Want to fail in your job? Here's how! There are many ways to falter at work or in your job search, including taking setbacks personally, focusing on perfectionism and shunning advice from a friend or coworker. "It's important to have a mind of your own and march to your own drum, but don't be a know-it-all," writes workplace author Bryan Robinson. Full Story: Forbes (10/25)
In addition to making your at-home workspace comfortable, there are ways to up your remote game, including setting a timer for focused work free of email alerts and other distractions, suggests Karen Mangia of Salesforce, who recently published a book on working remotely. After your "sprint" work, stretch, take a lunch break or go outside. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/25)
Networking without the small talk For two decades, management author Suzy Welch has eschewed the meet-ups and small talk of traditional networking simply by thanking acquaintances and strangers via email or social media for the influence they've had on her life. They usually write back, she says. Full Story: CNBC (10/21)
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Brokers ready for virtual voluntary benefits enrollment Brokers and voluntary benefits carriers expect to make greater use of online and self-service enrollment options this year, and more than two-thirds of brokers said they plan to use more videoconferencing for employee meetings. More than half the employers surveyed said they think employees will be more interested in voluntary benefits this year than in previous enrollment seasons, but a majority of brokers expect a downturn in voluntary benefit uptake. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (10/22)
What you wear while working from home might not seem important, but it can set the right tone and differentiate between work and personal time. "Think about your remote work clothing as you would your casual Friday look at the office. That means you should definitely change out of your pajamas before starting work," writes career coach Hallie Crawford. Full Story: U.S. News & World Report (10/21)
POLL QUESTION: What do you wear when working remotely?
All those times you've visited McDonald's and been disappointed to find the ice cream machine out of order haven't been just bad luck. It's a widespread problem. So widespread, in fact, that one software engineer developed this awesome McBroken tool. It tells you which McDonald's locations in your area are actually serving the yummy stuff. Full Story: Ars Technica (10/23)
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