Less Talent Means Employers Are Casting a Wider Net

Less Talent Means Employers Are Casting a Wider Net

Less Talent Means Employers Are Casting a Wider Net

Rapid growth is causing problems for the tech industry. They are having a difficult time finding experienced and trained employees. There are an estimated 700,000 job openings unfilled in the tech industry. Last year job postings for AI job positions increased by a whopping 159%. This increase is causing employers to be more creative in their search for qualified workers.

What Kind of Jobs Are They Trying to Fill?

Tech employers are looking for employees trained in data mining, analytics. They also need people skilled in robotics and automation engineering and AI. Very few people are trained and educated in the United States to fill these positions.

Where Are Employees Trained to Fill These Roles?

India and Brazil are the largest two areas with highly trained people willing to go to another country for a job. About 2/3rds of these foreign job seekers are willing to move. The top 3 countries they want to go to are the United States, Canada, and Germany.

Limitations to Finding Qualified People

Bringing employees into the United States is not an easy thing to do. Employers in the United States are looking to the H-1B visa program to find qualified people worldwide. The H-1B visa program limits H-1B visas to 85,000 annually. It is a cumbersome process requiring the submission of many forms by employers. The annual cap limitation forces smaller companies to compete for this labor pool.  Smaller companies have to compete with companies like Apple and Microsoft. Also, the approval rate for the H-1B visas has dropped to 75%. This makes it more difficult to get approval for people interested in coming here. Currently half of the people with H-1B visas are from India.

Efforts to Find Qualified People

Employers are trying to find people interested in coming to the United States. Many companies are looking into alternative training sources. Tech boot camps and certification programs are two of these possibilities. Offering relocation packages and supporting family members is another. Some employers are trying to help with the paperwork for people trying to move here.

To ease the employee shortage other American companies are moving tech teams to foreign countries. Distance and cultural issues are not always easy to overcome. Yet it’s another alternative companies are considering to find educated and qualified employees.

Companies may need to consider investing and developing training programs to meet their future needs for these high tech employees.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

5 Ways to Increase Productivity and Boost Motivation

5 Ways to Increase Productivity and Boost Motivation

5 Ways to Increase Productivity and Boost Motivation

If your workplace has fallen flat then it might be time to recenter your employee’s focus and increase their motivation. There are some ways you can boost your employee’s drive-by changing just a few things in the workplace.

Here are 5 great ideas to get you started.

1. Make the Workplace Fun

If you ask the workforce what makes them happier and more likely to stay with a certain company, the #1 answer is always a fun workplace. Bringing fun into the workplace can also:

  • Reduce stress
  • Increase overall job satisfaction
  • Increase motivation
  • Improve productivity
  • Increase employee performance

Think about some ways that you can bring some fun into your workplace. If you don’t already, encourage your employees to hang out in social settings to build camaraderie.

2. Bring Music Into the Workplace

Music has been known to change our emotions and how we view and perceive life. It has the power to calm us in times of stress or make us happy in times of sadness. If you bring music into the workplace, you can give your employees a mental boost.

The one thing to keep in mind is that instrumental music has been shown to be more effective at increasing focus and attention than music with lyrics.

3. Encourage Exercising

Employees who exercise regularly are 25% more focused, driven, and efficient than those who don’t. They are also 40% more motivated in the workplace. It’s vital to encourage your employees to exercise. If you have space, it would be worth the investment to convert an area to an office gym. If you don’t have space, you can encourage exercise by increasing employee incentives to workout or by providing gym memberships.

4. Encourage Learning

Learning a new skill or concept can greatly improve your employee’s drive and motivation. It can also improve productivity. Analyze your employees’ job performance and existing skill set to see what concepts you can bring in to encourage innovation. You can provide incentives for mastering new skills or even provide funding to further their education.

5. Make Time for Meditation

Many people already set aside time every day for personal meditation. We are now seeing the benefits of bringing this practice into the workplace. In fact, setting aside just 10 minutes every day can reduce workplace stress, enhance workplace relationships and help to resolve conflicts, and enhance mental and emotional health. Set up time early in the workday for your employees to meditate.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Risks Associated With AI

Risks Associated With AI Transparency

Risks Associated With AI

Much is said about algorithms in artificial intelligence discriminating against different groups of people. Whether this is intentional or unintentional it poses serious problems that can ruin a company’s reputation permanently. This can also overlook many potential options unconsciously denying a business of a preferable choice.

Preventing Discrimination and Encouraging Fairness

Amazon was using an AI tool that was later found to discriminate against women and therefore had to do away with it. Apple’s new credit card is being accused of discriminating against sexist lending models. Transparency among AI models is necessary and will help to solve some of these issues and gain the trust of the public.

Security Risk With AI Transparency

With AI comes convenience and at the same time, with AI transparency, comes an open door to hackers. AI transparency means opening up and sharing the methods by which they create their algorithms. Disclosure can not only open explanations to hacking but it can also open employers up to even more regulation.

Companies also become more susceptible to lawsuits which are not the goal of transparency. Transparency is for the protection of all and not to create more government regulation but to create accountability and fairness. Here lies the AI transparency paradox, creating an open and honest forum is good and necessary but this open forum creates complex problems for companies.

Releasing the fine details about an AI’s algorithms only increases liability and risk, but then again all data carries its risk. As AI is accepted more and more and becomes mainstream the more downfalls, bugs, viruses, etc will be discovered.

AI Has a Long Way to go in Development

There is still a lot to learn concerning artificial intelligence and how we can simultaneously be fair and protect our programming, our rights, and our safety. The more information is released about an algorithm the more harm that a malicious hacker can cause. This is not to say that we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.

It is necessary for people to understand that with transparency, comes risk. As AI is progressing so is AI security, an entire network dedicated to catching and exposing risk before they cause harm.

Lastly, another form of protection is to employ lawyers as often as possible when dealing with AI. Lawyers create a legally privileged space, allowing companies to thoroughly decipher and look for vulnerabilities in their AI models without the worry of more liabilities and unwarranted trouble.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Be Genuine at Work

Be Genuine at Work

Be Genuine at Work

We’ve all had bad days that have affected our work and attitude in the office. During these days, it feels impossible to do the everyday tasks your job asks of you. Positivity in the workplace has a direct impact on pervasive sectors of the workforce such as customer service and sales. How can you have a more positive outlook on the day even if it’s been a tough start to the day?

Surface Acting and Deep Acting

We’re all guilty of going from yelling and cursing in a road rage-induced furry then five-minutes later giving a fake smile to your co-workers when you walk into the office. This is called surface acting. This is when you feel one emotion and attempt to express another.

Meanwhile, deep active involves changing how you feel internally with the hope that your emotions will actually change. Instead of diving into said road-rage induced furry, reappraise what’s good about your day and what you enjoy about your work. This will help you put on a genuine smile.

Research has shown that those who practice deep acting over surface acting reaped greater benefits than those who practice surface acting. Part of this has to do with the fact that you interact with your coworkers every day, so surface acting would require a lot of acting.

Why Is Smiling Important?

Why do we try to act happy and positive around our co-workers? Is it something that actually has a positive impact on our work? We do seem to operate under the impression that our positive outlook will have a positive impact on our careers.

Those who practice deep acting say they were trying to be positive because they like their coworkers and value the relationships they have with them. Those who practice a mixture of the two say they were trying to be positive to avoid looking back or trying to get ahead at work. Studies have found that those who practice deep acting had colleagues who were more willing to offer help and support.

Based on research, it’s clear that positivity in the workplace does have an impact on our work lives. Those who practice deep acting rather than surface acting are more likely to actually feel better about themselves and their work. Try to remember what’s good about your life, your job, and your workplace next time you’re having a bad day.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

How Leaders Can Navigate These 7 Leadership Styles

How Leaders Can Navigate These 7 Leadership Styles

A growing school of thought in the business leadership circle is that leaders should abandon the old school style of leadership in favor of a new school approach. In today’s environment, most executives and leaders need to be good at both styles to succeed. These combating styles will create tensions leaders will need to navigate to become as good a leader as possible.

  1. The Expert vs. the Learner

Typically, leaders become leaders in their field because they’re an expert in their line of work. In today’s day in age, leaders must accept that their area of expertise is limited and can always grow by further learning. Failing to recognize this need for continuous learning can lead to poor decision making.

  1. The Constant vs. the Adaptor

The old school approach to leadership subscribes to the idea that leaders should stick to their guns and focus on consistency. Meanwhile, the new school approach says that leaders should always be adapting to these fast-changing environments. Leaders should have an understanding of when to be consistent and when to adapt.

  1. The tactician vs. the Visionary

Old school leaders follow well-defined plans and rarely venture from the path they know works. Meanwhile, new school leaders have a clear vision of where they want to end up without following a traditional path. Without balancing these, leaders run the risk of not having a clear set of goals or having unrealistic or intangible goals.

  1. The Teller vs. the Listener

Old school leaders would rather tell others how to do things and when to do it. New school leaders listen to those around them and weigh everyone’s opinions before making decisions. Leaders should be able to balance providing leadership and asserting themselves, and taking advice from others.

  1. The Power Holder vs. the Power Sharer

Old school leaders lead from the top and make executive decisions based on what they believe is best. New school leaders empower those below them to make choices to help achieve goals. If not balanced, leaders can undermine their own authority by not being too assertive or alienating those below them by not sharing.

  1. The Intuitionist vs. the Analyst

Old school leaders value their gut to make decisions by using their experience as a point of reference. New school leaders make decisions based on data and numbers. Leaders should be able to balance making decisions using their experience and basing decisions on data and numbers.

  1. The Perfectionist vs. the Accelerator

Old school leaders believe in taking their time and making sure everything is perfect. Meanwhile, new school leaders believe that sometimes it’s best to do something quickly and fail fast than take too long. Balancing these allows you to still reach deadlines and launch dates while not compromising quality.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

How Your Company Can Communicate During The Coronavirus Outbreak

How Your Company Can Communicate During The Coronavirus Outbreak

How Your Company Can Communicate During The Coronavirus Outbreak

COVID-19 has forced businesses and organizations around the world into dealing with unprecedented circumstances. While there may be no tried and true roadmap available to help guide companies through these trying times, there are a few basics companies should continue to practice. Proper planning, communication, and transparency can help you make sure your business sees the other side of this pandemic.

Create a COVID-19 Task Force

First and foremost, you should be assessing how your company is being affected by COVID-19. Form a team from different functions of your company to assess your needs and risks. This team should include representatives from the key functions of your business including supply chain, human resources, communications, sales, legal, and more.

Determine who in the task force will make decisions and who will have ultimate authority. Make certain that it is understood throughout the company that employees should only listen to the task force for company updates regarding the virus. Agree internally about what will be communicated before making any announcements to avoid confusion.

Communicate

The most important part of this pandemic for your company will be how your company communicates not only with the customers but with the employees as well. Review the needs of your audience and determine who needs what information and who needs it first.

Your communication plan should be centered around the measures you’re taking to ensure your employees and customers are safe during this pandemic. Regularly pass on information and news to your employees. Don’t let them find out information about the company second-hand. Be sure they are in the know at all times to avoid confusion and a spread of misinformation.

Media Inquiries

This pandemic should change the way your company moves in regards to media inquiries. Consider pushing back any announcements you had planned for the foreseeable future. Journalists, news outlets, and media consumers are focused on COVID-19.

It’s recommended that companies only release statements informing the public on any policy changes during the pandemic. Do not release any information on how the business is being affected by the pandemic.

During these uncertain times, it can be easy to lose yourself in panic when thinking about the future of your company. However, with proper planning and communication, your company can make it out of this pandemic.

Stay Safe!

Want to learn more? Contact us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

5 self-care habits of successful people

5 self-care habits of successful people

5 self-care habits of successful people

Self-care is vital for busy people who focus more on their business and others than themselves. Burnout is a real thing and by practicing these five habits of successful people you will gain more peace, energy, and success. Self-care is definitely a practice but if you are willing to set new habits we know it will pay off.

  1. Journal To Reflect 

Creating a gratitude journal is known to create positive changes in the brain that help you to see life completely different. If you want to maintain your level of success along with your happiness start your day off by asking yourself these questions:

  • What three things am I grateful for?
  • What three things would make today great?
  • Additionally, before bed ask yourself:
  • What three things happened today that made it great?
  • How could I have made today better?

Practicing daily helps you to stay connected to your purpose.

  1. Diversify Your Activities 

Hobbies are an extremely important part of any lifestyle but in order to keep things fun and exciting it’s necessary to diversify your activities. Picking up a new hobby or learning something new is challenging at first but it opens up a whole new world of opportunity and experience.

If you typically love to enjoy a good book at home try joining a book club and meet new people.

  1. Put Down The Electronics and Turn Up the Outdoors

We love our devices but sometimes we put a little too much time into scrolling and watching television that we forget about what our bodies crave. This isn’t a bashing segment on social media or phone addictions but it is a plea to go outside and spend time soaking in all the beautiful fresh air.

  1. Feed Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

It’s pretty typical for successful people to feed their minds but don’t forget the body and spirit need to be fed as well. Make sure you are getting 30 minutes of exercise a day even if it is just a 30-minute walk.

Taking a walk will allow you to get that much-needed nature time and feed your body at the same time. If you are a religious person make time for attending your place of worship or embrace things that calm your mind and bring more inner stillness.

  1. Make Sure You Are Getting Enough Sleep

And last but not least, make sure you are getting enough sleep. Sleep allows your body to renew cells and is attributed to clear thinking and better health. Most people need 6 to 8 hours a night.

Stay successful!

Want to learn more? Contact us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Create a Community From Your Customers

Create a Community From Your Customers

Create a Community From Your Customers

The world is changing at a faster pace than ever and the business world is changing with it. The days of having a one-way conversation with your potential customers via advertisements and marketing are over. Building a community with your customers, opening up avenues for two-way conversations and direct interactions, will help grow your company.

  1. Trust Your Customers

One of the most important aspects of any community is trust. Building a community with your customers involves progressive acts of collaboration, which need trust to survive. A common trend among companies struggling to keep up is an unwillingness to build a creative dialogue with their customer base.

At the end of the day, your customers are the ones you keep you afloat. Listen to their requests, consider their ideas, ask them what they want to see and what products they would be interested in. Companies such as LEGO have seen huge resurgences due in large part to collaborations with customers.

  1. Focus on the Who

When building a community, it’s not about the ‘what’, it’s about the ‘who’. Jumping to the ‘what’ without building a community of people who are invested is going to create a community where no one shows up. Focus on who the community is going to be geared to and build the community to accommodate them.

Community-building is the process of trusting and collaborating with people who are going to bring energy to your brand. Supporting these people is going to help foster a positive and active community.

  1. Treat The Community As a Long-Term Investment

Building a community is only the first step in setting up a successful collaborative environment. You should treat your community the same way you would treat any other long-term investment. Too often, companies build their community, then start shifting attention and effort to something else.

A continued focus on your community is going to instill an ongoing flow of collaboration between you and your customers. More importantly, it’s going to promote the continued growth of your environment. Showing your community that you’re invested in them is going to build the trust we mentioned earlier.

In today’s business world, it’s crucial to build a healthy community with your customers. Focusing on your community is going to promote a healthy two-way dialogue between you and your customers. The most successful companies in the world use communities to help grow their business.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

The Trials of Leadership

The Trials of Leadership

The Trials of Leadership

In the world of business, we’re often finding ourselves asking “what does it take to become a better leader?” Perhaps the answer to the question is an extension of the ‘actions speaks louder than words’ belief. In fact, recent research points to how we react to and handle adversity as one of the most reliable indicators of true leadership.

The Trials of Leadership 

Coping with difficult situations, learning from them and using them to push off into a positive direction is an ability that many of the great leaders possess. Can a leader take hardship in the workplace such as a demanding boss, and use it as a learning moment for them and everyone around them? Not all the trials of leadership are traumatic. In fact, they can involve positive and challenging experiences.

How can you learn from and cope with change and challenges to your day-to-day routine? Perhaps the biggest trial of leadership is how we respond and react to negative situations. The great leaders of the world use those situations to learn, grow and more importantly, teach.

The Essentials of Leadership

There’s no clear cut list of boxes you need to check before you can become a great leader. But by studying and learning from some of the world’s best leaders, we can get a better idea of some of the essentials.

  1. Engage in Shared Meaning

Can you get everyone around you to rally behind you? Can you turn difficult situations into learning experiences? The greatest leaders are able to get those around them to buy into what they are working towards.

  1. A Respected Voice

Does your voice hold weight with the people it needs to? At the end of the day, you’re only as powerful as your word. When you talk, do the people around you listen? Leaders are often able to defuse situations using only their words.

  1. Integrity

A strong set of values and beliefs can go a long way. More importantly, sticking to your values makes you trustworthy and more respected. As you stick to your values, those around you will adhere to them as well.

  1. Adaptability

One of the biggest reasons professionals fail and fall behind is an inability or even an unwillingness to adapt. In order to transcend adversity and emerge stronger than before, is to adapt to the elements surrounding you.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

How the Heart-Brain Connect Can Help You Improve Making Decisions

How the Heart-Brain Connect Can Help You Improve Making Decisions

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “follow your brain, not your heart.” For years we’ve been told that your brain makes logical decisions while our heart makes decisions based on emotions. However, recent studies show that the heart has a mind of its own and business leaders are trying to figure out how to control it!

Does Your Heart Have a Mind Of Its Own?

For the better part of human history, it’s been widely accepted that the heart receives signals from the brain. Scientists later discovered that the heart has a complex communication system that sends more messages to the brain than vice-versa. More importantly, these scientists found that the heart communicates with the brain in ways that significantly affect how we react to the world.

The heart sends messages to the brain in four different ways: via nerve impulses, hormones, pulse waves, and energetic communication methods. Scientists have begun to call the heart the ‘heart brain’ because the heart is so intelligent and communicative. How can business leaders take advantage of this information?

How Can Business Leaders Control the ‘Heart Brain’?

If the heart has an intelligent mind of its own, how big of a factor does it play in our day-to-day decision-making? Strengthening the communication between the heart and mind will allow you to make choices with more clarity and certainty. Scientists and neuroradiologists believe that you can tap into the power of the heart organ for better decision-making with simple exercises.

One of the better exercises to begin practicing requires you to only ask yourself two simple questions. The first question being ‘what emotion am I feeling right now?” This question helps us better understand and process the emotions we feel. The second question is ‘How do I want to feel?” This allows us to be in better control of how we dictate our emotions.

If how you feel doesn’t align with how you want to feel, focus on a positive emotion you’d prefer and thing of things that make you feel that emotion. For example, if you want to feel inspired, think back to a moment when you were inspired.

The ‘Heart Brain’

In recent years, science has proven that the heart is much more important than we previously believed. Your heart is as intelligent as your brain and is capable of making decisions and channeling emotions. Business leaders should do all they can to become in-tune with their ‘heart brain’.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.