Work Archives

How to Get Advice From Your Professional Network

Has your career come to a halt? Where you can find advice that is worthwhile? Making a change in your career is a big step, and having other people’s insight can help you navigate tricky decisions. In The Startup of You, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha suggest looking for advice within your professional network because those people may have gone through the same thing. Here’s how to get advice that is worth your time and will get you the best results.

How to Improve a Skill: 3 Strategies for Skilling Up

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Use-It-or-Lose-It Tendency

What would you like to know how to do well? What would you try if you had a plan to succeed? You could have the best ideas in the world, but they’d amount to nothing without execution. Implementation takes skills, and Ron Friedman shares three strategies for developing skills: practice effectively, track your progress, and mitigate your risks while experimenting and innovating. Read more to learn how to improve a skill and, ultimately, implement your ideas.

The 3 Essential Components of a Story: What an Audience Expects

What makes a story a story? What does your audience expect from your narrative? In his 2018 book Unleash the Power of Storytelling, speechwriter-turned-actor Rob Biesenbach asserts that you can make any message much more compelling by simply telling a story. Whether you’re writing a novel or preparing a toast, you can learn from his advice. Keep reading to learn the three necessary components of a story, no matter what your message is.

How to Adapt to Changes in Your Career Plans

What are the benefits of being flexible with your career? How do you adapt to change in the work world? When you prioritize adaptability, you can not only survive unpredictable challenges but also seize unexpected opportunities. The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha says that to fashion a flexible career, you must follow three steps. Check out these three steps so you know how to adapt to change.

Hypothesis in Business Research: How to Make & Use One

Are you scared to try something new for your next innovation project? Why is a hypothesis in business research important? The uncertainty of how customers will react to your new product may scare you from even trying to create it. But if you create a hypothesis, just like you would with the scientific method, you’ll have a better chance of succeeding because you’re testing the waters. Check out how a hypothesis will improve the chances of your business research pulling out a win.

How to Structure a Story: Going Beyond Beginning, Middle, & End

If you’ve got a beginning, a middle, and an end, do you have a story? What’s missing? In his book Unleash the Power of Storytelling, speechwriter-turned-actor Rob Biesenbach believes that a story’s structure matters. But, he contends that there’s something even more important. He explains how to infuse certain processes into the structure to create a truly engaging story. Continue reading to learn, not just how to structure a story, but how to breathe life into that structure.

Storytelling Tips From a Speechwriter-Turned-Actor

Do you want to engage and persuade your audience when you talk about your work, passions, or values? What if you crafted a story and then delivered it as a performance? Even when you care deeply about your message, you don’t always connect with your listeners. Rob Biesenbach says that, if you take the time to get it right, you can tell a story that captivates listeners, affects their emotions, and persuades them to act. Continue reading for several practical storytelling tips from a master of the craft.

How to Craft a Story: The 6-Step Process That Anyone Can Learn

Where do story ideas come from? What kinds of characters engage an audience? When you edit, what should you take out? When you have a message to convey to an audience, it takes time to craft a story that’s perfectly suited for the job. Biesenbach outlines a process you can use to create a story that matches the audience you need to reach and the message you want to deliver. Keep reading to learn how to craft a story, from finding an idea to editing your draft.

What Is Upstream Thinking? Journeying to Find the Root Cause

What is upstream thinking? Why is it a superior problem-solving strategy? In Upstream, Dan Heath advocates for focusing energy on upstream problem-solving. He concedes that the concept of working on the root causes of problems is not always the easiest route, but it does offer the potential for improving flawed systems and reducing harm on a broader scale. Continue reading to learn what upstream thinking is and why it’s a better way to solve problems.

How to Hone Your Work Style to Create Masterful Work

What’s your work style? Did you create it deliberately? Would you like to develop your own unique way of working? Throughout history, many famous innovators—whether they engineered scientific breakthroughs or composed revolutionary musical pieces—went through a process of developing their own style of work. You, too, can go through this process and make a unique mark on the world. Read more to learn how to develop a personal style that sets you and your work apart in your field.