Here in reverse order are the top posts of the year on Work from Home Wisdom. We have some new entries but some oldies are still pulling in the readers!
http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/2014/01/03/top-posts-2013/How do we learn about leadership? Do we go get an MBA, attend a course at a leading university or recognised business college, or do we just need to just do it! Modelling what leaders do, discovering their mind-set and understanding the process they go through, is probably the most effective way of emulating their success. There are common values, beliefs and behaviours that set good leaders apart from others. However there are lessons to be learned everywhere. From films, animals, everyday situations, communities, moments of crisis etc. The lessons in this post come from the primary school. See what 3 valuable lessons you can learn there!
http://www.leadinganddevelopinghighperformance.com/leadership/lessons-in-leadership/Just some of the mentions of Work from Home Wisdom in the press in 2013. And we explain how you can get national press coverage for your small business too.
http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/2014/01/02/work-from-home-wisdom-in-the-press-2013/Never underestimate the power of a professional negotiator ... and make sure it's you and not the person you are negotiating with! Negotiating is not a competition and should be approached with a cool head and a clear idea of what you want to achieve. I've seen many a negotiation go wrong where emotions, mind reading and assumptions turn the meekest of people into a demanding, go for the jugular, win at all costs maniac! Negotiation is a life-skill so get yourself on a good training program, buy a book or at the very least read this post which will give you some expert guidelines on professional negotiations.
http://strat-talking.com/business-negotiations-expert-guidelines/I remember being given career advice many years ago. I was interested in art and music and becoming a vet. Well my academic record in maths and chemistry were considered to be below par for a career as a vet and art and music were brushed aside as worthless pursuits! The port folio career (or port folio life as I prefer to call it) was not even mentioned - neither was the possibility of freelancing or running your own business. Nowadays young professionals have much more choice and I recommend you look at freelancing as an option rather than being caught in a corporate culture that doesn't fit with your values or motivational drives. This blog post describes the reasons for moving towards freelancing as a way of protecting your future (the chances of being laid-off or being made redundant have increased), satisfying the need to grow and develop and exploring what it is you really want to do.
http://strat-talking.com/5-reasons-professionals-will-switching-freelancing-careers-2014/A small business turnaround means some hard decisions and hard work, but it is possible to get back on track.
http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/2013/12/23/5-tips-small-business-turnaround/One of the key things I learned when doing account management is that my team were't just the people I worked with (other account managers). My team consisted of everyone who could either get in the way or help me to deliver excellent service to my clients. That included people who worked for my clients too! Perhaps the most important way of influencing them was to seek to understand what they did, why they did it and how they affected my clients' experience. I also needed to understand how I could add value to them and make their lives easier. Better to give value first and then ask for a favour. When you become a freelancer, and are often thrown into a team, this is even more crucial. Here's a useful blog post that explains a strategy for integrating effectively with a team quickly.
http://strat-talking.com/account-teams-vs-strategists/She would sleep on her blanket on an office chair.
http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/information/my-home-office/home-offices-gallery-6/