GPS Fleet Tracking System With the Best Reporting Features

GPS Fleet Tracking System With the Best Reporting FeaturesAfter conducting extensive research on GPS fleet tracking services, we recommendQuartixas the GPS fleet tracking service with the best reporting features in 2019. To understand how we selected our best picks, you can find our methodology, and a comprehensive list of GPS fleet tracking services, on ourbest picks page.Why Quartix?Reporting FeaturesQuartix offers a wide variety of scheduled reports and real-time alerts. mora data and information on your fleet helps you make more informed strategies to save money and improve efficiency. For example, Quartix provides mileage and gas reports to help you with fuel optimization. It also provides reports on speeding and safety, as well as route mapping. For real-time metrics, you can view live report data on the metrics dashboard.Quartix says it adds more than 150 new fleet customers each month, with over 350,000 service installations completed so far. Its a strong service for advanced fleet reporting, but there are several other aspects that also make this service a good fit for small businessesAlertsIn addition to scheduled reporting, you can receive live alerts on safety hazards or other relevant fleet information. You can receive texts or emails when a vehicle is speeding, or when a driver harshly accelerates or brakes. This kind of alert feature is voreingestellt in the offerings we looked at, but paired with Quartixs advanced reporting features, it means you can stay up to date on every movement from your fleet.SafetyYou can schedule reports on individual drivers and driving behavior. This allows you to understand vehicle history, review activity on a specific date, and toggle the level of detail you see from each vehicle or driver. In addition to this reporting feature, you can review safety scorecards to coach risky drivers and decrease aggressive driving. You can also compare drivers and ensure your fleet is taking the right steps to decrease fuel consum ption and increase safety. Software Although its structured differently from some other companies we reviewed, Quartixs software offering provides small businesses with a clean, simple way to keep track of data on their fleet. The map provides a birds-eye view of the entire fleet, and reporting and safety dashboards are accessible for more in-depth information on each vehicle. You can also draw geofences and set alerts for when a vehicle enters or leaves an area.Editors note Looking for information on GPS fleet tracking ordnungsprinzips? Fill out the below questionnaire to be connected with vendors that can help.Pricing and ContractQuartix is one of the few large telematics providers that offers its pricing and contract structure directly online. The company offers one-year contracts. You can also opt for longer deals the industry standard is up to three years.Quartix offers three plans for its services. Each has different features and prices. The three plans are Info Point, Info Pl us, and Info Plus Driver ID. Info Point is $14.99 per month and gives you dashboard updates every two minutes, basic support and standard real-time tracking features. The Info Plus plan is $18.99 and has more features, including IFTA befolgung, details on driving style and geofencing alerts. The most expensive plan, Info Plus Driver ID, is $22.99 per month and includes all the features of the prior two plans plus driver ID capabilities. Quartix is very reasonably priced compared to some other solutions we looked at in the industry. You can view a full breakdown of the plans and pricing here.ServicesQuartix provides a wide range of features for small business fleets. This service is ideal for small businesses looking for full-featured fleet tracking software with an emphasis on reporting. It also provides solutions for timesheets, compliance and support. Businesses will also have access to the followingGeofencing Quartix provides the tools in its software for geofences. You can set these virtual fences to trigger alerts about your fleet, like when a vehicle enters or exits a specific location such as your warehouse.Compliance Quartix provides ELD and IFTA compliance to keep you on par with government standards in the industry.Mobile-friendly software Quartixs software is web-based, so its accessible from a number of different devices, like smartphones, tablets and laptops.Location identification This is an essential feature that every telematics solution we reviewed provides, showing where your vehicles are at any given moment. To keep you up to speed on this, Quartixs software refreshes every one to two minutes.Fuel efficiency Quartix provides great fuel reporting features, including fuel card integralrechnung and fuel optimization. These features help you determine how youre purchasing and consuming fuel so you can adjust usage as needed.HardwareQuartix provides fleets with easy-install hardware, but this isnt a standard OBD II port device. Instead, Quartix provides a more advanced hardware system that can still be installed by the user. Quartix can send a technician out if you want help getting your fleet tracking service up and running. Depending on which plan you sign up for, this service could be included in your overall price.Other BenefitsNo vehicle minimumTheres no number of vehicles required to use Quartixs services, so businesses of all sizes can use it for GPS fleet tracking services. This makes Quartix an option for even very small businesses.TransparencyQuartix posts its pricing and plan structure directly on its website. You can also interact with sales representatives via live chat. This was a great function for us as we shopped for a GPS fleet tracking service for our hypothetical small business. Quartix sales representatives even provided us with a demo link so we could get hands-on time with the software. fruchtwein companies require businesses to schedule an appointment with a sales representative to do an in-depth r eview of the software. Quartix was one of the few companies that gave us with a demo link so we could go in on our own and look at the software.Pros and ConsProQuartix is a transparent company you can view all of its pricing and contract information online.Quartix has impressive reporting features.ConQuartix doesnt have a great reputation with the Better Business Bureau. It has a C+ with the rating agency and isnt accredited.Ready to choose a GPS fleet tracking system? Heres a breakdown of our full coverageBest GPS Fleet Tracking Software and Systems 2019Choosing a GPS Fleet Tracking SystemBest for Small Business OverallBest for Midsize FleetsBest ValueBest SoftwareBest Safety FeaturesEditors note Looking for information on GPS fleet tracking systems? Fill out the below questionnaire to be connected with vendors that can help. Matt DAngelo Matt DAngelo is a staff writer covering sma ll business for Business.com and Business News Daily. After graduating from James Madison University with a degree in journalism, Matt gained experience as a copy editor and writer for newspapers and various online publications. In addition to his writing and reporting, Matt edits articles. He reviews small business services, including PEOs, small business loans and GPS fleet tracking services. 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Moms in Their 30s Have The Smartest Babies, According to Study

Moms in Their 30s Have The Smartest Babies, According to Study Children who are born to moms ages 35 to 39 perform significantly better on cognitive tests, according to a new study in the zwischenstaatlich Journal of Epidemiology.Researchers analyzed three different studies conducted over 60 years to search for an association between the age of a mother and a childs cognitive test results when he or she is in primary school.The three studies a 1958 National Child Development study, a 1970 British Cohort Study and the 2001 Millennium Cohort Study each featured over 10,000 children. The cognitive tests administered measured the childs ability to think, to read, to remember and to pay attention.While the studies conducted in 1958 and 1970 discovered that the children born to women ages 25 to 29 scored better on the cognitive tests, the results of the 2001 study showed the opposite.Children born to mothers ages 35 to 39 were mora likely to fare better on cognitive tests in comparison t o the children born to the younger moms in the study.Why the change?Today, older moms have led different lives than older moms of the past. In 2018, older moms are mora likely to have received an education and are more likely to be able to support themselves financially than pregnant women over 30 in the past. Todays over-30 moms have received more education, have generally higher incomes, are in stable marriages or relationships, live healthier lifestyles and are more likely to have planned their pregnancies.The researchers explained that over time, the women who gave birth at advanced maternal ages have become more advantaged than the women who gave birth at younger ages.And the studys lead author Alice Goisis said that cognitive ability is a strong predictor of how children fare in later life -- regarding their educational attainment, their occupation, and their health.Another recent study supports similar findings.The study, published in the European Journal of Developmental Psy chology, discovered that there are also psychological benefits of having a mother over 30.According to researchers from Aarhus Universitys School of Business and Social Sciences, when moms wait until their 30s to have children, the children are more likely to behave better and have a better psychosocial adaptation to life. The study included almost 5,000 moms and their children and analyzed their behaviors at ages 7, 11 and 15.After controlling for external factors like socioeconomic status and education, the researchers found that children born to mothers in their 30s were more likely to develop greater patience as they aged.The researchers also found that older moms are more patient than younger moms, and they were found to use less harsh verbal and physical punishment tactics.The older mothers have more psychological flexibility, more cognitive flexibility, more ability to tolerate complex emotional stimuli from the children, Tea Trillingsgaard, an associate professor of psycholo gy at Aarhus University in Denmark and lead author on the study, explained.This style of parenting can thereby contribute to a positive psychosocial environment which affects the childrens upbringing, added study co-author Professor Dion Sommer.More on motherhood14 Times Celebrity Moms Got Hilariously Real About Motherhood

4 Benefits of Creating a Company Video - Spark Hire

4 Benefits of Creating a Company Video - Spark HireLets be real here, shall we? Company advertising today can be pretty expensive. Of course, utilizing social media and email is virtually free, but if thats your only form of absatzwirtschaft then you might want to rethink your marketing strategy a bit. In any case, paid advertisements can add up and be costly to your company. Thats why its important for companies to take advantage of all of the free marketing outlets that are out there. One of the best and easiest ways to market your company is with a company video. Its easy, fast and you can put your company name out there in minutes. So lets take a look at four of the benefits to creating a company video on Spark Hire.1. Free MarketingThis is definitely at the top of the list. After all, we were just talking about how pricey company marketing can be sometimes. Its very easy to create and you can consolidate with other people on your team to decide what points you want to cover in t he video. If you want to talk about how you have a stellar customer service team you can easily do that. If you are a creative-based company that wants to showcase past projects you can do that too. You cant beat free, and you cant be easy either, can you?2. Make Your Company PersonableHaving a video to share with customers or other companies is a great way to showcase your companys culture. Allowing others to see into your company, and perhaps your work environment, is intriguing and will likely spark more interest in what your company does and how you operate. When you dont know anything about a company, its difficult to build any kind of interest. However, if you are able to catch a glimpse of how life is in your office then you might just gain a few more interested clients or job seekers. Reading a small written blurb about Company X isnt as intriguing as watching a video that conveys the same message. Which would you rather do?3. Up-To-Date TechnologyUtilizing video technology in the hiring and job search process is a relatively new concept. In todays market, in order to rack in the best talent and have the highest talent you need to be utilizing the latest technology. By creating a company video you are showing job candidates, clients and other companies that you are up-to-date and familiar with the latest technology.4. Easy to ShareHow many times have you had to come up with a company description for a job deutsche bundespost or for a client? Perhaps you only had to do it once and simply used the same one across the board. That makes sense, but after awhile it gets boring and you will want to switch it up a bit. Perhaps you want to let someone know what kind of company culture you have but arent quite sure how to describe it. Thats when you can use a company video to do the work for you. Plus, once you already have one created its as simple as grabbing the URL and sharing it in an email. Its also easy to post it in a job description or post.So the conse nsus here is that creating a company video is both easy and certainly beneficial. When it costs nothing to create, why not create one now?Does your company utilize a company video? What do you think the benefits of it are? Do you find that there are any disadvantages? Let us know below in the comments section.

Cover Letter Example With a Value Proposition

Cover Letter Example With a Value PropositionCover Letter Example With a Value PropositionIn the business world,value propositionsare set up for products and services. Value equals benefit minus costs. When relating this concept to people, however, the process is a little more complicated. To get in the right mindset, think of yourself as the product or service and your potential employer as the customer. You have something to offer in terms of your skilled work and the employer has costs associated with you like pay, benefits, vacation time, etc. For employers, assessing the costs of headcount is easy they simply need to add up a string of numbers. Assessing value isnt as simple. After all, youre not a juicer To make assessment easy for your potential employer, use a personal value proposition. Your value proposition is a short and powerful statement that shows the specific value you bring and why you are qualified for a job. It can be combined with atraditional cover letterto show readers, at a glance, your top qualifications and accomplishments. How to Create a Value Proposition A value proposition accomplishes a few things. It helps to set you apart from your competition. A value proposition shines a light on your skills and how they can be applied. Finally, it also fills in any gaps after an interview. To write one, focus on answering these three questions In what way will the company benefitfinanciallyby hiring you? Focus on the bottom line, not just on your skills. For instance, will you drive schlussverkauf? Increase efficiency?How can the company benefit from your experience? Use facts and situational examples to convey your answer. Think about your strongest skills and how youd use them at the company, as well as accomplishments in previous roles.How are you unique and different from other candidates? Think outside of your skills and experience. Remember the old adage that employers want to hire the person theyd rather be stuck with in an elevator or have to spend ten hours with at the airport. Do you volunteer? Climb mountains? Speak several languages? Showcase what makes you unique as a person rather than an employee. Sample Cover Letter with Value Proposition Here is an example of acover letterthat includes some aspectsof a value proposition letter. Note how this candidate begins the letter by clearly stating how s/he will provide value to the hiring company, and than states accomplishments (rather that listing our responsibilities or tasks). Remember, a cover letter is no time to be modest. With it, youre making a case for why you are a good candidate and worth interviewing, so make your argument as powerful and persuasive as possible. FirstNameLastNameAddressCity, State ZipPhoneEmail Date FirstName LastNameJob TitleCompany NameStreet City, State Zip Dear Mr./Ms. LastName With over15 years of experiencein public relations and event planning, I am an ideal candidate for the position of Event Planner at XYZ Planning S ervices. I would bring your company a record of planning hundreds of successful large-scale corporate events that have saved my clients money while ensuring their satisfaction. I have worked as an event planner at ABC Consulting for the past five years, advancing through three separate promotions as a result of my ability to achieve cost-effective and quality results for my clients. Here are some of the high-level achievements Planning large-scale events10% under budgetwith my skills in financial and contract managementMaintaining strong professional relationships withover 200 vendorsin catering, venues, attire, and moreAchieving over95% client satisfaction. I would love the opportunity to bring these skills and experiences to XYZ Planning Services. I have enclosed a list of references, and will call next week to discuss how I can contribute to your company. Thank you so much for your consideration. Sincerely, Your Signature(hard copy letter) First Name Last Name Sending an Email katechese When you are sending your letter by email include the reason you are writing in the subject line of your message SubjectFirstName LastName Event PlannerPosition List yourcontact information in your signature, rather than in the body of the letter Sincerely, FirstName LastNameYour EmailYour Phone NumberYour LinkedIn Profile (optional)

10 Hot Jobs to Apply to Today

10 Hot Jobs to Apply to Today10 Hot Jobs to Apply to Today New job listings pop up every minute, so staying on top of the most current vacancies in yur field is a must when youre on the hunt for a new gig. But often, thats easier said than done when life gets in the way - so we scoured the web for exciting new postings across a variety of industries, locations and functions. Whether youre looking for your first job, have a few years of experience under your belt or are a total pro in your industry, youre likely to find something that piques your interest in the selection below.Sr. Product Manager of Payments, Glassdoor Glassdoor Salary Estimate $130k-$185k schauplatz Mill Valley, CA Brief Description The ideal candidate will have a passion for solving complex problems and leading teams to build scalable, high-performing payment management services. You are passionate about creating and delivering elegant solution within complex, fast-paced environments. You are interested in understanding the business and how it impacts topline company goals & objectives.Medical Research Associate, The Expert Institute Employer Salary Estimate $80k-$110k Location Los Angeles, CA Brief Description We are seeking an insightful and motivated individual for a position on our Research Team as a Medical Research Associate. This position reports to the Medical Research Manager and will work alongside a team of Medical Research Associates. You will be responsible for acting as a medical consultant to our attorney clients and assist them in identifying the most qualified candidates for their unique expert witness engagement needs, which will vary case by case.Travel, Expense & Events Coordinator, vCom Solutions Employer Salary Estimate $45k $50k Location San Ramon, CA Brief Description As the Travel, Expense, & Events Coordinator for vCom, you bring events to life and youre the life of the party. Your positive, friendly demeanor sets the tone for all who interact with you. You are versatile and flexible, adapting your sense of urgency to meet each days priorities. You remain calm under pressure. You see challenges as opportunities to problem solve and collaborate with others. Excellent customer service is your top priority, always seeking to exceed expectations.Onboarding Training Specialist, Kronos Glassdoor Salary Estimate $53k-$80k Location Indianapolis, IN Brief Description The Onboarding Specialist is responsible for the coordination, tracking, and communication for on-boarding of all Workforce Ready (WFR) new hire and transfer employees. This individual will be responsible for delivering training as part of the on-boarding program and coordinating with people managers to ensure successful execution of the on-boarding program.Cloud Security Architect, Ping Identity Glassdoor Salary Estimate $131k-$191k Location Denver, CO Brief Description As a Cloud Security Architect working in Pings Denver or Austin office y ou will help design and maintain the security controls for Pings SaaS and PaaS solutions, primary in the AWS cloud. You will be embedded in our SRE and development teams, working with key players, documenting security requirements, and working with GRC to ensure compliance with applicable requirements.Brand Marketing Manager, One Medical Glassdoor Salary Estimate $77k-$110k Location San Francisco, CA Brief Description The ideal candidate is a results-oriented marketer with a passion for creating award-winning, culturally-relevant work. This role is critical to helping us balance brand + business needs, and youll play a strategic role in figuring out how to solve complex problems through marketing. Youll lead the activation of campaigns that build the One Medical brand and help us connect emotionally to our members at an exciting time in our growth.Software Engineer, The Home Depot Glassdoor Salary Estimate $67k-$111k Location Austin, TX Brief Description The Software Eng ineer is responsible for joining a product team and contributing to the software design, software development/configuration, and overall product lifecycle for a product that our users love. The engineering process is highly collaborative. Software Engineers are expected to pair on a daily basis as they work through user stories and support products as they evolve.Product Manager, Eventbrite Glassdoor Salary Estimate $94k-$138k Location Nashville, TN Brief Description Youll be responsible for defining a vision, strategy and roadmap and then executing on it. You will work cross-functionally with multiple stakeholders and collaborate with product managers, engineers, and designers within and across other business units. Your ultimate goal is to build high quality products that will delight our clients and impact our high-growth business.Card Member Assistance, Discover Financial Services Glassdoor Salary Estimate $88k-$127k Location West Valley City, UT Brief Description Y ou will also be responsible for learning how to utilize skip tracing tools, how to initiate card member contact, along with being able to ask open ended probing questions to third parties that they come in contact with. You will be eligible for promotion to Early Stage Collections Account Manager based on performance.Manager of Contracts and Senior Paralegal, Horizon Pharma Glassdoor Salary Estimate $93k-$123k Location Lake Forest, IL Brief Description Were a team of agile, out-of-the-box thinkers who are inspired to do mora because we know were a part of something bigger. We strive to build meaningful careers at a company whose values we share because when we live up to our potential, we help patients live up to theirs.

4 secrets to reading body language like an expert

4 secrets to reading body language like an expert4 secrets to reading body language like an expertHow important is body language?About55% of what you convey when you speak comes from body language. In fact, when youre speaking about something emotional only about 7% of what the otzu sich partie hears has to do with the words you use.More often than elend you can tell what a politician thinks about an issue just by watching their hands. Psychopaths can tell who would be a good victim just by watching them walk.In five minutes you can often evaluate people with approximately 70% accuracy. . .but obviously were wrong often, and that 30% can be very costly.What can the research teach us about better reading peoples body language?What youre doing wrongIn The Silent Language of Leaders How Body Language Can Helpor HurtHow You Lead the author points out a number of common errors people make.Heres how I interpreted the findingsIgnoring context Crossed arms dont mean as much if the room is co ld or the chair theyre sitting in doesnt have armrests. Everything has to reisepass the common sense test given the environment.notlage looking for clusters One of the biggest errors people make is looking for one single tell. Thats great in movies about poker players but in real life its a consistent grouping of actions (sweating, touching the face, and stuttering togetzu sich) that is really going to tell you something.Not getting a baseline If someone is always jumpy, jumpiness doesnt tell you anything. If someone is always jumpy and they suddenly stop moving - HELLO.Not being conscious of biases If you already like or dislike the person its going to affect your judgment. And if people compliment you, are similar to you, are attractive these can all sway you, unconsciously. I know, you dont fall for those tricks. Well, the biggest bias of all is thinking youre unbiased.What to focus onWhat signals can and should you trust when trying to get a read on someone? They need to be unc onscious behaviors that are not easily controlled and convey a clear message.In Honest Signals How They Shape Our World, the authors point out three to keep your eye onSpeech mimicry and behavioral mimicry Are they using the same words you use? Speaking at a similar speed and tone? Are they sitting the way you sit? Is a subtle, unconscious game of follow-the-leader going on? This is a sign the otzu sich person feels emotionally in sync with you. It can be faked but thats rare and difficult to pull off consistently across a conversation.Activity level As a general rule, activity levels indicate interest and excitement. (Often when a woman is bouncing zu sich foot during a date it means shes interested in the man shes with.)Consistency of emphasis and timing This is a sign of focus and control. Someone who is less consistent is less sure of themselves and mora open to influence.Specifics to look forContextually vetted, baseline adjusted clusters are your best bet but research has show n some specifics are often decent indicators.Crossed legs are a very bad sign during negotiations.Via The Silent Language of Leaders How Body Language Can Helpor HurtHow You LeadCrossed legs can have a devastating effect on a negotiation. In How to Read a Person Like a Book, authors Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero reported that the number of times settlements were reached increased greatly when both negotiators had uncrossed their legs. In fact, they found that out of two thousand videotaped transactions, not one resulted in a settlement when even one of the negotiators had his or her legs crossed.Theres a consistent cluster that has been seen among people who are trying to cheat you.Via Wray Herbert, author of On Second Thought Outsmarting Your Minds Hard-Wired HabitsAgain and again, it welches a cluster of four cues hand touching, face touching, crossing arms, and leaning away. None of these cues foretold deceit by itself, but together they transformed into a highly accur ate signal. And the more often the participants used this particular cluster of gestures, the less trustworthy they were in the subsequent financial exchange.Who should you trust? Look for people who are consistently emotionally expressive in their body languageThese results suggest that cooperators may be more emotionally expressive than non-cooperators. We speculate that emotional expressivity can be a more reliable signal of cooperativeness than the anzeige of positive emotion alone.And look at peoples hands. Palm down gestures indicate power. Palm up shows submission.The New York Times cites Adam Kendon, author of Gesture Visible Action as Utterance, on the deeper meaning of hand positionsGestures of the Open flosse Prone or palm down family are used in contexts where something is being denied, negated, interrupted or stopped, whether explicitly or by implication. Open hand Supine (or palm up) family gestures, on the other hand, are used in contexts where the speaker is offering , giving or showing something or requesting the reception of something . . .Keep in mind that men and women differ in body language. For instance, they flirt differentlyViaFascinate Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and CaptivationA female begins fascinating a male by smiling at him, raising her brows to make her eyes appear wider and more childlike, quickly lowering her lids while tucking her chin slightly down, in an effort to bring him closer. After averting her gaze to the side, she will, within moments and almost without exception, put her hands on or near her mouth and giggle, lick her lips, or thrust out her chest while gazing at the object of her intended affection.And its consistent, regardless of language, socioeconomic status, or religious upbringing. For men, says Rodgers, the fascination ritual is less submissive but no less standardized. Hell puff out his chest, jut his chin, arch his back, gesture with his hands and arms, and swagger in dominant motions to draw attention to his powerHow to get better at reading body languageFirst, pay attention. Sounds obvious but youre probably not doing it consistently throughout the conversation.Dynamics change, especially when youre dealing with someone who is actively trying to deceive you. Unless theyre very good, inconsistencies will arise (leakage) and you can get insight into how they really feel.Youll improve dramatically by addressing the four weaknesses pointed out in The Silent Language of LeadersConsider context Should someone in this situation be acting like this?Look for clusters of actions, not isolated ones All three of those behaviors are associated with?Get a baseline How do they normally act?Be aware of your biases Are you tempted to cut them slack and they havent abfluged speaking yet?Your abilities will make a quantum leap if you realize that body language is part of a bigger context and a bigger cluster and you start monitoring the other facets of behavioral interaction voice, appearance, clo thing, etc.These can help you evaluate the whole packageWhat does clothing tell you? How about shoes?What does someones voice tell you?What does a face tell you? How about a quick glance?What are 10 instances when you should trust your gut?Join over 285,000 readers and get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsHow To Be Resilient 8 Steps To Success When Life Gets HardWhat 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple EmailsThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.4 secrets to reading body language like an expertHow important is body language?About55% of what you convey when you speak comes from body language. In fact, when youre speaking about something emotional only about 7% of what the other person hears has to do with the words you use.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreMore often than not you can tell what a politician thinks about an issue just by watching their hands. Psychopaths can tell who would be a good victim just by watching them walk.In five minutes you can often evaluate people with approximately 70% accuracy. . .but obviously were wrong often, and that 30% can be very costly.What can the research teach us about better reading peoples body language?What youre doing wrongIn The Silent Language of Leaders How Body Language Can Helpor HurtHow You Lead the author points out a number of common errors people make.Heres how I interpreted the findingsIgnoring context Crossed arms dont mean as much if the room is cold or the chair theyre sitting in doesnt have armrests. Everything has to pass the common sense test given the environment.Not looking for clusters One of the biggest errors people make is looking for one single tell. Thats great in movies about poker players but in real life its a consistent grouping of actions (sweating, touching the face, and stut tering together) that is really going to tell you something.Not getting a baseline If someone is always jumpy, jumpiness doesnt tell you anything. If someone is always jumpy and they suddenly stop moving - HELLO.Not being conscious of biases If you already like or dislike the person its going to affect your judgment. And if people compliment you, are similar to you, are attractive these can all sway you, unconsciously. I know, you dont fall for those tricks. Well, the biggest bias of all is thinking youre unbiased.What to focus onWhat signals can and should you trust when trying to get a read on someone? They need to be unconscious behaviors that are not easily controlled and convey a clear message.In Honest Signals How They Shape Our World, the authors point out three to keep your eye onSpeech mimicry and behavioral mimicry Are they using the same words you use? Speaking at a similar speed and tone? Are they sitting the way you sit? Is a subtle, unconscious game of follow-the-lead er going on? This is a sign the other person feels emotionally in sync with you. It can be faked but thats rare and difficult to pull off consistently across a conversation.Activity level As a general rule, activity levels indicate interest and excitement. (Often when a woman is bouncing her foot during a date it means shes interested in the man shes with.)Consistency of emphasis and timing This is a sign of focus and control. Someone who is less consistent is less sure of themselves and more open to influence.Specifics to look forContextually vetted, baseline adjusted clusters are your best bet but research has shown some specifics are often decent indicators.Crossed legs are a very bad sign during negotiations.Via The Silent Language of Leaders How Body Language Can Helpor HurtHow You LeadCrossed legs can have a devastating effect on a negotiation. In How to Read a Person Like a Book, authors Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero reported that the number of times settlements we re reached increased greatly when both negotiators had uncrossed their legs. In fact, they found that out of two thousand videotaped transactions, not one resulted in a settlement when even one of the negotiators had his or her legs crossed.Theres a consistent cluster that has been seen among people who are trying to cheat you.Via Wray Herbert, author of On Second Thought Outsmarting Your Minds Hard-Wired HabitsAgain and again, it was a cluster of four cues hand touching, face touching, crossing arms, and leaning away. None of these cues foretold deceit by itself, but together they transformed into a highly accurate signal. And the more often the participants used this particular cluster of gestures, the less trustworthy they were in the subsequent financial exchange.Who should you trust? Look for people who are consistently emotionally expressive in their body languageThese results suggest that cooperators may be more emotionally expressive than non-cooperators. We speculate that e motional expressivity can be a more reliable signal of cooperativeness than the display of positive emotion alone.And look at peoples hands. Palm down gestures indicate power. Palm up shows submission.The New York Times cites Adam Kendon, author of Gesture Visible Action as Utterance, on the deeper meaning of hand positionsGestures of the Open Hand Prone or palm down family are used in contexts where something is being denied, negated, interrupted or stopped, whether explicitly or by implication. Open hand Supine (or palm up) family gestures, on the other hand, are used in contexts where the speaker is offering, giving or showing something or requesting the reception of something . . .Keep in mind that men and women differ in body language. For instance, they flirt differentlyViaFascinate Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and CaptivationA female begins fascinating a male by smiling at him, raising her brows to make her eyes appear wider and more childlike, quickly lowering her lids whil e tucking her chin slightly down, in an effort to bring him closer. After averting her gaze to the side, she will, within moments and almost without exception, put her hands on or near her mouth and giggle, lick her lips, or thrust out her chest while gazing at the object of her intended affection.And its consistent, regardless of language, socioeconomic status, or religious upbringing. For men, says Rodgers, the fascination ritual is less submissive but no less standardized. Hell puff out his chest, jut his chin, arch his back, gesture with his hands and arms, and swagger in dominant motions to draw attention to his powerHow to get better at reading body languageFirst, pay attention. Sounds obvious but youre probably not doing it consistently throughout the conversation.Dynamics change, especially when youre dealing with someone who is actively trying to deceive you. Unless theyre very good, inconsistencies will arise (leakage) and you can get insight into how they really feel.Youl l improve dramatically by addressing the four weaknesses pointed out in The Silent Language of LeadersConsider context Should someone in this situation be acting like this?Look for clusters of actions, not isolated ones All three of those behaviors are associated with?Get a baseline How do they normally act?Be aware of your biases Are you tempted to cut them slack and they havent started speaking yet?Your abilities will make a quantum leap if you realize that body language is part of a bigger context and a bigger cluster and you start monitoring the other facets of behavioral interaction voice, appearance, clothing, etc.These can help you evaluate the whole packageWhat does clothing tell you? How about shoes?What does someones voice tell you?What does a face tell you? How about a quick glance?What are 10 instances when you should trust your gut?Join over 285,000 readers and get a free weekly update via emailhere.This article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people4 secrets to reading body language like an expertHow important is body language?About55% of what you convey when you speak comes from body language. In fact, when youre speaking about something emotional only about 7% of what the other person hears has to do with the words you use.More often than not you can tell what a politician thinks about an issue just by watching their hands. Psychopaths can tell who would be a good victim just by watching them walk.In five minutes you can often evaluate people with approximately 70% accuracy. . .but obviously were wrong often, and that 30% can be very costly.What can the research teach us about better reading peo ples body language?What youre doing wrongIn The Silent Language of Leaders How Body Language Can Helpor HurtHow You Lead the author points out a number of common errors people make.Heres how I interpreted the findingsIgnoring context Crossed arms dont mean as much if the room is cold or the chair theyre sitting in doesnt have armrests. Everything has to pass the common sense test given the environment.Not looking for clusters One of the biggest errors people make is looking for one single tell. Thats great in movies about poker players but in real life its a consistent grouping of actions (sweating, touching the face, and stuttering together) that is really going to tell you something.Not getting a baseline If someone is always jumpy, jumpiness doesnt tell you anything. If someone is always jumpy and they suddenly stop moving - HELLO.Not being conscious of biases If you already like or dislike the person its going to affect your judgment. And if people compliment you, are similar t o you, are attractive these can all sway you, unconsciously. I know, you dont fall for those tricks. Well, the biggest bias of all is thinking youre unbiased.What to focus onWhat signals can and should you trust when trying to get a read on someone? They need to be unconscious behaviors that are not easily controlled and convey a clear message.In Honest Signals How They Shape Our World, the authors point out three to keep your eye onSpeech mimicry and behavioral mimicry Are they using the same words you use? Speaking at a similar speed and tone? Are they sitting the way you sit? Is a subtle, unconscious game of follow-the-leader going on? This is a sign the other person feels emotionally in sync with you. It can be faked but thats rare and difficult to pull off consistently across a conversation.Activity level As a general rule, activity levels indicate interest and excitement. (Often when a woman is bouncing her foot during a date it means shes interested in the man shes with.)Cons istency of emphasis and timing This is a sign of focus and control. Someone who is less consistent is less sure of themselves and more open to influence.Specifics to look forContextually vetted, baseline adjusted clusters are your best bet but research has shown some specifics are often decent indicators.Crossed legs are a very bad sign during negotiations.Via The Silent Language of Leaders How Body Language Can Helpor HurtHow You LeadCrossed legs can have a devastating effect on a negotiation. In How to Read a Person Like a Book, authors Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero reported that the number of times settlements were reached increased greatly when both negotiators had uncrossed their legs. In fact, they found that out of two thousand videotaped transactions, not one resulted in a settlement when even one of the negotiators had his or her legs crossed.Theres a consistent cluster that has been seen among people who are trying to cheat you.Via Wray Herbert, author of On Sec ond Thought Outsmarting Your Minds Hard-Wired HabitsAgain and again, it was a cluster of four cues hand touching, face touching, crossing arms, and leaning away. None of these cues foretold deceit by itself, but together they transformed into a highly accurate signal. And the more often the participants used this particular cluster of gestures, the less trustworthy they were in the subsequent financial exchange.Who should you trust? Look for people who are consistently emotionally expressive in their body languageThese results suggest that cooperators may be more emotionally expressive than non-cooperators. We speculate that emotional expressivity can be a more reliable signal of cooperativeness than the display of positive emotion alone.And look at peoples hands. Palm down gestures indicate power. Palm up shows submission.The New York Times cites Adam Kendon, author of Gesture Visible Action as Utterance, on the deeper meaning of hand positionsGestures of the Open Hand Prone or pal m down family are used in contexts where something is being denied, negated, interrupted or stopped, whether explicitly or by implication. Open hand Supine (or palm up) family gestures, on the other hand, are used in contexts where the speaker is offering, giving or showing something or requesting the reception of something . . .Keep in mind that men and women differ in body language. For instance, they flirt differentlyViaFascinate Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and CaptivationA female begins fascinating a male by smiling at him, raising her brows to make her eyes appear wider and more childlike, quickly lowering her lids while tucking her chin slightly down, in an effort to bring him closer. After averting her gaze to the side, she will, within moments and almost without exception, put her hands on or near her mouth and giggle, lick her lips, or thrust out her chest while gazing at the object of her intended affection.And its consistent, regardless of language, socioeconomic status , or religious upbringing. For men, says Rodgers, the fascination ritual is less submissive but no less standardized. Hell puff out his chest, jut his chin, arch his back, gesture with his hands and arms, and swagger in dominant motions to draw attention to his powerHow to get better at reading body languageFirst, pay attention. Sounds obvious but youre probably not doing it consistently throughout the conversation.Dynamics change, especially when youre dealing with someone who is actively trying to deceive you. Unless theyre very good, inconsistencies will arise (leakage) and you can get insight into how they really feel.Youll improve dramatically by addressing the four weaknesses pointed out in The Silent Language of LeadersConsider context Should someone in this situation be acting like this?Look for clusters of actions, not isolated ones All three of those behaviors are associated with?Get a baseline How do they normally act?Be aware of your biases Are you tempted to cut them sl ack and they havent started speaking yet?Your abilities will make a quantum leap if you realize that body language is part of a bigger context and a bigger cluster and you start monitoring the other facets of behavioral interaction voice, appearance, clothing, etc.These can help you evaluate the whole packageWhat does clothing tell you? How about shoes?What does someones voice tell you?What does a face tell you? How about a quick glance?What are 10 instances when you should trust your gut?Join over 285,000 readers and get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsHow To Be Resilient 8 Steps To Success When Life Gets HardWhat 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple EmailsThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.4 secrets to reading body language like an expertHow important is body language?About55% of what you convey when you speak comes from body language. In fact, when youre speaking about something emotional only about 7% of what the other person hears has to do with the words you use.More often than not you can tell what a politician thinks about an issue just by watching their hands. Psychopaths can tell who would be a good victim just by watching them walk.In five minutes you can often evaluate people with approximately 70% accuracy. . .but obviously were wrong often, and that 30% can be very costly.What can the research teach us about better reading peoples body language?What youre doing wrongIn The Silent Language of Leaders How Body Language Can Helpor HurtHow You Lead the author points out a number of common errors people make.Heres how I interpreted the findingsIgnoring context Crossed arms dont mean as much if the room is cold or the chair theyre sitting in doesnt have armrests. Everything has to pass the common sense test given the environment.Not looking for clusters One of the biggest errors people make is looking for one single tell. Thats great in movi es about poker players but in real life its a consistent grouping of actions (sweating, touching the face, and stuttering together) that is really going to tell you something.Not getting a baseline If someone is always jumpy, jumpiness doesnt tell you anything. If someone is always jumpy and they suddenly stop moving - HELLO.Not being conscious of biases If you already like or dislike the person its going to affect your judgment. And if people compliment you, are similar to you, are attractive these can all sway you, unconsciously. I know, you dont fall for those tricks. Well, the biggest bias of all is thinking youre unbiased.What to focus onWhat signals can and should you trust when trying to get a read on someone? They need to be unconscious behaviors that are not easily controlled and convey a clear message.In Honest Signals How They Shape Our World, the authors point out three to keep your eye onSpeech mimicry and behavioral mimicry Are they using the same words you use? Speak ing at a similar speed and tone? Are they sitting the way you sit? Is a subtle, unconscious game of follow-the-leader going on? This is a sign the other person feels emotionally in sync with you. It can be faked but thats rare and difficult to pull off consistently across a conversation.Activity level As a general rule, activity levels indicate interest and excitement. (Often when a woman is bouncing her foot during a date it means shes interested in the man shes with.)Consistency of emphasis and timing This is a sign of focus and control. Someone who is less consistent is less sure of themselves and more open to influence.Specifics to look forContextually vetted, baseline adjusted clusters are your best bet but research has shown some specifics are often decent indicators.Crossed legs are a very bad sign during negotiations.Via The Silent Language of Leaders How Body Language Can Helpor HurtHow You LeadCrossed legs can have a devastating effect on a negotiation. In How to Read a Pe rson Like a Book, authors Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero reported that the number of times settlements were reached increased greatly when both negotiators had uncrossed their legs. In fact, they found that out of two thousand videotaped transactions, not one resulted in a settlement when even one of the negotiators had his or her legs crossed.Theres a consistent cluster that has been seen among people who are trying to cheat you.Via Wray Herbert, author of On Second Thought Outsmarting Your Minds Hard-Wired HabitsAgain and again, it was a cluster of four cues hand touching, face touching, crossing arms, and leaning away. None of these cues foretold deceit by itself, but together they transformed into a highly accurate signal. And the more often the participants used this particular cluster of gestures, the less trustworthy they were in the subsequent financial exchange.Who should you trust? Look for people who are consistently emotionally expressive in their body language These results suggest that cooperators may be more emotionally expressive than non-cooperators. We speculate that emotional expressivity can be a more reliable signal of cooperativeness than the display of positive emotion alone.And look at peoples hands. Palm down gestures indicate power. Palm up shows submission.The New York Times cites Adam Kendon, author of Gesture Visible Action as Utterance, on the deeper meaning of hand positionsGestures of the Open Hand Prone or palm down family are used in contexts where something is being denied, negated, interrupted or stopped, whether explicitly or by implication. Open hand Supine (or palm up) family gestures, on the other hand, are used in contexts where the speaker is offering, giving or showing something or requesting the reception of something . . .Keep in mind that men and women differ in body language. For instance, they flirt differentlyViaFascinate Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and CaptivationA female begins fascinating a male by smiling at him, raising her brows to make her eyes appear wider and more childlike, quickly lowering her lids while tucking her chin slightly down, in an effort to bring him closer. After averting her gaze to the side, she will, within moments and almost without exception, put her hands on or near her mouth and giggle, lick her lips, or thrust out her chest while gazing at the object of her intended affection.And its consistent, regardless of language, socioeconomic status, or religious upbringing. For men, says Rodgers, the fascination ritual is less submissive but no less standardized. Hell puff out his chest, jut his chin, arch his back, gesture with his hands and arms, and swagger in dominant motions to draw attention to his powerHow to get better at reading body languageFirst, pay attention. Sounds obvious but youre probably not doing it consistently throughout the conversation.Dynamics change, especially when youre dealing with someone who is actively trying to deceive you. U nless theyre very good, inconsistencies will arise (leakage) and you can get insight into how they really feel.Youll improve dramatically by addressing the four weaknesses pointed out in The Silent Language of LeadersConsider context Should someone in this situation be acting like this?Look for clusters of actions, not isolated ones All three of those behaviors are associated with?Get a baseline How do they normally act?Be aware of your biases Are you tempted to cut them slack and they havent started speaking yet?Your abilities will make a quantum leap if you realize that body language is part of a bigger context and a bigger cluster and you start monitoring the other facets of behavioral interaction voice, appearance, clothing, etc.These can help you evaluate the whole packageWhat does clothing tell you? How about shoes?What does someones voice tell you?What does a face tell you? How about a quick glance?What are 10 instances when you should trust your gut?Join over 285,000 readers and get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsHow To Be Resilient 8 Steps To Success When Life Gets HardWhat 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple EmailsThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

Balance - How a Consultant Gets Work-Life Balance - The Muse

Balance - How a Consultant Gets Work-Life Balance - The MuseBalance - How a Consultant Gets Work-Life BalanceConsulting, like many other industries such as banking and law, is often criticized for its lack of balance and intense working environment. These types of jobs require a huge commitment to work, and this can often mean that the other aspects of your life fall by the wayside. But just because you love the fast-paced and intense environments these careers offer, doesnt mean that you need to turn into a complete workaholic and lose all semblance of a life. Here are some strategies my colleagues and I have found helpful in managing some balance in the imbalance. Whether you work in an intense industry like mine or not, they can be used by anyone looking to up the level of life in the work-life equation.1. Think of it as a Game of AveragesA lot of work-life balance conversations focus on the balance that people can find on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, when you work in an env ironment where this isnt always in your control or what is expected of you (read weekly travel and 9 PM calls), it can be better to take a broader view of what balance means. In other words, I often strive for average balance over a longer period of time. On a weekly basis, this might mean pulling 15-plus hour days Monday through Thursday, but that Friday evening and Saturday are completely off-limits for work. On an annual basis, this might mean working crazy hours plus weekends for a few months, but then seeking out an arrangement or project with a less intense schedule for the remaining months in the year where you can add in volunteering, working out, and mora friend and family time. In consulting, due to the nature of the industry and how projects change quite frequently, it can be easy to seek out projects with different intensities based on what you need. The key is to communicate with your leadership and manager about your desire to take on a project with a different time co mmitment. Typically, people will accommodate it (as a gesture to keep you sane) if its something you need. 2. Pick Your PrioritiesWhile it might be easy to say that you want to have it all- a fulfilling and challenging career, an active social life, the ability to run competitive marathons, time to cook dinner for the family, a full nights sleep, and so on- we all know thats not exactly possible. So, a key step in finding balance is to have a clear prioritization of what is important to you. Balance doesnt necessarily mean spending an equal distribution of time across all aspects of life in general- it can be (and should be) different for everyone. For example, work is most important to me, quickly followed up by my social life and working out. This means I typically eat into more of my sleep time than most of my friends and always look for convenience in my mealtimes. While I admire my friends who religiously pack their lunches and cook dinner, this just isnt the most important thi ng for me, and I am more than happy to compromise it to achieve other things. Its a matter of quality over quantity By spending your limited time on whats most important to you, youll feel more balanced than if you tried to cram everything into that time.3. Delegate the Easy StuffNow, about that low-priority stuff? There a few tactics and hacks that my friends who work in time-consuming and intense jobs apply. First, if you arent fortunate yet to have access to a personal assistant, consider hiring a virtual one or a student to help you with some of your tasks. Whether its booking appointments, paying bills, printing, shopping, or the other number of small tasks that add up to huge time expenditure and an endless to-do list, an assistant can help you unlock more time in your day for the things that matter. One of my friends who works in finance does this often, and she cant ever imagine her life without the extra help. A number of my friends also use time-saving services such as hou se cleaning, pre-made frozen meal services, or grocery delivery to help ease the pressure of completing necessary chores. This can cut down on time spent doing not-fun yet necessary things like grocery runs, Sunday morning cleaning and laundry, and the like- and gives you more time for the things that make you happy.4. Look for Small WinsWhile I do play a game of averages when approaching work-life balance, I also look for small wins throughout my day to try to achieve what balance I can. For instance, whether its taking the stairs or walking a couple blocks extra before hopping onto transit, a little bit of fresh air and activity can help bring balance to an otherwise hectic day. This could also mean allowing yourself a 15-minute coffee with a friend for a quick laugh, taking a step back from your work to read an interesting article, or just picking something healthy for lunch. While taking 15 minutes here or there might seem impossible to do, in reality it will have very little im pact on your outputs (likely, people wont even notice youve taken the time). But it will make a big difference in your energy levels and balance. Even though its extremely easy to just put my head down and plug away when the work is piling up, I try to find these little bits of balance wherever I can throughout my day, When you work in a demanding industry, it can be extremely hard to achieve the sought after work-life balance that is the topic of so many conversations, but by changing your perspective, employing some hacks, and focusing on the big stuff, you can get to a better level of balance. Photo of woman kicking off shoes courtesy of Shutterstock.