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StartupNation

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• These Are the Personality Traits of Extraordinary Leaders
• Niche Marketing and How it Can Benefit You
• Power in People: Humans Will Determine Digital Transformation Success
• WJR Business Beat with Jeff Sloan: Email is Still King of Small Business Marketing (Episode 297)
• 5 Strategies to Turn Around a Program Launch That Isn’t Working

These Are the Personality Traits of Extraordinary Leaders Posted: 30 Sep 2021 09:00 PM PDT We see endless professional development workshops promising to transform aspiring entrepreneurs into visionary leaders, yet there also seems to be an elite class who naturally make it to the top. Just being in a position of power, however, doesn't necessarily mean an individual is a good leader. A true entrepreneurial leader has a disposition to motivate, inspire, facilitate dialogue and implement strategy. A strong personality may be enough to drive someone to the top, but the ability to lead is another matter. So, which one is it? Are entrepreneurs born or are entrepreneurs created? What science has to say about leadership Studies have suggested that genes play around a 30 percent role in determining if an individual will end up in a leadership position, while other studies place that heritability number lower at 24 percent. Environment exerts an even stronger influence on one's leadership potential, it seems. However, this finding then begs the question of whether or not personality is the product of genes or surroundings. After all, your personality can evolve as you age. Turns out, both shape how your brain works. If personality is the combination of external influences and natural disposition, then it makes sense why managers are often interested in exploring that facet to understand how these factors have shaped a person's thought process. Asking revealing executive interview questions during the screening process hints at how a candidate has behaved situationally in the past, but a personality test delves deeper to understand how someone might lead in a wider variety of situations. The recognized Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a widely used tool that allows a closer look at how individuals with particular personality types and traits can thrive as entrepreneurs by examining communication preferences, strengths, weaknesses and leadership approaches. MBTI identifies personality preferences to help explain the ways that people in different personality clusters use their mind, which then reveals how to best approach leadership development. Related: 10 Common Traits of the Most Successful Entrepreneurs Personality traits that are proven to make a stronger leader According to the Myers-Briggs Company, the following are personality clusters that hint at strong leader material. Keep in mind, there's no single "optimal" leadership type. Rather, each way of thinking has its own strengths when it comes to leading a startup team. Intuition-Thinking Personalities that exhibit a strong intuition-thinking preference represent a much larger percentage of those occupying leadership positions than when compared to their representation in the general population. Their particular strengths include problem solving and analysis, strategy and taking initiative to accomplish goals, all of which are great traits for an entrepreneur to possess. Intuition-Feeling People with a more intuition-feeling tendency empower others to do better in order to secure positive long-term results. The focus is on the bigger picture and truly making an impact, and is great to have in a business setting. Sensing-Feeling Individuals leaning more toward a sensing-feeling personality are more people-centered and thoughtful about helping others. Their leadership style is influenced by a desire to support and offer information in the present. Sensing-Thinking This personality pair is all about getting things done. This kind of tunnel vision ensures that the focus is on jumping into the question at hand and avoiding seemingly unnecessary discussion. The bottom line takes priority. In the entrepreneurial space, we can likely agree that positive leadership creates healthier work environments, boosting retention and setting the stage for a company's long-term success. As a leader, knowing your own personality preferences (as well as those of your employees, if you have any) and ways of thinking can help facilitate company growth. Sign Up: Receive the StartupNation newsletter! In startups especially, effective communication and close-knit teams are crucial to company growth. As an entrepreneur, you rely on constant teamwork to achieve results. Knowing how you and your team members approach situations can also help you to be an effective leader. All in all, knowing about your own personality as well as your teammates' sets the stage for better dialogue and collaboration. With the right tools and guidance, individuals can learn to best leverage their own strengths to mimic effective leadership methods. Originally published Jan. 23, 2019.  The post These Are the Personality Traits of Extraordinary Leaders appeared first on StartupNation.

Niche Marketing and How it Can Benefit You Posted: 30 Sep 2021 09:00 PM PDT One of the most important steps you need to take before launching your business is niche marketing: understanding where your startup is most needed and how you can bring value to your future customers. The value you can provide to your clients is one of the best indicators of business success. But to provide real value and achieve success, you need to narrow down your business focus. Why? Let's say that you want to start a website. There are almost 2 billion websites online. How can yours stand out if you take on a general market? Similarly, if you want to start an online store, you'll need to compete against 12 million eCommerce websites. That's why it's important to choose the right niche market. What is a niche market? A niche market is a part of a larger market that is recognizable through certain characteristics. These can include things like product price or quality and audience demographics, psychographics or geographic characteristics. Related: It's Essential to Have a Pitch for Every Niche, Says The Pitch Girl's Laura Allen How to choose a niche? To choose a niche, explore the markets you're interested in and find an in-demand submarket that has the potential to be profitable and face limited competition. For example, a market with barriers to entry might be a good opportunity for a niche business. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here Benefits of choosing a niche market Here are the main benefits of niche marketing: Lower competition: Choosing a niche market comes with the automatic advantage of having to deal with fewer competitors. If your product or service is meant for a very specific audience and has distinctive features, it's less likely that many companies will have a similar offering. Enhanced customer loyalty: When you have a very specific target customer, you can tailor your marketing messaging to them. By using a single, specific customer persona, you can leverage personalization and customization to gain loyal customers. Lower marketing budget: At the same time, if you have a single buyer persona to target through your marketing activities, you can focus only on the channels they use and on the strategies they are more receptive to. That will significantly lower your marketing spending. More chances to get noticed: If you choose a booming niche that many people are interested in, you have a good chance of being noticed — especially if you don't have many competitors. You could even pitch your product to news outlets. Higher authority: Finally, when you're one of the few players in your market, you're likely to be perceived as an authority and gain trusted followers. When done right, niche marketing can be the key to startup success. To learn more about finding the right niche, along with examples of trending niche markets, check out the infographic below. Related: What Does it Take to Run a Successful Marketing Campaign? The post Niche Marketing and How it Can Benefit You appeared first on StartupNation.

Power in People: Humans Will Determine Digital Transformation Success Posted: 30 Sep 2021 09:00 PM PDT Human talent will determine whether the growth of technology and digital transformation in business succeeds. According to the Economist, one of the most significant outcomes of the pandemic will be "the infusion of data-enabled services into ever more aspects of life." We were already expecting a transition to digital transformation thanks to technological advancement, dubbed the "fourth industrial revolution." However, following on from the pandemic that forced countless businesses to switch to remote work virtually overnight, we expect digital transformation to continue to be adopted on a larger and more rapid scale – becoming an even more prominent objective for organizations in the future. Automation is something that concerns employees: The Financial Times reports that anxiety around automation in the workforce could increase because of the pandemic, as businesses push to automate more processes to boost productivity while many are jobless or furloughed. Not all digital transformation is detrimental to the workforce, however, and doesn't mean that we have to compete with robots for our jobs. Here, we take a look at how people will determine the success behind technology and business transformation. Keys to successful digital transformation The right talent Contrary to popular belief, technology isn't the main concern when it comes to digital transformation. It's people and talent. Without the right people, technology won't be used to its full potential. A business' ability to adapt to a digital future depends on developing the next generation of skills, meeting the talent supply and demand, and protecting its potential from future changes. Businesses are working to respond to the growing skills gap and are looking for the talent needed to fight on the frontline in terms of driving innovation to meet competitors. Without familiarizing workers with new technology, further advances will not be much use. As our digital and physical worlds are united to offer entirely new processes and information, leaders will need to develop new approaches to equip the workforce with the skills they need to both succeed in and facilitate the digital age. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here Working together The main challenges are: Changing the skills and talent needed in non-tech companies. Changing how employees do their jobs. Changing the recruiting landscape. This may seem strange for many people, but we're seeing the beginnings of a fundamental change in how humans contribute value at work. Though technology is a driver behind digital transformation, technology isn't the sole solution. Automation isn't about replacing humans with machines, but about making tasks more efficient. The best outcome is achieved when humans and robots work side by side to enhance capabilities – robots can perform transactional, data-intense and repetitive, mundane tasks, which allows people to focus on the innovative, creative and strategic tasks. Forbes reported that recently, as part of an automation education program, they trained more than 800 employees to build bots that can do their most mundane tasks. Using these new skills, almost 50 bots have been developed so far that complete a range of functions from finance to marketing to technical support. Automation isn't about replacing humans with machines, but about making tasks more efficient. Research has estimated that up to 45 percent of tasks currently carried out by humans could be automated using existing technology, freeing people to work on value-added tasks. Gartner reported that automation is the fastest-growing software subsegment, seeing year-over-year growth of more than 63 percent in 2018. New jobs will be created Many new, productive and rewarding roles are being created as part of the digital transformation journey. A century ago, a lot of the jobs today wouldn't have existed. Digitalization creates new jobs, for example, digital marketing, data analytics, social media managers and Internet of Things architects. These roles help raise productivity via technology, lower prices and help stimulate demand. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 4 out of 10 new jobs were created in digital-intensive industries and employment increased in these countries by around 30 million jobs. While some jobs will be made redundant, new ones will be created. The importance of good leadership The human talents of leadership and management are important in the digital transformation process as well as integrating a culture with digital intertwined throughout. Research by McKinsey found that 84 percent of CEOs are committed to transformational change. Companies with leaders that communicate with employees are eight times more likely to achieve transformation success in comparison to those who don't and this can be improved by team development. What is seen to drive success in terms of communication between management and the workforce is: Clear communication on the objectives around transformation. CEOs and senior leaders visibly engaging with transformation. Access to information. Ability for frontline employees to see visible changes in daily roles. Empowering employees with the right knowledge and leadership can help them understand how their contribution and human value can help progress the digital transformation. This not only keeps them engaged in the process but keeps the technology functioning at optimum performance. Sign Up: Receive the StartupNation newsletter! The post Power in People: Humans Will Determine Digital Transformation Success appeared first on StartupNation.

WJR Business Beat with Jeff Sloan: Email is Still King of Small Business Marketing (Episode 297) Posted: 30 Sep 2021 10:18 AM PDT On today’s Business Beat, Jeff talks about engaging customers in an era of new online marketing laws with the granddaddy of all online marketing tactics: email. Tune in to the Business Beat, below, to learn more about the advantages of newsletters: Tune in to News/Talk 760 AM WJR weekday mornings at 7:11 a.m. for the WJR Business Beat. Listeners outside of the Detroit area can listen live HERE. Are you an entrepreneur with a great story to share? If so, contact us at editor@startupnation.com and we'll feature you on an upcoming segment of the WJR Business Beat!   WJR Business Beat Transcript Good morning, Paul! There are lots of changes afoot relating to how small businesses advertise online these days. I mean, with all the new privacy laws now in place, and with Google announcing it’s going to be phasing out tracking cookies soon, the playbook for marketing online has gotten quite complicated. So what’s a small business to do? Well, turn to an online marketing tactic that has been No. 1 for small businesses for a long time. What is it? Good old email and for good reason. It works. A recent study by the Direct Marketing Association shows that email marketing is, in fact, the most profitable direct marketing channel generating an average return on investment of $42 for every dollar spent. To be clear, email marketing is when you send out an email message en masse to those who have opted in to receive your emails. Those are your email subscribers and such outbound emails could be informational, such as an email newsletter as part of your content marketing strategy or branding strategy, or it could be promotional, a deal or discount or offer that is intended to engage your customers and drive more business your way. Now, according to LiveIntent's data, 63% of ad executives these days say that they’re actively putting more emphasis on their email marketing campaigns driven largely by their desire to collect first-party data from the market in the absence now of all the other methods they used to use, but that now are prohibited by the new laws. Carol Cooper, chief marketing officer of LiveIntent, had this to say: "The direct and trusted relationship between a publisher and a consumer has only grown in the past year amid the COVID pandemic. Email newsletters are a strong solution for advertisers looking to grow their first-party data to reach targeted and personalized communication with the customer base." So if you’ve been struggling with how to engage most effectively with the customer base, given the changes in the online marketing laws, go with the granddaddy of all online marketing tactics: email. I’m Jeff Sloan, founder and CEO of startupnation.com and that’s today’s Business Beat on the Great Voice of the Great Lakes, WJR. The post WJR Business Beat with Jeff Sloan: Email is Still King of Small Business Marketing (Episode 297) appeared first on StartupNation.

5 Strategies to Turn Around a Program Launch That Isn’t Working Posted: 29 Sep 2021 09:00 PM PDT If you're a few days into your program launch and you're disappointed by lack of results, don't waste your time by wallowing in what you think is failure. Before diving into these five steps, first recognize that no matter the situation, your launch is not a failure. I like to tell my clients that every "no" is just one step closer to that "yes."  So, even if your launch hasn't quite lived up to the goal you set out to achieve, there will always be lessons to take from the experience.  That said, the best thing you can do is stay in the energy of your program launch and pivot as much as possible to turn things around. You can right the ship. Here's how:  Adopt the right mindset  The reality is, the launch isn't a failure, especially if it's not over yet. I coach all my clients to adopt and maintain a "CEO mindset," which is the first step to turn around your program launch. Put your CEO hat on, and remember this is business. It doesn't reflect on you personally.  When I first launched “The Swift Marketing Mastermind,” I had locked in my first four clients super fast after doing outreach to personal contacts and people who had shown interest in the program previously. I was so excited and figured the rest of the launch would go as smoothly. It didn't. I went the first four days of the public launch without a single sale. I was devastated, but then I realized that while my feelings were valid, I also needed to look at what I could actually change to get better results. A true CEO is able to separate herself from her business so she can show up authentically and objectively and make the best possible decisions for the business.  Look at your launch through a new lens I call this "leaning into curiosity." So often, I see launches that can be turned around with a few small tweaks. Ask yourself: why are people saying no? What can I do to change that?  Some other questions to consider: Am I using messaging that I know will connect me with potential clients? No matter what you're launching, you will come up against objections. The most common ones that come up are time, money and readiness. Evaluate if there are other objections (i.e., is there a particular thing that people always ask about?) Make sure you are speaking to these objections and questions with your messaging. No one is going to have 100% success at launches every time. A huge element for future success is being able to determine what isn't working.  Create urgency Create an "early bird" incentive, either a price point or an add-on service or feature to those who buy immediately. While many times this is provided at the beginning of a launch, you may also choose to add in the addition of a mid-launch bonus, too. This could include offering a bonus masterclass, workbook or video to those who "purchase in the next 48 hours." You'll also have to offer the same incentive to those who have already made their purchase.  When creating a bonus, remember it can't be something that's essential to the outcome of a program, but it does need to still be enticing. It might be relevant to questions or objections you are getting. For example, if your program focuses on how to create online revenue for your business, you might create a bonus masterclass on steps for how to create and establish your business. This might entice those who are interested in the course but haven't yet created their business. Make sure you set a clear start and deadline for any special offer.  Set up direct conversations with your ideal clients I'm a huge fan of getting people onto a phone call. Often, when a launch isn't successful, a big problem is there's no two-way dialogue. You need to be in these conversations in order to know what tweaks you need to make. It's really important to have conversations to listen to and understand what your ideal client wants in order to provide value. After all, a sale should be mutually beneficial: you provide the exact thing your potential client is looking for. They get what they want, and you get the sale.  Decide you are all in, no matter what It's great to recognize a not-so-successful launch as a learning opportunity. But if you get too far ahead of yourself by thinking beyond the launch and planning for the future, it's easy to "check out," so to speak, and miss out on the chance to create success in the current moment. Stay in your program launch. Stay all in. Give it the energy it deserves before moving on to your next initiative.  Originally published Sept. 3, 2021.  The post 5 Strategies to Turn Around a Program Launch That Isn't Working appeared first on StartupNation.

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Entrepreneur: Latest Articles

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3 Great Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy at Discounts in October and Hold Posted: 30 Sep 2021 03:58 PM PDT Here are three blue-chip stocks from totally different industries investors might want to consider buying at discounts in October to anchor their port...

Bitcoin ETFs: What Investors Should Know Posted: 30 Sep 2021 03:06 PM PDT Bitcoin ETFs could be approved in the US soon; here is what you should know about how they work.

Winnebago Industries (WGO) Dips More Than Broader Markets: What You Should Know Posted: 30 Sep 2021 02:50 PM PDT Winnebago Industries (WGO) closed the most recent trading day at $72.45, moving -1.91% from the previous trading session.

USA Truck (USAK) Gains As Market Dips: What You Should Know Posted: 30 Sep 2021 02:50 PM PDT In the latest trading session, USA Truck (USAK) closed at $15.28, marking a +1.06% move from the previous day.

Suncor Energy (SU) Flat As Market Sinks: What You Should Know Posted: 30 Sep 2021 02:50 PM PDT Suncor Energy (SU) closed at $20.74 in the latest trading session, marking no change from the prior day.

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KillerStartups

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22 Ways You Can Power Up for Productivity Posted: 30 Sep 2021 05:00 AM PDT What would you rate your level of productivity on a 1-10 scale? I know — sometimes you feel like you don't want to keep thinking about productivity. But you have to keep thinking about productivity for the renewable energy in yourself. You can power up for productivity by thinking about it differently — think of productivity as your power source. Productivity is your PERSONAL RENEWABLE POWER SOURCE. Start rethinking your thoughts about productivity and make it your best friend. Train your brain to have positivity about productivity and work if you want to keep going strong. Even if your current level of productivity is high, there's always room to improve. Since I'm very results-oriented, I've been on a seemingly never-ending quest to boost my productivity. As such, I frequently experiment with different approaches and systems. If I find one that has helped me achieve my goals, I keep it. For the techniques that don't work, I throw them out like yesterday's trash. Ultimately, this ensures that I'm only using the best of the best. With that in mind, here are 22 strategies that I've found to be the most useful for powering up my productivity. So, without further ado, let's get ready to level up your productivity. 1. Choose your own prioritization method. I've been a baseball fan all my life. And, I've always been fascinated with batting stances and swings. Sure. There are the sweet ones like Ken Griffey Jr. and Ted William. But, I always enjoyed the more unique stances from players like Gary Sheffield and Kevin Youkilis. While Junior had the most beautiful swing in baseball, it didn't work for everyone, especially players like Sheffield and Youkilis. The same is also true with prioritization methods. Learn everywhere and from anyone you can. I've learned a lot from former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the popular Eisenhower Matrix. "The Eisenhower Matrix works by dividing tasks into four quadrants," writes Max Palmer in a previous Calendar article. "The rows and columns help you determine which tasks should go where. The columns represent urgent and non-urgent tasks, while the accompanying rows indicate essential and non-important tasks. Combined together, you get these unique quadrants: First Quadrant: Do Second Quadrant: Decide Third Quadrant: Delegate Fourth Quadrant: Disregard But, just because this works for me doesn't mean it will work for you. As such, you should experiment with various prioritization methods until you find a swing that works best for you. Some suggestions, besides the Eisenhower Matrix, include: Two Big Traps "Be sure to watch out for 'decibel prioritization,' in which the loudest voice heard gets top priority, and 'threat prioritization,' in which stakeholders holding the most political power always get what they demand," writes Karl Wiegers in a Medium post. "These traps can skew the process away from addressing your true business objectives." In or Out "The simplest method is for a group of stakeholders to work down a list of requirements and decide for each if it's in or it's out," states Wiegers. Using the project's business objectives as a guide, pare down each task to the absolute minimum required for the first release. "When that iteration is underway, you can go back to the previously 'out' requirements and repeat the process for the next cycle," he adds. "This is a simple approach to managing an agile backlog of user stories, provided the list of pending requirements isn't too enormous." Pairwise Comparison and Rank Ordering Priority sequence numbers are sometimes assigned to requirements. Rank ordering involves comparing all the needs pairwise to see which one is more important. Over a few dozen criteria, however, this becomes cumbersome. As a whole, it might not cover all the requirements for a system of this size, but it may work for granularity. "Rank ordering all requirements by priority is overkill, as you won't be releasing them all individually," explains Wiegers. Instead, it's best to organize them by release or development iteration. The dividing of requirements into features, or into small groups of conditions that share the same priority or need to be implemented together, is sufficient in most cases. Three-Level Scale "A common approach groups requirements into three priority categories," he writes. When you use three categories, you will have high, medium, and low priorities. They are typically subjective and imprecise. Each level in the scale must represent a specific outcome that the stakeholders can agree on. "I like to consider the two dimensions of importance and urgency," Wiegers suggests. "Every requirement can be considered as being either important to achieving business objectives or not so important and as being either urgent or not so urgent." It's a relative assessment of a set of requirements, not an absolute comparison. MoSCoW A MoSCoW priority scheme is divided into four different categories indicated by capital letters: Must: The requirement must be met for the solution to be deemed successful. Should: The requirement is crucial to success, but it is not essential. The capability is desirable, but it can be delayed or eliminated. If resources and time permit, implement it. Won't: A requirement that won't be implemented at present may be implemented in a later version. "The MoSCoW scheme changes the three-level scale — high, medium, and low — into a four-level scale," clarifies Wieger. "It doesn't offer any rationale for deciding how to rate the priority of a given requirement compared to others." MOSCoW leaves room for ambiguity, especially regarding the "Won't" rating: does it mean "not in the next release" or "not ever?" This scale takes urgency and importance into account and focuses specifically on the forthcoming release or iteration. 2. Break the procrastination and perfectionism loop. If you haven't received the memo, procrastination and perfectionism reduce productivity. Mainly this is because they can cause anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Moreover, they impede innovation, limits opportunities, and make you reluctant to make decisions. If you want to break free from the destructive procrastination and perfectionism loop, Deanna Ritchie in another Calendar piece, recommends: Lowering your standards and expectations — You don't have to be perfect! Just get 'er done — and done is way better than not done." Keeping your tasks bite-sized. Focusing on one thing at a time. Practicing self-compassion. Surrounding yourself with positive support. Incorporating mindfulness. Reducing your commitments. Rewarding yourself. Tracking your time. 3. Get your body moving. No surprise here. If you feel sluggish all of the time, then you aren't going to have the energy and stamina to make it through a full day of work. While you could hit the gym before or after work, go for an afternoon stroll when you take a break at work. Sit and stretch at your desk — some of us may feel strapped for time, and we use it as an excuse not to move our bodies — don't get in this mentality. The good news? You can work out and stay active from anywhere. For example, you could switch to a standing desk, have walking meetings, playing your kids or dog, or launch a fitness challenge. You could also get creative, like doing heel-raises while making coffee or squats while folding the laundry. The point is what? Just do something — absolutely anything to raise your body moving quotient. 4. Master your skills. Your skills must be mastered before you can do your work efficiently and well. Gamers refer to this as leveling up. Practice the skills you do most often. Make sure you don't have to look up a YouTube on a how-to-do part of your job you should have memorized. Photographers, for example, cannot take the highest-quality photos unless they master their tools and photography skills. You can improve your skillset through training, learning, and reading tutorials specific to your core responsibilities. 5. Dilute micro-distractions. "We are an over-connected society which is addicted to our devices and a slave to our notifications, "writes resilence keynote speaker Heidi Dening. "In open-plan workplaces that are poorly designed with no opportunity to do distraction-free work, we take longer to get our work done and we make more errors." The reason for this phenomenon? Because humans are wired to not switch tasks like that, we cannot focus if we're being interrupted constantly by beeps, tweets, pop-up windows, and other interruptions. "The number one adjustment you can make that has MASSIVE impacts to your productivity is to turn off the sounds and notifications on your devices," suggests Dening. "Now, if this statement has scared you because you realize you are addicted to being notified when someone likes, comments, re-tweets, or contacts you, then take it one step at a time." For the first week, turn off the sounds on your devices. Then turn your email pop-up off for the following week. Once that is done, turn your social media feeds off for the following week. "If you take little steps, it won't seem so overwhelming, and you can test the impact these small modifications have on your productivity, she adds. 6. Try intelligent planning. When you plan intelligently, you will learn how to be productive while switching between various activities throughout the day — or staying fresh while working on larger responsibilities. Researchers have found that you should work in sprints that last no more than 90 minutes. More importantly, you need to take frequent breaks. The reason? You need breaks to rest, recharge, and clear your mind. Overall, this keeps your concentration and performance high. Furthermore, breaks can be beneficial for your physical and mental health as well. You might consider a short gym session or yoga during your workday if you feel your energy is waning. Increased workplace productivity, a boost in metabolism, more efficient brain function, and a positive attitude will follow. 7. Suck it up and ask for help. There's no shame in asking others for help. In fact, it's not a sign of weakness. Rather it's a strength as this is a surefire way to gain new perspectives and insights. Furthermore, various research shows that this develops resilience, relationships, and is a sign of high performers. It can also improve your mental health. Additionally, it's been found that sitting next to hard workers boosts one's work ethic. 8. Create a productivity playlist. Depending on the type of music, this is another effective way to power up your productivity. So, as you create your super-awesome-productivity playlist, focus on the following genres: Classical. In 2001, a literature review stated that listening to music by Mozart improved short-term spatial-temporal reasoning. However, it didn't affect general intelligence. Coffee shop sounds. According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2012, medium levels of ambient noise increased creativity. But, low or high levels decreased it. Ambient music. Spotify surveyed 4,000 adults from the U.S. and UK in 2021, and 69% of them said ambient music works best for study, with 67% saying slower beats are essential. Thankfully, there are already ambient playlists waiting for you in Spotify, such as Lofi Beats, Deep Focus, and Chill Lofi Study Beats. Upbeat tracks. Listening to high-tempo music (170-190 bpm) enhanced athletic performance, according to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2020. Does this translate to productivity? 180BPM Instrumental music may be able to give you a productivity boost. Nature sounds. According to a study by the Acoustical Society of America, in an open-plan office, the sound of a flowing mountain stream significantly increased workers' mood and productivity. However, only 12 participants were included in the study. Pink and white noise. One study published in Scientific Reports in 2017 found that listening to white noise while learning new words resulted in greater recall than listening to silence. White noise may enhance the acquisition of new words, according to the researchers. 9. Go on a productivity purge. A productivity purge is "a simple strategy for coming as close as possible to satisfying the principle without giving up a quest for the unexpected next big thing." The concept was popularized by Cal Newport and based on the Einstein Principle. Newport points out that Einstein's primary focus from 1912 to 1915 was his theory of relativity. But despite sacrifices, Einstein produced one of history's most significant scientific works. "We are most productive when we focus on a very small number of projects on which we can devote a large amount of attention," explains Newport. "Achievements worth achieving require hard work. There is no shortcut here." Thankfully, going in a productivity purge isn't as complicated as trying to explain Einstein's theory of relativity. Create three columns on a sheet of paper or word document; professional, extracurricular, and personal. In the "professional" column, you list all of the major projects you're currently working on. Beneath "extracurricular," include your side projects. Finally, under "personal," have all self-improvement projects. Then, under each list, "select one or two projects which, at this point in your life, are the most important and seem like they would yield the greatest returns," Newport adds. "Put a star by these projects." Next, identify anything you can "stop working on right away with no serious consequences. Cross these out." If any projects remain unmarked, "come up with a 1-3 week plan for finalizing and dispatching them," suggests Newport. "Many of these will be projects for which you owe someone something before you can stop working on them." In that case, develop "a crunch plan for the near future for shutting these down as quickly as possible." By the time you've "completed your crunch plan, you'll be left with only a small number of important projects. In other words, you have "purged your schedule of all but a few contenders to be your next Theory of Relativity." In his final tip, Newport emphasizes the importance of security. "Try to go at least one month without starting any new projects. Keep all commitments to a minimum during this month." Rather, target "with an Einsteinian intensity, on your select list." 10. Rethink what you eat. Which is going to give you more energy to finish strong through the afternoon, a bacon cheeseburger or a salmon salad? Junk food affects more than just your weight. In addition, it can cause energy crashes and decreased productivity. As such, be sure to keep healthy snacks at your office so that you can remain productive throughout the day. 11. Identify your productivity ebb and flows. Everybody has times when they are more productive than others. Identify these times via a productivity journal or time tracker and plan your most challenging tasks around them. Then, in the other times, just complete the tasks that are simpler or of lower difficulty. For instance, if you're more productive in the morning, that's when you should tackle your most important task of the day. In the afternoon, schedule meetings or mapping out your content for the next week. 12. Improve your work environment. Don't neglect your workplace. After all, this has a significant impact on your productivity. With that in mind, start by keeping your workspace clean and organized. You also might want to spruce it up with a standing desk and plants. Also, maintain a comfortable temperature in the office. You will be distracted if the working environment is too hot or too cold. Ideally, the temperature should be between 68 and 70° F. 13. Move on. Jobs in the creative industries can be extremely frustrating, especially during those gray days when nothing is inspiring to do. By repeatedly focusing on the same problem, you will create even more obstacles to your productivity — it's like spinning your wheels when stuck in the mud. As a result of frustrations like these, you begin to doubt your abilities or procrastinate. To avoid this, move on to an unrelated task. This way, you still get things done while calming down since your attention is elsewhere. And, with a clear head, and maybe even fresh ideas, you may be able to return to the original task with gusto. 14. Focus on meaningful work. Several studies indicate that individuals who find meaning in their work are more motivated, engaged, empowered, and have greater career fulfillment and job satisfaction. In addition to being productive, meaningful work can help boost performance and engagement. How can you find meaningful work? One suggestion would be doing what you love. Or, at least you are passionate about aspects of your job, like helping others or having an unlimited vacation. Other recommendations would be seeking autonomy or asking others, "What's the purpose of my work?" Or, you could amend your job description, aka job crafting, so that it's more meaningful. 15. Become a master-batcher. Did you know that focusing on more than one thing at a time reduces productivity by 40%? Peter Bregman explains why in a piece for The Harvard Business Review. See, we're not really multitasking. Instead, "We switch-task, rapidly shifting from one thing to another, interrupting ourselves unproductively, and losing time in the process." Rather than focusing on one thing at a time, it's best not to isolate. In other words, group together similar tasks and complete them all at once. As an example, instead of checking your inbox every time you receive a notification, you would check your emails three times a day, like in the morning, after lunch, or before you quit for the day. 16. Eliminate limiting beliefs. Are you concerned about some hypothetical situation that has yet to happen? Negative thoughts weighing on your mind? Put an end to these negative habits and beliefs by deleting your thoughts. After all, you don't want these things to prevent you from achieving your goals. If you want to remove negative thoughts and instill empowering ones, one suggestion is referring to Day 26 and 27 of Be a Better Me in 30 Days Program. 17. Be optimistic. "Rescue—if people are facing a daunting task, and their instinct is to avoid it, you've got to break down the task. Shrink the change. Make the change small enough that they can't help but score a victory," Chip and Dan Heath write in Switch. Breaking down challenging tasks and boosting your self-confidence can help you feel more optimistic about completing them, even if you've avoided them for some time. Then, celebrate your progress as your sub-tasks are completed. According to experts, keeping optimism alive during a project's completion is possible by acknowledging progress instead of dwelling on setbacks. 18. Listen to your body. If your body is screaming for nutrients, your mind cannot be productive. The problem is that unhealthy drinks containing energizing ingredients and junk food are favored by people seeking short-term energy boosts. Coffee and Tea aren't my thing — however (gag, my friends, if you must), sometimes a Red Bull is in order. But experiment with what works for you. Also, unless it's imperative that you're available if you're exhausted, go for a walk or take a catnap. It's often a better solution than fighting against your tiredness. 19. Use a "blast-off" method. It's rare for us to have enough time to finish everything on our plates in a single day. Especially if the task is relatively simple and we aren't inspired to do it. As a result, we procrastinate. But, this is most true on the things that we aren't looking forward to doing. The Five-Second Rule is a method that says you should count down 5-4-3-2-1 before starting a challenging task. Developed by entrepreneur Mel Robbins, this allows you to be more in control. You can also succeed in any task by following the Five Second Rule. And, your sense of accomplishment will be palpable, and you'll be inspired to keep going. 20. Challenge your mind. The troubling lack of inspiration mentioned earlier shouldn't keep you from starting your day on the right foot. Rather than allowing others to deal with that problem for you, take matters into your own hands by challenging yourself with intellectual challenges like Sudoku or crossword puzzles. Fortunately, there are plenty of these games available online, and you can pick the one that suits you best. 21. Delegate like a boss. Are you ever unsure of how you'll possibly accomplish all the tasks on your to-do list? Most of those low-value tasks can be outsourced, I'm sure. However, all of these activities will consume the precious hours of your day that you have to get work done. They include data entry, document formatting, and running errands. Thanks to the internet, you can outsource these tedious tasks so that you spend more time on what's truly important. Find out what you could outsource by checking out TaskRabbit, Fiverr, or Upwork. 22. Chronicle your development and achievements. You could do this at the end of every day. But if that's too laborious, doing this weekly could be an alternative. Regardless of how often you do this activity, the idea is the same. Take a couple of minutes and take note of your specific accomplishments. It sounds simple. But, this is an effective way to acknowledge what you're good at, as well as your progress. In turn, this will make you more self-confident and keep the motivation train rolling. 22 Ways You Can Power Up for Productivity was originally published on Calendar by John Rampton. The post 22 Ways You Can Power Up for Productivity appeared first on KillerStartups.

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