Dear Ritz-Carlton: How does the culture translate into management? For example, how are management and supervision different? How do you model the culture? How are employees "coached" or disciplined differently? The above question is from an attendee at the "Symposium: Your Journey to Service Excellence" in April. The following answer is from Jeff Hargett, Senior Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: The most important way that a leader can show support of the culture is to be a role model. There is not a Ritz-Carlton leader who is unwilling to "get their hands dirty" by jumping in the trenches alongside any of our employees, the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton. We look at Leadership in two ways: Leader by Title or Leader by Example. Leaders who rely on their title to give them power live in an "us vs. them" state—US the Leaders vs. THEM the workers. That view doesn’t gain loyalty or commitment from their direct reports. Leaders by Example should be everyone on your payroll. A tenured employee can be the "leader" for a new employee even when they have the same position and title. As for coaching, it involves collaboration between the leader and employee to find the best way to correct a problem or reach a goal. Discipline, although sometimes necessary, is more negative and typically leads to punishment. It should only be used when coaching doesn’t achieve the goal.  ∞ On Thursday, November 12, 2015, The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center will present "Your Journey to Service Excellence," The Ritz-Carlton approach to legendary service, employee engagement and a customer-centric culture. This one-day Symposium will take place at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in McLean, VA. Complete your enrollment by August 1st to take advantage of early-bird pricing. The Blog Post Dear Ritz-Carlton: Leaders by example? appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Today we have a guest post from Matt Abrahams. Matt is a passionate, collaborative and innovative educator and coach who teaches Stategic Communication for Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and Presentation Skills for Stanford’s Continuing Studies Program, and De Anza College. He has published research articles on cognitive planning, persuasion, and interpersonal communication. Matt recently published Speaking Up Without Freaking Out, a book written to help the millions of people who suffer from anxiety around speaking in public. Matt received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Stanford; his graduate degree in communication studies from UC Davis; and his secondary education teaching credential from SFSU. The Book of Lists has repeatedly reported that the fear of speaking in public is the most frequent answer to the question "What scares you most?" In fact, people rate speaking anxiety 10-to-20 percent higher than the fear of death, the fear of heights, the fear of spiders and the fear of fire. As a student of mine once joked: "People would rather stand naked while on fire, overlooking a 30-story fall and covered with spiders and snakes than give a speech." The fear of presenting in front of others is real and can be very limiting - in terms of career growth and interpersonal relationships - for those who suffer from it. The good news is that, with practice and persistence, novice speakers can become more confident and compelling. Keep in mind that the goal is not to overcome your anxiety. Rather, the objective is to find a few strategies or techniques for managing your fear. Managed speaking anxiety can be beneficial in several ways: It helps you to focus on your speaking task, provides you with energy, motivates you to care about your communicative outcomes and encourages you to prepare. Of course, reaping these benefits requires you to adjust and adapt to your fear. Feeling anxious undermines your credibility, which is really the only currency you have as a speaker. If your audience does not see you as trustworthy, experienced or believable, then they are highly unlikely to support whatever you are advocating. In my mind, counteracting anxiety’s impact to your credibility is about three disparate but intimately related concepts: Your knowledge of both your topic and your audience (so you can focus on the audience’s needs) The source of your anxiety and the associated anxiety-management techniques that address the underlying cause The anxiety-provoking behaviors you likely enact as you prepare your presentation, such as procrastination, perfectionism and lack of practice Join me for a webinar on November 6 to learn more about how you can protect your credibility and deliver more confident and compelling presentations by speaking up without freaking out. Photo credit: tedxyouthbfs

When your leaders are passionate and driven, it is easy for them to become engulfed by responsibility. A study by the Harvard Medical School faculty (as reported in The Wall Street Journal), found that "96% of senior leaders reported feeling burnt out to some degree, with one-third describing their burnout as extreme." This is a problem for your leaders, your employees and your organization. Psychologist Michael Bader notes that when leaders feel burnt out "it undermines their energy, passion, and imagination. And it spreads like a virus through their workplaces and families. Almost every aspect of their lives takes a hit—health, relationships with friends and family, creativity, judgment, concentration, and moods." Clearly, the ripple effect of leadership burnout is a significant hazard. Energetic Leaders Increase Bottom Line Burnout also impacts your organization’s profitability. Colin Hall, a well-known leader in South African retail circles, sought to understand the differences between loss-making stores and those that were profitable. He conducted the following experiment: "What we did was we took our best performing store and our worst performing store, and we profiled the managers in both stores. And both of them, funny enough, were equally qualified to do the job. And so we thought, ‘Well, that’s not the answer. It’s clear that there’s got to be something else here.’ So what we did was we took the worst performing branch manager and we put him in the best performing store, and the best performing manager and we put him into the worst performing store, and we watched the results. "And, funny, after six weeks, the best manager, technically, had managed to turn around the lowest making store, and the worst manager had managed to [LAUGHS] turn around the best performing store. And we conducted a whole lot of investigation into each of the managers, both having the same level of competency to run a business, but we realized that the one differencing factor was energy." This example illustrates that energetic and positive leaders inspire greater contributions from those around him or her. Your staff will follow leaders who know their direction and convey their belief that the destination is achievable and worth achieving. In contrast, leaders who appear to be beaten down by circumstances will inspire decreased performance. Combat Leadership Burnout Every Day Most leaders deal with frustrating situations—such as personnel challenges, budget issues and impossible deadlines—but they must find ways to maintain an upbeat attitude. A few simple ways for leaders to counteract workplace stress include: Share good news and take time to celebrate positive results. Set a personal goal of thanking at least one employee each day. This commitment will create a habit of looking for positive performance all day. When you hear negativity, respond with a constructive suggestion of something that can be done to improve the situation. At The Ritz-Carlton, our employees are our most important resource—and that includes our leaders. The employee promise pledges that "The Ritz-Carlton fosters a work environment where … quality of life is enhanced…." Leaders must be hard working, but they must also be able to delegate, recognize a false crisis and trust employees enough to step away. In addition, leaders must be sure that they are getting enough sleep. Tired leaders tend to have less ability to self-regulate and less resiliency. Sleep provides the opportunity for regeneration and renewal. Well-rested leaders—as well as well-rested staff—tend to behave more like Ladies and Gentlemen. Lastly, leaders need to remember that time away from work creates opportunities for personal connection, self-reflection and enrichment. Vacations that offer a true disconnect from the office enable leaders to return to work more refreshed. As a leader, you may be tempted to answer one more email, to spend one more hour at the office, or to give just a little more of yourself. However, turning off the computer and leaving the office behind for a bit may actually be the best choice for you, your employees, your family and your organization. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation.  The Blog Post Avoiding Leadership Burnout appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

The idea of a to-do list is pretty straightforward. You make a list of everything you need to do so that you don’t forget anything. It’s also fairly straightforward to create. You just write down your tasks on a piece of paper and cross them off as you complete them. Everyone from the young office junior to the CEO has used to-do lists in one form or another. There are even people that have them at home as well as work so they can keep their social life in order. But since we now work in so many different ways with so many different apps, we have seen the to-do list take on tons of new forms and shapes. There are a lot of apps available across different operating systems and web browsers that will help you track your tasks. We’ve used apps like TeuxDeux, Remember the Milk and Cheddar. The benefit of apps like these is that they compartmentalize different areas of your day or your work. You can have one central list as well as others that feed into it. You can also schedule regular reminders for actions if you have reoccurring tasks each week. The other big benefit of these apps is that you can synchronize them across different platforms. This means that if you have a brainwave while eating breakfast, you can drop a note straight into your to-do list and have it ready and waiting for you when you turn your computer on. The downside to apps like these, though, can be their tendency to overcomplicate task tracking. Just keeping your to-do list up to date can feel like its own task. If you’re not keen on using apps and you like the old-school approach, then the trusty pad and pen is the winner. There really is no way that you can overcomplicate anything with this method. All of your actions are right there in front of you. You can add things onto the list as they come in and scratch them out as soon as you’re done. You can also format it in your own style and make sure that everything is laid out in the way you will be able to understand best. The big downside to this method is you must remember to take it everywhere with you, and your world is prone to collapsing if you lose it or if the cleaner throws it out. Of course, there are other systems that you can use. A good idea is to try and combine the two. Using systems like Evernote can help you jot down notes when you’re out and about. The cleaners can do their job properly without accidentally throwing away the to-do list you left inside your old magazine. Do you put your trust into to-do apps? Or do you still like the tried-and-tested method of writing things down? Photo credit: tinymind

"If you are a leader, you should never forget that everyone needs encouragement. And everyone who receives it—young or old, successful or less-than-successful, unknown or famous—is changed by it." — John C. Maxwell, author, speaker and pastor The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: As leaders, we must make it our goal to lead by example and cultivate a positive work environment. Creating and maintaining such an environment is a never-ending task, but the payoff is always worth the effort. When your employees feel positive and encouraged by their environment, they are motivated to improve themselves. Research by psychologist Dr. Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. indicates that when leaders deliver corrective feedback in an encouraging manner—such as: "I see you are really working on this issue, and I’m impressed with what you’ve accomplished so far. Let’s work together to make this next improvement"—then the left prefrontal cortex of the brain activates. This is important because the prefrontal cortex is responsible for flexibility and information processing. Encouragement fosters improvement. Leaders at The Ritz-Carlton not only encourage their staff—the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton—to develop and improve, but leaders also express their appreciation through recognition programs and First Class cards. Have you tried delivering corrective feedback in an encouraging manner to your workforce? ∞ The Blog Post Inspired Thinking: Encouragement appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Today we have a guest post from Harold Jarche. Harold helps create work environments that foster innovation. He has been described as "a keen subversive of the last century’s management and education models." People have connected with Harold over the past decade, through his blog (www.jarche.com) and professional services, for pragmatic ideas on leadership, social business and collaboration. Harold has held senior positions at the Centre for Learning Technologies and e-Com Inc. He is a co-author of The Working Smarter Fieldbook with his colleagues at the Internet Time Alliance. His preferred workplace is on his bicycle, where he gets his best ideas. Open online courses, talent management, social collaboration: The training world is changing. Traditional training structures, based on institutions, programs, courses and classes, are under pressure. One of the biggest changes we are seeing in online training is that the content-delivery model is being replaced by social and collaborative frameworks. Here are just some of things happening now that trainers should be prepared to tackle in the new year: Increasing Complexity Helping people be more creative and solve complex problems is now a priority. While workers still need to be trained and educated, that alone will not prepare them for a networked workplace that requires continuous learning on the job. Training departments need to add more thought and resources to enable people to learn socially, share cooperatively and work collaboratively. Nomadic Knowledge Workers As companies employ or work with more contractual, shorter-term knowledge workers, they will have to deal with people who bring their own learning networks. Training departments must be ready to adapt to these new "knowledge artisans" with a greater emphasis on collaborating and connecting with their external online networks. Learning Out Loud Narration is turning one’s tacit knowledge (what you know) into explicit knowledge (what you can share). This is where online activity streams, web conferencing and micro-blogging can help organizational learning. People can see the flow of work in small bits of conversation that, over time, become patterns. Narration of work is a key step in integrating learning into the workflow. Networked Communities Effective communities of practice can help solve problems, retain talent and develop new strategies. The job of the community manager is a new and growing role for training and development professionals. An Expanded Role for Training and Development Training professionals will need to help create and support social learning networks, moving out of the classroom to where the work is being done. They will also need to promote continuous knowledge sharing by modeling how it is done and setting the example. Trainers will have to become expert learners. Learning as a Business Imperative As work becomes more networked and complex, the social aspects of knowledge sharing and collaboration are becoming more important. Learning amongst ourselves is getting to be the real work in many organizations. Training development professionals should be part of that change. For a more in-depth list of near-term trends that should be taken into consideration during the next year, download the white paper: https://www.slideshare.net/GoToTraining/whats-working-and-whats-not-in-online-training Photo credit:  Thomas Rockstar

Dear Ritz-Carlton: What is the psychology behind memorable customer service? The above question is from an attendee at "Symposium: Your Journey to Service Excellence" in April. The following answer is from  Joseph Quitoni, Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: Psychologist Daniel Kahneman has lectured on the topic of two mental operating models: the experiencing self (the "you" in the moment who lives through an event) and the remembering self (the "you" who maintains the story of the event). You can apply this concept to the customer experience. The experiencing self may best be described as "the transaction of service"—while the remembering self is "the memory of the service that is created." When you tap into the remembering self of your customers, you can enhance their experience and make your organization more successful. When the remembering self of your customers adopts a positive story about your organization, then not only will your customers return, but they will also make positive comments about your brand. At The Ritz-Carlton, we want to make memories that stay with our customers. Our employees—the Ladies and Gentlemen who work at The Ritz-Carlton—tap into the remembering self of our customers by remaining in the moment during each guest interaction. The Ladies and Gentlemen look for clues that will help them tap in to the guest’s emotional needs. When you engage with customers and uncover their unexpressed needs, you have the opportunity to provide personalized service that will be remembered by your customers. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post Dear Ritz-Carlton: Psychology Behind Memorable Service? appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

It’s time to reframe the conversation. Flexible working isn’t only a bonus for employees; it’s a bonus for business. Flexible working is often talked about as if it’s some kind of free ride or reward for employees, offered by businesses out of the goodness of their hearts even though it could cost them money. I would never offer employees the option to work flexibly simply because it’s a nice thing to do. Rather, I offer it because by empowering them to work flexibly, I create a competitive business advantage. The compelling business case for flexible working A recent report commissioned by the UK government found that "there is a strong and compelling business case for flexible working." The report argued that in addition to an increase in productivity, flexible working also engendered greater loyalty, a wider talent pool to recruit from, lower absenteeism and a higher retention rate. All of these perks come with cost savings, which is a wider benefit that finance teams should be excited about. Businesses can also save on desk space, travel costs and even the expenses of hosting a meeting. So, let’s reframe the conversation and start looking at the benefits flexible working offers to not just employees but businesses as well. Photo credit: jeremylevinedesign

Remember when you were in college and you found a course that you were dying to take, but you had to meet the prerequisites? Perhaps you wanted to learn more about one specific artist, but you had to take introduction to art history first. Or you were interested in advanced marketing but had to take a general business course first. It may have felt counter intuitive to take an introductory course when what you really wanted was a deeper dive. However, curriculum is developed to give students a solid foundation before pursuing more in-depth learning. Businesses and healthcare organizations need to meet similar prerequisites. Your organization may be interested in empowering employees or offering better customer service or patient experience. However, before you can focus on these in-depth topics, you need to make sure your organization has a solid foundation—a well-developed, enlivened culture, which everyone in the organization regardless of role can articulate. Tackling culture may seem like a daunting task. And let’s be honest. We’re a society that values efficiency and shortcuts. We like convenience, quick fixes and immediate results, and addressing organizational culture sounds like it could be a long process. If your goal is simply to improve service, why do you have to begin with organizational culture? Because culture is the foundation of your organization. If you try to make changes without establishing your culture first, it’s likely those change efforts will fail. Think about it like buying a new home. If your home inspection indicated a faulty foundation, would you reconsider your purchase? Or would you move forward with your decorating plans—knowing that your home is not stable? While some defects may not seem hazardous to your overall structure, one construction expert warns that, "any mistakes you make in the foundation will only get worse as you go up. It’s known as compounding defects and it means that mistakes grow." When foundational mistakes filter up throughout your organization, you can only truly solve these challenges by addressing them at a foundation level—through your culture. A strong culture creates unity, consistency and provides the framework for sustainable change. Establishing A Unified Organization The Ritz-Carlton is able to offer legendary service because of the attention given to culture. The Gold Standards—the Credo, Motto, Three Steps of Service, Service Values and Employee Promise—are the bedrock of The Ritz-Carlton. Each employee of The Ritz-Carlton—known as Ladies and Gentlemen—carries a Credo card of the Gold Standards, and before completing orientation, every new employee must memorize the Credo. The first sentence of the Credo is: "The Ritz-Carlton is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission." Notice that it says "our mission." We all have the same mission—from the president to the front desk agents to the sous chefs. We are working together to serve our guests. Cultivating Consistency The Ladies and Gentlemen at every Ritz-Carlton around the world participate in Daily Line-Up, a brief meeting. Each day one facet of the Gold Standards is highlighted and enlivened. By reinforcing the culture, the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton are continually reminded of the importance of living the Gold Standards. This repetition also helps ensure consistency. While the Credo serves as a collective precept, the 12 Service Values outline how each person is individually responsible for the Gold Standards. For example, the 6th Service Value states: "I own and immediately resolve guest problems." Each Service Value begins with "I," and this first-person approach instills accountability and directs the actions of our Ladies and Gentlemen. Ensuring Sustainability Because the culture of The Ritz-Carlton is so well-articulated, it is possible to make changes to the organization without disturbing the overall integrity of the operation. The Daily Line-Up provides a communication channel to roll out any new initiatives and quickly incorporate them into the current culture. A strong culture also means that the business model can be replicated in new locations. So if you visit a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in China, it should have the same dedication to service as a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Florida. Addressing Organizational Culture Whether your organization wants to increase employee engagement, enhance your customer service or empower your employees, you should begin with a cultural assessment. You may be tempted to skip this prerequisite. However, when you invest your time and energy into cultivating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture, your organization will experience long-term benefits. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation.  The Blog Post Addressing Organizational Culture appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

The name is "IT pro . . . Your IT pro." This week, the latest James Bond thriller hits the theaters, promising action, adrenalin, and acumen. That got us thinking about what impressive stunts 007 will show off this time around. Bond is known for his competence, the ability to work well under pressure, and of course his arsenal of the latest tech gadgets. These tough traits and tech tricks have relieved him from many a boondoggle. From keeping calm and strategizing his survival technique while falling parachute-less from a plane in Moonraker to skiing down a mountain on just one ski while firing a machine gun in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, James Bond is a master of strategy, troubleshooting and advanced technology ‒ much like your IT guy or gal. In fact, strip off the short-sleeve button-down shirt and cell phone carrier case from his belt loop, and hand him a suit and sunglasses, and you might not be able to tell the difference. Which brings us to . . . 5 Reasons Why Your IT Pro Isn’t So Different from James Bond They’re international agents. James Bond is prepared to travel the world over to protect your freedom, just like your IT guy or gal, who, with the right tools like remote support, is able to solve your network problems from the beach in the Bahamas or anywhere else that suits them. Their technology tools fit in the palm of their hand. In Skyfall, James Bond uses a gun that is programmed only to fire when in contact with his unique palm print. And your IT pro? They’ve got remote access to their computer and yours from a tablet or smartphone using a unique pin number. Hero is their name; protection is their game. James Bond wants nothing more than to save the world from terrorists, preferably while entertaining a beautiful woman and driving a ridiculously cool car. Your IT pro might love a fancy car and a pretty face too, but they’ll settle for encrypted networks and passwords with symbols substituted for letters. They love a good challenge. Look closely and you’ll see the same look on James Bond’s face when he pulls off the mission that your IT pro gets when they secure your connection to the network just in time for your presentation to start. They rely on innovation. James Bond doesn’t need superpowers, and neither does your IT pro. Instead they pair their intellect with a powerful array of technology tools that proves their reputation for fastidious and heroic work. How does your IT pro remind you of James Bond or Jane Bond? Be more like Mr. Bond with GoToAssist. Get your 30-day free trial today. Want to learn more? Download the white paper "3 Reasons IT Managers Love GoToAssist."  

"Leaders cannot work in a vacuum. They may take on larger, seemingly more important roles in an organization, but this does not exclude them from asking for and using feedback. In fact, a leader arguably needs feedback more so than anyone else. It’s what helps a leader respond appropriately to events in pursuit of successful outcomes." — Jack Canfield, author and motivational speaker The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: When leaders take on more responsibility, they tend to have less direct interaction with customers and daily operational processes. The majority of their time is spent behind a desk or in meetings with other senior executives focusing on "high level" plans. Consequently, leaders distance themselves from the pulse of the customer and must rely on their front-line teams for vital information. If leaders have established a foundation of trust and honesty, then they will receive needed feedback from the front lines. Employees will feel comfortable sharing when customer behavior indicates that a process change might be needed or when a new process works or doesn’t work. Leaders who are open and receptive to feedback are more approachable, and the feedback they receive gives them greater acumen and allows them to make more informative decisions. Leaders at The Ritz-Carlton understand that continual feedback is needed to ensure a five-star, luxury experience. They go to great lengths to maintain multiple avenues of communication—such as walking the floor and talking to the front-line employees (the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton), reviewing Gallup surveys and monitoring social media channels. Gathering feedback is a large part of their daily routine. How do your leaders ask for feedback? ∞ The Blog Post Inspired Thinking: Leadership Feedback appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

When we first saw the new S Pen functionality on the GALAXY Note II, we immediately saw the opportunity to give GoToMyPC customers an easier way to get things done from anywhere. Our engineering team saw the opportunity to build something cool. And they turned it around fast - working nights and weekends to get the integration ready in less than a month. Now, we’re excited to see GoToMyPC selected as one of the featured apps in S Suggest to use on the new GALAXY Note II with the S Pen. GoToMyPC enables you to easily and securely access all your computers and files from any computer browser, or from your iOS or Android smartphone, tablet, or Kindle Fire.  And if you have a GALAXY Note II, you can now use the GoToMyPC app with the S Pen to enjoy super-precise remote control. So, how will it work? Continue reading to be among the first to find out exactly how the S Pen makes mobile remote access easier. Precise Control Try as we might, our fingers are not precise tools. Navigating through websites, email and different windows on our phones with our fingers can slow us down. That’s why on all of the GoToMyPC mobile apps, we offer a precision control mouse, which certainly helps. With the GALAXY Note II, GoToMyPC senses when the S Pen is withdrawn from the device and shifts from finger to pen control. Instantly, you’re able to work faster, using the precise pen point to drag and select text, hover and click on links, and navigate multiple windows. The S Pen lets you hover to easily show tooltips or navigate submenus. Simply drag and select some text, right click, and copy it. Then, by pressing the S Pen button, you can easily find and navigate to the window where you want to paste the text. Plus, with the S Pen, you can actually handwrite sentences on your GALAXY Note II and they’re transformed into type within your document on your host computer. It’s really cool! A Better Mobile Experience Our customers regularly tell us how crucial their mobile devices are for getting work done. And not only do we listen, but we strive to make that experience even better. Configuring the GoToMyPC app to work with the S Pen and being selected as a highlighted app by Samsung further enables us to provide our loyal customers with the solution they’ve grown accustomed to, but now with even more functionality. Our goal is to keep making the mobile working experience even quicker and easier so you can get back to enjoying your free time. At Citrix, we believe in doing it all, even when life throws daily emergencies our way, and the S Pen is going to help us do it all even faster.  

Dear Ritz-Carlton: How do you get employee buy-in from your workers in the "not-so-glamorous" positions (i.e., bellman, valet, etc.)? The above question is from an attendee at "Symposium: Your Journey to Service Excellence" in April. The following answer is from John Cashion, Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: At The Ritz-Carlton, our Employee Promise talks about five key principles that apply to all of our employees—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—around the world. Trust, honesty, respect, integrity, and commitment are earned at every level, and must be practiced every day, by everyone. When leaders focus on these principles with the Ladies and Gentlemen who work in some of our "not so glamorous" positions, it creates an engaging work environment and strengthens the experience of our guests. The Ladies and Gentlemen must understand their worth and importance in the organization. Our Service Values and our Employee Promise are instructional, inspirational and instill pride in our organization. Leaders must continuously create an inclusive work environment that not only accepts and motivates those who want to be lifelong housekeepers, stewards etc., but also supports those who need help creating a path to future goals such as school or becoming a banquet server, supervisor or manager. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post Dear Ritz-Carlton: Employee Buy-In? appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Our thoughts are still with the thousands of people still dealing with the aftermath of Sandy. I believe we can learn a lot from those working hard to rebuild their homes, personal lives and work schedules as much as they possibly can.  There are many stories of resiliency in the face of destruction - even from companies trying to maintain business as usual without putting employees in harm’s way. According to BusinessWeek, Ernst & Young used teleworking to manage 167,000 employees scattered across the globe throughout the crisis. Businesses that haven’t been able to telework during the storm’s aftermath are more likely to lose revenue - and even market share - to rivals that can enable people to work from wherever they are. In a situation where so much is out of your control, it’s nice to have some sense of normalcy.  In times of crisis, we are happy to know that our products can play even the tiniest part in helping our customers keeping people’s lives and businesses on track.  One long-time New Jersey-based GoToMyPC customer and controller of a small custom machinery manufacturing company was kind enough to share his story about how he’s getting back on his feet after the disaster. Hopefully his success can help others looking for a way to get back on track. My Life with GoToMyPC, by Anthony DeAquino "My responsibilities do not stop at 5 PM, nor on weekends, vacations or even sick days, therefore I needed to find a way to remote access my office computer. I learned about GoToMyPC in March 2006, and since they had a 30-day free trial, I thought, "What the heck, I should give it a try." So I downloaded the program. That day changed my life, and I have been a GoToMyPC believer ever since. I was able to successfully access my office computer and company server and perform nearly every task as though I were sitting at my office desk. GoToMyPC helped me convince my boss to keep me on staff when I moved miles away from the office and subsequently helped me put my children through school. As you know, Hurricane Sandy recently struck New Jersey, making landfall approximately 20 miles south of us. The Jersey coastline is in shambles. Fortunately, my family and I only suffered a seven-day power outage - a mere inconvenience compared to the losses incurred by thousands of New Jersey Shore residents. The company I work for, located in North Jersey, also experienced a power outage.  Due to the conditions of the roads and the gas shortage, I was unable to drive into work. However, on the day power was restored at my office, I was able to make my way to a friend’s house, where power had been restored the day before. I plugged in my laptop, fired up GoToMyPC and, within seconds, I was back to work." If you’re still stuck working remotely like many East Coasters, we recommend checking out this article from The Wall Street Journal to help find your work-from-home groove. Photo credit: chrisschoenbohm

I love this time of year. The days are drawing in, the trees are afire with reds and yellows - and the world’s greatest rugby players are in the depths of the mud and glory of the annual Autumn Internationals.      All sports coaches know that the key to success week after week is mastery of basic skills, and this is no less true for world-class teams like the New Zealand All Blacks than it is for everyone else. Getting the little things consistently right - passing, catching, kicking - is the foundation for succeeding at the big things, like winning test matches.    Every gifted sportsperson has put in hundreds of hours of practice, to the point where their actions seem effortless and instinctive. In the same way, we should never be afraid to take time out to hone our own basic skills, whether that’s practicing a pitch or simply reviewing a delivery process.   It’s a truism that our natural gifts can only take us so far. The people who truly excel in life are the ones who keep practicing, developing their existing skills and adding new ones. For them, just "good enough" is never an option. So what’s the lesson for us all? Never stop learning or striving to go further, faster, harder. If you do this, victory will be yours.       

Each month, The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center (RCLC) features an interview with an employee — a Lady or Gentleman of The Ritz-Carlton — in order to share an insider’s view of the organization. This month’s interview is with Leeny Oberg, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. RCLC: As a financial expert, you’ve worked for a variety of institutions such as Sallie Mae and Chase Manhattan Bank. What attracted you to the hotel industry? Ms. Oberg: In my first two jobs, I advised companies to help drive them toward a successful business strategy which ultimately had to work for customers and employees in addition to succeeding financially. However, in the long run I saw myself as being part of one team rather than being an advisor to a number of companies. So the whole idea of working with a lot of people—being in a business driven by people, serving them, building their careers through apprenticeship—was stimulating for me. Also, I found the culture at Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton, to be a good fit with me personally. I’ll always like finance, but The Ritz-Carlton culture fits my values. RCLC: What most impressed you about the Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton philosophy? Ms. Oberg: Wall Street has a culture all its own. When I worked in banking, I saw CEO and CFO types who knew all the answers and told everyone else what to do. It was within the first five minutes of meeting Bill Marriott that I distinctly remember saying to myself, "This is so different." He kept asking questions like, "What are you interested in?" and "What are you bringing to the table that can support our growth?" In effect, he said, "I don’t have all the answers." There is such mutual respect across all levels of the organization. RCLC: Your bio describes your job as "aligning the finance function with the brand’s vision." How do you boil that down in day-to-day activity? Ms. Oberg: I focus on three components: The Ladies and Gentlemen who work at The Ritz-Carlton Hotels. The customers, because without them, what are we? The owners, who expect a return on their investment. Unless I‘m spinning and balancing all of those "plates," we aren’t going to be a leader in the industry. RCLC: Why do you think The Ritz-Carlton Hotels are so successful? Ms. Oberg: At the end of the day our Credo—a statement defining our mission—drives the behavior of our employees and puts our principles to work. When the Credo is consistently emphasized by a General Manager to their team, it becomes a guiding star and employees use it to respond in any given situation. To have that done globally, drives success. I’m a huge believer in Line-up meetings, where department heads meet with their team to prepare for the day. They prompt thought, everyone learns something new, and it’s an excellent time to review the Credo. It keeps our principles top-of-mind and gets everyone on the same page so we can put the Credo into action. RCLC: Do you ever "mystery shop" at your hotels? Ms. Oberg: Through our customer knowledge system, I’m recognizable at our hotels. So I mystery shop at our competitors, and our competitors are good. I let employees know how well we are doing but that there are other luxury hotel companies out there doing well, too. I come back from a competitor and talk about my experience at our Line-up meetings. What stands out to me is how we deliver service. My favorite word in The Ritz-Carlton Credo is "genuine." To me, when you provide service that is genuine versus service that is laissez-faire, that’s a huge differentiator. We can’t overplay the need for our service to be delivered sincerely. RCLC: What do you appreciate about working for The Ritz-Carlton? Ms. Oberg: The fact that the culture is built into the whole company. I can look to a Ritz-Carlton parking valet for business acumen and learn what’s going on at the hotel. Granted, I get different information from him than from the finance director, but both are just as valuable. To me, that’s phenomenal and I cherish it. ∞ Ms. Leeny Oberg will be a member of The Ritz-Carlton Executive Panel at the Symposium: Your Journey to Service Excellence on Thursday, November 12, at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in McLean, VA. The Blog Post Our Ladies and Gentlemen: Leeny Oberg appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Many of us think of "the office" as the place where you go to work - a place to get things done. But how work-friendly is the typical office?  I used to work in a typical office. I also spent an unavoidable amount of time, well, not working in a typical office. My work was constantly delayed or interrupted by all the little things, adding up to a staggering amount of lost time. This is why I’m a passionate supporter of a different way of working, of freeing people from the confines of the office and letting them work wherever they work best. The infographic below says it all.  How does your experience compare? And are you adopting a more flexible approach to work with the holidays at hand? Let us know in the comments or tell us on Twitter.  

"When you really listen to another person from their point of view, and reflect back to them that understanding, it’s like giving them emotional oxygen." — Stephen Covey, Author and Businessman The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: So much of life—whether at home or at work—seems to be about hurrying. You are rushing to work. Hustling to meet deadlines. Dashing to meetings. There are probably even days when you barely have time to eat. When you feel like you’re always racing against the clock, it can be difficult to "really listen" to your colleagues. "Really listening" means that you have given your whole attention to someone. You’re not thinking about how you want to respond while you pretend to listen. You’re not interrupting—because you already know how you’re going to respond and you have other tasks you want to get to. "Really listening" can be challenging because you have to stop all those thoughts about what you need to be doing and how you’re going to get it done. You have to resist the urge to give a perfunctory answer or to problem solve without truly understanding the situation. In an interview with Bob Kharazmi, Global Officer, Worldwide Operations at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., he shared the following advice on leadership and listening: "When people come to me with issues, I try to really truly understand by using good listening skills. I don’t jump in and ask questions too early. Once they are finished talking, if I’m not totally clear, then I will ask questions. After I completely understand the issue, I ask them what they think the best solution is—and only after listening to their solution will I provide my advice." Really listening to someone shows respect and consideration, but most importantly, it shows that you care. If we each made "really listening" a priority, can you imagine how that would impact your work environment? ∞ The Blog Post Inspired Thinking: Really Listening appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Today we have a guest post from Jim Dickie. Jim is the Managing Partner of CSO Insights, a research firm that specializes in benchmarking how companies are leveraging people, process and technology to optimize the way they market to, sell to and service customers. He has over 29 years of sales and marketing management experience. Jim is also a contributing editor for CRM Magazine, CustomerThink and SoftwareMag.com; a contributing author for the Harvard Business Review; and the author of The Chief Sales Officers Guide to CRM, Insights into High Tech Sales and Marketing and the co-author of The Sales & Marketing Excellence Challenge and The Information Technology Challenge. The last quarter of the year: the time when sales management teams start to make the shift from "What will the final revenue number be for this year?", to "What should the revenue target be for next year?" A lot of thought goes into the process of creating the sales objective for the coming year, as sales negotiates that number with the CEO, CFO and sometimes even the board. Let me make two observations about what is going on right now. Revenue expectations will be higher for the vast majority of companies in 2013. How do I know that? Because they always are. In the 19 years CSO Insights has been conducting our annual Sales Performance Optimization (SPO) study, the lowest percentage of firms telling us they were raising sales targets, on a year-to-year basis, was 88 percent. This year the number is tracking at 93 percent based on a preliminary analysis of the current survey data. While a great deal of time is being invested to determine that exact number, far less amount of time is being spent figuring how sales teams will hit these higher targets. Far too often, when salespeople get their new, higher quota on January 3 and ask how they are expected to achieve those goals, the response they will get is, "I am sure you will make it happen." To help do some of the legwork required to come up with strategies and tactics to help salespeople increase their efficiency and effectiveness, we wrote a paper on how to leverage people, process, technology and knowledge to optimize sales performance. It is titled: Why Web Conferencing Is the Key to Closing More Deals. Over the last five years, web conferencing has become a necessary sales tool. As we tracked this trend over the last half-decade, we’ve seen a steady rise in usage and impressive results. The fact is, connecting with people in a meaningful way is key to closing deals, and online meetings let you do so with more people each day than you could get to in-person. For an overview of how sales organizations are using online collaboration to enhance how they engage with customers and prospects, download the white paper below. The paper also examines how sales reps and managers can use these solutions to improve internal collaboration. We encourage sales management to review this analysis - and the others that follow - to get straight-forward ideas on how they can help reps hit the targets so that selling in 2013 is done as effectively as possible. Download the white paper: http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/15090360 Photo credit: yoursecretadmiral

Dear Ritz-Carlton: How can you change culture if senior leadership is not there? How do you convince senior management that change is needed if they think they’re doing okay already and that change would only interfere with work? The above question is from an attendee at "Symposium: Your Journey to Service Excellence" in April. Answer from Diana Oreck, Vice President at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center:   Unfortunately, you cannot have culture change if senior leadership is not present and there is pushback. Senior leadership cannot abandon their responsibility in driving the organizational culture and service strategy. The moment people agree to be leaders and have "Manager" in their title, optics come into play. By optics, I do not mean eyeglasses. I mean, the moment we become a Manager, we are being watched by employees. Employees expect us to "walk the talk." Leadership has to consistently role model the change they seek. Organizational culture change takes a great deal of work. Senior leadership must be passionately committed for culture change to work. I have seen instances where senior management has been convinced by data. If there is a compelling enough reason for the change and you can provide data that align culture, service and passion with results—such as profitability or error reduction, then senior leadership will see the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) and support and role model the culture change. ∞ Join us for a one-day symposium, "Your Journey to Service Excellence." The day includes a keynote speaker, a Q&A session with The Ritz-Carlton executive panel, an optional networking reception and presentations about legendary service, employee engagement and a customer-centric culture. The Blog Post Dear Ritz-Carlton: Convince Senior Management? appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Working in the Bay Area for my entire eighteen-year professional career, I’ve been raised on a steady diet of outstanding (and, of course, often tragically underwhelming) feats of flashy entrepreneurship. Silicon Valley, Sand Hill Road, DARPA, Google, HP, Facebook - I could fill pages and pages with names that have reshaped business right here. So what about the Midwest, the Heartland of America? What about the Racing Capital of the World? What do these places have to do with advancing technology for the everyday consumer who simply wants to find the best contractor to fix their leaky roof? Angie’s List puts Indianapolis, affectionately known as Indy, on the technology innovation map. Culturally, the company’s premises and work atmosphere embody that Midwest authenticity of neighbor helping neighbor - a sincerity that would not feel the same anywhere else. The decision to locate the corporate center on the blighted east side of Indianapolis reflects the company’s commitment to not only the growth of their vibrant city but also grassroots restoration and revitalization. "We were looking for some inexpensive rent and found some great space in an old fire station just east of downtown," said Angie Hicks, founder and CMO. Some 500 employees fill about 20 brick buildings that range from warehouses to old community markets in the historic Holy Cross neighborhood. In and around the buildings, the employees of Angie’s List enjoy a laid-back atmosphere where collaboration and frequent conversation, especially with customers, happen every day. In fact, empathizing with customers is what drives the employees’ work. It’s inherent to their culture, as Angie explains in the latest installment of our Meeting Is Believing campaign. In the video, we showcase the many unique and innovative facets of Angie’s List and their drive to build a simple web experience on top of a complex search engine. Manu Thapar, CTO, shares his and his team’s "customer first" dedication to continually bettering their technology. And, as you may have guessed, GoToMeeting with HDFaces is critical to the success of maintaining rapid release schedules nationwide in offices from Indy to Palo Alto. Angie’s List has brought a bit of the Bay Area’s spark to America’s Heartland by adopting new business communication tools like GoToMeeting - without sacrificing the local goodness that continues to fuel their ideals.  

The Ritz-Carlton could not provide unique, memorable and personal experiences for their guests without the efforts of their dedicated employees, known as the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton. When the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton apply discretionary effort—when they go above and beyond for guests—then true "wow" moments are created. The following guest story from The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai shows the exceptional diligence and consideration of the Director of Guest Services to provide genuine care to the guests. Detecting a Guest in Need One quiet morning, the Director of Guest Services at The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai recognized a guest who had visited the hotel many times sitting alone in the lobby lounge. They often exchanged pleasantries during his visits, and the Director of Guest Services looked forward to their brief conversations about his travels. On this occasion, he had his head buried in a thick, worn album, which sat among a large pile of books on the table. But the Director of Guest Services also noticed he had an unusual expression. He seemed puzzled and confused. She decided to approach him. "Good Morning. How are you this morning?" The guest was so preoccupied that the greeting startled him. Some old black and white photos and wrinkled papers fell to the floor from his album, and the Director of Guest Services knelt down to pick up the papers and photos. As she collected the photos, she could see they were mostly of an elegantly dressed, old, distinguished Chinese man. The mountain of books on the table all appeared to be historical books on Shanghai that looked recently purchased. "Oh. Good Morning! Can’t complain, how are you today?" he replied. The Director of Guest Services apologized for startling him and helped him clear some space for his order of tea and scones. "Do you have a moment to join me for morning tea?" the guest asked. "I want to tell you a story, a very long story about my family. Are you sure you have time?" "Of course, I do for you. I would be delighted to hear your story." The Director of Guest Services was a little intrigued because this guest had never asked for anything before. Searching for Family Roots He sipped his tea slowly. However, his eyes came to life as he began telling the amazing story of his life, his family and the search for his grandfather. The Director of Guest Services had no idea that the man she regularly saw pass by her desk over the last few years was piecing together his family history. He was searching for the location of his grandfather in order to pay his last respects to a man that he looked up to and honored. He opened the album to a photo of a young boy - "That’s me and this old man is my father." The elegantly dressed, old, distinguished Chinese man in the photos the Director of Guest Services had picked up turned out to be his grandfather. "Both my father and grandfather are Chinese. My father immigrated to the U.S. prior to Chinese Liberation in the early 1940s. I was born in the U.S., but I am very ashamed to say that I speak no Chinese. When you first met me many years ago, I was coming to Shanghai because I was entrusted by my father to discover the roots of our family." He paused for a long moment and seemed distant. "And to find the resting place of my grandfather and pay my respects to him and honor him for the wonderful life he has given to my father and me." His eyes were moist, but his voice was steady. He continued, "My grandfather was a well-known financier, entrepreneur and social activist in China. But I never had the chance to meet my grandfather before he died. I have very limited information about him. What I do know is that he died in Shanghai and was buried here sometime after the liberation. But this is where I get stuck. I have no idea where he is buried. You see—I have bought lots of books about Shanghai’s history, but I’m totally lost. I feel very sad and confused now. I have let my father down and dishonored my grandfather. I miss my grandfather so much! I need to find him! What shall I do?" The guest became very silent. "All things are connected like the blood that unites you," the Director of Guest Services answered him. "I am deeply touched by your story. Let me help you to search for more information on your grandfather, we can find him together!" "Awesome! You are so sweet!" the guest said excitedly. "All right. Let’s work together! Could you tell me more about your grandfather? What was his full name?" the Director of Guest Services asked. The guest shared the grandfather’s full name and added, "he was born in 1884 and died in 1955. If possible, I want to find his cemetery since he was buried here in Shanghai. " The Director of Guest Services felt a little bit anxious and uncertain once she heard the year he died. The guest understood that the chance of finding something about his grandfather was slim, but he still wanted to try every possible way. The Director of Guest Services had concerns, but there was a voice inside of her that kept telling her: "You have to help this guest find his grandfather’s grave. You can do it." This voice gave her the determination to fulfill the task. But she kept asking herself, "Where should I start?" After giving it some thought, she decided to try her luck and do some research on the grandfather’s life since the guest mentioned his grandfather was a famous financier. After days of researching on the Internet and after numerous phone calls, she confirmed that the grandfather was buried in IWC Cemetery before the Chinese Liberation. This was a place for all the well-known people from all nationalities to rest in peace after life. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, almost all of the tombs in the cemetery were destroyed and headstones smashed. Nothing was spared—not even the flowers, trees or buildings. Eventually, it was turned into a factory and vegetable garden. Pursuing New Resources When the Director of Guest Services learned this, she was full of despair. She was so close to helping the guest—only to reach this devastating dead end. She kept researching—hoping that there was a chance some of the graves had survived or were possibly relocated. She reached out to her old history professor from college and explained the story to him. He knew a lot about the Cultural Revolution and he promised to look into it. A few days later, he called her back with some great news. While the tombs were all smashed at IWC Cemetery, all the tombs and records were relocated to another place and not lost forever. This place is now known as Song Qingling Mausoleum. With renewed vigor, the Director of Guest Services tracked down the record keeper and unbelievably found that the grandfather was indeed a guest there. She couldn’t wait to see the guest’s face when she was able to tell him that his quest was about to be completed. Witnessing a Family Reunion She left a message in the guest’s room to meet her the next morning at 10 a.m. and mentioned she had a special surprise for him. At 10 a.m. the next morning, the guest was in the lobby looking distinguished in a dark suit and tie—not unlike the photos she had seen of his grandfather. He seemed to know what the Director of Guest Services was about to say, but he waited patiently for her words. "The gods are looking down on us today," she announced. "And we have good news. You can finally honor your family today and meet your grandfather." "Thank you! Thank you so much." It’s all he was able to say before tears rolled down his cheeks. The Director of Guest Services hugged him. She was grateful to know she had made a difference to this guest’s day. "There is a hotel car out front waiting for you that will take you to Song Qingling Cemetery now and wait to bring you back. Inside the car, there are some flowers you can leave on your grandfather’s tomb." "Please come with me," the guest said. "I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for me and my family. Please come and see the end of this story with me." They drove to the cemetery and the guest walked down the path flanked by headstones and fresh green grass. He carried the fresh-cut flowers and a single black and white photo of his grandfather. The day was cool and gray and there was a hint of a breeze blowing through the trees. It was a peaceful day. There was no sound of traffic or construction — unusual for Shanghai. The Director of Guest Services saw the guest arrive at his grandfather’s grave, where he stopped and slowly knelt down. He placed the photograph against the headstone and laid the flowers in front. He placed his hand on the stone and the Director of Guest Services could see his head bowed low. This was the moment that had taken him almost four years to reach—finally honoring his father’s wish and meeting his grandfather for the first time. After a few moments he stood, and silently they walked back to the car and drove back to the hotel. The Fond Farewell The next morning the Director of Guest Services saw the guest in the lobby with his luggage. He was checking out, and she ordered him a taxi to the airport. He came over to the concierge desk before he left to say goodbye. "Today I will go back home to the U.S. I will miss my visits here to The Ritz-Carlton where you have all made me feel like it was my home for the past four years. I have finished my search, and it was only with your help that I was able to achieve that. I will be forever grateful. You have helped me to discover the roots of my family—something that I wasn’t able to do. Thank you." The homesick guest was going home, but he wasn’t homesick anymore. The Director of Guest Services for The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai received the J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence in 2015. This award recognizes the "best of the best" from around the world and is given to staff members who truly embody a commitment to excellence, teamwork and a "spirit to serve." The Blog Post Guest story: Discretionary Effort appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Work/life balance means something different to everybody. Flexibility is the key to my career and personal success, as I work with people all over the world and have two very active boys in elementary school. Between work and family I’m always "on," which also presents a challenge to finding that healthy balance. At Citrix, we spend a lot of time talking about work/life balance with our families, customers, media and amongst each other. Lately, we’ve been thinking about those who don’t have flexible work schedules or the ability to workshift. I’ve come up with five steps you can take to gain re-gain control of your work/life balance. Here at Citrix, it is our belief that work/life balance should be in the hands of the employee and that happy, balanced people make better employees. Maintain Control Don’t let your calendar make you feel out of control in your day. Block time for tasks, control your workload and manage expectations with those around you. You will feel calmer, less stressed and more productive when you can concentrate on the task at hand. But don’t overdo it and become one of those people who blocks off all of their time. It’s important that people know you are available.  Get the right tools With the right tools in place, workshifting isn’t much different from actually being at your desk. Today’s latest tech tools create an affordable, virtual office environment that makes working from home seamless. We use GoToMyPC, GoToMeeting, Podio, email and IM to keep in touch and on track. With mobile apps, I’m able to get work done from anywhere. I also have two laptops that are synced to the cloud using ShareFile - one in the kitchen and one in my home office, and my office phone auto forwards to my cell phone if I don’t answer. Don’t feel limited by the 9-5 schedule Need to meet with your kid’s teacher, or want to see that holiday sing that is always scheduled in the middle of the day?  Do it, and don’t feel guilty about it.  Plan to do a few hours of work later in the evening after the kids go to bed. Set a schedule for yourself and don’t feel like it has to be the same every single day. Your schedule should accommodate both your work and your life. When you’re focused on results, it doesn’t matter when during the day the work gets done, it just matter that it gets done. Learn to say no What is urgent and what can wait? Learn to recognize the difference and cut or delegate activities when you can — or share your concerns and possible solutions with your employer or others when you feel overloaded. Be transparent Having trust within your team is critical, and being open and honest is the best way to build this trust. Let people know if you’re busy or out of the office and when they can expect you to get back to them. If you consistently deliver quality results on time and people know that they can count on you, you’ll develop the trust needed to give you the flexibility to succeed in both work and your personal life. Have any other tips and tricks you want to share? Feel free to post them below; we can never get enough of this topic! Photo credit: citx

If you’re like us, you bring your tablet or phone with you everywhere you go. And as you make your way through your day, there are apps you can’t imagine living without. From listening to music, to deciding where to eat, to joining an online meeting in a taxi, we depend on our apps as our lifelines, our organizers and our source of a well-deserved break. With the holiday season in full swing, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite apps that we think you should have loaded to help keep you sane during the busiest season of the year. Our Must Have Apps for the Holidays: FlightTrack (iOS / Android) - If you’re traveling during the holidays, FlightTrack is a must. Use this app to keep track of family travel plans, bad weather, the ski report, and more. Don’t leave home without it! Mixologist (iOS / Android) - Have a party to host and not the slightest idea how to play bartender? Sick of making the same boring drinks for guests? Enter Mixologist. Wired calls it "arguably the most fully featured app for any libation situation" and we have to agree. Pinterest (iOS / Android) - We absolutely love their new secret boards. They’re great for shopping online and collecting gift giving ideas. All you have to do is click the photo and you’ll go straight to the store. It’s also great for gathering recipes. TripIt (iOS / Android) - This app helps you eliminate travel madness. Just hit forward and it turns all your flight, hotel and rental car confirmation emails into simple, mobile travel itineraries. Slice (iOS / Android) - If you’re an online shopper, you’ve got to get Slice. With this awesome app, you can save money, get organized and track your packages. It’s free and convenient and we simply can’t live without it. MyFitnessPal (iOS / Android) - We all love to eat during the holidays. But this app keeps us in check! Keep track of how much you’re really eating and exercising so you can still fit into that fancy New Year’s outfit. GoToMyPC (iOS / Android) - The GoToMyPC app lets you instantly access all of your computers from your tablet or phone. With anytime access to your files, programs and network, working from home during the holiday season has never been easier. Not to toot our own horn or anything, but it’s pretty awesome. GoToMeeting (iOS / Android) - The GoToMeeting app lets you host meetings from your tablet. You can view shared slide presentations, creative concepts, spreadsheets and reports - all from the comfort of your own home or wherever your travels take you. Visiting family for the holidays? This app makes sure you don’t miss anything while you’re away from your desk. CS Product Reviews (iOS) - This app recommends the best reviewed products. Browse over 400 categories to get gift ideas. And when you’re in a store, simply scan a barcode to see the reviews and best pricing online. RedLaser (iOS / Android) - Here’s another great barcode scanner, shopping assistant and QR code reader all in one app. It’s a must for checking that you have the best deal in town on those big purchase items. Leave us a comment and let us know what apps you can’t live without.