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Get Better Writing Results with Free Apps

Ed Parry — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 12:39:53 +0000

Do you have any difficulty making your writing clear, persuasive, and concise? Maybe you’ve found your work has some grammar issues, or that you simply have trouble organizing your thoughts. While practicing writing is always the best way to find improvement in your authorship, there is no reason to start at square one. In a similar way that simple graphic design apps like Canva.com have made it possible for more people to have access to quality graphics tools, there are a number of free writing applications that simply make the process of writing easier.

Wikibuy put together an informative infographic with a number of examples of the best apps they found that connect with distinct writing goals. Of course, the best writing application for you may not be immediately apparent. It’s possible that you will have to try a few things to see what you find works best for you. It may be necessary to assess your writing goals and then look for an app that helps you gain ground toward that goal.

The best way to share: Google docs from the Gsuite of Google writing products is a very useful application that allows you to connect with your work from any networked device and has the added bonus of allowing you to work simultaneously with many people on one piece, if necessary.

The best grammar check: Go beyond spell check with Grammarly. While the application also looks at spelling, it can find grammar and punctuation mistakes, as well as spot where you may have used the wrong word. While the basic application is free, a premium version can even look at genre-specific writing style to make sure you are following a good trajectory.

The best way to stay productive: Do you suffer from too many distractions to write cogently. An app called Anti-Social acts to cut out your social media and messaging apps to make sure you stay on task. It even has a customizable timer so you can be as productive as you like.

Check out the infographic below for even more free applications that will allow you to write more effectively, with greater productivity, and allow you to get more work done in a shorter span of time.

Please include attribution to https://wikibuy.com/ with this graphic.

Author: Luke Fernandez

Luke Fernandez runs Growth at Wikibuy, a consumer product that helps shoppers know when, where, and what to buy. As a Product and Growth leader, Luke has helped Fortune 500 companies and startups alike drive best-in-class marketing through technology and data.

Boost Productivity & Employee Retention: Have Everyone Work From Home

Robert M — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 13:00:14 +0000

The flexibility to work from home has long been a sought-after perk for employees. And as remote work spreads, more managers are discovering the benefits for companies, too.The productivity of remote workers has been in debate for longer than remote work became popular.citing a survey of 1,000 hiring managers. Some 63 percent currently have remote workers on their payroll, and many respondents said they expect up to 38 percent of their full-time staff to be working remotely in the next decade. Thankfully, today’s work-from-home capabilities are much more sophisticated than simply carrying on conversations over the phone. We have access to email, chat, video conferences, cloud collaboration software, and dozens of other technologies that now make it possible for almost any office job to be done completely and remotely. The American workplace is changing to reflect these capabilities. A study conducted recently in the Harvard Business Review surveyed more than 1,500 white-collar employees and found that giving workers more control over their time helps them avoid burnout. The researchers also discovered that employees without flexible schedules are twice as likely to leave their jobs, still the question remains: is working from home more productive than working in an office.

Key Takeaways:

Employees have long loved the perks of working from home but employers are now seeing the benefits too.
Employees who work from home have less burn out and are less likely to leave their jobs.
Having workers work remotely also cuts down on the size of real estate a company needs.

“They decided to let Hamilton try doing her job remotely. Together, they developed protocols and metrics to preserve her productivity, and she started leaning more heavily on teleconferencing and chat technologies to maintain a virtual presence in the office so she would need to physically be there only periodically.”

9 Surprising Things Ultra Productive People Do Every Day

Robert M — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 13:00:08 +0000

Ultra productive people are usually very determined and high energy people. These people are driven and want to get things done on a very consistent basis. It is important for these people to stick to a routine that works for them and it is imperative that they each find out what works for them more so than other things. Some people just have things that make them “tick” and this helps them stay focused on things they need to get done.

Key Takeaways:

Avoid pausing or setting aside things to deal with later, but also try to avoid letting small, urgent things monopolize your attention.
Don’t multitask, but do “eat the frog” by doing the most unpleasant jobs first.
Check email at only certain times and don’t let yourself be drawn into overcommitting — you need to learn to say no.

“Productive people end each day by preparing for the next. This practice accomplishes two things: it helps you solidify what you’ve accomplished today, and it ensures you’ll have a productive tomorrow.”

6 project management skills all managers should adopt

Robert M — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 13:00:09 +0000

All managers need to be able to oversee a project and the people that work within the project. Though it may seem and sound easy from the outside looking in, the fact of the matter is that it is not that simple. There are six management skills that each manager should try to have. Communication and making sure the atmosphere is team oriented is essential in any management team as it involves a lot of collaboration.

Key Takeaways:

All managers need to pride themselves on being leaders to the group that they are in charge of.
As a manager, you must incorporate a culture of inclusivity and communication between all levels.
All project managers have a hard job but they need to make sure that they are doing the things that they preach to other workers.

“David Lloyd George said: “There is nothing so fatal to character as half-finished tasks,” so he must have been a project manager!”

101 Time Management Tips to Boost Productivity Every Day

Robert M — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 13:00:08 +0000

Everywhere you go, whether it be school or to a job, people are preaching about how important time management really is. Over time, as you get older, you start to realize that effectively planning and getting things done in a timely manner is so much more efficient than always rushing to do something last minute. It is more professional for someone to be able to manage time. The better you are able to work, the more productive you will be.

Key Takeaways:

Being productive is now something that people can get paid for as it is a skill.
Being able to effectively manage time is essential for someone is an important job.
From a young age, try to practice new habits that will allow you to be good with time.

“My dad used to tell me, “Measure twice, cut once.” This is actually a famous proverb for anyone involved in carpentry or building since it advices to do things right the first time around.”

Crucial clockwork

Robert M — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 13:00:30 +0000

There are many different things that go into making a clock or by understanding how a clock works. As someone who is an employee, you live by the clock knowing that the clock is your true boss. If you are not at work by a certain time on the clock, then you are considered to be late. If you are at work, you cannot leave until the clock hits a certain time on the actual clock.

Key Takeaways:

For shift-workers, the need to unwind after a late day can mean difficulty in gearing up for more must-dos, like homework.
Unfortunately, many students struggle with procrastination, to the detriment of their grades and college careers.
Getting past distractions, like parties, clubs and sports, is key for students aiming to do well in college.

“Different methods work best for different individuals, but popular time management techniques include using a planner and cellphone apps such as notes, reminders and calendar.”

How do successful companies connect their global workforce?

Robert M — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 13:00:03 +0000

There are a lot of ways that big companies are able to keep their workforce in connection. Communication is a huge part of that and it is important for everyone to be able to communicate with the people that they are colleagues with. This promotes unity and makes everyone feel as if they have a part to play. In that, people get motivated to be better and they want to uphold a certain standard of work.

Key Takeaways:

Collaboration is a proven business asset, and has been proven to diminish time spent from idea conception to marketability.
Salesforce is a software firm, reputedly worth 100 billion, with a total of about 150,000 customers across the globe.
Best workplace categories that Salesforce has won awards in include, LGBT equality, Diversity, women, millennials and Parents.

“The success of large organisations is increasingly down to the ability of employees to leverage communication and productivity-enhancing tools to work collaboratively, regardless of distance or time.”

Google Plus is being shuttered – why?

Robert M — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 13:00:05 +0000

There are a lot of things that are being added to Google as the company completely continues to innovate and do things in a great way. The company is huge and it continues to be that driving force in the realm of creativity in technology. That is what it strives to be. They try many different things and now, they are not afraid to admit when something does not work. Google Plus is one of those things that they are getting rid of.

Key Takeaways:

Last March, Google found a significant bug on Google Plus and took steps to patch it up.
Nearly 500,000 users were potentially exposed by the bug before it was found and fixed.
Before the bug was fixed the sensitive data that was open to breach included, email addresses, birthdays, genders, occupations, places lived, profile pics and more.

“In what is Google’s Cambridge Analytica moment, the internet giant is under fire for not disclosing a security bug that allowed third-party developers to access Google Plus user profile data since 2015.”

Give your team a boost – Hack their commute

Ed Parry — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 18:03:16 +0000

When your team is hard at work it’s a wonderful thing to behold. Everyone is sharing ideas and innovations are clicking along.

But it’s easy to forget that outside of the company and meeting rooms and cubicles, people have a life that may include a stressful ramp up to work and a nail biting (or mind numbing) commute home.

People commute an average of 50 minutes a day and the way that commute goes in both directions can have a specific effect on how well they make it through a work day.

Everyday stressors like traffic or boredom can release hormones in the body that are bad for health, attention span, or can be just downright depressing.

Taking time to consider the commuting life of your company is one that will pay dividends.

Obviously it’s not your business what other people do in their off time (including on the way to and from work), but offering a suggestion of some ways to destress in that time can only be a good thing and lead to improved productivity.

The Zebra collected some commuting tricks to potentially share with your coworkers that could raise morale in the morning and give your company a better all around attitude.

Some are simple ideas to reduce the loneliness of the AM grind.

Driving with a friend, for example, makes you more likely to be happy — because of the transitive property of happiness.

Then there are podcasts that can help you de-stress, like listening to something funny. Or you could follow a meditation regimen — something that can be done whether walking, biking or taking the bus.

Other ideas look at healthy ways to start the day either with exercise or dietary choices. Did you know that drinking citrus juice can block stress hormones? Or that paying it forward is a great way to get more energy?

Take a look at the infographic below for surefire and non-invasive ways to recommend improvements to the collaborative energy at work, just by changing daily commuting habits.

Now’s the time to buy Italian bonds, says this $2.4 trillion wealth manager

Robert M — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 13:01:35 +0000

The Italian government is worried about the bond yields that are currently being offered. The yield is now the highest it has ever been for 10 year bonds. As a result, many people are starting to buy up these bonds. While the world does not think that Italy will default on these bond payments, there is some caution being hedged on this side. Italy is a world power and no one wants to seem them default.

Key Takeaways:

Having a diversified portfolio is smart for any particular investor in any sector.
The amount of money that is flowing through the country now is incredible.
Many people do not like to buy bonds because there is very little reward unless you have a ton of money.

“”There are risks associated with the position,” he said. “Italian yields could be pushed higher by escalating tensions between Italy and the European Commission, a breakdown of the current Italian coalition, or the departure of Finance Minister Giovanni Tria.””