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How to Efficiently Onboard and Train Your New Hires

By Howie Jones | Business Tips, Knowledge Base | No Comments

Quality employee onboarding is one of the most important things you can do for your business. You want your new hires to feel welcome and wanted as soon as they walk in. You need to give them an excellent first impression of your business and show that they matter. For many new employees, it’s essential to feel that there is a well-defined role and a clear career path.

Not only that, but a good onboarding process can make a massive difference to your retention rates and your revenue. Onboarding can also improve employee productivity and morale. And you save time and money when you don’t have to keep replacing employees.

Great onboarding starts with excellent planning. You really can’t wing it when it comes to training your new hires. Having planned training and processes for dealing with new employees is important.

Before hiring any new employees, plan out what they need to know and how you deliver it. This will also make it easier for you. For example, you’re not having to scramble to find something for them to do while trying to balance your own work.

You could also create an onboarding checklist for you and one for your new hires. This allows you to quickly know what to teach next and see clear progress and tick off what they’ve learned. It’s motivating for both parties. Even better if you have training software that allows for gamification. New hires can tick off modules as they finish them, see what’s next, achieve rewards, and more.

Once you have your onboarding training prepared, you can then use your calendar to plan it out and ensure success.

1. Set up a dedicated onboarding calendar

Many calendar apps will allow you to set up multiple calendars. So, for example, you can set up a calendar just for onboarding training, showing the full schedule.

This allows you and your new hires to look at your full calendar view with all your tasks and appointments and to look at just the training schedule on its own calendar when you need to.

It’s helpful to have both views. With the main calendar view, you can ensure no clashes and time to get to training sessions. And with the onboarding calendar, you clearly know the training and what comes next.

2. Share your calendars

You can coordinate together more efficiently by sharing your calendars. Your new employee will have other items on their calendar in addition to their onboarding training. For example, they may have previously booked medical appointments scheduled or a holiday that was already booked before they got the job. And there’s the work that they need to be involved in.

If you both share your calendars, you can easily be more flexible, if needed, and quickly rearrange sessions if something else comes up. In addition, your new hire will be able to see when you’re free, so they can book time if they need more help.

Encouraging your new employees to start, regularly use, and share their calendars is good practice for the future.

3. Set up your to-do list

Unless your only job is employee onboarding, you will have other work to fill your time. With your time split between onboarding your new hires and your everyday work, staying organized is essential. You can add a task/to-do list and make notes on many calendars to easily keep track.

This helps you balance your work with your onboarding duties. It also gives you a heads up if you’re going to have a busy week that may need extra organization and planning.

Another benefit of adding your to-do list to your calendar is seeing how much you’ve achieved. Ticking off completed tasks gives a nice hit of dopamine and is highly motivating.

4. Use time blocking to ensure you get everything done

When trying to learn something new, it can be easier to spend a solid block of time on it, rather than jump around over several sessions. Time blocking can be helpful to facilitate that.

However, time blocking involves splitting your day and week into blocks for specific tasks. This is a great way to combine your to-do list with your calendar. This can be a beneficial technique for ensuring you can fit in onboarding training and your regular tasks and meetings.

You can choose what works best for you with so many options and techniques. For example, time blocking could be one more helpful tool in your organizing arsenal.

5. Set up reminders

One of the best things about using a calendar and task lists is that you can add reminders to keep yourself on track.

When you are setting up your onboarding calendar, ensure you add in reminders where it’s helpful. This ensures that you don’t miss any meetings or tasks or your trainees.

When you’re busy, it can be easy to miss breaks and lunches. Adding reminders for these can ensure you take a breather when you should. It also provides that you don’t set yourself up for burnout.

6. Integrate with Trello

Some calendars integrate with Trello, a simple but effective project management app.

You can add tasks, checklists, and processes to Trello. It’s helpful to break down more significant tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks. It’s possible to tick them off when you’re done, which can help to motivate you and your trainees.

One other great thing about Trello is that you can set up boards and processes as a template. Then when you need it again, copy the template, rename it, and you’re ready to go.

Integrating this option with your calendar could help you manage your training better. You can also add team members and work on tasks together, aiding your trainees.

7. Bear in mind remote working

So many companies now allow remote working since the pandemic that you need to consider it. In addition, you may be training both in-office workers and remote workers to onboard them.

It’s important that your onboarding training includes your company culture and expectations, but it’s particularly important that remote workers feel part of your company.

Of course, you need to organize your time and calendar to ensure you can onboard everyone, remote or not. In addition to planning tasks and meetings, you’ll need to consider what technology you need, including cameras, Zoom, and more. Then, organize your tech in plenty of time for each meeting for success.

8. Start with a welcome pack

Once you know the start date of your next hire, add a task and a reminder on your calendar. Then send them a welcome email a few days before they start. You could even save time by writing a template for this email if you’re going to need it more than once. Then, you could set it up, keep it, and just hit send on the day.

If they’re based in-house, include practical information your new employee needs to know. Include directions, parking information, and a building map marked by their office or area. Add in where they can find vending machines or a kitchen for snacks and drinks. Include any local shops, such as bakeries or sandwich shops for food.

You’re starting them on the right foot before they’ve even walked through the door. And they will appreciate it.

Don’t forget your remote workers here. They will also appreciate a friendly, welcoming email with helpful information on start times and what to expect.

9. Use your analytics

Many calendars have excellent analytics. Office 365, for example, includes MyAnalytics, which provides information on various tasks and events. For example, you can see how many meetings you’ve had and how you spend your time.

This is helpful because you can see an overview of your onboarding training. You can check if you’re offering balanced training or leaning too heavily toward one subject. You can see whether you have covered everything or if there are any gaps.

Calendar analytics are equally helpful for improving your general productivity. You can ensure you still have the time to work on your own tasks as well as fit in onboarding.

10. Assess your onboarding regularly

Use your calendar to schedule follow-up meetings with new employees to get feedback on your onboarding processes.

Diarize time every year, at least once, to review your onboarding, look at feedback, and see how you can improve.

With quality onboarding so crucial for every business, it is vital to stay organized and on top of it. The right calendar apps can help you deliver onboarding well and keep improving.

Image Credit: Edmond Dantès; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Efficiently Onboard and Train Your New Hires was originally published on Calendar by Howie Jones.

5 Tips for Keeping Your Patient Waiting Room Clean

By Jason Barnes | Business Tips, Maintenance | No Comments

As a member of medical practice, you know how important it is to put the health and safety of your patients first. You wouldn’t have gotten into the industry otherwise!

But there’s more to promoting your patients’ health than diagnosing and treating their ailments. You also need to prevent them from coming into contact with germs while they’re in your care. In this article, we share tips for keeping your waiting room clean and your patients happy and healthy.

1. Schedule Regular Cleanings

It’s incredibly important to schedule regular cleanings for your waiting room — and to post that schedule. This practice can both slow the spread of potential infections and assure patients of your commitment to sanitation. Evidence of your waiting room’s cleanliness will help them feel comfortable and relaxed.

To start, take the time to create a medical office cleaning checklist. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with exactly what needs to be cleaned in your waiting room. Make sure you focus on items that see the most contact, such as door handles, check-in areas, pens, tablets, chairs, etc. If your waiting room is kid-friendly, don’t forget to wipe down children’s toys and books.

If you plan to have a cleaning service come in, share this checklist with them. Or maybe your team will do a majority of the work. If that’s the case, you should also create a cleaning schedule to ensure everything is getting done throughout the day. Many medical offices are closed for a few hours during lunchtime; this could be a great time to give your waiting room a cleaning.

2. Reconsider Your Furnishings

Chances are, your waiting room offers amenities for patients. Maybe you have magazines and newspapers laid out on the table. Or perhaps you purchased upholstered furniture, like overstuffed chairs and couches, to keep patients comfortable.

While you probably meant well, some of your furnishing choices might make it hard to keep your waiting room clean. For instance, those cloth-upholstered chairs may be difficult to disinfect. Replacing them with vinyl seating that is easy to wipe down will improve cleanliness.

If your chairs and sofas are bulky, it will be hard to keep them well-spaced. You want to avoid having patients sit right next to each other. Regardless of why a patient is coming to see you, there’s always a chance they could spread infection. Consider swapping oversized furniture with more streamlined chairs that don’t take up as much room. This will allow you to spread them out — and the more space between patients in the waiting room, the better.

3. Encourage Patients to Take COVID-19 Precautions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 tracker shows nearly 108,000 new cases of the virus daily from July to August 2022. And while vaccines help to keep serious illness at bay, the coronavirus can still be harmful. Research has found the virus may produce long-term effects.

To help keep patients safe, stock your waiting room with COVID safety essentials like hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and face masks. You want to make sure these necessities are clearly visible, so consider keeping them where patients check in. Alternatively, you could place them on a coffee table in the waiting room.

To persuade people to use these items, you could place a sign reminding them of the importance of taking COVID precautions. More importantly, you and your team should model this behavior yourselves.

4. Consider Separating Your Waiting Rooms

Instead of having all your patients sit in one waiting room, consider having multiple rooms or designated spaces. For example, one waiting room could be designated for those who aren’t feeling well. Maybe they’re waiting to get tested for COVID or have flu-like symptoms. Your second waiting room could be for those who feel fine but are there for something routine, like a physical.

If you have the space, consider having a separate area for children to play. While this isn’t a necessity, it will keep your waiting room clean of toys. If your space isn’t big enough for separate rooms, use dividers as a way to create different areas. Even just separating the sick from the healthy can go a long way in preventing germs from spreading.

5. Be Strategic About Appointments

As a medical professional, your goal is to help people. It’s no wonder you may try to see as many patients as you can during the day. Unfortunately, that could make it difficult to keep your waiting room clean. Instead of overscheduling, be mindful of appointments and how many people are in your waiting room at a given time. This is especially true if your waiting room is on the smaller side.

A good rule of thumb is to first determine the maximum number of people you want to have in a waiting room at once. From there, create time blocks for each appointment to ensure you never go over that number. Using an online scheduler will make this process easier, as you can automate available appointment slots based on your time blocks.

Keeping your waiting room clean should be a top priority. It can help prevent germs from spreading and will make your patients feel more comfortable. Remember, first impressions matter. A clean waiting room ensures the appointment starts on the right foot and can help you retain patients long-term.

Image Credit: Donald Tong; Pexels; Thanks!

5 Ways You Can Prepare Yourself for a Difficult Client

By Jon Bradshaw | Business Tips | No Comments

Chances are, you’ll experience a difficult client from time to time. And while most clients mean well, some are overly demanding, have unrealistic expectations, and are downright rude. The good news is that there are strategies you can put in place to deal with those difficult clients. From being proactive and scheduling phone calls to cutting ties, here are a few tips you should consider adopting:

1. Schedule A Phone Call

The last thing you probably want is to hop on a phone call with a difficult client. But the truth is, that’s the first thing you should do. Communication is key. And while texting and emailing might seem like enough, it’s all too easy for information to get misinterpreted. That’s why you should consider scheduling a phone call or even a face-to-face meeting with a client.

During the conversation, make sure you go over expectations. Not just what the client expects but what’s actually included in their contract. For instance, let’s say you were hired to write a 500-word blog post. Make sure the client is aware of the word count and doesn’t expect 600 or 700 words. Incorrect expectations can often lead to disappointment from one party or the other.

You should also take time to ask the client any questions you may have on the project. For example, maybe you’re confused about the topic or want to make sure you’re clear on how to start. The more you know, the easier it should be to create an outline for the project and provide the client with realistic due dates.

As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with a client during the onboarding process. Doing so could help you two get off on a good start and potentially keep them from becoming a difficult client.

2. Ask The Right Questions

Before starting a project, it’s important you have a strong grasp of what’s expected from you. To do that, you have to ask questions. As mentioned above, it’s a good idea to onboard your clients with a phone call. This phone call provides the perfect setting to ask your questions.

Keep in mind that you want to make sure you’re asking the right questions. Not doing so could make the process harder and may rub your client the wrong way. Before the call, figure out what you want to ask. Do you need more clarity on a certain section? Do you want a better understanding of the target audience or the client’s goal for the project?

Make sure you take time to go over the project details and gather information on your client. Don’t be afraid to ask your co-workers for their input or brainstorm ideas beforehand. While you want to ask questions, you don’t want the client to think you’re unprepared.

3. Listen To Your Clients

Asking questions is one thing, but listening is something else entirely. Instead of viewing your client as a problem, view them as a resource. After all, your client is someone you have to study and pay attention to in order to be successful. When they speak, listen and make sure you’re taking notes.

Listening can also help you build a better relationship with your client, as it shows good customer service. According to a study, 86% of clients say good customer service can keep them with a company long-term. Think about it. How quickly are you turned off when someone speaks over you or doesn’t remember anything you say? Exactly. Make sure the client knows you’re listening.

Listening is especially important with a difficult client who likes vocalizing their complaints. While it can be uncomfortable, it’s important your client feels heard. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything they’re saying, but show that you care and want to help. Empathizing is crucial when it comes to dealing with clients.

4. Don’t Take It Personally

One of the biggest mistakes you could make with a difficult client is taking what they say personally. It’s important to remember that you aren’t the problem. Chances are that there’s some miscommunication. Or maybe you, or the client, haven’t been clear on expectations. While this can be upsetting, it can be fixed. And definitely not something you should take personally.

Remind yourself that you’re in a customer-facing role. Your job is to work with the client as best as you can to produce something you’re both proud of. For this to happen, you may receive criticism and have to change a few things. It’s all a part of the process. Try not to stress.

5. Walk Away

It’s important to remember that your mental health is just as important as your client list. While having the occasional difficult client is bound to happen, it shouldn’t be a regular experience. If a client continuously talks down to you and makes it impossible for you to work, consider walking away.

With that said, there are a few things you should consider before walking away from a client. First, pay attention to their attitude. If a client is rude or degrading, that’s a sign to walk away. Not to mention, many clients won’t do repeat business with you after one bad experience.

You should also consider the amount of time and resources you’re giving to the client. If they’re demanding more time and energy than other clients, that’s another sign to walk away. You might think you should stick it out with a difficult client, but that might not be the best move. This way, you can both move on and find someone you can have a better working relationship with.

Difficult clients can be demanding, but they can also help you grow. The key is to be prepared to deal with them and know when enough is enough. The tips above can help you deal with difficult clients in an effective way.

Image Credit: Yan Krukov; Pexels; Thanks!

How to Offer Fun Summer Activities to Clients

By Gunjan Saini | Business Tips | No Comments

Summer is the perfect time to put together some activities for your clients. Doing this allows you to connect with them more, establishing deeper relationships for long-term partnerships. While also strengthening loyalty, summer events can also bring in new customers to continue growing your business.

The question now is how to decide on a summer activity and execute it effectively. A lot will depend on your business and its specific client base. However, there are a few universal tips that should come in handy this season:

Make it Family Friendly

When it comes to planning summer activities, most clients will have their families in mind. With school out for summer break, they’ll want to spend as much time with their kids as they can. This is why any summer event you put on for your clients should be family friendly.

Renting out a pool or waterpark for your clients and their families will be a lot more fun than a cocktail brunch with little flexibility. Besides, this way the kids can have their fun while the adult clients can enjoy a piña colada in the shade. You’ll have plenty of time to interact with your customers while simultaneously putting on a fun family event.

While it might take a little more effort to accommodate entire families, the effort is worth it. Consumers love a brand that is friendly and outgoing to people of all ages and family compositions.

Sponsor Community Events

There are typically more local events going on during the summer. This will make it more difficult for your business to run an independent event. You’ll be competing with sporting events, parties, parades, and all of the other gatherings planned during the warm weather.

Instead of trying to force your summer activities into every calendar, consider piggy-backing on some of the more prominent events in the area. For example, you might find a lot of success by sponsoring a tent at the county fair. You can notify current customers that you have some prizes specifically for them if they attend the fair, incentivizing them to go. You can also gain more exposure for your brand and hopefully meet some future clients.

Other examples of summer activities you can sponsor can include:

a theme night at a baseball game
a fireworks show for your town
an outdoor movie night in the city park
a company parade float

As long as you can find a way to make sure your active clients are included, summer sponsorship opportunities can be a great opportunity for your business.

Embrace the Spirit of Giving

The spirit of giving might be heavily associated with the holiday season, but it’s always welcome in the summer. Any activity or event that you put on for your clients should be done with the intention of providing them with something. Whether that’s a unique experience or a load of prizes, they should be leaving with more than what they arrived with.

Let’s say you decide to put together a summer picnic at the park for all of your employees and clients. You prepare some delicious food for the occasion along with some games and activities for all the families in attendance. Don’t stop there! Raffle off some prizes, such as concert tickets, cool gadgets, or even free services. This combo will be the perfect way to say thanks to the clients who have supported your business.

Consider Current Needs

This has been a record-breaking summer in some areas in terms of heat. With temperatures climbing, a lot of people are opting to stay indoors rather than participate in outdoor activities. Your clients may very well feel this way, and you should keep that sentiment in mind.

For a summer like this, you might opt for an indoor or digital event. Next summer the weather might be more reasonable for an outdoor event, or you could try a fall event. This is an example of how current needs and circumstances will impact how you offer fun summer activities to your clients.

Create a Tradition

Every season comes with its traditions, and summer is no exception. For some families, it’s the annual Fourth of July parade. For others, it’s taking trips to the lake. Traditions are powerful, and your business can play a part in creating a new one for the summer.

Think of the summer event you want to put on. Perhaps this is a poolside barbeque event where you rent out a large facility for your customers and their families. If you can plan this event at the same time each year, you can turn it into a tradition everyone can look forward to. Execute your event perfectly and you’ll have people adding it to their calendar for 2023 as soon as they return home.

Summer is full of amazing opportunities. Be sure to take advantage of the ways you can reach out to and connect with your clients this year and for years to come.

Image Credit: Christina Morillo; Pexels; Thanks!

Face-to-Face Meetings are Important for SO Many Reasons

By Calendar | Business Tips | No Comments

You may ask whether face-to-face or in-person meetings are still vital in today’s digital era of communication. Yes, they are; let’s see why.

Despite technological advancements, many firms still prefer face-to-face meetings because they allow for more effective communication, the development of solid connections, and increased participation.

Learning how to hold an effective face-to-face meeting will help you reach your objectives to lead, organize, or contribute to improved workplace communication. This post will examine why face-to-face meetings are crucial, their advantages, and how to conduct them with your team, customers, and coworkers. Unfortunately, hybrid work models can be challenging to implement.

What are the benefits of face-to-face meetings?

Because we build our companies on connections, face-to-face encounters are essential. While digital communication has come a long way in recent years, face-to-face interactions are still crucial for fostering a strong culture, developing rapport with customers, and engaging with individuals on a deeper level.

Many organizations prefer face-to-face meetings over other kinds of communication — so knowing the advantages and how to manage a great meeting may help you succeed in your career.

Face-to-face meetings provide many advantages.

Because of the many advantages they give, face-to-face meetings remain a popular choice for organizations. Meeting with coworkers, customers, and colleagues face to face may help you increase your capacity to achieve the following:

You should watch for and interpret nonverbal indications.

People don’t always convey the most critical information via words. Meeting people face to face helps you analyze micro-behaviors like body language, facial expressions, and eye contact. Simple nonverbal communication may help you judge how involved other people are in the discussion and provide insight into how they feel. You may use these nonverbal clues to direct your replies and discussion.

For example, if you’re at a meeting with a customer continually checking their watch, you may employ a more exciting tone or change the subject to refocus their attention.

Come up with creative ideas.

When individuals can discuss their thoughts in person, collaboration occurs more naturally. Face-to-face meetings also simplify attendees to detect when someone speaking is complete. Consequently, allowing them to feel more comfortable contributing their thoughts.

It may also allow participants to graphically exhibit their thoughts on a whiteboard or piece of paper to ensure everyone is on the same page. Finally, consider scheduling a face-to-face meeting when you need to discuss challenging strategic or creative ideas with a group.

Limit the use of technology.

While technology has its advantages, having a meeting without dealing with a camera or audio problems, internet connection issues, or other technical issues may save time and reduce stress. In addition, make face-to-face meetings a priority for critical discussions so that everyone can hear and see what is going on.

Make new connections.

Long-term company success requires strong partnerships. Meeting customers, employees, and colleagues in person allows for more human engagement, which may assist in creating trust and make it simpler to form deeper bonds. Consider meeting face to face with a new customer or someone with whom you haven’t yet developed a solid connection over coffee or in the office to build your relationship.

Pursue meaningful small chat.

You can lose small chats in digital interactions. However, asking someone how their day is going comes naturally in a face-to-face chat. For example, asking what they have planned for the weekend may demonstrate that you care. Indeed, it helps you discover mutual interests that can enhance your bond. It may also assist you in gathering information for a future project or proposal.

Spend a few moments at your next face-to-face contact, getting to know the person.

Deal with delicate problems.

When dealing with a delicate topic, face-to-face conversation might help you convey the situation effectively and avoid misunderstanding. It’s also simpler to demonstrate empathy and understanding, making it easier to work through the problem together. Try to meet with someone face to face the next time you have to handle a sensitive subject with them. You can show them you care about them and want to assist them in fixing the problem.

Effective communication is essential.

Face-to-face meetings facilitate successful communication by offering nonverbal clues and the capacity to pose questions to participants. This reduces the chances of misinterpretation of messages, emails, and other communications. To improve clarity in your business, consider holding face-to-face meetings.

Do not allow yourself to be distracted.

It’s generally simpler to have their full attention when you’re in the same room as someone. Participants in face-to-face meetings are more likely to remain focused. Outside distractions are less apparent, and people resist the impulse to multitask. Schedule a face-to-face meeting for essential matters that demand everyone’s full attention.

Increase involvement and engagement.

Clients, employees, and colleagues may be more engaged and participate in face-to-face meetings by encouraging them to be completely present. When meeting attendees can see each other in person, they are more inclined to participate in the discussion.

Consider organizing face-to-face meetings if you want to enhance engagement and involvement in your company.

Face-to-face meetings will help your employees form tighter bonds and will help retain talent. Additionally, face-to-face meetings will benefit marketing efforts with client and customer efforts.

This article was originally published on Calendar.com. Image Credit: Helena Lopes; Pexels; Thank you!

5 Power Foods to Offer Customers at Appointments

By Jon Bradshaw | Business Tips | No Comments

Many people don’t think about eating or hydrating before their appointments. Sitting in the waiting room on an empty stomach can quickly put visitors in a bad mood. One of the ways you can ensure your customers are happy and taken care of is by offering free refreshments.

While it’s not your responsibility what others put into their bodies, consider offering some healthy alternatives to the typical refreshments. Healthy eating can lead to a boost in mood and energy. Visitors will enter and leave their appointments feeling so much better thanks to a combination of good service and quality refreshments.

This list contains five power foods that your business can consider offering to your customers:

1. Trail Mix

Trail mix is a prepackaged snack that frequently gets overlooked in favor of more sugary treats. The typical pouch of trail mix is full of protein and fiber. This is thanks to the nuts and seeds that are staples for the recipe.

Another great aspect of trail mix is that it comes in so many varieties. You can get bags that contain M&M’s, yogurt bites, or dried fruits. These add-ins don’t compromise the healthiness of the snack. Rather, they add a little bit of extra flavor and excitement to every package. Different flavors will also appeal to the variety of customers who visit.

2. Granola

Another great snack food is granola. This treat consists of rolled oats, often with nuts and honey. A good batch of granola is packed with protein and vitamins, such as iron and zinc. Just be sure not to purchase a variety that contains a bunch of added sugars. While this might be more flavorful, it changes it from a power food to a sweet treat.

A more common snack is the granola bar. The concept is similar, but the granola is packed tightly into a travel sized snack. These bars often have chocolate chips, peanut butter, or even marshmallows added in. While not as nutritious and power boosting as old-fashioned granola, this is still a solid choice. It sure beats a bowl of candy sitting on your front desk.

3. Yogurt

Yogurt isn’t typically top-of-mind when it comes to snacks, but think about the portable options at a hotel breakfast bar. It is quick, easy, and prepackaged. With the variety of flavors, it’s also often a kid-friendly option. Parents waiting with their kids at an appointment can appreciate this choice.

Yogurt is a great source of calcium, which is important for teeth and bone health. It’s also delicious and easy to eat, which is perfect for kids! Parents can ensure that messes aren’t made, and you’ll have some happy families entering and leaving your establishment. If you choose this choice, make sure to also have spoons available.

4. Fresh Fruit

Few snacks rival the power of fresh fruit. Fruit is part of a balanced diet, yet many Americans are failing to include it in their meals. Providing fresh fruit for your customers can help patch those holes in their food pyramid.

Fruits, unlike many snacks, are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. More importantly, they lack a lot of the additives found in packaged foods, such as artificial coloring and added sugars. Fruit isn’t lacking in taste either. Bananas, apples, and oranges are full of unique flavors and can be eaten at any age without utensils.

The only thing you need to worry about with fruit is ensuring its quality. Fruit needs to be monitored much more frequently than other foods. They expire much more quickly and may need to be washed before consumption. You should make sure any fruit that has gone bad is disposed of quickly to avoid gnats or fruit flies.

5. Juice

When it comes to beverages, water is the easiest and most preferred option. Most people just don’t stay as hydrated as they should. After that, coffee and soda are often the most common drinks available in a waiting room. While these are popular beverages, there are some better options to consider.

Just like fresh fruit is more optimal than sugary snacks, fruit juice can be more rejuvenating than even a cup of coffee. While customers can get a quick surge of energy from coffee, their energy can take a sharp dive after the caffeine wears off.

Juice can provide all the energy needed for a busy day without the threat of a crash later on. Not only that, but the nutritional value is far superior to that of a can of soda. Any sugar found in natural juice is just that — natural.

A good snack can really make a difference in the days of your customers. Supplying your body with better nutrients from the snacks you consume, has mood-boosting power. If you provide the same healthy foods to your work team, you can witness a change in their attitude as well. Healthy eating should never be underestimated.

Image Credit: Helena Lopes; Pexels; Thanks!

Meetings Should Be Run Effectively To Be A Successful Leader

By Hunter Meine | Business Tips, Time Management | No Comments

Leadership is shown in a variety of ways and locations. But, the most visible day-to-day expression is frequently how leaders conduct meetings.

The criteria for leadership may not be fair and maybe unduly simple, but the fact remains that excellent leaders conduct good meetings and terrible leaders have awful meetings. Period. It all boils down to who controls your schedule?

While they are not the same, leadership and management are strongly related. Meetings tend to be more about control than leadership, but management and leadership are tightly correlated. Both jobs are complicated and include much more than just gatherings, to be sure.

Most of a leader’s responsibilities occur behind closed doors, away from the confines of a conference room. So when asked whether a manager is an effective leader, it’s not unusual for the reply to take a few moments. But do you consider how that individual conducts meetings in the first place?

Meeting Leader and the Questions to Ask in Advance

Is the meeting leader someone who can organize a productive and efficient meeting? Are they able to keep a meeting interesting? Are the appropriate individuals in attendance? Do folks feel like they have a voice in the meeting? Do they take part in the game? Are you able to complete the agenda? Are you respecting the time of attendees? Is the meeting scheduled to begin and conclude on time? Is the group capable of generating ground-breaking concepts? Did you consider a healthy exchange of ideas and debate? Can the group come to terms with the leader’s efforts and reach a consensus? Is action taken, or are choices made due to the discussion?

The higher one’s position in an organizational structure, the more people are likely to add the meeting to their schedule. So, for example, someone working in the mailroom often has fewer meetings than a mid-level manager. But the CEO, on the other hand, will have more meeting needs than executives higher in the organizational hierarchy. It is what leadership sometimes refers to as their pound of flesh.

Indeed, according to some estimates, managers and executives spend anywhere from a quarter to a half of their time in meetings. Moreover, even at meetings, they are absent from other arrangements because they have been double- or triple-done

Is there an excessive number of meetings taking place inside organizations? Is it possible to limit the number of meetings? Should individuals attend fewer meetings than they now do? Yes, this is true virtually universally across all industries.

There will, however, be meetings as long as organizations can’t find ways to opt-out of them. And they will be led by managers and leaders who employees will evaluate based on how well they conduct themselves in meetings — or let’s get real — the “meeting evaluation” is really about how much power or authority that leader has over the employee.

More Productive Meetings

So, do you advocate for more productive meetings or more excellent skills? The most straightforward argument is to add up the number of hours spent — or squandered for any given task. And, depending on the situation — how much time is spent in meetings and multiply that total by the hourly cost per employee.

Adding together all of these figures always gives astonishing results. Each company may squander millions of dollars each company, and maybe billions of dollars are spent in aggregate. To no one’s surprise, unproductive meetings are one of the most significant sources of time, money, and productivity loss inside businesses. Furthermore, a less apparent but possibly essential indicator to consider is the decline in morale resulting from attending poor meeting sessions.

Although the loss or decline in morale is somewhat perplexing, new managers (let alone experienced ones) receive little training on conducting good meetings. To be sure, this is a symptom of a bigger problem. Leaders promote individuals into new positions without obtaining enough training for the new work in question.

If managers are fortunate enough to get a short training session on the necessity of drafting agendas, that would be lucky. And that’s all; now go out into the world and manage your team, and best of luck.

Significance of Leader Training to Conduct Meetings

Consider the enormous significance of meetings. In terms of time, money, and morale, a close look is warranted, especially when considering the beneficial impact that even basic training can have on employees and leaders. Indeed, businesses should prioritize teaching managers effective meeting management techniques.

What are the long-term benefits of managers being responsible for leading meetings for hours weekly, year after year? What if each event is 30 or 50 percent less productive than the last? That high percentage may seem like negative thinking — but consider how many managers are out there without formal training.

Various other skills are essential to other professions, and learning to conduct meetings and bring value to the table is a learned skill. Up-skilling for this job saves time, effort, and money. Considering that bookkeeping and code writing are carefully cultivated and developed through many years of education and training, you can see it makes more sense that managers shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves. This is true with all critical aspects of their jobs, including meetings.

As for managers, whether new or with experience, if your firm does not train for meeting skills, your company’s investment in top management and leader may not return the benefits you are hoping for.

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Meetings Should Be Run Effectively To Be A Successful Leader was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

5 Ways to Improve Your Employees’ Happiness and Productivity

By Gunjan Saini | Business Tips | No Comments

Several studies on happiness and productivity have shown that the happier an employee is the more productive they will be. Think about it. On a good day, you’re probably able to accomplish a lot. On a bad day, however, you might struggle to even get out of bed. Well, the same rules apply to the workplace.

If an employee doesn’t feel important or valued, there’s a good chance their work will suffer, negatively impacting your company’s success. To increase productivity, make sure your employees’ happiness comes first. This article shares a few ways you can help your employees feel good:

1. Review Your Technology

Chances are, you have several systems in place meant to streamline productivity. Maybe you’ve integrated Slack to promote effective communication internally, or maybe your company uses project management software to keep everyone on track. While the right technology can benefit your company, the wrong technology can significantly decrease productivity.

It’s a good idea to spend some time reviewing your current systems and processes. Make a list of what’s working really well and what isn’t. This is a great time to ask your employees for feedback, as they can probably shed additional light on how they use technology.

Once you have a good idea of where you can improve, look to technology for guidance. It’s important to note that there are many different systems available — some of which do relatively the same thing. Take your time researching the right system for your company. And don’t be afraid to change your mind. Often, the only way to know if something works is to integrate it first. If you’d like to do that and save money, look into free trials.

2. Create A Culture Of Transparency

As a leader, your employees looked up to you. Because of this, you might think it’s essential to demonstrate control constantly. You don’t want your employees to see you sweat, right? Unfortunately, that could be counterproductive. The truth is, no one is perfect. It’s important that your employees know it’s okay to make mistakes and not have the answer to every question.

To create a culture of transparency, admit when you’re wrong and be open with your emotions. This doesn’t mean you should spend an hour telling employees how stressed you are. But showing that you’re a human being, just like them, can go a long way.

Being transparent also creates an honest and open culture. There’s a good chance your employees will be more comfortable sharing their ideas and taking risks that could enhance their productivity and the success of your company.

3. Connect With Your Team

Employees want to feel like they matter. And while you probably appreciate your workers, do you take the time to show it? If you answered “not often” it’s time to change that.

This doesn’t mean you have to remember every employee’s birthday, but taking the time to check in is crucial. Make sure you say hello when you pass your employees in the office.

Even if your company is remote, there are things you can do to connect. For instance, you could email, set up team happy hours, or schedule one-on-ones. Regardless of what you choose, getting to know your team can help them feel valued.

Not to mention, it can help you make strategic business decisions. For example, by communicating with an employee, you might learn they have a skill or new idea that could help grow your business.

4. Give Your Employees Freedom

Prior to the pandemic, working remotely wasn’t as common. However, things have changed in the last couple of years. Not only are more people working from home, but many companies have found their employees are just as productive — if not more so — than in an office setting.

Regardless of your opinion, it’s important to ensure your employees have the freedom to work in a way that’s best for them and the company. With that said, remote work isn’t for everyone. Some employees want the opportunity to visit the office. You also might have workers who need to be in person from time to time.

Before making any decision, talk to your leadership team. This is another great time to ask employees for feedback on what type of setting they prefer.

You should also pay attention to what other companies are doing. While you want your decisions to be unique, you want your business to remain competitive. If offering remote work can help you hire and retain top talent, it might be worth trying.

5. Provide Feedback

According to a recent study, employees work harder if they feel “heard and valued.” One way to ensure that happens is by providing feedback. Contrary to popular belief, feedback shouldn’t be negative — it should be constructive. This means you should praise employees who perform well and provide feedback to help those who are struggling.

As a leader, you might find it difficult to provide your employees with feedback. While it can be uncomfortable, there are ways to make the process easier for you and them. One way to do that is to avoid giving unsolicited advice.

Don’t stop by a worker’s desk and randomly give them feedback, even if it’s positive. Instead, set up a process for providing feedback so no one is thrown off guard. That might mean having regular one-on-one calls between an employee and their supervisor or quarterly performance reviews. Both options ensure your employees know what’s coming, and they can prepare accordingly.

Employee happiness can make or break the success of your company. That’s why it’s important to ensure you’re creating a comfortable workplace where people feel valued. The tips above are just a few ways to help employees feel happy and, in turn, increase productivity.

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A Meeting Checklist Helps You Decide if a Session is Needed

By Hunter Meine | Business Tips | No Comments

If you must have a meeting and it only needs to be about ten minutes, don’t get everyone together — utilize video conferencing rather than meeting in person or voice alone. In this way, your on-site employees and the remote team can quickly get the information needed in a timely manner.

More than half of on-site employees aspire to work remotely in the future, so you may as well practice this way of meeting now. Video conferencing reduces meeting time, enhances productivity, and fosters employee relationships. It’s a well-known fact that on-site or off-site — unproductive meetings tend to lead to disengaged personnel.

To prevent a slash to your team’s productivity — utilize this checklist to assess the necessity of any meeting (maybe a quick email will work just fine). Here are a few guidelines.

Checklist for Meetings

Is the issue urgent?
Are you searching for dialogue or deliverables?
Who is the designated accountable person for my task?
How many ideas do I need assistance brainstorming?
Are we meeting to discuss a new concept or project?
What is my optimal outcome?

How frequently do we require status updates if this is a reoccurring meeting?

Is there time to prepare?
Is everyone I’m inviting required?
What is each person’s function in this meeting?
Can we meet through video call?
How long should we meet?
Is the plan clear?
Is the conference room AV ready?
Do we need this meeting now, or can it wait?

If you’re unsure, check this list before sending out calendar invitations.

1. Is the issue urgent?

This is the first question to ask yourself. If you need to communicate, quickly consider Slack or Microsoft Teams. You can brief critical decision-makers and leaders and determine if you need to meet at all, or whether other team members should be consulted first.

In short, if you have an urgent problem that demands feedback from other team members, you’ll need to meet. But make sure you alert others quickly.

2. Do I want a dialogue or deliverables?

Before sending out calendar invites, think about the sort of meeting you want to have. As hybrid work becomes the norm, more distant employees may wish to meet in person. Meetings lower remote employees’ productivity by 1.8 times more than on-site workers, so be mindful of other schedules. Also, be aware of your remote employees’ time so they can attend on-site if needed. Last-minute meetings tend to leave your remote employees out or unprepared.

If you want your core team to share ideas, you’ll need to convene a meeting.

A meeting may not be necessary if you only need to collaborate on a project or examine other team members’ work. Remind the team of deadlines and ask for comments or contributions to shared team papers instead. Google Drive and Dropbox Paper are valuable platforms for receiving team input and modifications. Instead of scheduling a meeting, use emails or instant messages to remind people.

If tasks can be completed offline — do it. You may then meet in person or over a video to discuss the project’s progress at a later date with new ideas.

3. Who is the designated accountable person for my task?

Before arranging the meeting, ask yourself this question. If you’re in charge of a project, prepare a list of requirements before meeting with your team. Once you’ve finished your list, book your meeting.

You shouldn’t be planning the meeting unless you are the accountable person. Instead, contact the project manager to assist with any deliverables.

4. How many ideas do I need assistance brainstorming?

Having other minds in the room is always more enticing when brainstorming for a project. A meeting isn’t always required merely because you want assistance creating fresh ideas.

Save brainstorming sessions for when you need a lot of feedback from others before starting a project. Hold a virtual brainstorm for tiny ideas like blog post names or social media themes. Create a shared document and invite team members to contribute.

It’s worth holding a meeting or conference to discuss large-scale campaigns or initiatives.

5. Are we meeting to discuss a new concept or project?

Project kickoff conferences are vital to the collaborative process. It’s critical to set aside time to discuss roles, objectives, and timelines required by the group to launch a program.

Try alternating check-ins with meetings and virtual cooperation if the project has already begun.

Instead of a weekly status report meeting, try bi-monthly status reports with virtual stand-ups through Slack or email.

6. How frequently do we require progress updates if this is a recurrent meeting?

If you’re planning a recurrent meeting, consider adding virtual aspects. For example, host a weekly status update over Slack to save time if you require a weekly status update.

7. Is there enough time to prepare?

A productive meeting requires preparation. Preparation for specific endeavors, like brainstorming, is minimal. Recurring sessions generally need additional planning.

Once you know the conference type, you may assess your team’s availability and choose a date. Just because you’re ready doesn’t guarantee your colleagues are prepared with their work at the same time. Everyone should have their tasks complete by the slated dates — and your weekly update should that progress. You will want to announce larger tasks a day ahead of time so that everyone can prepare.

Check team members’ calendars to see whether they’re available. Finally, ask your team how they can prevent missing events. Once they affirm, you’re ready to go on.

8. Do I need to invite everyone?

Jeff Bezos and most business executives believe that the most productive sessions include eight people and the two pizza rule. Your invitees may invite additional team members but limit the core group to avoid unnecessary conversation.

9. What is each person’s function in this meeting?

Once you’ve decided who to invite, it’s essential to know what each individual can contribute to the table. If the meeting needs specific data or insights, appoint a suitable participant to bring it. Again, you’ll save time by concentrating on the current debate and not waiting for others to find information.

Assign jobs like facilitator or note-taker ahead of time. You’ll learn to manage your time better and see ahead.

10. Can the meeting be done through video call?

In many circumstances, the answer is “yes.” Video conferences allow distant participants to join in on the discussion and record for those who couldn’t attend. In addition, video conference sessions are quicker than audio-only meetings, making them more productive and inclusive.

11. When shall we meet again?

When scheduling conferences, consider others’ time. Most meetings shouldn’t last longer than about 30 minutes. If you’re planning a lengthy schedule, consider booking an hour-long meeting. First, however, you should review your plan to see how long these talks will take.

Set the session timer for 30 minutes and only 45 or 60 minutes if the agenda items are closely connected. Longer meetings can cover a wide range of duties, which may confuse attendees. Better to have one topic or a better checklist for longer meetings.

It’s preferable to schedule two shorter meetings than one big one. Remember to use our checklist before arranging the second meeting.

12. Is the plan clear?

Nothing is worse than an unprepared leader. Agendas provided in advance help attendees prepare constructive contributions. Making a plan also helps you clarify your ideas regarding the project.

13. Is the conference room A/V ready?

Last but not least, ensure the conference place is ready to go. Use our AV checklist to ensure the room you’re using is ready for video conference immediately. Fifty-nine percent of remote employees say IT difficulties hinder meetings. Yet, remote employees depend on these technologies to properly join the team.

More efficient sessions save time and money. Meetings in the last year cost U.S. businesses $37 billion. You don’t want your business to add extra dollars to this tally for your annual conference expenses. Find out more about meeting costs and the most OK video conferencing camera for your conference location. So clear your calendar.

Image Credit: Christina Morillo; Pexels; Thank you!

Meeting Checklist Helps You Decide if a Session is Needed was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

Prioritize Employee Health This Summer With These Apps

By Jason Barnes | Business Tips | No Comments

Ever since the first wave of COVID-19, people have been more conscious about their health. From getting vaccinated to watching their weight, Americans are more focused than ever on getting healthy. Unfortunately, prioritizing health can be a major challenge for workers facing a busy summer.

As a business owner, you’re responsible for a lot of things. You need to maintain a profitable business, satisfy customers, and continue to move your organization forward. Another high priority should be your employees and their personal health.

What you need to do as an employer is enable your workers to be able to prioritize their health. They should be able to do this even on a busy work schedule. This list of health-centered apps can be a part of your strategy. Teach — or even incentivize — your employees to use these apps, and you’ll have a happier, healthier team clocking in each day.

Appointment

A big part of prioritizing health is devoting time to it. Some employees might procrastinate on things like health check-ups and doctor’s appointments because they’re afraid to miss work. Your job as an employer is to help your employees make time for their personal health.

Appointment is a program that helps companies manage meetings with clients, employees, and potential investors. Employers can use this app to block off time for workers to make it to their personal appointments. Schedules and meetings can be adjusted to accommodate their needs.

Your personal calendar will be synced with Appointment, so you can keep tabs on any changes. Let your employees know that you want to enable their health needs and use an app like this to make it possible.

Daily Water Tracker Reminder

Hydration is something you can easily do throughout the day, even while at work. Drinking water helps regulate body temperature, fight off illnesses, and improve cognition. This will help employees both at work and at home.

Staying hydrated is as simple as remembering to drink. A simple app such as the Daily Water Tracker Reminder can help out your team. This program is free for both Apple and Android devices. Users create personalized goals and track their water intake. The app helps keep you accountable to your goals and helps you visualize the progress made over time.

The amount of water you should drink varies from person to person. Different weights, heights, and levels of activity can contribute to a wide range of hydration goals. Employers can reward team members that meet their goals, wherever they are set, in an effort to boost hydration within the organization.

Strava

You can’t talk about health without mentioning the need for exercise. Daily exercise helps with blood flow and burns fat and calories. Strengthening your muscles also contributes to better stamina throughout the day, even if you work while seated at a desk.

There are numerous apps centered on exercise, but Strava has some features that stand out from the rest. For starters, it’s frequently referred to as the “social network for athletes.” Strava provides a platform for you to share workouts, photos, and comments with a global community. You can create a work-based community within the app to motivate your team to exercise together.

Strava focuses on running and cycling. Coworkers can share their favorite routes and even compete in monthly distance competitions. Perhaps your team could even train together to participate in a local race.

MyFitnessPal

You are what you eat, or so they say. Eating healthy isn’t always fun, but it can drastically turn your life around. A balanced diet provides more energy, can save you money, and better protects you from getting sick.

One way to start eating better is to use a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal, available on both Apple and Android. You can manually input meals or scan barcodes to track everything you eat. MyFitnessPal helps you count calories and balance your diet.

The app is free, but there’s a premium version with additional features worth considering. Your company could add this as an employee benefit, reimbursing the cost of a monthly premium subscription to employees wishing to use the app. This will help them get healthier and happier without money being a contributing factor.

Headspace

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Employees who are in a better mental health state are more engaged and productive while at work. Prioritizing mental health as an employer will also boost employee satisfaction and retention rates.

There are numerous apps that focus on different aspects of mental health. One of the most highly recommended is Headspace. It has nearly one million reviews in the Apple Store with a 4.8 overall rating. It can guide you through breathing exercises, meditation, and sleep routines.

Headspace requires a subscription, which can also be implemented into your company’s benefits package. The cost of a monthly subscription can easily pay itself off, if it makes your employees happier and more productive. Consider trying it out for yourself as well to see how big of a difference it makes.

When your workers are happy, you’ll be happy. Making their health a priority this summer might be one of the best moves your business makes this year. Start the movement today.

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