5 Ways to Manage Conflict in the Workplace

5 Ways to Manage Conflict in the Workplace5 Ways to Manage Conflict in the WorkplaceMany people head in the opposite direction when they spot conflict in the workplace. But if youre a manager thats a mistake. Conflict can be healthy or unhealthy, but either way, it merits your attention. Healthy conflict focuses on differences of opinion regarding tasks or work-related activities. It can be leveraged and facilitated for gain. Unhealthy conflict is the kind that gets personal. It must be extinguished immediately or it jeopardizes the work environment. 5 Styles of Conflict Management The research work of Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann in the 1970s led to the identification of five styles of conflict and the development of a widely used self-assessment called the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, or TKI. Their work suggested that we all have a preferred way to absprache with conflict which serves us well in some situations, but leid all. The key to success is to develop a f lexible toolkit of conflict management approaches and use the one that best fits the situation. The more you can get comfortable with each way of dealing with conflict, the more effective you will be. Collaborating In the collaborative approach, the manager works with the people involved to develop a win-win solution. The focus in on finding a solution that meets everyones needs. This style is appropriate when The situation is not urgentAn important decision needs to be madeThe conflict involves many people or a number of people across teamsPrevious conflict resolution attempts have failed This style is not appropriate when A decision needs to be made urgentlyThe matter is trivial to all involved Competing With a competitive approach, the person who takes the firmest stand wins. This style is often seen as aggressive and can be the cause of others in the conflict feeling taken advantage of. Nevertheless, this style is appropriate when A decision needs to be made quicklyAn un popular decision needs to be madeSomeone is trying to take advantage of a situation This style is not appropriate when People are feeling sensitive about the issueThe situation is not urgentBuy-in is important Compromising With the compromising approach, each person gives up something that contributes towards the conflict resolution. This style is appropriate when A decision needs to be made sooner rather than laterResolving the conflict is more important than having each individual winPower among the people in the conflict is equal This style is not appropriate when A variety of important needs must be metThe situation is extremely urgentOne person holds more power than another Accommodating The accommodating style is one of the most passive conflict resolution methods. One of the individuals gives in so that the other person can get what they want. As a rule, this style is not very effective, but it is appropriate in certain scenarios Maintaining the relationship is more i mportant than winningThe issue at hand is very important to only one person This style is not appropriate when It will not permanently solve the problem Avoiding The last approach is to avoid the conflict entirely. People who use this style tend to accept decisions without question, avoid confrontation, and delegate difficult decisions and tasks. Avoiding is another passive approach that is typically not effective, but it has its uses. This style is appropriate when The issue is trivialThe conflict will resolve itself on its own soon This style is not appropriate when The issue is important to you or your teamThe conflict will grow worse without attention The Bottom Line There is no right or wrong style of conflict resolution. Each has its time and place. Learn how to use all five and youll be much more effective. As a manager, learn to suggest different approaches based on these five styles when striving to defuse conflict.

Employee Secrets and How to Uncover Them

Employee Secrets and How to Uncover ThemEmployee Secrets and How to Uncover ThemIf you clicked on the article headline with the hopes of learning the deepest, darkest tawdry details of your coworkers personal lives or tips on how to spy on your manager, youre about to be sadly dissapointed. Here were talking secrets of the far more informational type. HR professionals across all industries have begun to see the value in metrics when it comes to hiring and keeping the best employees. Employee metrics that gauge everything from performance to satisfaction levels are mission critical to identifying flaws with and improving your hiring and management programs. One of the easiest to implement methods for gathering this critical data is through the use of regular employee survey techniques. Here we break down the what, when and how of using HR analytics to discover the secrets to hiring and maintaining the best employee talent.Typical Survey TopicsBefore we talk specifics for gathering, it s important to understand the type of data you should be gathering and maintaining for your employees. A few typical topics of survey methods should includeEmployee Performance Regular manager feedback of their direct reports.Supervisor Performance Feedback from employees on their manager is equally as useful.Employee Satisfaction Are your employees happy and if not, why?Employee Benefits Satisfaction A narrowing down of employee happiness focusing on the important area of benefits in the workplace.Employee Exit Survey A valuable tool for outgoing employees. welches it something your company did or said or is it indicative of a lack of upward mobility or other major red flags towards retention?Recruitment Satisfaction How enjoyable and productive was the hiring process overall? Identifying areas of growth can help attract talent.Company Values Does your company have a strong set of core values? Do integrity, compassion or teamwork mean a great deal? Having company value state ments and overall principles is only as good as your employees ability to recognize them. Consider asking about what is considered company values as a resource for keeping your corporate message on track.Events Events can be great ways to bring teams and the entire company together. Before and after company events, consider asking for feedback on everything from location to format to help develop more effective settings in the future.Facilities Last but not least, regular surveys can help identify needs for facility improvement. Common areas left uncleaned or greater needs in the pantry or restrooms may seem like small improvements but can add up big when it comes to employee satisfaction.Survey Best PracticesSo now that weve convinced you of the benefits of surveys, lets talk about a few best practices. For starters, although that anfangsbuchstabe rush of information, along with ideas on what else can be collected through the survey process, can be intoxicating. For those just ju mping into the survey game, its best to roll out data collection slowly focusing on specific target areas and then spreading out surveys over an extended time period. Too many surveys at once can make respondents reluctant to answer and can contribute to poor results.On a similar timing issue, be sure to send out surveys as close as possible to the relevant event. New hires, for example, should ideally receive their surveys after theyve accepted an offer to keep the process fresh in their mind. Below are a few more tips on survey best practices to help get the most out of your QA.Keep it brief The longer the survey the less interaction youre likely to get. Keep surveys to 10 questions or less and be sure to let people know the time up front it will take on average to complete the survey.Be succinct A 10 question limit doesnt pave the way for paragraph-long, multi-idea survey questions that require essay type answers. Additionally, each question should be carefully tailored to addr ess one specific action area for best application to your data mining efforts.Be accessible Last but not least, keep questions accessible to users. This is most easily done by limiting queries to multiple choice selections with minimal free text fields. Also, consider allowing users to submit via mobile devices so that employees can answer on the go or in free time between meetings.Communicating and Analyzing ResultsOnce youve collected your data, its time to process the takeaways. If youve crafted your questions correctly (see above) youll have distinct action areas that correspond to each of the survey topics. Compare the answers as a whole and look for surprises or trends. These could be areas where correction or improvement are sorely needed. Gather these results into positive and negative feedback, along with your action items. Once thats completed, youre ready to present.Survey results can be used to pitch for process changes, facilities improvement or better tools to those i n senior management and approval roles within your company. Be sure to clearly indicate in graphs and presentations how you came to your suggested takeaways. Never present problems without a solution in mind as this can make you seem un-proactive and can undermine future surveys.Lastly, dont forget to communicate results to your survey participants in the way of follow ups on actions taken from their feedback. Thank participants for their time and provide a timetable for any roll-outs based on the survey. Once the changes have been implemented, consider sending a follow-up survey after employees have had a chance to integrate with the new systems or software. Overall, surveys are a great way to get a handle on what youre employees are really thinking. Communication is important to a successful business at all seniority levels. Listen to suggestions and encourage engagement through surveys for a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.

The best schools in each state for under $20k

The best schools in each state for under $20k The best schools in each state for under $20k Here’s a fact: more than 70% of college graduates carry student loan debt, and the average debt burden stands at $37,172. A surprising new study reveals that the problem affects Millennials just as much as baby boomers. These figures got us thinking about the best schools that won’t break the bank, so we compiled a new map of the top universities in every state costing less than $20,000 in annual tuition and fees.We compiled the data from U.S. News World Report’s annual Best College Rankings. We captured the top-ranked college in every state costing less than $20k each year in tuition and fees (excluding room and board). We then color-coded each state in a heat map to represent the relative cost of the best higher education - light blue states are cheaper than dark blue states. We added the school’s logo for quick reference. This snapshot lets you quickly and easily see where getting a degree at a reputable institution costs the least.Top 10 states with the cheapest flagshi p universities Wyoming â€" University of Wyoming: $5,218 Utah â€" Brigham Young University, Provo: $5,460 Florida â€" University of Florida: $6,380 New Mexico â€" University of New Mexico: $7,146 Montana â€" Montana State University: $7,150 Idaho â€" University of Idaho: $7,488 Alaska â€" University of Alaska, Fairbanks: $7,520 Nevada â€" University of Nevada, Reno: $7,599 Mississippi â€" University of Mississippi: $8,290 North Dakota â€" University of North Dakota: $8,447 There are a couple of caveats to keep in mind. Many public universities charge different rates for students who already live in that particular state and students who live in another state. For example, the University of Iowa will only charge Iowa residents $9,190, but the school will charge nonresidents $30,834, or more than three times as much. It’s worth noting, however, that some universities have reciprocal agreements with other states, where they agree to charge the resident tuition rates for nonresidents, like the agreement between Wisconsin and Minnesota. In other words, don’t automatically assume you can or cannot pay the tuition rates listed on the map. It always pays to check.Ladders is now on SmartNews!Download the SmartNews app and add the Ladders channel to read the latest career news and advice wherever you go.In fact, most people don’t even pay the published tuition rates. Fully two-thirds of college kids receive some sort of financial aid in the form of scholar ships or grants. That means that if you can combine a scholarship with a low tuition bill from one of these schools, you will be in the best possible position to escape student loan debt altogether.All that being said, there are several key insights on our map. From a geographical perspective, there are affordable top-ranked programs in every region of the country. The West tends to have a higher number of inexpensive universities, like the University of New Mexico ($7,146) or Montana State University ($7,150), but similar price points can be found out East, too. Affordable education is available especially in places like Florida, West Virginia, and Maine. Even in New York, Binghamton University costs just under 10 grand.What’s the main takeaway from our map? The least expensive top-ranked school is the University of Wyoming, where it only costs $5,218 each year in tuition and fees. Looking across the entire country, though, there are 28 states with schools under $11,000 and 46 un der $16,000. All this goes to show that getting a degree is always a serious investment, but you don’t necessarily have to take on a mountain of debt to graduate.Data: Table 1.1This article first appeared on HowMuch.

Combination of work stress, poor sleep and high blood pressure is deadly

Combination of work stress, poor sleep and high blood pressure is deadly Combination of work stress, poor sleep and high blood pressure is deadly Maybe it appears suddenly, as soon as you start a new job: the schedule’s wrong for you, the commute seems off, the lighting is weird. Or maybe it creeps up gradually: one overwhelming project after the other, and the pace never slows down. Eventually, however, these work stressors will start affecting your sleep. Just part of the job? Don’t ignore it, especially if you already have high blood pressure, says a new study. Work stress and bad sleep are linked to three times higher risk of cardiovascular death in employees with hypertension.Seventy-five million American adults have high blood pressure, according to the CDC.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!The study examined nearly 2,000 workers with high blood pressure, ages 25-65, without cardiovascular disease or diabetes. They were followed for almost 18 years. People with poor sleep and a stressful job were three times as likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who slept well and didn’t have work stress. People with hypertension and only work stress were at a 1.6-fold higher risk of cardiovascular death, and those with hypertension and only poor sleep had a 1.8-times higher risk.“Work stress” was defined by the study as a job where employees had little control over decisions but faced high pressure to deliver results.Study author Professor Karl-Heinz Ladwig, of the German Research Centre for Environmental Health and the Medical Faculty, Technical University of Munich, said that sleep was an essential element to overall health, especially when one has other risk factors. “Sleep should be a time for recreation, unwinding, and restoring energy levels. If you have stress at work, sleep helps you recover. Unfortunately, poor sleep and job stress often go hand in hand, and when combined with hypertension the effect is even more toxic.”Poor sleep was defined as having a difficult t ime falling or staying asleep, common for people in stressful jobs. “They wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning to go to the toilet and come back to bed ruminating about how to deal with work issues,” said Professor Ladwig.It’s not just one bad night, or a week or bad nights, either. “It is suffering from a stressful job and poor sleep over many years, which fade energy resources and may lead to an early grave.”But before that happens, check with your doctor. Between stress, poor sleep, and high blood pressure, “each condition is a risk factor on its own and there is cross-talk among them, meaning each on increases risk of the other,” said Professor Ladwig. He recommended exercise, healthy eating, and relaxation techniques, as well as blood pressure-lowering medication as approved by a doctor. Employers should also offer programs for stress management and sleep in the workplace, he suggested.The findings were published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology .You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

If Youre Solution Oriented Passionate About Tech, This Job Is For You

If You're Solution Oriented Passionate About Tech, This Job Is For You If You're Solution Oriented Passionate About Tech, This Job Is For You At many companies, employees with a CS background or passion for engineering are assigned projects and mandated tasks. But not at Glassdoor. At the fastest-growing job site, all employees are encouraged to  troubleshoot issues, find unique solutions, and recommend improvements and enhancements to our product. This is especially true for our technical services team in charge of  consultation for companies new to Glassdoor products and being a key technical resource for customers. If this sounds intriguing, you’re in luck! We’re hiring. As a Technical Services Specialist , your work begins with building out the products and online recruiting campaigns for our customers. You live in the details, quickly and accurately setting up customer campaigns and tracking to maximize the value to customers. You need to understand the core functionality of our products, and then apply each employer’s unique recruiting needs to ensure campaigns have healthy delivery â€" the most critical component to delivering value to our customers. After implementation, you need to be adept at analyzing and understanding common issues, as well as finding unique solutions for the stranger ones. You will become knowledgeable about the intricacies of the online recruiting industry, the entire Glassdoor product suite, and the employers we serve. To learn more, we spoke to Kira Dewey, Glassdoor’s Senior Manager of Technical Services to get the inside scoop on the role, the team and what it’s really like to work at Glassdoor. Here’s what she had to say. 1. How would you pitch this job to a friend in 140 characters or less? Kira Dewey: Glassdoor product and technical experts critical to the success of our customers. 2. Why is now a great time for someone to join Glassdoor? Kira Dewey: We’ve redefined the Technical Services team within Customer Success and Glassdoor and need driven and motivated people to help build this new vision. You have the opportunity to intimately get to know our advertising products and recruitment systems, with the opportunity to grow your role and focus over time. 3. What type of person works well with your team and would thrive at Glassdoor? Kira Dewey: You must be both an independent performer and team player who can handle variable workloads and juggle multiple projects. You are a problem solver who makes decisions in the interest of our customer. Your thirst and excitement for technology make you an evergreen student, so you constantly develop new technical skills and solutions that can improve our products and customer campaigns. 4. What are the essential skills that someone on your team needs to be successful? Kira Dewey: Strong technical acumen, service-oriented, collaborative, clear communicator, proven analytical thinker… Most importantly, you are excited about Glassdoor’s products and mission! 5. What has inspired you while working at Glassdoor? Kira Dewey: Glassdoor is fundamentally changing how companies are hiring. By giving some power back to job seekers, they can self-select company attributes and values that match their own. That shared mission and motivation with my colleagues is inspiring! While we have grown significantly since I joined 5 years ago, we are still rapidly reshaping how we can meet the customer’s needs and it’s an exciting challenge. 6. What would you tell candidates has been the most exciting part of your job?   Kira Dewey: The most exciting part is knowing that every day we make a material impact on the campaign delivery of our customers. We live at the critical juncture of our Customer and Product, and must collaborate with multiple teams to be successful. My team is agile and adaptable, but also stubbornly focused on the customer’s experience and delivery. There are always problems to solve and technical discoveries to make. Glassdoor is a place where you can grow in your career, wherever it begins and transforms. I believe the combination of smart people and exciting problems offers a lot to those who are motivated and determined to succeed here!

Vet Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Cover Letter

Vet Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Cover Letter Vet Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Cover Letter Veterinary pharmaceutical representatives should carefully craft their cover letters to highlight their sales skills and knowledge of the animal health industry. It is important to tailor each cover letter to the specific job offered, whether an applicant has significant experience in the field or is seeking their first full time position. Example Cover Letter: Experienced Veterinary Pharmaceutical Sales Rep March 25, 2015Mr. James AndersonSales DirectorAlpha Animal Health123 West High StreetAnytown, GA 12345Dear Mr. Anderson, I recently saw Alpha Animal Health’s advertisement for a veterinary pharmaceutical sales representative position in Pharma World, and I would like to submit my resume for consideration. My extensive background in the animal health industry and strong record of improving product sales would make me a valuable addition to the Alpha sales team. I have been a sales representative with Mercury Veterinary Health for the past three years, generating new sales and servicing established accounts in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. During this time I was responsible for $1.65 million in new product sales to small animal veterinarians. My territory has consistently posted strong sales for Mercury, growing by an average of 20 percent each year. Prior to my career at Mercury I earned a B.S. in Animal Science with a double major in Marketing from State University. After graduation I spent two years selling veterinary medical devices and surgical equipment for Veterinary Pro Limited, where I opened 72 new accounts in my first year, a freshman sales record for the company. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this position with you, and I have included my resume and references for your review. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to speak with you soon. Sincerely, (SIGNATURE) Simon Smith100 West Cross StreetAnytown, GA 12345(123) 456-7890samanthasmithgmail.com Example Cover Letter: New Veterinary Pharmaceutical Sales Rep March 25, 2015Ms. Erin HartwellHiring ManagerMartin Animal Health Inc.678 Main StreetAnytown, KY 12345Dear Ms. Hartwell, I saw your advertisement for an Equine Veterinary Pharmaceutical Sales Representative position in this week’s edition of Vet Pharma America, and I would like to submit my resume for consideration. As a licensed equine veterinary technician I am very familiar with equine health concerns and the products used by equine veterinarians. I feel that my extensive equine experience and technical skills would make me a valuable addition to the team at Martin Animal Health. As a student at State University I earned a B.S. in Animal Science with a minor in Marketing, maintaining a strong 3.85 grade point average throughout this rigorous course of study. The program at State University also afforded me the opportunity to participate in a sales internship with a major livestock feed sales company during my senior year. After graduation I completed veterinary technician training at Newtown College and started my career in the animal health field at the world renowned Lexington Equine Hospital. While I have not yet sold veterinary pharmaceuticals, I have six years of practical equine experience and many contacts in the industry. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss this position with you in person at your convenience, and I have included my resume for review. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to speak with you soon. Sincerely, (SIGNATURE)   Anna Jacobson123 East High Street, Apt. 1AAnytown, KY 12345(123) 456-7890annajacobsongmail.com General Tips 1. Be sure to tailor your cover letter based on the specific job you are applying for. Don’t forget to change the name of the addressee, the date, and where you saw their job posting. There is nothing worse than sending a cover letter to one company that was clearly first written as part of an application to a competing company. 2. Keep your cover letter to one page. Use normal fonts and paper in neutral colors. You want your cover letter to look clear, concise, and professional. Attempts to make your letter “stand out” (such as using brightly colored paper) are usually seen in a negative light. 3. If the position listing mentions specific skills, be sure to point out that you have those skills. If you don’t have sales experience, try to offset that by mentioning significant animal experience in other fields. If you have sales experience in retail or product sales, be sure to mention that as well. Transferrable skills are important when you are seeking to enter a new field. 4. Highlight special skills, training, certifications, or licenses if you have them. New graduates may place extra emphasis on their education, participation in college clubs, and awards.

How Recruiters Review Resumes - Get Yours to the Top of the Heap!

How Recruiters Review Resumes - Get Yours to the Top of the Heap! How Recruiters Review Resumes - Get Yours to the Top of the Heap! Every job seeker sending in a resume to a potential employer wants to believe there’s actually someone on the receiving end that reads their entire resume word-for-word. The reality is, your resume will most likely never be read in its entirety â€" especially in today’s competitive job market. Most employers are overwhelmed with the number of applicants they get for each job, most of whom aren’t remotely qualified. Unfortunately, in this point-and-click world of online applications, most people apply to hundreds of jobs knowing they’re not qualified. They’re just hoping to get lucky. Typically, resumes arrive by email and someone looks at each one but because of the volume, they must make a judgment on each one quickly â€" typically around six seconds is given per resume. The reader then decides if each candidate is worth further consideration. All of this is decided by a brief scan, trying to determine if the person has the relevant background and experience for the role. If they dont see any connection between background and experience and the job requirements, they immediately move on because there are plenty more to review. So how are resumes typically reviewed? How do they make those snap decisions with just a quick scan? Here’s a few tips on how recruiters review resumes: They scan the document to see if there are any related keywords in the resume that are apparent. Most have to do with skills, tools, processes etc., giving preference to recent experience vs. history from years ago. If not, they move on. If so They continue to look for any applicable education, certifications, or other required criteria. If not, they move on. If so That resume gets placed in the “maybe” pile and they will come back to reevaluate it and compare it to the other resumes that end up in the “maybe” pile. This might make the employer/recruiter seem a little cruel and heartless but they’re not. Is this a flawed system? Sure, but as of now, there isn’t another way to deal with the immense volume of job applicants that cross a recruiter’s desk. So how do you make your resume stand out? Your resume needs to scream  â€œI’m a fit!”  in that first initial scan! So, make your work history relevant and clear. Be sure to format your skills, experience and certifications so they jump out. Write in brief, concise phrases so they are easily digested in the first scan. Don’t use long sentences or paragraphs. If you can begin to understand the typical process an employer takes when reviewing resumes, you can be more strategic to give yourself a better chance of being selected.