5 wellbeing tips just in time for Mental Health Day

5 wellbeing tips just in time for Mental Health Day5 wellbeing tips just in time for Mental Health DayGrowing up in todays generation can be fraught with new pressures and stresses, particularly with social media which allows us to be on and contactable 24/7. This can have an adverse effect on young peoples mental health, and working out what life is all about and where one is heading can ignite stress and worry.WithWorld Mental Health Daynext month (October 10th), TVpresenter, counselor and best-selling author,Anna Williamson, has given us her top tips on how millennials can take better care of themselves.Here are Annas top tips on how young people can manage anxiety1. Dont measure yourself social media is full of perfect images and its important to remember that a lot of what you see on social media is enhanced and doesnt represent the norm.2. What are YOU good at have a think about your unique qualities and celebrate them. Maybe youre good at sport, baking, writing, singingwhateve r your talent (and you will have one) embrace it and nurture it3. Digital detox it might sound horrific but give yourself some decent space from your devices each day. They can become addictive, can fuel paranoia, and we lose sight and track of everything else, the real stuff, that is going on around us.4. Keep active it can be so tempting to go out just that one more time, or enjoy another Netflix and chill evening on the couch, but the best way to keep our mental health in fine fettle is to embark on some daily exercise too. Have a think about what you could do?5. Surround yourself with good people toxic friends? People who bring you down or make you feel bad? Time to ditch anyone who makes you feel rubbish and doesnt bring anything positive into your life. Choose friends who have similar interests to you, respect and appreciate who you are, and who make you feel happy.This article was originally published on YourCoffeeBreak.co.uk.

Wearables Help the Blind Walk

Wearables Help the Blind Walk Wearables Help the Blind Walk Wearables Help the Blind WalkFor people who are blind or visually impaired, options for walking and traveling the streets are beginning to change. Canes and seeing-eye dogs are not going away, but new technology drawn from robotics and sensors from autonomous vehicles are poised to help the visually impaired move about at greater ease. In one development, sensing ordnungsprinzips using LIDAR, echolocation, and infrared technology translate data to tactile information as vibrations. One New York City startup is fitting this technology into clothing where imbedded sensors pulse and vibrate to inform users of obstacles in their path.Called Eyeronman, the system is fitted into two wearable items of clothing an external vest that has embedded sensors to interpret the users environment, and an internal belt fitted with vibrating elements that translate the data to tactile information. Based on where the vibrations are felt and the ir speed, a user can figure out the direction of an obstacle and the speed in which it is approaching.Were now building a functional prototype wearable that can sense 120 degrees of the horizontal field and 120 degrees of the vertical with a ten to 18-foot range, says Dr. J.R. Rizzo, founder and chief medical advisor of Tactile Navigation Tools, and assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine and director of the Visuomotor Integration Laboratory and the Technology Translation in Medicine Lab at New York Universitys Langone Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. It is similar to bumper sensors. The chirp scales up when the object gets closer.Rizzo, who developed degenerative imagination loss at an early age, conceived the idea while in medical school studying multi-sensory integration. I was looking at sensor fusion, using sonar buttressed by RADAR or LIDAR, and integrating it into something meaningful, he says.Getting to this point has taken a few years, a partner an d an education in building a geschftsleben. One of his first actions was signing up a computational neuroscientist, Todd Hudson, a research scientist at NYUsCenter for Neural Science, as technology advisor. They then took advantage of NYUs Technology Transfer Office within the Stern School of Business, along with its W.R. Berkeley Center for Innovation.Through the school, they received help in developing their business plan and were introduced to business advisors and potential investors. They learned how to pitch their business through competitions, such as the labs $200,000 Entrepreneurs Challenge. We were not a finalist, but we did receive some grants, and put in our own money, says Rizzo.The introductions produced not only seed money but professional advice and staffing. As a startup, money for research and development as well as salaries is scarce, so the team offered equity stakes in the firm to attract and compensate senior expertise in engineering, business management and me dical knowledge. Some work piecemeal, or as needed. In addition, Tactile Navigation Solutions works with two other firms as independent contractors.The system components. Image Tactile Navigation ToolsWe run pretty light, says Rizzo. In one month we may have ten people working on a project. The next month, after those tasks are finished, maybe we have only two. This allows us to direct cash to research and development.Down the road, Rizzo eneinbildungs taking the Eyeronman platform to a fully connected 4G, Wi-Fi system with a headset or form of auditory communications. The goal is to have a vest and belt fitted with a complete multi-modal system, he says.The Eyeronman system now is fitted with LIDAR, the same technology used in autonomously controlled vehicles to recognize obstacles, like a bat or dolphin with echolocation, says Rizzo, who complains that the sightless have been left behind, using canes developed in the early 20th Century, while medical technology provides sophistica ted prosthetics or other products to those who have lost limbs or the use of limbs. Sensors then convert that information into something meaningful.For instance, the system would detect an obstacle on the users upper right and convert that into vibrations in the upper right portion of a T-shirt or vest made of electro-active polymers. Studies have shown parts of the brain used to process visual information are used to process auditory information in visually impaired people. That plasticity allows a blind person to train themselves to recognize shapes a blind person could walk by a car and feel it by vibration, forming the beginning of a vibratory library.Rizzo says the system can also be adapted for use by police or firefighters working at night or in situations where vision is impaired, such as a burning building. It also holds potential for soldiers in combat. The system can be fitted with fire-retardant materials or a bullet-proof vest, he adds.Eyeronman is powered by a lithium- ion battery and Rizzo says the design has evolved substantially since the company was formed in 2013. Provisional patents were filed a year earlier. Early designs substituted LED bulbs for vibratory actuators and designers have experimented with the number, array and position of sensors.We have to deal with efficiency from a temporal processing standpoint, Rizzo notes. We have a foundation that can be modified for each user but we leise need to create a stable platform for the sensory scheme, to create a scaffolding that you can put into a wearable article of clothing. You also have to account for pitch and yaw, and realize that someone can turn their head.Rizzo says the system now works when someone fitted with it walks at a slow pace. The goal is to have it work while walking at a normal pace, but some technical difficulties need to be overcome. Ultrasound operates at the speed of sound, but you still need to wait for the chirp off of the echo, he says, adding that theyve had to w ork to minimize crosstalk and outside noise from sensors.Still, When people put this vest on, nothing is average, he claims. You turn the system on and have people walk an obstacle course and people understand, they pick this up almost instantly. You can now walk in one direction and put your torso in another direction and recognize objects.Rizzos goal is start commercial production in 18 to 24 months. After that, he hopes to add cloud-based software to deliver voice messages through a multi-modal system. That would be a development to bring technology for the visually impaired into the 21st Century.Learn the best practices of bringing your research to market and creating marketable solutions at ASMEs COMS 2016Were now building a functional prototype wearable that can sense 120 degrees of the horizontal field and 120 degrees of the vertical with a ten to 18-foot range.Dr. J.R. Rizzo, founder, Tactile Navigation Tools

Watch out for this disturbing new trend in job interviews

Watch out for this disturbing new trend in job interviewsWatch out for this disturbing new trend in job interviewsAre you willing to work weekends? Holidays? Through the birth of your child? Until you collapse?Its the hot new thing in job interviews Testing whether candidates are willing to sacrifice everything - their home lives, their families, their health - for the good of their company.The Muse recentlywrotethat we should be aware of work-life balance tests during interviews, highlighting the chief executive of Barstool Sports, Erika Nardini, who reportedly texts job applicants interviewing with the company on weekends. Nardini said she does this just to binnensee how fast youll respond,in an interview with The New York Times. She expects to be contacted back within three hours, she elaborated. Its not that Im going to bug you all weekend if you work for me, but I want you to be responsive. I think about work all the time, Nardini said. Other people dont have to be working all the time, but I want people who are also always thinking.It was also reported recently that Vena Solutions CEO Don Mal asks candidates if theyd leave their family at Disneyland to do something that was really important for the company? He expects them to say yes.Needless to say, both of these questions would be a big red flag for anyone considering a job at such a company. While certain jobs may require your attention during time away from work - being on-call can be part of the job as a doctor or nurse or a systems administrator, for instance - most really dont. Whats more, vacations and other moments recharging away from work are critical for a variety of reasons, including yourhealth. And downtime may even help your wallet.So, heres how to protect your private time.Find out what your boss wantsIf youre getting nightly communication from your manager, you shouldsee whats required from you. It might just be a convenient time for them to send you something you might not have to c ommunicate back at that time.But you should see what they want you to do, and communicate clearly if whats being asked of you is unreasonable.If a text from your boss comes your way this weekendAn article by The Muse provides a potenzial response to a text your manager sends you on a Sunday (as inspired by Nardini) Ill review this first thing tomorrow morning and send on my thoughts by time on Monday.The article suggests you could follow up, as such Then, when you do share more on Monday, you can intro your work with a line that says, Im always happy to answer as quickly as I can during the workweek, however I reserve weekends for time with family/recharging/etc. With that saidBe flexible, but upfront about your timeIf youre interviewing, show dedication to your work, butremember to demonstrate that you strongly value moments outside the office, too.A LiveCareer article features potential responses to an interviewers questions about working on weekends or during holidays.Heres oneIm an efficient worker, so though I will gladly put in extra time as needed, I find I can get the vast majority of my work tasks completed during the regular workweek. Although, I have no problem with the occasional long work weekend or holiday.Set your schedule well ahead of timeWay Up also shows you how to make your availability off-hours clear to an interviewerin this video.Consider how much you want the jobRemember, being asked about working during time off during an interview doesnt mean youre guaranteed the job - or that you have to take it. You still have a choice to make.If a potential future employer makes it clear they dont respect your time, perhaps its not the company for you.

You dont need a golf club or yacht to network like a boss

You dont need a golf club or yacht to network like a bossYou dont need a golf club or yacht to network like a bossThe golf course has traditionally been a favored spot for members of the proverbial Old Boys Network to hang out and iron out everything from billion dollar deals to backroom political machinations. For the rest of us though, its sometimes slightly complicated to figure out where its okay to network and schmooze and where business is always off limits. Even tougher is trying to understand how to segue from camaraderie to work to transitioning a conversation to action. For that reason, it helps to realize that unlike a meeting, there shouldnt necessarily be a specific agenda to your networking- unless of course youre at a networking event. And even if everything was intended to be fun and games (or booze) you should always follow up, if only to say this was fun, lets do it again.If youve decided its time to update your own schmoozing game, try to figure out not just the lo cation, but also the kind of topics or small talk that might come more naturally in those spaces. We asked some expert networkers for advice on their favorite spots to meet or network and why. Use your home court advantageDara Levy, CEO Founder of Dermaflash, says that where you choose to meet someone to network says a lot about you. So make sure its somewhere you feel at home and a place that paints you in your best light.For business meetings, I prefer to plattl locations that are casual, comfortable and upscale. Im a creature of habit, so you can usually find me holding court at Hotel Bel-Air in LA or at Freds, at Barneys in Chicago, Levy says.Any private members-only clubs, like Soho House that you belong to are also great for networking, Levy adds, because they are great for networking and increasing your global reach all under one roof. You never know who youre going to meet.Tommy Kato, CEO of Merchant Hub, suggested talking business with people on your yacht. While that migh t be out of reach for most of us, his point is that youshould talk business somewhere that emphasizes your successes and passions which will ostensibly paint you in a more successful light.Networking no-nosThe last thing you want to do is to make the people youre trying to connect with feel uncomfortable.Along those lines, Kato also advises never bringing up politics or religion with anyone, especially at the dinner table.Levy also warns against looking at your phone during a business meeting, though youre probably fine to quickly scan during time with friendly colleagues. Try to limit it to only once or twice per hour or people will wonder why they bothered getting together with you in the first place. When it comes to cornering someone in the restroom, it would seem like an obvious no-go. But just in case you think about trying it, consider this A few years back I was at a political breakfast where D.C. luminaries chatted and made deals while munching on bagels and a schmear. Whil e waiting on line for the ladies room, I spotted Hillary Clinton studiously avoiding eye contact. Though my first instinct would have been to say hello, I was saved from myself when someone else went to shake someones hand, only to have an awkward moment when the extremely uncomfortable politician mimed that she hadnt yet washed her hands after using the facilities. Despite all the intense business chats that seem to take place over the urinals in movies, in real life its just not a good idea to pounce on someone who could really use a moment of privacy. Find someplace that you loveMy friendly colleague Louise OBrien is the Public Relations Director for the Langham PlaceinNew York. She has so much enthusiasm for her hotel, its restaurants and lounges, that its infectious.Not only have I met OBrien there for lunch, Ive also started using the lounge area as a meeting place and lunch spot with clients.When youre in your element, it shows, whether its a comfortable and just-buzzy-enough hotel lobby or a wide open greenspace with a great view of the water or the sky. If you feel enthusiastic about the location, youre more likely to connect to others who do too, and youll probably end up meeting extremely interesting people from different walks of life and industries.Maximize your coworking benefitsWhile most people realize that coworking spaces offer a quiet private place to work, you might not realize that there are also usually loads of public events. Sign up for newsletters and updates and take part in scheduled events. If youre not great at attending events, consider devoting more time to hanging out in the common area or lingering over a soft drink when you see interesting people chatting there. Networking doesnt have to be torturous sometimes its as simple as connecting with someone you already nod hello to on a daily basis.

Stop Taking Yourself For Granted

Stop Taking Yourself For GrantedStop Taking Yourself For GrantedExecutive job seekers may not be giving themselves enough credit by expecting too much.We acknowledge that we take things for granted. Yet we never acknowledge that we take ourselves for granted.Ive spoken to groups of award nominees where not a single rolle had any idea what made him or her different from the others. (This wasnt an epidemic of false modesty, either. Thats fairly easy to spot.) Every person in the room was genuinely surprised at having been nominated. Some people speculated about what made them different. But, like job hunters, they never made it past unmemorable generalities like, Well, I guess they appreciated the fact that I am always on time and never missed a client engagement. Yawn.Never was this more apparent than during a lunch keynote for the Temporary Staffing Association. The group invited me to speak at a ceremony honoring the Temporary Staffing Employee of the Year. There were many amazing n ominations During one Chicago snowstorm when no one else was willing to work, one gentleman in his early 60s rode his bicycle over 15 miles in the snow and arrived with a smile on his face and icicles in his beard. The morning of the event, I arrived early so that I could greet everyone as they registered I congratulated the nominees and asked the same question Do you know why you were nominated?With so many high achievers, I fully expected at least a few would have some idea what made them special. But alas, this was not the case.A certain type of personAt first, I wondered how so many people could be so clueless about the influence they wield on their organizations. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. People with a strong work ethic and the three magic ingredients passion, initiative and resourcefulness simply cant imagine any other way of doing business. Their brains dont work like that. Maybe you can relate.Internal motivation versus external motivationIf you seem to fit the description above, are you aware that not everyone shares your same work ethic? Probably, but you dont compare yourself with the slackers of the world. Instead, you are internally driven. In other words, your inspiration and motivation come from within - not from the hope or expectation of recognition and reward.Appreciating what you bring to the tableIf you find yourself in a similar situation, you may have to work a little harder to see the world from the perspective of the people who truly appreciate your efforts. You may even have to ask directly.For example, you might find a trusted co-worker and sayIm doing a self-assessment to look at my strengths and weaknesses. Would you be willing to share your thoughts about what I do well and where I still need to improve?It helps to ask about opportunities for improvement because it will lessen any fears you may have about fishing for compliments. At the same time, when you do hear the compliments, make sure to stre nge ausbildung down and get the person to provide specific examples. You will be amazed by what people remember and appreciate.This may seem like an uncomfortable exercise, but it is an important step in marketing yourself effectively. After all, there is no possible way you can communicate what makes you different if you dont know why people appreciate you in the first place.

What You Have to Know About Free Generator Guide and Why

What You Have to Know About Free Generator Guide and Why Where to Find Free Generator Guide All the ways of becoming completely free V-Bucks in Fortnite are listed on this site. There are various types of games out there on the market but not one of them have been in a position to set the standards just like Roblox. Moreover, you can landsee that which you have gotten success. Be sure to inform friends and family about us Theres nothing to be worried about because all of the info will stay confidential. When you produce a practical setting for private usage, you will understand that you are spending a part of the price that you sell to sell. Each has its own benefits, every one of which has to be read carefully before choosing one. Make solar panels simple to receive all the crucial items and make it simple for anybody to make a house. Moreover, in addition, it is best to rotate appliances to conserve generator output. Oil change frequency is dependent upon the manufactur er, how frequently the generator is used and your work atmosphere. Most generators are advised to be utilized in a non enclosed location. Overunity generator is essentially a generator or a machine that could create completely free electricity with the aid of air. Building a portable generator enclosure is extremely straightforward project. Not just that, but the machine is also known to create extra power which is subsequently sold to the grid. The gadget is known to be 100% waterproof which means that you may even utilize it below the rain. It uses gravitational and electromagnetic force to generate power that consumes little or no energy. The Battle Over Free Generator Guide and How to Win It Its a completely free game which has a silly and offbeat sense of humor and is a great deal of fun to play. Additionally, its challenging to stay serious when you are able to get your groove on throughout the game by getting your character show off its dance moves. If you truly want some free Robux, here we have everything you should know. All you need to do is simply offer some a chance to the Point Prizes stage. As a start, you will discover an interesting academic program, but other members who do not understand that your energy production is very possible without affecting the essence of the mother. Youre able to select one or more source that fits your requirements. It is extremely easy to make and with the assistance of the guide you are able to get your work done easily. The machine may be used anywhere on earth. When you schliff the initial 3 steps, you merely have to click Generate. Generators are in fact very simple machines. The generator is very simple to make and everyone can make it with the aid of the overunity generator guide which is available that you buy. Keeping up a generator is a rather similar process among the three main varieties of engines. All these manuals include a guideline that offers detailed guidelines to finish your in itial solar movement within your home borders. Overunity Generator Guide should you wish to understand about overunity generator then you will need to experience the overunity generator guide because there isnt much information that can be found on the exact same. The aforementioned list isnt comprehensive. Our instructional videos shown above are intended to assist you build the various parts of your generator shed.

Watch PowerToFlys virtual seminar with RSA

Watch PowerToFlys virtual seminar with RSA PowerToFly was thrilled to partner with RSA (the security division of Dell Technologies) to present a virtual seminar for women in cybersecurity, tech sales and marketing on October 18th. Over a hundred women were able to watch the seminar live and share real time questions for our amazing panelists. Watch the full virtual seminar hereThe panel of RSA leaders, which was moderated by PowerToFlys CoFounder Katharine Zaleski, includedNicole Kenny, Director of Inside SalesAmy Blackshaw, Director of Product MarketingRashmi Vikram, in aller welt Alliances ExecutiveMita Majethia, RSA Advisory Sales EngineerBoth RSA and Dell are hiring. Check out their page on PowerToFly to learn mora about their open roles. Related Articles Around the Web Search RSA Jobs at Dell Careers Dell EMC One of the biggest challenges in alfruchtwein all industri es today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associate d General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a cons truction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next tischset of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

How Game of Thrones can help you understand toxic employees

How Game of Thrones can help you understand toxic employeesHow Game of Thrones can help you understand toxic employeesWeve all dealt with toxic employees, but to better understand them, consider organizing such individuals into Game of Thrones houses.To begin, consider an employee that often gets greatness and madness mixed up, either using their skills to propel their team to the next level or burn all progress to the ground ultimately making them House Targaryen.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreNext is House Stark. These employees keep a straight face despite the level of stress theyre under failing to ask for help even if it means sabotaging their own efforts. And when their anger reaches high levels, their professional failures can end up in an employment beheading.Arguably worst of all is House Lannister employees who encompass every terrible trait of the other noble house s theyre manipulative and ruthless firecrackers that will do whatever it takes to be on top. So how can you redirect their energies?Weve posed some questions to Erica Denner, Head of People Culture, Kazoofor her insight on this compelling connection. Kazoo is an employee experience platform focused on recognition, rewards and performance management.Why did you decide to use the comparison of Game of Thrones to demonstrate employee profiles?Game of Thrones showcases complex characters exactly as they are, theres no sugar-coating for the sake of audience comfort. And the truth of the matter is that when youre dealing with toxic employees, you have to take the saatkorn approach.Toxic team members are real people with real motivations, strengths, and weaknesses that have a measurable impact on company culture. Being able to use familiar Game of Thrones characters that people know and love and comparing them to toxic archetypes felt like a fun, accessible way to think about a very diff icult workplace reality through a fictional lens.With regard to House Targaryen, please explain in further detail the employee that often gets greatness and madness mixed up, either using their skills to propel their team to the next level or burn all progress to the ground.Targaryen employees have the intrinsic belief that theyre talented, correct, and will come out on top. When theyre right, theyre right, but when it comes to business, stakeholders need more than confidence to guide major company decisions. If you spot any of the following behaviors from members of your team, you may be in the presence of a Targaryen coworkerFollowing their gut regardless of data or evidence that says they should take a particular course of actionRefusing to accept feedback or alternate views on decisions and/or projectsDemanding peoples confidence and trust in major projects despite no previous experience in similar situationsTaking extreme measures when a level headed conversation would be just as (if not more) effective.To quote George R. R. Martin, Madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land. This toss up means you need to harness their creativity and energy in the pursuit of common goals.While the Targaryen employee may be right in the end, having a process and guardrails in place for collaboration will ensure diverse viewpoints are considered and that the outcome is truly the best option.Publicly reward Targaryens when they follow the process and collaborate it will help enforce the productive behaviors while also appealing to their need for ego-boosts. Continuous performance feedback and manager check-ins will also help tame Targaryen employees.Regarding House Stark, please explain how trying to keep thoughts too close to your vest and trying to be overly righteous can hamper your work growth. Also, please explain the mention about an ger and failure. You can allude to the series if you wish.Theres a great business development book called, The Hard Thing About Hard Things that Ned Stark would have benefitted from reading before making the choice that ultimately cost him his life.In it, Ben Horowitz says, If there is one skill that stands out to being a successful CEO, its the ability to focus and make the best move when there are no good moves.Employees who find themselves faced with difficult decision after a difficult decision should look to the Starks as a cautionary tale. When righteous tunnel vision, anger, or impatience are the leading factors in your decision making, youre almost guaranteed to make the short-sighted choices that backfire, hurting you and your closest team members.Stark employees should be encouraged in 11 meetings with their managers to share challenges and obstacles of their current workload. Managers can help Stark employees prioritize and navigate through professional hurdles by setting realistic goals, communicating often, and focusing on solutions.Regarding House Lannister, if you come across wicked co-workers, how do you handle these ambitious yet harmful colleagues? Pull in references from the show to give it legs.When faced with a Lannister coworker, the best thing to do is make them an ally. As Cersei tells Ned early on, When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. These ambitious employees are headed to the top, so make an honorable attempt to join them harness their strengths while simultaneously limiting the impact of their harmful behavior.Aligning with a Lannister employee is not without risks, though, so be thoughtful in this alliance and be prepared to escalate to a leader if there is limited success in taming the Lannister employees toxic behavior.On the other hand, if an alliance with a Lannister employee is out of the question, and you have escalated the situation appropriately, you may want to steer clear. With the unofficial motto a La nnister always pays their debts, you can be certain that any plot involving a Lannister coworker will be repaid three fold. Harmful or inappropriate behavior wont go unnoticed and should be addressed by leadership through feedback and/or discipline.In summary, its true that an office is a melting pot of personalities. How can an employee change negative attitudes and create a purposeful and fulfilling work situation even with deterrents?Not all toxic employees are beyond saving, nor do all of them realize how detrimental their behavior can be to company culture. When you sense a team member heading to the dark side, it can be helpful to ask where their workplace unhappiness is stemming from, so you can attempt to address both the root of their behavior and the behavior itself.Toxic employees are often reacting to office politics, poor leadership, or lack of structure, so rather than focusing on just the employee, consider working on the fundamental pain points for ALL employees, not just its biggest personalities.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

A New Solar Cell on the Block

A New Solar Cell on the Block A New Solar Cell on the Block A New Solar Cell on the BlockHow do you make a solar cell cheaper, more efficient, and more versatile? The answer, say researchers at Stanford, is to use perovskite instead of silicon. Already their lab versions are outperforming silicon, have proved easier to produce, and have the potential to be manufactured on thin flexible substrates. Thats abedrngnisher way of saying they could someday solve all our energy needs.Perovskite refers to a crystalline structure similar to that found in the rock of the saatkorn name. But where natures perovskite is calcium titanium oxide, the stuff fabricated for solar cells is lead, tin, and iodine. These materials turn out to be much simpler to process than silicon.We started off with a metal ammonium lead iodine perovskite. Thats the basic archetypal material, says Giles Eperon, a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford, whos been working hard to make the new cell viable. Since then weve been swapping things in and out. By substituting tin for lead and bromine for iodine, the researchers have been able to fine tune the absorber. Basically, you have a really good optical material, and you can put the band gap wherever you want it within this wide range we have. Conceptually its easy. Form an engineering point of view it comes with a whole host of challenges.Cross-section of a new tandem solar cell. The brown upper layer of perovskite captures low-energy lightwaves, and the red perovskite layer captures high-energy waves. Image Rebecca Belisle and Giles Eperon / StanfordChief among them is the fact that perovskite with tin crystalizes very quickly. Usually, with spin coating deposition, a solution is spun off a substrate, leaving a thin, wet layer which is then heated until it crystalizes. With the tin-based material, it was crystallizing so fast it was effectively forming the final crystal materials while it was spinning, says Eperon. That has schwimmbad implications for the morphology of the film. To slow the crystallization, and leave the film smooth rather than rough, the team dived into the literature. They found that by adding the solvent dimethyl sulfoxide, they were able to slow crystallization, after which they used an anti-solvent wash to remove any remaining the dimethyl sulfoxide molecules.In the past, researchers have steered clear of tin based perovskite, because of its sensitivity to oxidization. By mixing in lead, Eperon managed to make an alloy that was just as stable as lead.Producing perovskite is cheaper and more eco-friendly than producing silicon. Where silicon requires temperatures of 3000 degrees, perovskite can be processed at room temperature. Nor does it require the toxic chemicals needed to treat silicon. Perhaps the biggest advantage is the fact that perovskite is solution processable. It can be used with inkjet printing, slot-die coating, and spray coating. Silicon has to be sliced into rigid wafers and will never b e sold on a roll.Obviously, we need to be producing tens of centimeters squares if you want to make a module. And with solution processing its an unanswered question as to how effectively you can solve that.-Giles Eperon, a postdoctoral research fellow, StanfordBut before perovskite solar cells can be printed out like so much newspaper, there are still a few problems to solve. The cells Stanford is making have 10 different layers that range between two and 500 nanometers in width. They cant touch each other, needless to say. Thats not too difficult a requirement for the tiny less-than-a-square-centimeter cells Eperon has been making in the lab. Obviously, we need to be producing tens-of-centimeter squares if you want to make a module, he says. And with solution processing its an unanswered question as to how effectively you can solve that.Thats not all thats unanswered. Already, Eperon and his colleagues have, in the lab, beaten silicon for efficiency. Weve been working on pushing i t further and further, he says. Really, the remaining question is how far can it go?Michael Abrams is an independent writer. For Further Discussion

What to Do When You Get Paid Less Than Your Co-Workers

What to Do When You Get Paid Less Than Your Co-WorkersWhat to Do When You Get Paid Less Than Your Co-Workers When you start at a job for less pay than people in similar positions, correcting the situation can be a challenge.The pay disparity may have been fair at first. Maybe you went from intern to a job that you had to learn as you did it.In that situation, its elend unfair to pay you less than an experienced person.The problem comes when you gain the needed experience and are performing as well as people who make a lot more than you. When that happens, some people find themselves trapped by their original low pay tarif . You may get raises, but companies rarely take steps to correct a lower-than-market-rate salary. So if you want to get what you deserve, you have to take matters into your own hands.My first full-time job came when my boss at the magazine I worked at in college got fired. It happened during winter break, so I had over a month where I could work fu ll time, more or less taking over the position.At the time, I was excited to land any job, especially while I was still a college student. The job market was lousy, and fruchtwein of my friends had little hope of finding full-time positions in journalism.Because of my age, lack of experience and the fact that I would be juggling the job with school, my bargaining power was limited. I got paid an hourly wage (basically minimum wage) until school ended, then moved to a salary that was less than half what the previous editor had made.It wasnt a terribly unfair offer, but as I learned the job I went from bargain to woefully underpaid. I was running a trade magazine while being paid less than the assistant editors, and even editorial assistants at other publications. I was also 21 and not well-equipped to state my case to a larger-than-life boss.That put me in a situation where I made less than I deserved, and even decent raises on a percentage basis did little to correct the disparity . I felt trapped, and ultimately quit to take a job that paid better. I now know that what seemed like an insurmountable problem could have been solved.One of the biggest challenges in correcting a salary disparity is knowing what your co-workers make. Many people keep their salaries secret, and some companies dont even list salary information in job ads.Make your best effort to find out the market rate for your position. Use online tools like Glassdoor and salary ranges posted in help wanted ads from your employer or similar-sized rivals. Once you have this information, make an appointment to talk to the boss or human resources.Be respectful. Remember that the reason you get paid less is because the company took a chance on you. Acknowledge that, but then lay out how you have learned the position and now perform it on par (or better) than others in similar positions.Dont ask for a raise. If you make $30,000 and a co-worker in the same job makes $60,000, then a 10 percent raise - even a 20 percent raise - wont correct the disparity. Instead, ask for a salary correction that will bring you in line with what the position should pay.Be reasonable. Dont expect to get an instant huge raise, and recognize that people who have more experience will still fruchtwein likely make more than you. The goal is to get a fair offer that brings your salary to an appropriate number.Just because you deserve something does not mean you will get it. Your boss may hear your case and then offer a small raise or nothing at all. If that happens, your best bet may be to move on , because this company doesnt value you fully and likely never will.In many cases, however, the company will be reasonable. It may offer a series of raises that over time bring your salary in line. Or you may be offered a raise along with a promise to revisit the issue in a set period of time.Be open to reasonable offers, but dont let yourself get stuck. If your company is fair, then its OK to work with it t o create a plan thats fair for you. If its not, then you have to be willing to leave to go someplace that will value you by your experience, not how you came on board.