Increase Team Member Commitment for Successful Teams

Increase kollektiv Member Commitment for Successful kollektivsIncrease Team Member Commitment for Successful TeamsThe depth of the commitment of team members to work together effectively to accomplish the goals of the team is a critical factor in team success. The relationships team members develop out of this commitment are key to team building and team success. You need to answer a series of questions to assess the commitment level of team members to work on a team. Team Choice Do team members want to participate on the team? Do they perceive that they had a choice about working on a particular team? Tapping into an employees commitment is much easier if they are participating by choice. When possible, voluntary team participation is strongly recommended. On all social teams and work teams that are ancillary to an employees core job, employees should choose to participate. Even participation on a mandatory team that is part of an employees core job description garners more comm itment when the employees on the team are empowered to set direction, establish goals, and make choices. Work Is Mission Critical Do team members believe the team mission is important? Are members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected outcomes? Is accomplishing their mission-critical to their organization achieving its mission? Team members need to see and make the connection. Team members want to feel as if they are part of something bigger than themselves. They need to understand where their team mission falls into the bigger organizational scheme, the overall leadership vision. All employees want to feel as if their work is important in the total scheme of the business. No employees want to work on a team that they do not feel has a valued customer, an important task, and a business-critical reason for existing. Team commitment comes from team members knowing the expected outcomes and where the outcomes fit into the whole organizations strategic plan. Te am Members Feel Valued Do team members perceive that their service on the team is valuable to the organization and to their own careers? Do they feel that their participation is advancing their career opportunities and bringing positive attention to their contributions? A double win is accomplished if team members find themselves valued by the organization and also receiving ancillary benefits. These ancillary benefits can include growing and developing their skills and career by participating in the team. Making new contacts and perhaps, finding new mentors who are committed to their growth is a plus, too. Attracting attention from departments and senior leaders with whom the employee does not usually interact will also add to the employees feeling valued by the organization. Additional ancillary benefits to the team members can also occur if the member has the opportunity to lead the team, perform as the notetaker, lead the team meetings, lead brainstorming sessions, and facilita te meetings. These are all skills which will further the team members career possibilities. Thus, learning them is worth his or her time. The Challenge, Excitement, and Opportunity Are team members excited and challenged by the team opportunity?Do they see and understand that it is an opportunity to grow, contribute, attract attention, and shine? If so, the chances of their commitment to the process and the outcomes are magnified. Employees want to wake up every morning and feel excited and optimistic about what they will tackle at work that day. This is so much better than waking up hating their job and dragging themselves into the workplace. How the organization approaches, frames, and assigns the opportunity can have a huge impact on the challenge and excitement experienced by team members. Recognition Does your organization have a track record of providing recognition for successful teams and their projects? Almost everyone likes some form of recognition. Make sure recog nition is available at successful milestones, too. This question is asked repeatedly in organizations. With so many employees contributing good, and even great work, why is recognition supplied so sparingly? Employees want and need to feel that their best work is recognized and appreciated. If their manager recognizes successful milestones in the teams progress, the employees commitment to their team and project will increase accordingly. These five main questions have a lot of cross-over characteristics in their answers but it is worth shining the spotlight on each of them separately because of the role that they play in team commitment. Pay attention to these areas and to the additional recommendations in all of the components suggested for successful team building. The more you can foster the appropriate environment for team success, the better your teams will perform, and they will wallow less in dysfunctional behavior that drags your whole organization down.

Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler fears shes being targeted for revealing discrimination

Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler fears shes being targeted for revealing discriminationFormer Uber engineer Susan Fowler fears shes being targeted for revealing discriminationFormer Uber engineer Susan Fowler said on Twitter today that she believes she has become the target of a smear campaign.Earlier this week, Fowler wrote a blog post detailing graphic sexual harassment at the company. The post resonated with many women and set off a firestorm of criticism against Uber. The ensuing controversy resulted in famously cool CEO Travis Kalanick responding strongly and becoming emotional. The company even made reference to the engineers claims in customer service interactions during the week, when users started to delete the ride-hailing app in protest. Shortly after publishing her explosive description of sexual discrimination at Uber, Fowler said she received such an outpouring of support that her Twitter and Mail apps were jammed.A few days later, however, Fowler suspects a backlash. She said publicly that someone has launched a smear campaign, looking for details on her personal life.Research for the smear campaign has begun. If you are contacted by anyone asking for personal and intimate info about me, please report asap, Fowler said on Twitter.Tech observers immediately suspected Uber. The company quickly replied that it has no connection to any intimidation or smear campaign against Fowler.This behavior is wrong and Uber is absolutely not involved in it, an Uber representative told Ladders.A long February for UberUber has had a challenging February. It has struggled to recover from a Delete Uber campaign started by activists outraged by Kalanicks involvement with the Trump administrations business advisory council.Responding to the sexual discrimination allegations in Fowlers blog post, Kalanick said in a memo that former US Attorney General Eric Holder will examine the ex-employees claims and diversity and inclusion at Uber more broadly.The company says Ube rs technology teams have consistently included roughly 15% women.Facebook is at 17%, Google at 19%, and Twitter is at 15%.He said the company would publish a diversity report in coming months.

5 Signs Youre Using Too Much Social Media in Your Job Search

5 Signs Youre Using Too Much Social Media in Your Job Search5 Signs Youre Using Too Much Social Media in Your Job SearchIts a sobering statistic an astounding 93 percent of hiring managers will review a job candidates social media profile before making a decision on whether to hire him or not. Armed with this info, savvy job seekers should ensure that their social media profiles are clean and professional to pass the hiring manager. But there is such a thing as using too much social media in your job search.While social media can be a fabulous tool when youre job hunting, it needs to be used in moderation along with your arsenal of other job search tactics.Think you might be addicted to social media when it comes to job hunting? Below are five signs that youre using too much social media in your job search.Love social media? Check out these signs that you might be using too much social media during your job search1. Youre compulsively checking Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.In your efforts to ramp up your job search- and get hired already- youre spending mora and more time on social media.Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram- theyve become your job search besties. Thing is, youre on the sites all the time because youre afraid of missing a single post, pic, or tweet.In order to get the most out of your job search- and to stay sane- you should only go on social media as it relates to job searching a couple of times a day, max.2. Youre on social media sites more than youre applying for jobs. You want to find a job- now. So you actively monitor your social media channels for any signs of potential jobs, networking opportunities, or job leads.Thats all great and fine, but you might find that youre spending more timesurfing your social media accounts than you are actually applying for positions.Make sure to balance your time better by applying for jobs as much as- or even more than- the amount of time youre spending on social media.3. You cant stop tweaking your s ocial media profiles.As an ardent job seeker, you want to put your best foot forward, both in a real life job interview and also online.As such, you find yourself incessantly playing with your social media profiles. Youre always updating your photos, making slight edits to your skills on LinkedIn, and obsessing over your last 140-character tweet on Twitter.But all that tweaking and picking can actually hurt your chances of getting hired, because it can potentially appear that youre trying to hide something- even if youre not. So update your profilesjust not too often as to arouse suspicion.4. Youre incessantly asking everyone for online recommendations.You know how you feel when you get those generic LinkedIn emails from former coworkers asking you to give them a recommendation?Now imagine youre the one churning out those requests. While its always a good idea to have referrals that attest to your stellar work ethic and superior work performance, you dont need to have dozens of reco mmendations to improve your online presence.Pick out the top five or so that are the best, and file the rest.5. Youre leaving too much of a social media trail. You follow companies that youre interested in working for- and tweet out to them on a daily basis. You like their posts on Facebook, and youll even repost some of their pictureson Instagram.In short, youre doing everything you can to show companies that youd love to work for them- everything, that is, except staying off of social media.The thing is, when youre online too much (and leaving an obvious trail of likes, clicks, and tweets to prove it), a potential boss might get turned off and feel that youre a.) on social media too much, and b.) being a little too eager, both of which can cast you in a negative light.While theres nothing wrong with being in contact with companies youd like to work for online, be strategic with your comments, likes, and such. Sometimes a little can go a long way.Having a social media strategy that works with the rest of your overall job search tactics is a great idea. Just make sure that you dont get too social and let it overtake your job huntReaders, have you been guilty of using too much social media as it relates to your job search? Let us know what happened in the comments below

How to Build a High-Performance Project Team

How to Build a High-Performance Project TeamHow to Build a High-Performance Project TeamProject teams do not spontaneously emerge as productive, high-performance groups. Rather, they are the output of the deliberate actions of the leaders and team members to create and reinforce an environment where the right behaviors flourish, and the wrong behaviors die of oxygen deprivation. In this speciesicle, we explore the challenges of poor performing project teams as well as the approaches that top team leaders and project managers employ to move beyond Tuckmans forming and storming stages to one that emphasizes performing. Fair warning there is no magical list of do ansicht things, and a great team will emerge. It is hard work that requires the application of both the science behind group performance and the art of leading others. Five Common Misfires of Project Teams That Struggle Spend time observing and working with project teams that struggle and you will notice many areas where co mmunication breaks down and performance suffers. Dig beneath the surface in search of root causes of underperformance, and these five common issues invariably emerge. There Is No Clear and Galvanizing PurposeTeam parteicipants are unaware of the importance of the project and its connection to the customer or organization. To project team members, this is just another project. The Customer Does Not Have a Seat at the Table The lack of clarity surrounding the customer results in a foggy project environment where team members grope and flail their way through everything from requirements to timing and costs. Project Management Is Present, but Project Leadership Is Missing in Action Values are vague or nonexistent. Responsibility and accountability are not well established. The tools and templates are there, but the soft skills are nowhere to be found. Poorly Defined and Unclear Roles Performance suffers when people do not understand their own roles or the roles being played by team mem bers. Too Many Projects Chasing Too Few Resources In todays matrix management style organizations, team members are often distributed across multiple initiatives. When projects proliferate like rabbits reproducing, overtaxed team members struggle to focus and do their best work. Eight Actions You Must Take to Create a High-Performance Project Team While it would be nice to believe that there is a simple checklist to follow for building a high-performance team, life, projects, and people are not that easy. The suggestions below are more minimum conditions required for success than they are do this and everything will work. Remember, building great teams is a blend of the science of human psychology and neuroscience and the art of leadership. Use the ideas in good health as a foundation for your own high-performance team development Turn the Project Into an Epic Quest Take a management lesson from the world of video gaming and make certain that team members are hyper-aware of the nature of their mission and its importance to the customer(s), the organization and to their development as professionals. Every project should be viewed by the team members as an opportunity to level-up by both applying their skills and developing and learning new skills. With creativity, even the smallest of initiatives can be positioned as part of a larger quest. Recognize and Leverage the S.C.A.R.F. Model From the World of Neuroscience This acronym stands for status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness. Everything about the team structure and management must reinforce these critical personal issues for each team member. The effective project leader pays careful attention to these attributes and structures her behaviors to reinforce the positives for eachindividual on the project team. Take an Important Leadership Lesson From the Research Into Leading in Dangerous Situations Team members must trust that the team leader cares for each team member and is critically focus ed on ensuring their safety and success. As the team leader, ask and answer Why will my team members trust me to lead them to safety and success? And then define the behaviors you must showcase daily to reinforce your commitment to them. Make Certain the Customer Is Present From Day One and in Every Subsequent Meeting You cannot start the project if the view to the customer is unclear. Whether your initiative is focused on a very specific audience or a more general set of target groups, there are techniques you can employ to create clarity. For new product development initiatives aimed at capturing new customers, create detailed customer personas for each type. For large construction or development efforts, ensure a customer representative is part of project scoping and approval. In situations where the customer cannot be physically present, some teams create a proxy- a cutout or a stuffed animal- that occupies a seat in every meeting. The group is required to ask and attempt to an swer for every decision What will the customer say to this issue. Have Your Team Members Define a Role Charter Everyone on the team should ask and answer At the end of this project, what will my team members say that I did? Share and discuss and define a role description that corresponds to the answers. Teach Your Team These Two Critical Skill Sets How to Talk and How to Decide Early in the team formation process, set expectations for interpersonal communication and ensure that you reinforce accountability. For group settings, teach the team to explore issues through facilitation approaches that focus the groups gray matter on one topic at a time. Teach them to parse out the emotions, risks, ideas and information issues and tackle each one separately before rushing to judgment. For decision-making, help teams understand every big choice from multiple viewpoints (frames) and teach them to evaluate multiple options for each decision. These skills are not taught in project management programs and are not required as part of their professional certification, yet they are essential for helping a team learn to work together. Leverage Team Coaching Coaching is a powerful tool for rckendeckunging team performance, and it is often underutilized. You can use external or internal resources for this role, although the coach must be an objective outsider capable of observing and offering frank, behavioral feedback on team performance and effectiveness. The coach is an invaluable resource in helping observe and identify breakdowns in the discussion and decision-making processes outlined in number six above. Leverage the coach to challenge assumptions and be on the lookout for various group biases including groupthink. Fight Hard for the Time and Attention of Your Team Members Great project leaders work hard on behalf of their team members to ensure that they can focus and do their best work. As a project leader, this means you will have to engage in organizational politics with other project and functional leaders and negotiate on behalf of your team members. Your advocacy and your ability to offer reciprocal support to other project leaders for their own resource needs will prove critical in short-term team performance and your long-term success. The Bottom Line If you leave project team performance to chance, it is unlikely that high performance will emerge. Given the importance of projects in our workplace, everyone from the executives approving and sponsoring projects to the team leaders, project managers, and team members have a stake in the outcomes. Work hard from your position as project manager or team member to ensure the presence of the tools and ideas outlined above, and your odds of creating a high-performance team improve considerably.

The Most Overlooked Fact Regarding Resume Templates Latex Explained

The Most Overlooked Fact Regarding Resume Templates Latex Explained You may conserve the templates in the current folders or youll be able to make a new folder. You only have to select your template The template will subsequently open and youre able to commence working. The templates were produced using Montserrat Font Family, so may need to download the fonts ahead of customizing the files. The computer software scans each resume, plucking out the appropriate info, and then produces a distinctive applicant file. Also, PDF preview files are readily available to allow you to select a CV layout thats right for the vacancy. Microsoft hundertprozentig resume templates are the most regularly used tool in the work hunting. The one problem with resume template Microsoft Word might be that it isnt easy to edit. Additionally, its very simple to add animation to any object, very similar to PowerPoint. If youve got older resume templates from prior versions of Word, you may use them in recent versions also. The black-and-white version is readily available at no cost. The Pain of Resume Templates Latex After you have your resume schliffed, take a look at our great array of jobs at top employers. It is very good for highlighting to prospective employers all of the skills you have developed over the duration of your career, without needing to incorporate each and every workplace chronologically. If youre searching for work in the creative industry, its fine to bring just a little flair to your resume, provided that its still formatted clearly. Whether you want to make an application for a designers job in a creative agency, or want to submit an application for a hot job in a major bank, professional resumes are going to have you covered. There are a lot of free creative resume templates you may use, allowing you to focus your energy on everything else you should do. Circles An excellent hloom template for folks who are searching for work in the art and design f ields. Its content-packed layout is fantastic for engaging employers with many facts, from experience to education. A perfect pick for candidates with a great deal of experience who want to have a really good one-page resume template. Possessing an in depth contact information listing may give your prospective employer more options about how to get hold of you. Provided that you use the appropriate info, you will wind up with a professional document that will impress any hiring manager. Your contact information is fundamentally the very first thing your prospective employer will see because its in the topmost portion of your resume. Your necessary information needs to be formatted in a manner thats both very clear and interesting. Where to Find Resume Templates Latex In case the template appears different than the example it could be because you dont have the right font. Each template offers structure, examples and tips so you dont need to departure from scratch when creatin g your resume. Utilizing a resume template is extremely useful in making your professional profile. It has become an acceptable and smart practice for a number of reasons.You dont need expensive software to produce a great looking resume and Google Docs is one primary reason why. Fortunately, there are various publishers around whove created incredible resume templates for fast editing and formatting in Word. For example, a number of office and client service based jobs will ask you know some simple office computer software such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. The style of resume you will use greatly is dependent on your professional work background and qualifications. In the pop-out options window, since you can see, there are various tabs labeling various sorts of templates. If you would like to download or print, note you will require the premium account. Business cards are also included to finish the look. Creating a resume with the assistance of a template can he lp you become mindful of the resume areas that you must fill.

How to Succeed at any Career

How to Succeed at any Career Woody Allen once said, 80% of success is just showing up. While theres definitely some truth to that in practice, success requires a bit more effort than just showing up especially if you want to succeed at your career.Employers are constantly looking for the right signs to qualify you as vorrcken-worthy material. You just need to show them you are qualified. Remember, its bedrngnis a matter of what you did or said during the interview process what matters is what you do consistently every day.So how can you start moving up the corporate ladder? Here are some helpful hints to get you startedBuild Relationships Sometimes its not what you know, its who you know. Its a good idea to foster positive relationships with your co-workers as well as your superiors. When it comes time for a promotion or a recommendation, youll be glad you built a network of alliances to fall b ack on. You can never have too many friends to speak in good favor for you. Many professionals try to edge out other people for promotions or to be in good favor from the boss. Dont play that game perform whatever function you do as an executive would help others shine, compliment people to others, and help other people network.Be Professional Everything from your workplace demeanor to your Facebook page might be scrutinized at some point by your current or future employers. Try to keep a low profile when it comes to your personal life, and always maintain an air of professionalism. Not only will you be taken more seriously, youll be remembered as a rising star when opportunities arrive. In the eyes of your boss, your reputation is a reflection of things to come. If you have a sullied reputation at work or you were too personal in the past, consider changing jobs. Its difficult to change your employers perception of your core personality you might be better off with a clean slate .Show You Care If you find yourself constantly watching the clock, just waiting to rush home then youre in the wrong job or theres a problem with your work ethic. No one likes working all the time, but you should take some pride and satisfaction from your work. This attitude will help you work more efficiently and effectively. At the same time, its a good idea to push the envelope once in a while to stay late or come in early anything that shows youre a cut above the rest. The main point here is not to brown-nose by showing up early, but rather to examine your own intention and motivations on a daily basis. If you dont want to go above and beyond, if you dont want to put in more than your fair share, you might be better off in a different career. To truly succeed and go far in any profession, it has to be the right one for you the one you want to put effort into.Keep these career tips in mind as you go about your day-to-day business and youll start turning heads. Performance and behavior can be altered whenever you choose its never too late. Your career is more than your livelihood its your best link to a promising future. Why not get ahead today?

Should I Stay or Should I Go

Should I Stay or Should I GoShould I Stay or Should I GoHow do you know when its time to make your passive job search active?So you gotta let me knowShould I stay or should I go?- The ClashYoure comfortable in your current position. You make decent money. The company is relatively healthy. The people you work with are nice enough.For the past couple of years, this scenario was often more than people could hope for, as millions of jobs were slashed and entire industries were walking wounded. Now, with the economy departureing to show signs of growth, many people are taking a fresh look at their situations and deciding there is something better out there.Or is there? How do you determine when its time to go from a passive job search (where you casually peruse job listings) to an active job search (where the process of looking for a new job becomes a job in itself)? The decision is not an easy one, especially for high-level professionals whove invested time and political capital in the ir organizations.As the Clash so eloquently asked Should I stay or should I go?There are several factors to consider when making that decision, according to career experts.SatisfactionTom Gimbel, CEO of The LaSalle Network, a professional staffing and recruiting company in Chicago, said personal satisfaction is a major consideration. Before you make the jump to a new job, you must first ask yourself a few questions Are you fulfilled? Are you challenged? Are you continually learning? If the answer is no to these questions, then it might be time for a job change.With the job climate improving but still nowhere near healthy, personal and professional fulfillment may seem like a bit of a luxury if it means climbing out on a limb. However, future growth may depend on it. Some believe if they are content with salary, hours, co-workers, etc., then they should stay with their jobs, Gimbel said. But without personal satisfaction and constant learning, it is impossible to grow professionally. Company checkupWhile your own mental health is certainly a consideration, so is the health of your company - and your industry.Where is your organization going? Growing or shrinking? A shrinking company provides less opportunity to their employees. Thats a fact, said Rich Gee, an executive coach.Industry checkupIn some cases, the health of entire industries has suffered, causing people to consider not just a job switch but a career change. Changing what you do tantamount to changing who you are is no small feat, nor does it come without a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety. But, experts said, the recession has opened some unexpected doors.The thing that I think is most striking is the opportunity to go into different types of jobs and growing types of industries that are emerging from this poor economy, said Dr. Robert Prescott, associate professor of Human Resource Management at Rollins MBA Crummer Graduate School in Winter Park, Fla. These include green-related industries, public sector, technology, networking, these are the expanding types of industries, and that will probably be true in the next five to 10 years.Just dont forget that if you do decide to switch careers, youre now the newbie, competing against all the unemployed people in that particular sector.Manager maintenanceYou also need to consider the health of the relationship between you and your manager. If your manager is standing in the way of your success rather than supporting it and youve done everything in your power to manage the situation to no avail, it might be time to look for a position outside your company (or at least outside the reach of your manager). Conversely, perhaps a manager who has shepherded your career is leaving the organization and you think it might be time to do the same.Ian C. Pilarczyk, director of International Business Law at Boston University School of Law, has been on both sides of the fence counseling employees in toxic environments and, in the past, wo rking to get out of such environments himself. Scenarios that should spur an active job search, said Pilarczyk, include situations where a manager sets one up to fail rather than succeed, where the work environment is not safe, and where a manager stifles rather than encourages personal and professional growth.Act fastPeople who do decide actively to seek a new job may find that theres no better time than the present. When hiring picks up after an economic downturn, Prescott said, the first wave of people to seek greener pastures is typically the best and brightest something that hiring managers know and expect.I think there are some advantages for people who look to leave in todays market, Prescott said. We find that the employees who leave our companies first are the good ones. Why? Because they are very opportunistic in their mindset, and theyre always looking for those opportunities to grow, to enhance, to make more money, to improve quality of life. The perception is, to the h iring company, that the people who are coming to them now are not necessarily those who were laid off but those who are the best employees.But hold your horses as long as you can, said Bruce A. Hurwitz, president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing. Dont forget that its much easier to find a job when you have a job. No matter how bad your job gets and/or how good the market gets, dont quit your job until you have a concrete offer.Theres no place like homeThat job change could very well be at the company where you currently work. Bettina Seidman, of SEIDBET Associates Career Counseling, said, all too often, people who are dissatisfied with their jobs neglect to meet with their managers to discuss the possibility of an internal change.Gimbel agreed Before you make this job switch, make your voice heard. Have you talked to your boss about your boredom or asked your superior for more stimulating work? Have you brought up new ideas or taken it upon yourself to find more challenging wor k?Only after you have tried to improve your lot at your current employer should you start looking outside, Gimbel said.

Agricultural Extension Agent

Agricultural Extension AgentAgricultural Extension AgentAgricultural extension agents present information about industry advances that may positively impact local farmers and livestock producers. Duties Agricultural extension agents travel throughout their region or district to provide the latest industry information to farmers, ranchers, community groups, and youth groups. They may present information on scientific advances, farm management, marketing, production, and other topics that are relevant to agricultural businesses operating in their area. Agents must be familiar with the types of agricultural operations that are taking distributionspolitik in their territory. These pursuits may include beef production, dairy farming, irrigated crop farming, fruit farming, egg production, horse breeding, swine production, and more. Agents must also be familiar with the technical terminology, equipment, and other concerns related to each area of production. Significant travel may be a p art of the job, especially if the agent is assigned a large territory. Agents may visit farms, ranches, hatcheries, dairies, stables, orchards, fields, bee farms, aquaculture facilities, and a variety of other agricultural business locations during the course of their day. Agents may also be required to attend a variety of community activities such as conventions, fairs, college events, camps, and 4-H shows. Agricultural extension agents may be required to work evenings and weekends as their situation demands, though many agents are able to work normal day shift hours. Work for this position may take place both indoors and outdoors, so agents must be prepared to deal with changing weather conditions and temperature extremes. Agents must also exercise due caution when working around large animals in the field. Taking proper safety precautions can prevent potentially serious injuries from occurring. A solid knowledge of animal behavior can be invaluable for those agents who liaise wit h animal producers. Career Options There are many employers that hire agricultural extension agents, though they are usually affiliated with government agencies at the federal, state, or local levels. Agricultural extension agents may also find employment with land-grant universities, research organizations, and community education groups. Some agents also teach courses through their university or community college. After working as a field agent, agricultural extension personnel may advance to positions of more responsibility such as multi-county positions, directorships, or program leadership roles. Some extension agents also become involved with 4-H programs and other youth organizations by taking a supervisory role. Education and Training Aspiring agricultural extension agents must complete significant educational requirements to even be considered for a position. An entry-level position in the field of agricultural extension requires a Bachelors degree at minimum. Maste rs degrees are preferred for many positions and greatly enhance an applicants resume. The degree that an extension agent holds may be in one of many areas including education, agriculture, animal science, or other related fields. Coursework that provides training in communications, technology, public relations, agricultural marketing, mathematics, and life sciences prepares the aspiring extension agent well for this career path. New agricultural extension agents generally complete additional training courses once they are hired before they begin their field work. Agricultural extension agents may also join a variety of national and local professional membership groups. The National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) and the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4HA) are two such groups that may provide valuable information, education, and industry contacts. Salary According to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Agricultural Research Service, the averag e salary for extension agents holding a Bachelors degree was $44,293 in December 2010. Extension agents holding a Masters degree averaged $57,889 in 2010. Those holding a Ph.D. degree fared the best with an average salary of $69,375. Of course, starting salaries for new agents are markedly lower. In Kentucky, for example, new extension agents with a Bachelors degree and no work experience start out at a base salary rate of $32,000. Those with a Masters degree and no work experience start out at a base salary rate of $36,000. In North Carolina, new extension agents started out at a similar salary of $32,807 with a Bachelors degree and a salary of $38,124 if they held a Masters degree. Career Outlook The agricultural extension agent career path should remain a solid option for those candidates who have a background in farming or production and the skill to educate professionals in the industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth for agricultural position s should be about as fast as the average for all careers from 2008 to 2018. Individuals with advanced degrees, such as a Masters or Ph.D., will continue to have the best opportunities for advancement in the field.

Create a Dress Code that Fits Your Company

Create a Dress Code that Fits Your CompanyCreate a Dress Code that Fits Your CompanyCreate a Dress Code that Fits Your Company RossheimWhile the workplace trend to more casual dress continues, todays dress code isnowhere near that simple. One key considerationMillennialsnow 16 to 34 years old and all of legal age to work make different assumptions than their elders about what to wear at work. And while personal style is in, lack of consideration is out.Finally, diversity and its expression from gender fluidity to religious observance is a hot topic across American society particularly your summer dress code policy.With these crosscurrents in mind, here are 11 tips from managers, geschftliches miteinander owners and a staffing executive for how to create a dress code that conveys your company culture while also making your customers relax and feel respected.Define dress terminology by example. To your company, business casual means Dockers are OK. To another company, business casua l requires dress slacks. So define your terms of dress, especially for workers who only recently came of age.Millennials need definitions of what the dress code means, says Brandi Britton, a district president for staffing firm OfficeTeam. Their professional tends to look more like what we mean by business casual. Spell out your dress code in gender-neutral terms. If your work dress code gets very specific, make reference to articles of clothing, such as shirts and pants, not to gender, advises John Conway, an attorney who represents workers and retirees in labor matters.Discretion need not rule out style. If management has a good relationship with staff, its possible to rule out the provocative without mandating conformity.We had an incident a couple of years ago with a therapist who wore hot pants, says Bob Najjar, co-director of the Psychotherapy Center for Gender and Sexuality at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in New York City. We couldnt allow that, but we do let people express themselves.Dress up for big clients who might expect it. Whichever way the sartorial winds blow in the American workplace, one guidepost is constant Meetings with big clients often require an attire upgrade. When a major multinational corporation comes in, we dress up a bit, says Richard Laermer, CEO of RLM Public Relations in New York City. I put on a sport coat and nice pants.But dont make clients uncomfortable by overdressing. Some old-school managers think you can never go wrong by suiting up theyre wrong. We dont want a client company to feel like the FBI has raided them, says Britton.Even for virtual meetings, dress with intention. Yes, videoconferences have become ubiquitous. A client could have an office across the street and still wants to FaceTime, says Laermer. But it isnt always OK to come as you are for a Skype meeting. Its safer to wear at least a nice blouse or a button-down shirt even if youre wearing denim where the camera cant see.Give kind guidance to less-experienced workers. While the dress code may seem self-explanatory to old hands, the subtleties of dressing up or down at times will elude newer or younger workers. Sometimes when a client comes in, a junior executive wears a suit and tie, and that cracks me up, says Laermer. A little advice given in private and in advance may be more demonstrative of a culture of respect regardless of seniority.Ask employees to consider their coworkers. Client sensibilities shouldnt be the only driver of your dress code. Last year one of our execs came in wearing a T-shirt, and I had to say no, because it angered other employees, says Laermer.Dont be arbitrary. Your company might get in legal trouble if you say you have no dress code as many smaller enterprises do these days and then nix what an individual chooses to wear on a given day.Employers must give advance notice of the dress code, and enforcement cannot be ad hoc, says Conway. If theres a disagreement, its best to work through it with a deliberative process. Keep in mind that the manner in which you resolve problems will reflect heavily on the culture of your company.Make accommodations for legitimate exceptions. The number one problem in establishing uniform dress code is inflexibility that would allow for accommodation of certain practices such as religious beliefs, says Conway.In EEOC vs. Abercrombie, the Supreme Court ruled against the retailer for declining to hire a woman who wore a head scarf even given the clothing chains rule against head coverings and the fact that the woman did not disclose in her interview that she wore a hijab for religious reasons.Watch your legal exposure. When in doubt, seek legal counsel on your dress code and its enforcement. We sent a guy to work at the front desk of a client, says Britton. He wore a single, long earring, and the client didnt like it. But the legal advice was that they had to allow it.