How to Be Valuable at Work: 3 Ways to Identify & Meet Needs

A man handing a piece of paper to a woman in an office illustrates how to be valuable at work

What makes certain employees stand out as truly valuable in today’s fast-paced work environment? How can you become the type of worker who makes a meaningful impact beyond your job description? Liz Wiseman says that impact players do more than just complete their assigned tasks. In her research, she reveals that the employees who make the biggest difference actively seek ways to contribute to their organization’s critical needs, even when those responsibilities fall outside their official roles. Keep reading to discover how to be valuable at work by following Wiseman’s three recommendations.

Bringing Out the Best in People: Book Overview & Takeaways

A manager reading a book in her office

Do you want to unlock your employees’ full potential? What is the most effective management strategy? In Bringing Out the Best in People, Aubrey C. Daniels challenges traditional management methods, which often fail to improve performance, and instead proposes an approach grounded in science. Using behavior analysis, Daniels examines how managers can create a work environment that encourages employees to give their all. Read below for a brief overview of Bringing Out the Best in People.

How to Spot Good Management vs. Bad Management

Two people representing good management vs bad management

What makes someone a good manager or a bad manager? What are ineffective strategies that some managers use? According to Aubrey C. Daniels, when employee performance is subpar, the problem usually lies within the work environment, not the employee. Most mainstream management styles don’t account for this, so they tend to work inconsistently (if they work at all). Below, we’ll look at the difference between good management vs. bad management.

How to Make Your Dreams Come True: From Small to Big Goals

A woman glad she knows how to make her dreams come true, looking up and smiling with the word "DREAMS" in glowing letters above her

Do you want your dreams to become a reality? How did Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dreams evolve over time? In Be Useful, Arnold Schwarzenegger uses his life story to show how your dreams can guide you, though your aspirations will change over time. He suggests that just because your dreams change, doesn’t mean you’ll be set back in life. Continue reading to learn how to make your dreams come true.

How to Change Employee Behavior: 3 Factors to Target

A manager attempting to change employee behavior by talking to her with a clipboard of notes in her hand

How can you change unwanted employee behavior? What types of behaviors should managers target? The first step of Aubrey C. Daniels’s management approach is to identify the desired behavior by clearly defining your objective. The objective may be to solve a problem, like frequently missed deadlines, or achieve a goal, like heightened productivity. Keep reading to learn how to change employees’s behavior by identifying what you want out of them first.

Finish What You Start: Book Overview & Takeaways (Peter Hollins)

A man with wavy brown hair, a beard, and glasses is wearing an orange sweater and reading a book in a home office

How can you turn your ambitious projects into completed achievements? What’s holding you back from following through on your goals? Finish What You Start, a book by Peter Hollins, explores the mindsets and habits that empower people to accomplish their life goals. Hollins provides insights on developing a finisher’s mindset, preparing for productive action, and maximizing your work efficiency. Keep reading to discover Hollins’s techniques for sustaining motivation and seeing your projects through to completion.

How to Come Up With Original Ideas: 3 Tips From Ozan Varol

A bearded man looking to his left at a huge lightbulb bursting with energy illustrates how to come up with original ideas

How do you spark creativity when you’re feeling stuck? What’s the secret to generating fresh, innovative ideas? Ozan Varol’s book Awaken Your Genius offers insights on how to come up with original ideas. He shares practical tips for tapping into your creative potential and developing innovative concepts. These strategies can help you break through mental blocks and explore new possibilities. Keep reading to tap into your creative genius and discover ways to generate groundbreaking ideas.

How Working Too Much Affects Your Relationships

A female middle-aged nurse who is sitting in a hospital hallway and looks tired from working too much

Do you feel like you’re working too much? Do you often work rather than spend time with loved ones? Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse, shares that one common deathbed regret her patients had is that they prioritized work instead of relationships. Finding a work-life balance is imperative for your happiness and the happiness of those around you. Here’s what the dying had to say about their relationships with work.

The 2 Types of Employee Performance Data to Collect

A clipboard of employee performance data, in front of a man working at his desk

What are the most useful types of employee performance data? What’s the difference between qualitative and quantitative data? In one step of Aubrey C. Daniels’s management approach, you collect baseline data about your employees’ current performances. You use this data as a reference point for evaluating the effectiveness of your behavioral intervention. Check out the two types of employee performance data you should collect.

How to Slow Down in Life: Advice From a Zen Buddhist

A woman learning how to slow down in life by closing her mind and living in the moment while at the grocery store

Do you want to know how to slow down in life? How can you commit to a mindfulness practice? In his book The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down, Zen Buddhist teacher Haemin Sunim says mindfulness is an essential tool for slowing down. You must acknowledge that you can’t change external circumstances but you can control your internal responses. Here’s how to slow down and start living in the moment.