How to stop overfunctioning to avoid burnout People with a habit of overfunctioning tend to accept an excessive number of responsibilities at work out of a desire to help people or fix bad situations, but this carries the risk of developing other bad habits such as avoiding asking for help or micromanaging as leaders. At worst, people who overfunction "in an attempt to maintain some semblance of control, validation, or security" are highly prone to burnout, according to leadership coach Melody Wilding. Breaking this habit requires a process of recognizing harmful work patterns and retraining colleagues about your personal boundaries, Wilding writes. Full Story: Insider (8/28)
These soft skills could boost your career Subject matter expertise is important, but so are soft skills such as adaptability, savvy conflict resolution and effective time management, writes Melissa Rosenthal of ClickUp. "The hard truth about soft skills is that they matter -- a lot," Rosenthal writes. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (7/31)
3 ways to transform managers into coaches Redefining the manager role from one of overseer to one of a coach and mentor who works to remove barriers for their employees so they can succeed is necessary if companies are to grow and innovate, writes Art Petty. Petty offers three ideas to make this transformation, including developing a pipeline of future leaders and training them to offer the support their reports will need. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (7/29)
Poll
The decade of change
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This past weekend I saw lots of moving trucks (end of month), and one of my young co-workers just moved for the second time in NYC this year. So I counted up how many times I moved in that first decade of my career -- 11 moves in 13 years between graduate school, internships and first jobs. Happy to say I've been in my present home 25 years now. -- Janet Connor Kahler
POLL QUESTION: How many times did you move in the first decade of your career?
US unemployment claims hover near 2022 high New US unemployment benefit claims fell by 5,000 to 256,000 for the week ended July 23, according to Labor Department data. The current figure is close to the highest level seen this year. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (7/28)
How the Fed's actions could affect unemployment The Federal Reserve's fight to bring inflation under control will likely result in a higher unemployment rate, but there is some disagreement among economists as to how high the rate will go. Unemployment is likely to rise from 3.6% in June to 4.3% at the end of 2023, according to a survey by The Wall Street Journal, although some economists say much higher unemployment may be required to accomplish the Fed's mission. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (7/31)
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14 ways to keep complacency from derailing your dreams Complacency can undermine our motivation, leading to mediocre work and limited career mobility, writes Gregg Vanourek, who recommends setting big goals, blocking out time on the calendar to work on them, releasing limiting beliefs and getting clear on personal values and vision. "We have the power to upgrade our mental operating system, which will help us break the chains of complacency," Vanourek writes. Full Story: Gregg Vanourek (7/28)
While experts think Earth has experienced at least five major ice ages throughout history, some people are starting to wonder if we've entered a fire age. While conventional wisdom suggests you should avoid areas where fires are common, what if those areas become few and far between? This article explores some of the tactics that might become more common. For example, instead of fleeing a fire, your best option might be to shelter in place ... in a fire-resistant structure. Full Story: The Atlantic (tiered subscription model) (7/28)
Editor's Note
I am Janet Connor Kahler, editor of Your Career. I have been with SmartBrief for 13 years in a variety of jobs, including my current job as content production manager. I have experience in hiring, training and managing workers and have taught college courses that include resume writing and job interviewing. I am based in Columbia, S.C., so I'm very familiar with remote work.
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