5 Ways to Prepare for a Meeting with the CEO

Successful companies and good leaders understand that effective communication is critical to their success and hearing their employees is necessary to achieving the company’s goals.

But what can employees do to be better prepared, and less anxious, when meeting with the head of the company?

Apply these five tips and you’ll get the most out of the meeting, while also making a good impression when you sit down with the CEO.

   

Understand the purpose of the discussion. You’ll want to come into the meeting with a clear knowledge of why the meeting is happening. Is your CEO looking for feedback on a specific product or process, or is this a general check-in like your annual exam with the physician? If you have a clear understanding of the meeting’s agenda, you can better manage your expectations and help shape the conversation in a way that is more beneficial to you and your boss.

Prepare a few questions in advance. Once you understand the purpose for the meeting jot down a few questions you have. Make sure they are relevant to the agenda and to the direction and goals your company has. By coming to the meeting prepared, and with relevant questions, you demonstrate that you are engaged with the company’s mission and purpose.

Be honest but not negative. Your CEO wants honest and clear feedback from you but does not want to be ambushed with an off-topic complaint or general negativity about the company. Offer constructive feedback on issues related to the purpose of the meeting and, when possible, provide ideas and solutions to problems you identify.

Be on time and dress appropriately. This should require little explanation but demonstrate respect for yourself and for your CEO by attending the meeting on time and properly attired. Look like you belong in the meeting.

Don’t overstay your welcome. Sometimes when we’re anxious we can talk too much, not listen effectively, and ignore important signals. Stick to the agenda and purpose of the meeting without oversharing and taking up too much time. Focus on listening well and provided clear and concise information to your boss and you’ll do well.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Overcome Obstacles

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from The Art of Improvement provides tips for overcoming obstacles. Check it out.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Deal with That Co-Worker Who Drives You Crazy

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• How to Deal with That Co-Worker Who Drives You Crazy:"tiptoeing around the real problem only means that the person on the receiving end is either confused, misinformed, or insulted."

• 7 Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills: "Keep in mind, your speaking is not about you proving your brilliance, winning raving fans, making yourself 'right' or making others 'wrong'—it’s about making things better."

• How I Fired My Co-Founder, CEO and Close Friend: "We were severely misaligned in our vision for the company: I wanted to grow strategically, perfecting one product before launching another; he wanted to expand into new categories, and fast."

• Brene Brown on Why Employees Should Be Prepared for Failure: "The intention of this approach isn't to be mean; it's about setting the expectation that your employees inevitably will fall short at some point. In the long run, that should help make them stronger workers."
• 13 Ways to Build Lasting Relationships With Customers: "In the current business climate where every customer is bombarded with digital messaging, remember that a personal touch counts."

5 Ways to Think More Intentionally About Your Job

We pursue jobs and career paths for a number of reasons, including the basic need we have for paying our bills and experiencing quality of life at a level we’ve grown accustomed to.

However, we should take the time to think intentionally about our career choices and consider how the work we do impacts us, others around us, and the world. By taking the time to ask ourselves a few questions we can do meaningful work that not only allows us to make a living, but also makes a difference in the lives of others.

Answer the following questions and consider how you can use your talents and skills to make the world a better place.

Am I clear about the talents and skills I possess, and do I put them to use in my current job? If you haven’t taken an inventory of your skills and talents now is the time. Identifying what you are good at and the things that interest you can ensure that you are doing work that is satisfying and meaningful to you.

What problems in my community or in the world particularly trouble me, and do I have the talents and skills to help solve any of these problems? Many successful businesses and products start with attempting to find a solution to a problem. The same approach can help you with you career. Are there problems or issues you are passionate about? If you are passionate about the environment, the fair treatment of animals, reducing gun violence, or any number of other social issues, you might find the right job or career by thinking through some solutions to the issue or problem and, if you have the skills and talents, joining a company or organization that currently works on that issue, or perhaps taking on a entrepreneurial role and starting something of your own.

What good does my current work or company bring to our customers or clients? Take a serious look at the work you are currently doing and ask yourself who benefits? And how do they benefit? Consider whether your products or services enhance the lives of your clients and customers, supporting them to be better people, or whether your company primarily enriches the owners, without any noticeable social benefit to your community or the world.

Does the work I do, or am interested in doing, cause harm to anyone or anything? Do the products or services provided to your customers or clients cause harm? This can be a difficult question to ask and we might be tempted to downplay the harm. For example, does your company primarily sell food that is unhealthy for people, or produce products that expose customers to toxins? How might you answer that question if you work for a cigarette company or an arms manufacturer?

If the answer to the previous question is yes, is there a way to mitigate that harm by changing processes or products? In many situations, companies can mitigate or eliminate the harm their products cause by making some changes, eliminating a toxic ingredient, or instituting new practices that are more environmentally responsible. If you’re not in a position to recommend such changes you might need to reconsider your current job or career plans.

Take some time today to think more intentionally about the work you do and the impact your products and services have on your community and the world.   

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: To Be More Productive Eliminate These 7 Habits

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from Practical Psychology describes 7 habits that you should eliminate from your life in order to be more productive, starting with "multitasking". Watch the video below for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 8 Things to Do Daily to Be Happier & More Successful

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 8 Things to Do Daily to Be Happier & Live with Less Regret:"A good place to start is to take inventory of the things in your life that bring you joy or which have caused you regret."

• 9 Reasons Companies Should Hire Introverts, Not Extroverts: "Creativity is a problem-solving response by intelligent, very active, highly emotional, and extremely introverted persons."

• To Land a Great Job, Talk About Why You Love Your Work: "candidates interviewing for a job should highlight the meaning they derive from their work, and recruiters looking to attract job candidates should emphasize that their employees do work they love."

• 3 Powerful Goals for a Healthy & Happy Future: "I’ve read that common regrets of those on their deathbed are that they didn’t spend enough time with family or friends, that they traveled more, or took more chances."
• Top 3 Fears That Keep Midlife Professionals Trapped in Unhappy Work: "But fear about career change disguises itself in a myriad of confusing ways that we don’t recognize as fear."

3 Ways to Deal With a Bad Day at Work

We’ve all had them. A rough day at work. Perhaps you screwed up that presentation to your team, or your boss gave you a less than stellar review, or maybe you simply overlooked that important lunch meeting with a new client.

And now we have to get up the next day and get after it again, setting aside the frustrations and disappointments.

The question is: how do we move forward after a bad day at work?

Change your mindset. A critical first step is to change how we think about what happened. Instead of dwelling on the failure or the criticism, we need to reframe the situation, consider it a learning experience, and move on from it. That bothersome review provides information we need to improve our performance, while the presentation and overlooked lunch meeting might tell us something about our preparation. As we work to change our mindset we’ll discover that our feelings about the situation change, too, and we’ll see it more clearly with an attitude that enables us to move forward.

Take a walk. Yes, seriously. Get outside and experience the outdoors. It will relax you, help you with the first step (changing your mindset), while putting things in perspective as you feel a gentle breeze, listen to the birds sing around you, and watch the squirrels play hide and seek.

Listen to a motivating podcast. There are so many great podcasts out there that can help inspire and challenge you to be your best self, both at home and on the job, and help you bounce back from the frustrations of a difficult day. Bring your headphones with you as you head out on that walk around the neighborhood and by the time you return home (or to the office) you’ll feel energized and ready to put the disappointments behind you and move forward. If podcasts aren’t your thing, then put on your favorite music to move to.

A frustrating or difficult day doesn’t have to lead to a bad week. Develop some strategies for dealing with the disappointments as they come and your career will be more resilient.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 9 Life Hacks to be More Productive

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from Practical Psychology provides 9 life hacks or tips to increase productivity, including implementing the Pomodoro technique. Don't know the Pomodoro technique? Take a look.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Build a Million Dollar Side Hustle While Working a Full-Time Job

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• How to Build a Million Dollar Side Hustle While Working a Full-Time Job:"Part of this success was due to a good product choice in a vibrant market. An even bigger chunk was because of the habits, disciplines and mindsets I adopted along the way."

• The 5 People You Must Have in Your Network: "These different views and perspectives should challenge your assumptions and question your drivers in ways that stretch you beyond a traditional same-industry mentor."

• 6 Books to Make the Best Decisions for Your Mind, Body & Soul: "This is not a guide to turning your life around, just the inspiring story of someone who did. But it might spur you to make changes of your own, for the good of those around you."

• The Essential Tools for All Freelancers & Micro-Businesses: "All these services are a reaction to the shift to self-employment and micro business ownership that has taken place over the last decade."
• 10 Motivation Tips for Freelancers Who Work from Home: "Each employee has a toy frog on their desk and it represents that one, dreaded task. Complete it and the frog can leave your desk. You can then get on with the work you actually want to be doing."

5 Ways to Get Ahead at Work

Instead of focusing on ways to move our careers forward it can be easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day of the job in ways that distract us from getting ahead, or worse, sink us into career despair and dissatisfaction.

There are some habits and traits we can instill into our daily work routine that will help propel our careers onward and lead us to more enjoyment and accomplishment at our workplace, including:

Making your boss a success. When you strive to make your boss successful you make yourself essential to your companies’ success. It is likely your manager will recognize these efforts and offer you greater opportunities and responsibilities as he or she learns to rely on you as someone that can be trusted to get the job done.

  

Owning mistakes. We all mistakes, however, and a successful person is often one who can recognize mistakes and take ownership for them without blaming others for the failure or diminishing their responsibility for it.

Supporting the team. To get ahead in your career demonstrate that you are a team player and can support others and step in to help when needed, especially before the help is requested. A good leader recognizes a need and makes a proactive attempt to be supportive and helpful without making others feel they are not holding their own.

    

Being optimistic. Let’s face it: work is not always fun but to move your career forward you should be known as someone who takes an optimistic view of the challenges of your work and the potential of your company. That doesn’t mean you are unrealistic but that you recognize what is required to succeed, both individually and as a company, and cheerfully embrace the challenge.

Speaking positively about others. No one wants to work with a gossip or with someone who speaks negatively about others. That includes your clients or customers. It’s a small world and your negative comments will usually get back to the person you spoke of, damaging your relationship and your reputation. Strive to avoid critical and negative conversations and, instead, speaks words of encouragement and support to those you interact with.

Applying these basic principles will help you get ahead at work while developing a reputation as a trusted and respected colleague.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How To Spend Your Working Day Wisely And Actually Get Things Done

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from The Art of Improvement shares great habits from a number of successful people to help you be productive and use your time more wisely. Take a look.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 3 Ways to Stay Sane When You Have a Workaholic Boss

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 3 Ways to Stay Sane When You Have a Workaholic Boss:"For better or for worse, bosses are role models in the office, setting the pace and establishing the culture. When they’re also workaholics, it can make things difficult for employees."

• How Competition Affects Your Brain, Motivation & Productivity: "These lighthearted, unrelated to work performance competitions are a great way to inject some element of competition into the workplace without making it about work, avoiding any resentment building up between coworkers or competitors."

• 10 Tips to Succeed in the Business of Life: "This month, keep track of how many hours you work and what you got done. There’s nothing wrong with putting in a lot of time at the mine, but if you see lagging results, you’ll know when to recharge."

• Why You Should Apply Entrepreneurial Thinking to Every Decision: "By reputation, entrepreneurs will chase opportunities even over a cliff. In fact, successful entrepreneurs carefully assess conditions to judge when enough factors are propitious to launch."
• How to Tell When It's Time to Quite and Move On: "While the right answer in any individual case will vary, there are some common circumstances in which leaving or shutting down a business you’ve built might be the prudent course of action."

5 Design Elements of a Productive Workspace

Have you ever wandered over to a co-worker’s desk and wondered how they could possibly get anything done? Papers are stacked everywhere, there’s a banana peel on the corner of the desk that looks like it’s been there for days, and their office chair squeaks annoyingly.

Of course, the company likely provides the work space but that doesn’t mean we can’t make adjustments in order to be more effective and productive in our job.

Consider how you can improve the following elements in your workspace to improve your work experience.

Privacy. Though you might be in a small cubicle surrounded by co-workers there are still some steps you can take to afford you more privacy. Add sound-absorbing materials like foam or a fabric to your cubicle walls or add some book shelves to decrease sound. You might also use noise cancelling headphones while working or play some soft music.

   

Organized. It’s difficult to be productive when you can’t find what you’re looking for. Keep your desk in order and develop an effective filing system for your print (and electronic) documents.

Light. Office spaces often have insufficient lighting which can cause eye strain and headaches. Look into adding some personal lighting by adding a desk lamp or attachable light to your computer. If you have windows, open them up.

View. Speaking of windows, a view of nature and the outdoors has been shown to support health and increase productivity, so sit near the windows, draw the blinds, and enjoy the view. If you don’t have a beautiful view bring in photos of some of your favorite nature shots and add a plant or two to your desk. The plant will also aid in air quality, keeping you healthier.

Comfortable seating. If you’re not comfortable in your space it will be difficult to get focused and accomplish the work required of you. Be sure to have a chair that works for you, while also ensuring that your desk is at an appropriate height. If you move to a new work area makes the changes necessary to be comfortable. Developing leg or back pain is a sure way to decrease productivity and enjoyment of your work.

Take advantage of the areas you control to ensure that you design a work space that allows you to work comfortably, productively, and enthusiastically.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Become the Best Version of YOU

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below from Modern Health Monk, Alex Heyne discusses how daily habits and goals help you attain the vision you have for your life. Take a look.