In a recent TV interview, health advocate Dr. Mehmet Oz shared that in a survey of 1.2 million people about health habits, 95% of the healthiest people in the survey made a habit of taking time for themselves.

Taking time to follow your passions and things you love to do is not just a “nice” thing anymore. It’s necessary for overall health and well-being. The benefits to our lives stretch beyond just health. Pursuing our passions (either at work or in our free time) can have direct impact on our productivity and happiness.

Wondering how to jump off the “hamster wheel” of life to pursue your passions? Here are a few tips:

“Dream-Storm”

Do you ever fantasize about what you’d do if time and money were unlimited? Take a few minutes to write these dreams down. What would you do? Travel? Make a special purchase? Volunteer at your favorite charity?

Look at your list for cues on where your passions are. Maybe you won’t be able to buy that classic roadster to park in your own driveway but you could attend a local car show or browse through a collector’s magazine. Perhaps the 7-day Caribbean cruise isn’t a possibility but a day-cruise on your city’s local waterway will give you a great relaxing day on the water. Look for ways to pursue your passion in baby steps.

Take Back Your Time

Many people don’t pursue their passion because they say they don’t have the time. According to a Nielsen ratings study,the average American watches 38.5 hours of television every week! Another time black hole for many folks – Facebook. The average user spends more than 11 hours per month on Facebook (Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 2010 & Facebook Press Room, 2011). With 93% of Internet users on Facebook, we know that means a lot of you!

If keeping up with your favorite shows or looking at your friend’s family vacation photos are your passions, great! Enjoy that outlet. But if you find yourself sitting in front of the TV or your computer out of laziness and boredom, consider taking back that time and investing it in your passion. Take a class, join a club or volunteer for an organization where you can pursue what you love.

Invest in Your Passion

Making a time or financial commitment is a great way to hold yourself accountable to pursuing your passions. Even small purchases can be a great inspiration.

If you’re a gardener, maybe it’s a new pair of gardening gloves. If fitness is your passion, perhaps it’s signing up for a race or event where you will have to commit to putting in the time to train. The financial commitment doesn’t need to be huge, but when you’ve put some money in, you will likely be more inclined to put some time in to pursing that passion as well.

How do you follow your passion? Got more tips to share?

Photo by Zach Klein.

For years I was a mentor in a teen mentoring program, and at the beginning of every semester we’d set goals. This was one of the hardest meetings of the year – attendance was poor, the kids were unruly, and there was a higher-than-usual level of whining going on.

It was a challenge, because the kids always wanted to set goals like get “straight A’s”, even though most of them were lucky to have a C average. And then as soon as we asked them what they were going to do differently to change the outcome, the conversation got really awkward.

As adults, when it comes to goal-setting, we don’t necessarily make smarter decisions than those teens – somehow when it comes to our ability to accomplish goals, we tend to think we are immune to the laws of time and physics. Wasting time playing party poker video rarely does anything to help accomplish your goals!

But, if you can take the two different types of goals and put them together so they work synergistically, then you have a real shot at accomplishing anything you put your mind to.

The 2 Types of Goals

1. Outcome-Based Goals

Outcome-based goals are things like “I want to lose 10 pounds by 4^th of July” or “I want to ship my ebook by the end of the month.”  Your goal is based solely on the outcome you are seeking – but there is nothing about HOW you are going to get there. I love outcome-based goals, and they tend to be the ones we dream about, but they are also trickier to succeed as you don’t have direct control over whether you will achieve it or not.

2. Behavior-Based Goals

Behavior-based goals are the intermediate goals that help us achieve our outcome-based goal. Whether you achieve them or not is based solely on whether you put the time in. For example, if you want to lose 10 pounds by the 4^th of July, you probably need to make some changes to your diet, exercise, sleep habits, stress levels, etc. In this case, you might say that you need to do 30 minutes of exercise 5 times per week, sleep at least 7 hours per night, and completely eliminate refined carbs – all goals that you can choose to accomplish or not.

Both types of goals are super-valuable, and I think they pack a powerful one-two punch when used together. You choose an outcome-based goal, and then establish your behavior-based goals that support accomplishing your outcome-based goal.

The S.M.A.R.T Way to Set Goals

Time and time again, I see people fall down on making their goals S.M.A.R.T. But it’s a really sensible model to use – providing a great framework for helping tame that ambition and increase the odds of letting you cross that goal off your bucket list (or even your weekly to-do list).

• Specific: You need to have a specific goal. For example, I want to complete my ebook by the end of the month.
• Measurable: How long is that ebook going to be (either word count or pages)? While you may not know specifically how long it will be until you write it, you probably already have a sense of whether it’s a 30-pager or a 100-pager. Setting a measurable number is critical for keeping you on track.
• Attainable: Is it actually possible to complete your goal in the timeframe specified? If it’s 100 pages and you have 7 days left in the month; that probably isn’t attainable. Look at your calendar and what else is going on in your life and determine what sort of commitment you can make to the goal. Better to revise the target than to miss it.
• Relevant: Is the goal you are setting actually important to you or your larger goals? There is nothing wrong with pursuing a passion just because, but it’s important to acknowledge that in your goal-setting because right now might not be the time to be pursuing this specific goal.
• Time-Bound: You need an end date. In the case of our ebook, we have an end date of the end of the month for the outcome-based goal, and our behavior-based goal may be to write 1,500 words per day.

Goal-Setting Leads to Project Management

The funny thing about goal-setting is that it’s really not that much different from project management.

• In project management, our outcome-based goal is to implement the project successfully.
• The behavior-based goals are the work back plans.
• The S.M.A.R.T. component is enforced by the project manager who has to appropriately “load” his or her resources – you can’t be in meetings 6 hours a day and complete two 4-hour deliverables each day.

So the next time you have an audacious goal to chase, put on your project management hat (or hit up your favorite project manager friend) and get them to help you lay out a plan.

How do you set goals? Do you use the two types of goals together?

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Over a period of time a business ceases to be a passion and turns into a burden for many business owners. This is because giving more time is mistaken as a sign of greater commitment but in reality, it sucks all the freedom in your business. There are ways through which you can streamline your business processes to get more out your efforts in terms of the work done and the revenues collected.

Before you set out to do this, it is important for you to acknowledge the problem. Diligence is called for in business, but so is efficiency. You need not give hours of your time to an activity when you know there are better ways to handle it. Here is how you can earn more freedom in your business and enjoy your work more rather than feeling tied down.

1. Do not spend time on activities that can be handled by an assistant

As a business owner you have the onus of attending to greater responsibilities. Avoid activities that kill time while giving no tangible results. Hire an assistant to look into your communications and routine activities for you to concentrate on matters of significance.

2. Use the facility to communicate on the move

Technology allows you the freedom for you to not get tied down to a location when it comes to collaboration, interaction and communication. Use the technology available if you are not doing it already.

3. Delegate responsibilities

This is the first lesson for a successful business approach. Give responsibilities to people to exhibit their skills. Let your employees contribute!

4. Improve efficiency

Success is not dependent on how many hours you give to your business but what you are able to achieve out of that time. Do not give yourself the comfort of having all the time at your disposal. Challenge yourself and your employees into improving the work efficiency.

5. Go by a plan

This saves you time. Break all your activities into small work tasks to follow up on activities efficiently one after the other. Avoid killing time in irrelevant pursuits.

6. Be realistic in your result expectations

If you have been putting in a considerable amount of your time hoping for better results, try to avoid it. Focus on efficiency instead. Know your strengths and capabilities to avoid building unreasonable expectations. Do not push yourself and your employees towards unrealistic targets in order to avoid a possible burn out.

7. Do not micromanage

Just as delegation of tasks is important, so is your belief in the capabilities of your employees. Do not hire people unless you have confidence in their ability to handle the work you assign. Once you do, avoid the urge to micromanage. Save time and focus your energy elsewhere.

Implementation of a well thought-out strategy is important but at the same time it is necessary that you give time to innovation and strategy building. Innovation cannot be given a small time slot in your busy schedule. For that you need to ponder over things in peace when you are assured that your business does not need you to attend to the most basic of issues. Create such a space for yourself while still being active and hands-on in your approach towards your business.

How do you create more freedom in your business?

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A search on Amazon.com for books on Productivity returns 45,960 titles. If you’re having trouble being productive at work you may find it difficult to make the time to read a book on productivity cover to cover.

For that reason, I’m going to share with you 5 proven tactics that you can start implementing today that WILL enable you to increase your productivity and help you to get more done.

5 Proven Tactics to Increase Your Productivity

1. Wake Up Early

The morning provides a calm that is often hard to find at any other time of day. Phones aren’t ringing, emails are only starting to trickle, and not gush in, as they do later in the day. This is your time to get ahead. Use this time to exercise, read or study, and to get a jumpstart on your most important task of the day.

2. Start with Important Work

Our most meaningful and impacting projects are often the hardest and require the most time and attention. That’s why they often end up getting pushed lower and lower on our to-do list throughout the day. Take a new approach and start your day by focusing on your most important work first. You may find it hard to get going, but once you do you’ll be working on tasks that have meaning and provide a real impact to your business and career. Plus, once you get through your most important item you’ll feel liberated and can move on to the less important work that so often clogs the day.

3. No Interruptions

Robin Sharma points to research data that says workers are interrupted every 11 minutes. Every distraction reduces your productivity and derails your focus and energy from the task at hand. Value your work and value your time by saying NO to interruptions. Close your door, create a “Do Not Disturb” sign if you need one, and block your calendar with work times so your assistant or co-workers know not to bother you. There are so many interruptions around us each day. Find what they are in your life and start removing them.

4. Avoid Meetings

Daily and weekly meetings can be critical to keep the flow and rhythm in a business. But meetings where several people need to spend 20, 30 minutes to an hour or more need to be avoided like the plague. Not only do these meetings often result with few actionable ideas, the topics they cover can usually be dealt with over a 5 minute phone call. In fact, Seth Godin goes as far as saying he won’t attend meetings (at least in the typical sense) but prefers conversations where a decision can be reached. If not, meetings simply become events. Think about how much money is “invested” into a meeting when you have 4-5 employees sitting around a table for 30 minutes or an hour.

5. Disconnect the Internet

Stop swearing at me! Seriously, I know you NEED the internet. In a CNN survey many respondents said they would take the Internet over Sex any day. I digress. While the Internet does increase your productivity and allows for access to information in unimaginable ways, it continues to lower the productivity of many workers. How often do you get a notification of a new email? Engaged in research and come upon a Youtube video that you just “needed to watch”? Had to update your Facebook or Twitter status because you just found the cutest cat picture ever? You get the point, right? Unplugging yourself by taking your work offline provides a level of focus that you just can’t achieve online with all the potential distractions it presents.

Start by implementing one of these tactics today. You’ll start seeing positive results and will quickly move to implementing more of them.

To a more productive you!

How do you increase your productivity? We’re curious to hear your tips!

Photo by David Castillo Dominici.

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If the only jobs that were left on Earth were Internet jobs based on Internet applications, would you be able to get hired? This a question more and more job applicants are asking themselves. One of the biggest job growth sectors is online, where e-commerce sites, Internet magazines, social networks, online retailers, and SEO agencies are tapping into one of the most important inventions since the printing press.

Increasingly, job applicants are looking online for jobs and searching Internet forums in order to find a career. Hiring managers are using the Internet for their own recruiting purposes. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all being utilized for business growth and career development simultaneously. 

As of 2009, the Internet economy had created 1.2 million new jobs over the course of the preceding decade. We can expect that number to double or even triple by the time this decade ends. But what are some of the skills you will need in order to flourish online? Once you get that interview, what will your portfolio tell employers about your ability to adapt in the newest job environment?

Here are 5 skills and tactics you can use to posture yourself for an Internet job:

Content management systems

The ability to be able to navigate a CMS is an extremely valuable skill that many businesses look for in a job applicant. In addition to demonstrating basic web and computer-savviness, a great many companies now fuel their webpages with CMS services like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, which can transform ordinary blogs into complex online magazines.

There are a multitude of reasons why CMSs are so revered: Their plugins can assist with social media integration, e-commerce, SEO, and a wide variety of other necessary web applications. Even if you won’t be responsible for producing the actual content on a site, knowing how to use a CMS to manage online material and optimize it for the web may land you a job.

In particular, familiarize yourself with the incredible diversity of plugins, extensions, and widgets that can be used to modify blogs and websites.

SEO

Ask any online marketer or Internet entrepreneur what the most important strategies are in order to make a company grow and they will inevitably cite search engine optimization near the top of that list. SEO is a major growth sector on the Internet and an undeniably powerful asset to possess.

This is probably one of the more complex skills on this list, as search engine algorithms are continually changing and SEO tactics are in a near constant state of flux. Even a working familiarity with SEO should earn you some brownie points in most employer’s eyes.

And don’t even think about applying for a job with an Internet marketing company if you don’t have some experience with SEO.

Social media optimization

Social media would at first seem like a fairly trivial skill to list on a resume, but increasingly it’s viewed as an important part of brand awareness, reputation management, and even SEO. The rise of social networks as dominant forces in our society underscores the importance of understanding what they can be used for. Facebook and Twitter aren’t just for messaging friends and family anymore—they are comprehensive ways for businesses to reach out to consumers, create brands, and generate more traffic.

Newer popular sites like Instagram, Pinterest and location-based sites like Foursquare present even more options for social media-friendly businesses. Knowing your social networks is looking better and better on resumes. Even better is a demonstrable track record of helping clients improve their online presence by creating media-rich social media profiles.

Graphic design

Digital graphic design is always sought after as an online skill. Even if it’s just for putting together a newsletter or showing off a logo watermark on a business document, a familiarity with graphic design and online aesthetics will go a long way toward landing you a job in today’s job market and preparing you for the job market of tomorrow.

Even a well designed resume can create a lasting impression in an employer’s mind. If in addition you can list proficiency in photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop or even video editing software like Final Cut Pro, hiring managers will begin to think of you as tech-savvy. It will also increase the number of jobs you are capable of handling.

Many people go back to school in order to earn degrees in graphic design. Increasingly, web developers are expected to be familiar with web design as well as distributed network applications.

Podcasts

Podcasts are increasingly thought of us as important tools for businesses in order to reach more people and target niche markets. Many major blogs now have corresponding podcasts that help them to widen their sphere of influence. A job applicant with a portfolio of podcast experience is likely to rise higher on the list of candidates an employer looks at for an Internet job.

Fortunately, podcasts are inexpensive to produce and don’t require a great amount of gear. Podcasts suggest Internet literacy and technological proficiency and in today’s age those are highly regarded characteristics.

The more of these skills you possess the more likely you are to get hired by an online company or a company that is developing an online division. Many companies want Jacks and Jills of all trades—in other words, they want employees who can take on a number of different tasks and switch between them on an ongoing basis.

An Internet company may charge its Social Media Director, for instance, with updating content on WordPress, optimizing it for the web using SEO, and sending out relevant social media posts. This same person may be in charge of creating a podcast for the company and then designing the header for the page on which the podcast is featured.

All in a day’s work! Goes to show you the importance of having a variety of online skills and continually honing and refining them.

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As a community manager, I spend a significant part of my day on Twitter. That is where I get my news, where I decide what community events I’ll be attending and how I hear about certain movers and shakers I should be paying attention to.

For me, and a large portion of the population, Twitter is quickly becoming a one-stop-shop for information pertaining to both my personal and professional life.

So, as you might have guessed, having a noticeable presence and gaining more followers on Twitter can do wonders for any business — whether it is an entrepreneur on a solo venture or a company with 100+ employees. In fact, it’s one arena where both operations can find themselves on an equal playing field.

But, it’s not as simple as creating an attractive profile and sending out a few tweets here and there. If that’s where your outreach stops, chances are your followers (if you manage to get a few) will take note and lose interest.

Success in social media is generally followed by an overall increase in success for your business. If you’re ready to make an impact on Twitter, here are a few tips to get you started.

Tip #1 – Don’t use Twitter strictly for self promotion.

Twitter can be a great platform to share information about your business, but if that’s all you’re using it for, no one will ever pay careful attention to what you’re saying.

Instead, learn how to reach your target audience by sharing information centered around your line of work. For example, if you own a skin care line, stay on top of trends in the industry and link to articles relating to it, or share tips that your followers might later share with their followers.

Establish your company’s personality and share your knowledge — then sprinkle in a little self promotion.

Tip #2 – Join in on the conversation.

If people are retweeting your tweets or speaking to you directly, take the time to respond. This lets your followers know that there is a live person behind your Twitter account and you aren’t just treating it like an automated system.

This is a great way for companies to keep an eye on their reputation and manage any disgruntled customers before they start spreading their opinion or bad experience like wildfire.

And, of course, people appreciate a pat on the back, so if you’re offering a thank you or letting them know when you appreciate what they are saying, they are far more likely to return the favor.

Tip #3 – Don’t rely on automated direct messages.

I certainly appreciate the idea behind offering a direct message feature, but my inbox is filled to the brim with automated messages that all sound exactly the same — “Thanks for the follow, make sure you check out our blog!” or “Stop in to our store or restaurant for XY or Z!”

Not only is there no originality in these responses, but it shouts “We’re only here for self promotion and don’t really care who you are!”

If you feel the need to send a direct message, personalize it to let them know that you are speaking directly to them.

Tip #4 – Give credit where credit is due.

If you are sharing something with your followers that you heard or saw elsewhere, give credit where it’s due. Let people know you are paying attention and helping to facilitate the conversation and not sharing ideas as if they were your own.

This can also increase your followers by showing that you are paying attention to the Twitter universe and you are a great source of information on whatever topic you are covering.

Tip #5 – Be an active follower.

Always be on the lookout for ways to gain more followers on Twitter by following people that might be interested in what you have to say, and those who might share something relevant to your business. Most people will return the favor by following you, so paying attention to if they are in your target audience can be extremely helpful.

There are automated programs that will do the following for you, but they are incredibly easy to spot. For instance when I send out a tweet that happens to mention office furniture and immediately have a store that sells office furniture in some far off country follow me, I know they didn’t seek me out on their own. These are generally the accounts that I won’t follow back.

Tip #6 – Keep your account updated.

If you’re only tweeting once every couple of days, the chances of you really making an impact are slim to none.

Let your followers know that they can rely on you for a constant stream of information, and you will be far more likely to attract new followers and be added to more lists. Participate in conversations daily — the time it takes can be minimal, but the impact can be substantial.

What are your tips for being noticed and gain more followers on Twitter?

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With so much competition in the job market, how do you think outside the box and have a solid plan in place on how to get noticed? If you didn’t realize yet, it’s going to take a bit of innovation to set yourself apart. There are so many traditional ways of trying to get a job, but with recruiters receiving on average 75 resumes per job opening, how can you be the one that they choose to contact? Be creative! Do something well. . . awesome!

There are many unique ways to get employers to notice you. But getting noticed is just one piece of the puzzle. You need to keep their attention in order to potentially be handed that coveted job offer. Some ways to get their attention won’t change – like having an awesome resume – however, let’s look at three creative resume ideas you could try in addition:

1. Infographic resume.

Infographic images have a visual appeal that traditional text only resumes do not have. They quickly grab an employer’s attention through color and design. For a hiring manager who is looking through resumes, it would likely pop off the page in a sea of words. An infographic is simply a graphic visual representation of information and your skills. So when you consider a resume as an advertisement, it makes sense that a resume could also be an infographic. Using the graphical respresentation, you can show your credentials and creative skills in a fun way!

2. Industry-related resume format.

Much like the infographic resume, you can show this visually, or built into the aesthetics of the wording. For instance, perhaps you are trying to get a writing position and you write your entire resume as if it is a blog. Think about what is unique about your field, is there a font or template that might stand out? If you need some inspiration have a stab at an idea map resume! While what worked for one person, might not be what works best for you, think about your field and your resume and how you can align them.

3. Video resume.

What better way to get through the non-verbal communication barrier that a piece of paper relies on. Making a video resume allows you to be in front of a possible employer earlier in the hiring process, and gives them the ability to assess whether or not your personality may be a good fit for their company.

There are many ways you can be unique when creating a video resume, and all you need is a computer with a webcam, no high tech recording equipment! You should keep your video to a minute and try to have lighting and surroundings that will be most advantageous.

These are some great tools to use to give yourself an edge in getting noticed so that you will get that first call for an interview. Be sure to get noticed, then keep their attention by standing out in your interview.

How do you think outside the box when it comes to jobs? How will you utilize your creativity to land that next job?

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When it comes to running a small company effectively, task management is one of the keys to success. For many years, however, small business owners have had to deal with the added expense of hiring an IT expert to upgrade and maintain licensed software across their computer networks, which is why they are always looking for ways to cut this cost.

Fortunately, business software is much more affordable now that cloud-based applications give users a number of powerful tools that can be synced with desktops and mobile computing devices. Best of all, most apps can be scaled according to a company’s demand, which means that owners no longer have to worry about paying thousands of dollars for software features they don’t need.

Here are some cool task management programs for small companies by computing and business news sources for their rich features, affordability and ease of use:

1. bizodo (Firefox, Chrome, Safari)

This web-based app enables companies to build and share online forms with ease, which is important for keeping track of group projects. Moreover, the program comes with encryption software to protect sensitive data, along with a cloud-based storage system to reduce hard drive space. Bizodo also offers three subscription tiers for companies that need more resources.

2. Do (iPhone)

Business owners are probably surprised that there is an app that enables them to manage team projects through their iPhones, but Do is designed for this purpose. Through its simple interface, users can create a task, assign it to another person, and can even add comments. Do also offers a website that allows users to manage tasks from their desktops.

3. Producteev (iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows)

Another web-based task management app, Producteev can retrieve data from E-mail, Google Calendar, and Instant Messaging programs to help users keep track of deadlines and other important notices. They also offer multiple pricing tiers for additional storage. Best of all, Producteev provides custom scenarios to help users decide how to make the most out of its features.

4. Chandler (Firefox, IE, Safari)

For business owners who want more control, Chandler enables them to manage complex tasks while still remaining simple enough for new users. This open-source application can import data from a number of other programs such as Google Calendar, and it also features E-mail collaboration, note-taking and file sharing. In fact, there is very little that it cannot do when it comes to keeping track of things.

5. Gmail (Chrome, Firefox, IE, Safari, iPhone, Android)

Gmail has for years been a popular web-based e-mail host, but few people realize that it can also manage their daily tasks. The task box appears at the bottom right corner of the browser to enable users to create lists or generate tasks directly from their e-mail. Although business owners might need a more robust app to manage larger projects, the fact that most users already have this program makes it great for everyday organizing.

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Since all these task management programs are free, even those who have recently obtained their business degree and are busy starting up a new company will have no trouble obtaining them, and since cutting costs is vital to staying afloat as a growing business, these apps are the way to go when it comes to budgeting for software.

What other programs do you use for task management? Share with us!

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Have you ever watched, eyes green with envy, as administrative virtual assistants skillfully smooth away the bumps in an executive’s day?

“If only,” you think, “I could afford to have someone like that to answer the phone, keep my calendar, keep me organized, make travel arrangements, keep up with social media, update my website, deal with customers, keep my books… (the list goes on) Then, I could really focus on the important things that will make my business or career thrive! But, alas, I don’t have the _____ (fill in the blank: money, time, know-how, office space, etc.) to hire someone like that.”

So you go on spinning through your days, bouncing from crisis to crisis while the important things remain undone.

Well, here’s some good news for you. Having spent the past three years helping people find and use experienced virtual assistants from all over the world to their best advantage, I can tell you that this is closer within your reach than you think. Due to the explosion of affordable, cloud-based productivity and communications technology as well as the availability of highly skilled freelancers looking to work from their homes, it is now possible to build a staff of one or more experienced professionals — from next door or half a world away.

You can hire someone with the skillset you need to provide whatever service you need that does not require a physical presence, without long term commitment, overhead, payroll taxes or benefits.  What is more, you can use your virtual assistant for as many or few hours as you need, to work long-term or on a single project.

“Okay, I’m hooked,” you say.  “What does it take to do this right?”

Finding Virtual Assistance

You may choose to post your project or position on one of the many automated marketplaces where freelance providers hang out (like Elance, ODesk, Guru, Freelancer, etc.) or use a virtual service company that finds and manages assistance for you. The principles are the same for finding a great virtual assistant or team to which you can confidently delegate work:

• What does success look like? Have a clear idea of what you need the virtual assistant to accomplish and the skills and experience they should have to do so.
• Write your job description with enough detail so providers can understand whether your job is a good fit for them.
• Be realistic in budgeting. Yes, you can probably get someone to write your blog for a 10 dollars, but as in most things, you usually get what you pay for. Remember, although you’ll have to pay a small percentage to the service, you won’t have to pay taxes, benefits, office and equipment fees or long-term commitment.
• Be aware of possible government reporting requirements for contractors. The marketplace or service company can help you with this.
• Carefully review the proposals you receive to make sure respondents understand and fit your requirements. Review work samples and especially reviews of their work by previous clients.
• Consider work ethics, personality and broad experience base as well as the specific skill set you need.  The best programmer in the world will only be a frustration if he is uncommunicative, doesn’t take feedback well and misses deadlines.
• Keep in mind time zones, language and cultural issues when choosing virtual assistance from around the globe. There may be advantages to having someone from another country, but there will also be challenges.
• Use a web-based communication tool such as Skype to interview finalists to help you choose the best fit.
• Try them out with a small project before making a larger commitment.

Working Awesomely with Virtual Assistants

You’ve done it!  You posted your project, vetted and selected from 20 proposals, and you and your new virtual assistant are ready to get started.  Here are a few pointers to help you delegate successfully.

• Think of your virtual assistant as a partner. Taking time to get the partnership off to a good start will pay off for you both in the long run.
• Just as in defining the job in the first place, being precise in your requirements and expectations will help your virtual staff give you what you need.
• Delegating doesn’t mean forgetting. You must keep in touch and monitor the quality of the work being performed. After all, it is your name that goes on the work, no matter who performs it. Monitor fairly closely at first. You may be able to back off a little or a lot as you develop a good working relationship.
• Frequent communication and feedback on work performed are essential, especially in the beginning. Your virtual assistant wants to do his best for you and needs to know how to adapt to your requirements. This may take some tweaking. Be patient and precise.
• Communicate carefully. You may be staying in touch most frequently through emails or chats. The written word, especially across cultures, is much more easily misunderstood than face to face communication, so be careful and re-read what you have written before pushing the send button! An occasional video or audio chat will be helpful in ensuring clarity of understanding, especially for building long-term relationships or managing complex projects.

Finding a VA is within your reach. If you feel the need, take action today. The principles and skills you use to hire and manage your virtual staff are the same employed by any good leader. Apply these principles in finding, choosing and managing great virtual assistants for a few days — or years — and you will build a support structure that can flex and grow with your needs. You can then climb to success on this support structure.

Have you ever worked with virtual assistants? How did you go about it and what was your experience?

Photo by Graeme Weatherston.

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These days, it can be difficult to stand out from others in the workplace, whether you’re a newbie to the team or a seasoned veteran. Therefore, proving that you’re a viable and essential employee is an important task because you don’t want to be known as that employee, i.e. disposable. But how do you prove yourself?

Although we don’t all have the time to create a “work map,” it’s important to note where you want to go, how you plan on getting there, and what the outcome was, whether the objective was big or small.

The easiest way to do this is to get yourself into a habit of mapping your routine and showing your results. Here’s how:

Take control

Even if you’re not at management level, it doesn’t mean you can’t take control of your day-to-day activities, as well as your career.

Make conscious efforts to see what works for you. For example, if you work better in groups, ask your boss about weekly brainstorming sessions. Conversely, if you prefer to work on your own, this can be relayed at well.

By telling your manager that you work better by doing a certain task a certain way, you’re essentially letting them know how you can work at your optimum level.

Plus, when it comes down to it, it’s your career. If you don’t take control of it, who will? Don’t be unreasonable, but do speak your mind.

Show how you manage your goals

Managing your goals is not the responsibility of the team lead. They’re the responsibility of those who are assigned to them.

How do you manage goals? What do you use to track progress toward your goals? Do you use a legal pad or a management platform? Can your manager see?

Figuring out the best way to manage your goals and showing how to reach them will give your manager insight into your progress, as well as show why you’re an asset to the team.

Track your accomplishments

Tracking your accomplishments should be one of the main priorities at your job, apart from your day-to-day activities. Why is this important? Well, apart from the obvious, no one is going to keep tabs on each and every one of your objectives and goals. That’s something you need to be in charge of.

This is easier said than done, of course. Since we don’t always have five minutes to jot down when we’ve met a goal, you either need to get into a strict routine or use an outside platform to track your accomplishments.

Keep in mind that you probably won’t remember every objective you’ve reached, so having a list and keeping up with it is necessary. When it comes down to it, this proactive tactic will help you in the long-run.

For example, imagine sitting in a room with your manager only to forget those little accomplishments which led to something larger. It’s inexcusable in your manager’s head and would have been completely avoidable in yours, so start tracking!

Measure your progress

How often do you measure your progress toward goals? It shouldn’t be during performance reviews. They should be measured often.

The more systematically— and the more frequently—you monitor progress toward any given goal, the better your chances of reaching that goal. Plus, relaying to your manager that you achieved XYZ during an important time period lets them know what you excel in, what projects you’ll be great with, who you work well with, as well as your stake in the company.

Ask for an endorsement

One of the simpler ways to show your results is to get others to do the talking for you. When it comes down to it, you can say you rocked it, but when others vouch for you, it’s even better.

Endorsements don’t have to be formal, either. They can be anything from a LinkedIn recommendation, to a co-worker praising your skills, to an old boss giving you the stamp of approval.

Remember, the opinion of others is pretty important in any decision making process. If you’re ever in the position where you need to prove yourself, be sure to back up quality work with a thumbs-up from outside parties.

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What do you think? What are some other ways prove yourself to your manager?

Photo by David Castillo Dominici.

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