adults sense when someone is genuine. Authenticity strengthens the relationship between you and your team.
• Reward accomplishments: Reward hard work to show your team members you value them and appreciate their effort. This can include monetary rewards, time off, or special recognition. Note that this process is different from simply throwing money at unmotivated team members — you’re recognizing behavior you want to continue.

If you notice a decrease in motivation, avoid assuming that the individual is apathetic or careless. Identify the source of the problem, set goals to guide that individual back on track, and lead with meaningful praise and purposeful encouragement. When your whole team is earnestly invested, your company will be able to rise to any challenge.

From Forbes

11 Money Tips for Women

These strategies will help women improve their financial health at any stage of life.

Finance advice geared toward women

Whether you’re building your own business or trying to shore up your family finances, personal finance experts have some targeted advice for women. In addition to managing your own money and beefing up retirement savings, experts suggest looking for creative funding sources and learning the basics of marketing. Here are 11 tips for women: 

Manage your own money.

Kathleen Grace, a financial planner and author of “Prince Not So Charming,” says women often make the mistake of ceding control of their money to the men in their lives. Then, if they end up single later in life, as most do, as a result of either divorce or death, they’re not in a good position to take control of their finances. That’s why she recommends continuing to manage your own money, at every stage of life.

Focus on earning.

Personal finance author Barbara Stanny, author of “Overcoming Underearning,” says women, herself included, often earn less money than they could be. She recommends shifting your thinking so you start saying “yes” to more lucrative opportunities. Even if something makes you nervous, like a new speaking gig, she suggests giving it a try. 

Don’t let relationships sabotage your finances.

Manisha Thakor, co-author of “On My Own Two Feet,” says women often make the mistake of keeping money secrets early on in relationships, such as hiding credit card debt or an overspending problem. She recommends talking about money early and often in a relationship. “When you're willing to take your clothes off in one way, you should be willing to get financially naked,” she says.

Focus on your retirement at every age.

Thakor recommends that women dedicate 10 percent of their income to retirement savings, starting in their 20s. Saving 10 percent of a $50,000 salary beginning at age 25, for example, would result in $2.2 million at retirement. (That calculation assumes that investments grow at 10 percent a year, gains are re-invested and annual salary increases offset inflation.)

Pay off debt.

Thakor notes that debt, especially student loan debt, continues to weigh women down. “After years of being considered 'good debt,' and something that could be easily digested in almost any portion size, millions are now struggling with student loan induced-financial indigestion,” she says. She suggests reviewing options such a loan deferment, loan forbearance and income-based repayment plans.

Save more.

The Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement recommends that women develop three sources of money: individual savings, Social Security and a pension or retirement savings plan like a 401(k). Partly because women frequently take time out of the workforce to care for children or parents, their Social Security benefits and retirement savings tend to be less than men's, making it more important to store up additional dough.

Overestimate your money needs.

Since people live longer today, particularly women, and inflation erodes the value of money, it’s important to save even more than you think you’ll need for later. Taxes and health care costs can also eat into nest eggs. The Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement says that women, given their longevity and lower savings, may want to consider replacing 100 percent of their income during retirement to keep up their lifestyle. 

Look for creative money sources.

If you have an idea for a new business or venture, stretch your startup dollars by turning to crowdfunding sources, suggests Karin Abarbanel, coauthor of “Birthing the Elephant,” a startup guide for women. By self-funding or pursuing seed money through sites such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, MoolaHoop, Plum Alley and Nap Time Startups, it’s easier to save on initial startup costs, she adds.

Trade services.

Women business owners can also reduce their startup costs by offering their own services in exchange for others’ expertise. Abarbanel points out that Stroller Strides founder Lisa Druxman gave workout sessions to a lawyer in exchange for getting help setting up her company. Abarbanel calls it the “brains for bucks” strategy.

Do your own marketing.

Abarbanel says many women entrepreneurs struggle with the marketing aspect of their business. “Successful launchers think of marketing as sharing rather than selling – and focus on finding cost-effective ways for getting the word out about their businesses,” she says. That means skipping advertising in favor of social media and community events. 

Charge more.

Abarbanel says women tend to undervalue their expertise and underprice themselves compared to their male peers. “This is a serious hot button issue for women, and one where mentors, industry trade associations and resources like the Small Business Administration can be especially helpful,” she says. The same advice applies to women in traditional jobs who need to negotiate higher salaries for themselves. 

From Money US news

Mix Family And Friends With Business? 6 Secrets Revealed

“Framily.”

Yes — stolen from Sprint. But every entrepreneur I know has to face it head on: the dilemma of how to mix their business with friends and family.

Listen — it makes sense to work with those we like and trust, and there is no better fit than our friends and family. I’ve always done it and you’re probably doing it too. In fact, I’ve rarely met an entrepreneur who didn’t have a close friend or family member working with them.

But how do smart entrepreneurs have “framily“ as employees, investors and partners — and still remain civil at Thanksgiving dinner?

Enter the most family and friends oriented company I know — Infusionsoft.

With $60 million in annual revenue and a headcount of 478, Cofounder and CEO Clate Mask has the responsibility to manage the potential dysfunction of a business filled with friends and family.

Clate Mask CEO, Infusionsoft

Treacherous from the start because he founded Infusionsoft with his brother-in-laws Scott and Eric Martineau — take his wisdom to heart as he lays out his six must-follow tips on how to succeed with “framily“:

1. Write It In Stone: Relationships Come First

Smart entrepreneurs lay down the law right from the start: the relationship comes first. Your spouse. Your kids. Your best friend Jill. Make the decision and have the conversation before you begin working together. If the relationship gets in trouble, fix it. Trust me — it’s not worth losing best friends and your marriage over a business.

Mask adds; “If the relationship lacks mutual love and respect; friendship and family conflict will spill over to cause company conflict. So work on great family and friend moments — outside the office.”

2. Relationships Come First, Except When The Business Comes First

You just caught a family member stealing from the business. Or more likely, you have a friend or family employee not pulling their weight after months of “working on it.” Since these actions impact your business, you must lower the hammer and let them go.

Mask strongly warns the first time you make a decision to favor a family member or friend over the business in this kind of situation, “you fan the flames of distrust with your other employees.” Further, you give birth to a culture of nepotism and favoritism. As Mask says; “Your employees already assume you favor family and friends over others, so you must work hard to always make decisions that benefit the business.”

3. Communicate Clear Measures Of Success Up Front

Wise leaders set clear and measurable goals for every new hire on day one. For example, every employee at Infusionsoft is assigned a ‘big three’ — namely the three things expected of them. Written down and measurable, they are held up in public view as goals for success. According to Mask, the result is all employees – even those who are family or friends – “have clarity in their roles, know what’s expected of them and have public accountability.”

4. Disagreements Are Never Personal – Just Business

Like a time bomb ready to explode — working with friends and family creates moments of friction. You have passion. They have passion. But most telling is your personal relationship with them. Let’s face it, we sometimes speak differently to family and friends then we do others. Thus, explosive business conversations can take flight.

Mask shares this story; “We’ve (Mask and his brother-in-law, Scott Martineau) had many passionate disagreements. We’ve gotten pretty worked up, raised our voices and banged on a couple of tables. However, when our discussion was over, we’ve made sure to leave the room only after a big hug and having made peace. We make sure others in the company understand that although there is disagreement, we are moving forward in harmony.”

5. Establish Boundaries And Keep Them 

As entrepreneurs, we know this as an undeniable truth: our businesses can invade every square inch of our lives. But in reality, successful entrepreneurship means we must put up a wall. Call it the wall of ‘we don’t allow business in here.’ And this is especially true for family run businesses.

Mask says “Although we do allow conversations about business around the dinner table, I’m adamant about just being ‘dad’ in the mornings. I will often work later in the night, but my early evenings are blocked for family only. Having strength in my family relationships makes me a better CEO and leader of Infusionsoft.”

6. Set The Bar High(er) For Family And Friends

Entrepreneurs who hire family and friends are already behind the eight-ball in the eyes of others. Nepotism and favoritism rumors will swirl about regardless of what action they take.

But in a constant effort to ensure non-family and friend employees are treated fairly, Mask sets the bar higher for family and friends. “We might praise a regular employee for a particular task, but a family member employee will have to perform the same task to a higher degree to earn that same praise. While this might not seem fair to the family member, it’s better for overall company morale to ensure there is no favoritism to family members.”

Bonus Tip: Don’t Even Go There

Staring back is the obvious question: why even risk it? If it’s such a landmine of potential disaster, why not just make a rule to not hire (or partner with, or take money from) any family or friends? Great question. And the answer is you could very well make this decision. Working with family and friends is not for every entrepreneur. And I know a few who would never even consider it. But if you can implement these six tips from Mask, then I would highly advise you go for it. There is no greater joy than working with people we like, trust and even love.

“Framily.”  You can live with them in your business.

From Forbes

Business Owners: How To Avoid These 3 Costly Mistakes

Managing inventory is one of the most time-consuming and labor-intensive task every retail storeowner faces. It is also one of the most crucial. To effectively manage your business, you need to know when to order products and when to pay for them. Adjusting pricing based on market demand and customer behavior is also critical. 

Having too much stock, or too little, is costly. According to the National Retail Federation, U.S. retailers lose $224 billion due to excess inventory and $45 billion from not having inventory in stock. 

With so much money invested in your inventory, you've got to stay on top of it. 

The right Point-of-Sale (POS) system can help you effectively and automatically track your inventory to save money and increase sales. QuickBooks POS was designed to help business owners avoid these costly mistakes: 

1. Buying too much and tying up your money 

QuickBooks Point of Sale has a report to show which items are collecting dust, costing you money in overhead. You'll also instantly know your best sellers and most profitable items with the built-in "Best Sellers" report — accessible with a single click. Once you know what hasn't moved for some time and what's selling well, you'll know which items to discount and which items to promote. 

2. Buying too little and losing customers 

Don't lose a sale because you're out of stock. QuickBooks POS will let set reorder points for your most popular items. You'll be automatically alerted when it's time to order more. 

3. Loading your stock room and not your shelves 

QuickBooks Point of Sale can help you make smart purchasing decisions by keeping track of the inventory you've already ordered, so you don't buy more than you need. 

QuickBooks Point of Sale was designed to make inventory tracking effortless and automatic. As you ring up sales, inventory data is recorded and stored so you always have accurate, real-time information about what's selling, what's not, what you have on hand and what you need to reorder. 

This new level of insight can lead to smarter decisions that will help eliminate unnecessary inventory expenses, boosting your profits. 

If you haven't seen QuickBooks Point of Sale lately, you'll want to look at their latest version, especially since it's being offered free for 30 days. For a limited time only, you'll get $200 off the POS software, a free credit card swiper, a bar code scanner, receipt printer and cash drawer (a $600 value). This special offer expires on April 18, 2014, and is good by phone only: 866-379-6636. 

Froim Entrepreneur

Google Wants to Patent Contact Lenses That Can Snap Photos

Today and today only, Google Glass is available to anyone 18 or over in the U.S. (OK, so supplies are limited and the price hasn't been marked down from $1,500, but still). As is the way with disruptive technologies, however, the time will inevitably come when we look back at Google Glass and think "how vintage."

That day may arrive sooner than expected: Google has filed a patent application for a micro camera component that could work in conjunction with the smart contact lens it's already developing for people with diabetes. (The chips and sensors in the lens are built to track the glucose levels in a person's tears.)

The patent takes one of Google Glass's central features – the ability to take photographs – and repurposes it for contact lens by embedding tiny cameras in the contacts themselves.

The camera lenses could potentially help orient the vision-impaired. Processed raw image data from a contact lens's camera could deduce that a wearer is approaching a busy intersection, for example, and send a voice generated warning via his or her smartphone.

Wearers would be able to snap pictures simply by blinking, CNET reports.

That sounds both crazy cool and crazy voyeuristic. Imagine all the privacy concerns.

We're not there yet, though. Remember, just because Google has applied for a patent, doesn't mean we'll ever actually see the product. We'll just have to wait -- and settle for Glass in the meantime.

From Entrepreneur