A Guest Post by Nancy Parker

Jobs these days are hard to come by, there’s no denying that. Competition is fierce, and people are doing whatever it takes to keep a steady paycheck coming to support themselves and their families. Because of this, it’s becoming increasingly easy to blur the lines between work and life, and people are sacrificing their daily life to work harder and longer hours.

This is especially true when you’re a nanny – you spend all day being in charge of someone else’s family and household, and then at the end of the day have to come home and still make sure your own household is in order. It’s easy to shirk personal responsibilities in favor of work ones when you’re balancing two different families. However giving up your life outside of work is more detrimental than it is beneficial, and if something isn’t done to combat it you’ll likely end up burning out and performing at a lesser level then if you had prioritized your own life in addition to your work life.

If you find yourself not getting the work-life balance right, consider trying some of these techniques:

#1 Make Time for Hobbies

It’s all too easy to forget that work isn’t your entire life, and to combat this you have to make time for the things you enjoy. When you’re a nanny for a family AND a mom aside from that you often find yourself so exhausted from a day of playing mom that actually fulfilling your role as mom and still identifying as your own person is more than slightly overwhelming. You’ll find yourself less stressed if you’re still engaging in activities that you find relaxing and enjoyable. It’s easy to get stressed thinking that the house is going to fall apart if you don’t put the dishes away right away, but the truth is life will – and does – go on just fine. In fact it goes even more smoothly when you’re still prioritizing your own interests.

#2 Draw a Solid Line Between Work and Life

Because we are constantly connected these days with smart-phones and the ability to tap into the majority of work systems, thanks to the Internet, it makes it easy to get caught up doing work while you’re at home. What starts as “I’ll just respond to this one email…” can quickly evolve into a full-fledged work session. Make sure that when you’re at work you’re focused on getting the job done and when you’re at home you’re focused on your loved ones and yourself. Each one deserves your undivided attention at specific times, and you’re doing no favors to anyone by only giving half the effort to either.

#3 Prioritize Your Tasks

When you start work each morning take some time to take stock of what it is you need to get done and then prioritize accordingly. Break things up into categories of things that have to get done today, things you’d like to get done today, and things that can wait until tomorrow. Having smaller task lists makes projects easier to tackle and helps alleviate the stress of a mile long to-do list. Plus when you recognize that some things can wait until the next day it’s easier to shed the guilt from not finishing them and pay attention to what matters the most – like your own family. When you balance being a nanny and a mom it can sometimes be easy to neglect your own kids needs and wants because you’ve spent all day focusing on your job: someone else’s kids. Let go of the job when you get home and prioritize the best job: actually being a parent.

#4 Exercise and Eat Healthy

Find time to fit in at least 30 minutes of exercise each day – you’ll be glad you did. The endorphins you’ll get from breaking a sweat will help boost your mood and reduce your stress level. And when you’re eating healthy foods you’ll find you focus better and are more efficient, whereas when you’re living on take-out you’ll find yourself more rundown and sluggish. One way to spend time with your own family is to take the kids for a bike ride or a jog when you get home from work. Then spend time fixing dinner together – when everyone helps and it becomes a family affair it’s less likely to seem like a chore and more likely to just be about spending time together.

#5 Learn When Enough is Enough

As tempting as it may be to take on every task your boss asks you to do, you have to learn when to say no. It’s better for everyone if you take on only what you can handle – your quality of work will be better, your stress levels will be lower, and your boss will respect you more for being able to admit you can’t take on another task then for accepting the task and then drowning in a workload that’s too heavy.

About the Author

Nancy Parker was a professional nanny and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like Health, Parenting, Child Care, Babysitting and Work-Life balance. This is a regular contributor at eNannySource. You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com.

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A Nanny’s Perspective on Achieving A Work-Life Balance originally appeared on The Daily MBA on January 23, 2012.

A Guest Post by Lindsey Stinson

When pursuing your business education, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the certification options. While there really is no “bad” choice in deciding to further your education, the right program for you depends on your ultimate career goals.

Many people find that trying to decide between a CPA –Certified Public Accountant – certification and an MBA –Master of Business Administration – degree is stressful. Further complicating matters are specialized business programs, like a Master of Finance degree. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide.

Difference Between CPA and MBA

In short, when you complete a program for your CPA certification, it involves in-depth study of accounting principles, taxes, statutory requirements, financial principles and auditing. When you earn your CPA designation, you can open your own accounting business, or work for another firm as a consultant, accountant, or auditor, among other job titles.

Studying for a traditional MBA expands the realm of coursework into non-financial areas of the business world, such as marketing, management and human resources. Most programs also include some finance related study, such as principles of accounting or finance, but not at the same depth and scope as a CPA program. However, some MBA programs allow for specialization in a specific area, such as finance. These programs do provide some of the in-depth exploration of finance and accounting topics covered in a CPA program, including cost analysis and planning and financial reporting.

Requirements for CPA and MBA

The requirements for earning a CPA or MBA differ greatly, primarily because CPA designations are determined on the state level by a local governing board, while individual institutions administer MBA programs.

To earn a CPA certification, you will need to meet your state requirements for education and experience, as well as pass an exam administered by the governing board. The education requirements can often be met through college and graduate-level coursework – including the courses you take toward your MBA. Also, it is common that you’ll need to have a certain amount of work experience; anywhere from a few months to a few years, to qualify for the exam.

MBA program requirements in terms of credit hours and specific coursework vary by institution. Earning the MBA in Finance not only sets you on the path to a CPA, should you opt for that designation, but it also provides you with the core knowledge and competencies that you need for any finance-related career. In addition to courses in general business principles and functions, expect to take courses in managerial finance, financial analysis and reporting, cost control, forecasting, and profit planning, and international economics and finance. Many programs also include an experience component through internships and externships, getting your on the road to the CPA requirements, if necessary.

Why Choose a MBA in Finance

While the MBA in Finance may not cover all of the topics required for a CPA designation in-depth, it creates a strong foundation for further study, and opens the door to a wide-variety of career opportunities in finance, outside of the accounting realm. In fact, those who hold an MBA with any concentration – including finance – tend to have a slight advantage over those who only have a CPA, as their experience and knowledge base tends to be broader and more comprehensive. While CPAs certainly have valuable skills, those skills may not be much of an advantage in the general business realm.

Other factors that might influence your decision to pursue the MBA in Finance over a CPA:

• An MBA provides greater flexibility should you need to switch jobs or industries in the future. While CPA’s are generally in demand, and do not have trouble finding employment, holding an MBA opens the door to greater opportunities in a wider range of positions
• If you know for sure that you want to go into accounting or finance, a CPA can add credibility to your credentials – and if you already hold a MBA, chances are you’re already close to meeting the requirements for the exam – if you haven’t already exceeded them
• When you apply for jobs, employers tend to recognize a MBA over other types of degrees, including Master of Finance or Accounting. And unless you are applying for a job within the accounting field that requires a CPA, your MBA degree –and its broader scope of training and experience—is more likely to get you in the door than the CPA, especially for positions in finance, management, or other functions.

As with any education decision, whether to pursue the CPA designation or the Master of Business Administration in Finance depends on your interests and ultimate career goals. For flexibility and a wide range of career options, though, studying for the MBA in Finance provides exceptional educational value for your time and money.

This guest post article was written and provided by Lindsey Stinson who is pursuing an online finance MBA. She is a freelance writer and looks forward to finishing her finance MBA online early next year.

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For Finance Careers, MBAs Outweigh CPAs originally appeared on The Daily MBA on November 21, 2011.

I must admit, I’m a bit of a physics geek. I really love all those Nova specials where they explain all the theories on where is the center of the universe and how it was formed. It’s comforting to know that a center exists.

Even the non-physicist among us can relate to the notion that organizations have a center. That center may be the CEO, a product line, a division or even a location.

Wherever it is, your organizational center of influence is important to calculate since it’s really the center of your organizational universe. It’s the place where important decisions, strategies and directives radiate from.

A Little Bit of Physics

The center of gravity of an object is the average location of the weight of an object. Knowing the center of gravity allows you to completely describe the motion of the object through space. In flight, airplanes and rockets will rotate about their centers of gravity.

Determining the center of gravity can be as simple as balancing the object using a string or edge. The point in which it balances is the center of gravity.

As the Organization Turns

Instead of centers of gravity, organizations rotate around their center of influence. This is important to know for the following reasons:

• Decision makers stay close: Key decision makers will always be as close to the center as they can get. This gives them the most influence over the organizations trajectory as possible.

• The farther away, the faster the ride: Ever been on a Merry Go Ground? If you have, then you know that the ride gets a lot faster, the farther out you go. Same thing with organizations.

• Most decisions radiate from the center: Organizational decision making will tend to come from the center and radiate out towards the far ends of the organization.

• Changing it requires a tremendous amount of work: Changing the organization direction takes a great amount of force. The farther out you are, the tougher it gets. Mostly because you have to overcome a tremendous amount of momentum.

• When it shifts, the ride gets bumpy: A sudden shift in the center of influence of an object will make it wobble about until it can settle into a stable trajectory. Organizations do the same thing when events disrupt the status quo.

• Messages quickly loose strength and clarity: The farther out you go, the weaker the organizational message. A weak message means influences reduces. This is true communicating back to the center as well.

Calculating Your Organizational Center of Influence

Unlike physical objects, there may be several centers of influences within your organization. These centers will influence your career, projects and the companies overall results. When organizational centers of influences fight (e.g. For resources), the effects on the organization can be profound. In physics terms, it could tear the object apart.

Calculating your organization center of influence is not as straight forward as you think. Many a time, the most obvious ones really don’t influence your organizational life. Listed below is a simple 5 step process to calculate your organization’s center of influences.

Step #1: Who Pays the Bills?

Figure out which group, division, product line or team generates the most revenue for the company. These groups are the most obvious center of influence because the organization relies on these people for it’s continue existence. These areas are protected as long as the revenue keeps coming in.

Step #2: Growth Potential

Growth is what most organizations strive for. Growth demonstrates longevity and vibrancy. Without growth, an organization will soon lose that spark that drives improvement and keeps it’s completive. The areas of growth will be a prime center of influence.

Step #3: Leadership

Leadership sets the tone of an organization. The background of the leadership will always be a center of influence since it’s what’s familiar and can be easily influenced. The executive staff will naturally have centers of influence but it’s the background of the C-level people that will give you the best clues as to what they will focus on. Those focal points will naturally create centers of influences.

The location of leadership is another center of influence since it’s where they physically are and therefore, where they have the most influence and interactions.

Step #4: Visionaries

Find the visionaries. They hold the key to the future of the company. Their centers of influence might not have yet fully formed but soon they will. Visionaries can be tricky to find. Worst than finding them is figuring out which ones will be successful. It’s important to at least find them and watch how they progress.

Step #5: Crisis De Jour

Organizations will quickly rally to a crisis and that will temporally (and sometimes permanently) change their center of influence. If an organization does this too much, then the organization starts to wobble. Regaining stability will take either new leadership or something else to steady the trajectory.

Shifts in Organizational Centers of Influence

In our every changing universe, objects lose and gain mass. This process shifts their centers of gravity and can make them unstable on their present trajectory. Organizations go through the same process when the following events occur:

• Acquisitions: Acquisitions always put a strain on an organization and will shift it’s center — mostly toward the new acquisition.

• Layoffs: Anytime companies downsize, the mass shifts and therefore the center shifts. Be aware of these shifts when they occur since it can make things unstable.

• Competitive threats: Any and all competitive threats will shift priorities and resources to address the threat. This then shifts the center to somewhere else.

• Key leadership leaves: Leadership usually creates a vacuum that needs to be quickly filled or the organization will spin out of control. When new leadership does arrive, the center will shift toward them and their strengths

• Lackluster financial performance: If your organization is for profit, then any kind of negative financial performance will create new focus and new centers of influences.

When one of these events occurs, the center of influence will shift. This makes the whole organizational wobble until a new, stable trajectory can be established.

See, Organizational Physics is Not All That Bad

Organizations are dynamic. They tend to rotate around their centers of influence and will resist changes in their trajectory unless a force pushes them to do so. Be aware of your organizations centers of influence and how they change, strengthen and dissolve.

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Calculating Your Organizations Center of Influence originally appeared on The Daily MBA on October 31, 2011.

A Guest Post by Christine Kane

You’ve been thinking about starting a business, but with the economy the way is it, do you really stand a chance? Are the risks too high? Is there too much at stake? What’s holding you back? Here are five good reasons that you should start your business today.

1. Unemployed/Underemployed – In all likelihood, you’re either unemployed or underemployed right now. Underemployed means that you are overqualified for your job and/or you’re not working the hours you need. Either way, you have time on your hands, so don’t waste the opportunity. Use your free time to be your own boss and start a business.

2. Cheap Labor – With the job market the way it is, cheap labor abounds. People will work for peanuts when they’re desperate, and, as a new business owner, you can offer other incentives, like a high position in the company. Keep looking and you’ll eventually find someone who’s reasonable and talented. Speaking of talent…

3. Talent – Along with that cheap labor comes talent. Tap into your professional and social networks or take a look around your community. All those hard-working, well-educated, talented people are out there, just waiting for your call. You’re choosing exactly what you want and you’re free to weed out the rejects. It’s never been a better time to hire.

4. Taxes – Ah, the tax break. Even if you work from home, the government will help you out. You can write off deductions for a home-office; including business expenses such as supplies, telephone, Internet and marketing materials- even a new computer. The Small Business Jobs Act, which was signed into law on September 27, 2010, also brought other tax breaks and incentives for small business.

5. Going up –It can only go up from here. When you start at the lowest, and still manage a livable income, you know things can only get better. What better way to now if your company will survive a crisis than to start it in one? The history behind the idea is sound; many of the Fortune 500 companies today were started during an economic depression. Somethings people can’t, or won’t, do without. Find out what it is and you’ve got it made.

There you have it: five reasons to get started today. You’ll never find a better time to be an employer, rather than an employee. If you plan well, find your niche, and work hard you will succeed. But you’ll never know what you can do if you don’t try. It’s better to get started now rather than plan for years and have nothing real to show for it. So, get cracking.

Author Bio

This Guest post is by Christine Kane, a graduate of Communication and Journalism. She enjoys writing about a wide-variety of subjects including internet providers in my area for different blogs. She can be reached via email at: Christi.Kane00 @ gmail.com

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5 Reasons to Start Your Business Now originally appeared on The Daily MBA on October 3, 2011.

Your first real job out of school is both exciting and scary. It’s completely different than college in that you have to show up, there are no tests (well not written anyway) and the only homework is brining your laptop home to catch up on paperwork.

Your first year at your first job will be a series of firsts — first real boss, first real review, first 15 hour day, first time working weekends, first political situation and first, potential, taste of management. All of these firsts can be disorienting and frankly a little scary for the newly employed.

One thing to remember, through all these firsts, is that your best friend is hard work and intellectual curiosity. No one will ever fault you for trying hard, working hard, having positive “can do” attitude and being interested in what you are doing.

Strange But True

Your boss may have tons of years of work experience but that still does not mean they can manage humans. You would be surprised at the number of senior managers who don’t have a good grasp of management. This is even worst in high tech companies where the managers are usually the ones that got lots and lots of stuff done — not the ones that actually have good people skills.

At first, this will seem really strange. After all, they are your boss and surly, they should know what they are doing. Chances are, they probably don’t. Not a lot of managers (line level anyway) go to management school — they learn it on the job. So if you find yourself with an awkward manager, don’t fret.

Your Company

The wonderful thing about work is that they pay you to show up. By paying you, your company excepts you to meet certain criteria. This criteria is pretty much universal and includes:

1. Show up on time: To everything, especially meetings. Even if others are late, it’s a good habit to get into. Everyone appreciates meetings that start and end on time. Also, try and come in a little earlier than everyone else. That way, you can settle in well ahead of everyone else.

2. Work hard but also work smart: You will be putting in a ton of hours simply because you have to learn a ton. Your boss will also want to see how you deal with stress and prioritize tasks. Always make sure you understand the why of a task. That way, you might be able to make it more efficient.

3. Learn tasks quickly: Or at least appear to learn them quickly. If you have to stay late to learn something new, do it. The quicker you come up to speed, the more valuable you are to the company.

4. Help others: Try and pitch in and help others succeed but not at the expense of your own work. Senior people and your boss will be looking at how well you interact with others and how much you can help others succeed.

5. Make your boss look good: even at the expense of you looking bad. It’s imperative that you support your boss and make her look good to others. Don’t lie or cheat or steal to make her shine but make it a point to do good work so people will complement her on hiring such a great person.

6. Don’t be too big a pain: It’s okay to push back on stupid things or demand certain things but don’t be all high and mighty about it. You are new. You will get the crap jobs and get picked on — it’s part of corporate hazing (but not as bad as in college).

Your Boss

Bosses are tricky. Some are wonderful mentors but lack political skill. Others are cut throat politicians but have zero coaching skills. Still others lack both and just happened to fall into it (by luck or attrition).

Whatever type of boss you have, you will have to figure out how they tick. This can sometimes be a challenge since bosses are just like the rest of us mortals — moody, opinionated, irrational or out of touch. The major difference is they actually have some power over your career and life.

To better understand your boss, try answering these simple questions about their style and behavior:

1. Communication style: Does your boss send tons of email? Do they prefer texting? Do they always want updates before the staff meeting? All of these items are part of communication style that you need to learn quickly. One great way to find out is ask. You would be surprised what they will tell you.

2. Management style: Do they micro-manage? Are they task focused? Do they like formal reports? Do they always follow the chain of command? All of these are signs of management style. The best thing to do on this one is to ask someone who also works for or has worked for your boss.

3. Hot buttons: All bosses have hot buttons that drives them crazy. Learn your bosses ones quickly. This benefits you in two ways 1) You know what to avoid and 2) You know how to get their attention.

4. What WOWs them: It’s always good to know what impresses your boss. Maybe they love data. Maybe well done reports. Maybe they like deep thinking. Whatever it is, make sure to do enough to get noticed but not too much that you show off.

5. Stress and conflict handling: The one constant in the workplace is stress. Your boss has tons of it and does not want any more. Observe how your boss handles stress and conflict. What behaviors do they display? Do they avoid it? What about when someones is right in their face? Knowing this will allow you to craft your approach to situations where conflict and stress are apparent.

Your Co-Workers

Co-workers come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, attitudes, intellect and dramas. You will most likely bond with some and despise others. This is a natural part of how people work together.

Senior Co-Workers

Most of your co-workers will have more experience than you. Some will look upon you with scorn while others will want to help out. It’s important to size up your co-workers so that you know how to interact with them. Listed below are the most common archetypes you will encounter:

• Sage Sally: Knows everything about everything. You will constantly be going to her or being told to go to her. You will wonder how the company functions when she goes on vacation.

• Bitter Bob: There’s always a bitter Bob that can’t see the positive in anything. Everything and I mean everything, is messed up or heading to a disaster. Try and avoid them as much as you can.

• Party Patty: Always wants to do after work events or plans birthday celebrations or chats about her vacation. She is a wonderful person to know but getting too close might shade you as a little too happy go lucky.

• Gossip Glen: Knows every single bit of gossip known and unknown (since he will also make it up). Anything you tell Gossip Glen will get out. So, use with caution.

• Cardiac Carl: Is constantly stressed about something, looks like his head is doing to explode and can never get ahead (e.g. Always behind on a deadline). Cardiac Carl is someone you should never emulate. He works hard but hardly gets anything done.

• Slimy Steve: Will sell his mother to get ahead. Slimy Steve is just like those guys in college that would cheat off you, do nothing during a group assignment or pay you for your homework. Be cautious around him and never confide in him.

Peers

Most of your peers (e.g. Less than 2 years of experience) will be trying to figure you out as well. The reason stems from someone to do the crap work they don’t want to do all the way to wanting to beat you for that promotion.

I know, it sounds petty but you, as fresh meat, are both slave labor and competition. The reality is some of your co-workers don’t want what’s best for the company or you. They may say they do but deep down, what they really want varies a lot.

Some want to manage other people. Some want to get promoted to a better job. Some might want to go to graduate school. Your job, besides doing your real job, is to sort out what these peers really want.

Now, I don’t want to make you paranoid or anything like that but their are people who will try and take advantage of your naivety. They will gossip behind your back (just like Gossip Glen), they will take credit for your work (just like Slimy Steve) or try and stress you out (just like Cardiac Carl).

So be a little cautious about what you say to others, how you bash the boss or what tricks you give out until you know who you can trust.

6 Things to Do Your First Year

It’s important that you start your career off on the right footing by doing the things that will make your career grow into what you want. Take a look at the list below for the 6 things you should do during your first year of work.

1. Don’t Work Every Weekend: I know it’s tempting but you have to rest every once in a while.

2. Find a Mentor: Get a mentor that can help you navigate the company and figure out your career path.

3. Start Networking: Setup a LinkedIn account and start connecting. Your professional network is vital to start and nurture, even when you don’t need a job.

4. Learn Something New Every Week: It’s really easy to get stuck in a rut, even early on. Make it a point to learn a new fact or skill every week.

5. Be Regular About One-on-Ones: Insist on a one-on-one and stick to a schedule. These are valuable meetings that will help you communicate more effectively with your boss and chart your career growth.

6. Learn A Little About Other Areas: Don’t just learn your job function. Make it a point to chat with other areas to get a glimpse of what they do. This serves a dual purpose 1) it’s good to know and 2) others see that you are curious.

Welcome to the Workforce

Your work career can be enjoyable, fulfilling and rewarding if you start out with the right attitude, the right job and great mentors. Strive always to contribute, do the right thing by your boss and company and learn as much as you can. The more you learn, the more fun it will be. It’s also important to set some career goals but that can come later (after 2-3 years or so).

So, get out there and change the world — you only have 39 more years to retirement!

Bonus: Things People Won’t Tell You Until You Screw Up

There will be several things that most everyone screws up but no one will every tell you until after the fact. It’s not that they don’t like you or anything like that — there’s usually too much going on to tell you. Take a look at some of the most embarrassing ones below (e.g. Ones I have either done or witnessed — the scars run pretty deep):

• Power point etiquette: Power point is meant as a complement to your presentation not to replace it. Use plenty of white space, liberal use of pictures and font bigger than 30. Any slide with more than 4-5 bullets is probably too much. Also remember that management loves pretty pictures more than anything else.

• Delivering bad news: Never wait to deliver bad news. If you know something is seriously messed up, let your boss know right away.

• Writing reports: All your reports should be clear of clutter and devoid of rambling paragraphs. Just get to the point quickly. Use plenty of pictures and bullet points that summarize your results since most people will skim it anyway.

• Dating co-workers: The temptation will be great to date your co-workers, especially as you work those long hours. Just remember that you can’t avoid going to work if things go wrong or transfer easily. So be cautious but also realize that most people find their mate at work.

• Drinking at work events: Make sure to keep your drinking in check or you could end up saying or doing something you may regret. Many a crazy night of drinking has resulted in regrets, embarrassing pictures and rumors. Have fun but stay in control.

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First Year, First Job Advice originally appeared on The Daily MBA on September 12, 2011.

A Guest Post By Lenore Holditch

In an effort to save the planet, more and more entrepreneurs and other business leaders alike are working to ensure that no matter the size of their company (start-up or corporate) they are doing their part to create a “green” working-environment for their employees. But there is far more to running an eco-friendly business than simply starting a recycling program and using reusable dishware at the office. If you want to truly have an eco-friendly business you need to know about green building materials, green energy systems and need to have a strong foundation of why participating in sustainable-practices is the way to go— not just because it’s the “trendy” thing to do.

Formal education is the easiest way to acquire this knowledge, but if you do not have the money and or time to return to school—you’re busy running a business after all—you can opt to take some free online classes on your own time. These classes won’t give you credit so you technically can’t say that you are any sort of expert in the field, but you can most definitely learn some valuable skills that you can apply to your company. With that said, check out some of these classes below.

Environmental Science and Eco-Living Courses. The more you truly care about the condition of the environment the more likely you will be inclined to make sure that the everyday business operations are conducted in a sustainable manner. One of the easiest ways to start caring about Mother Earth is to hear from experts who have researched the plant’s withering condition for several years. The following classes will teach you all about climate change, the depletion of earth’s resources, and predictions of Earth’s fate if the human race does not start becoming more “green.” Some courses will also touch base on the importance of establishing a green business.

• Seminar in Environmental Science[MIT]
• Sustainable Living Environment I; Sustainable Living Environment II[UCLA]
• The Thriving Green Economy [Stanford]

Sustainable Design Courses. If you are creating your business space entirely from the bottom up it’s important that you know which building designs and materials will be able to provide you the eco-friendly sanctuary that you desire. While yes most architects and designers are the experts in this area, it’s best if you have some knowledge in the area as well—after all, you don’t want them to dupe you with more pricey and less efficient option. That said, the following courses (all of which are offered by MIT) are formulated to teach you how to implement design and building materials so that you can create a nifty green office space.

Laboratory for Sustainable Business

Design for Sustainability

Sustainable Design and Technology Research Workshop

Energy Systems Courses. Lastly, entrepreneurs will need to know all about energy-efficient options such as solar paneling in order to conserve energy. The following courses are designed to do just that as well as give some tips to those who are thinking about getting involved in the solar energy business.

Why Sustainable Energy Matters [The Open University]

Sustainable Energy [MIT]

Strategy for Solar Energy Start-ups [Stanford]

Direct Solar/Thermal to Electrical Energy Conversion Technologies [MIT]

By-line:

This guest contribution was submitted by Lenore Holditch, who specializes in writing about top online colleges. Questions and comments can be sent to: holditch.lenore @ gmail.com. 

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Some Free Ways To Raise Your Eco IQ originally appeared on The Daily MBA on July 25, 2011.

There is an old golf saying — you drive for show and putt for dough. Applying that logic to your career and you get — you talk for show and write for dough.

Written communication is a vital career skill. Not only does it demonstrates your ability to organize complex thoughts, it also amplifies your influence by carrying your message wider than you can yell.

To really JATO your career, it’s essential that your written communication skills are honed razor sharp. Like most skills, practice, practice and more practice are the keys to becoming a solid writer. The best way to practice — writing is to blog.

Why Blogging Is Good Practice

Blogging is a great way to practice writing. There is no other platform I know of where what you create can get instant feedback.

Writing is all about telling stories and getting your point across. When you blog, your ideas, stories and observations are out their to tickle the world. If they like your idea, then they pass it on. You get Tweeted or Stumbled or Dugg. If they hate it, it’s just wasted bits on your server — no big deal.

Feedback is an important part of the writing process. Without it, you just don’t know how good your writing or message is. That’s why the instant blog feedback (or lack of feedback) is a great barometer.

Cross Over Blogging Skills

Blogging is not just about writing — it’s also about getting your point of view across. The better your points and writing, the more people will read and follow you. This is something you want at work — people to respect your skills and follow your progress. Consider some of the cross over blogging skills that will directly help you in your career.

Manageable Chunks

The web is full of noise. So much noise that most readers, on average, spend 56 seconds reading a webpage. That’s not long to make a good impression.

The key to extending that 56 seconds is to breakdown your writing into manageable chunks. Kind of like when you cut up your kids food. You really have to make it easy to digest so your reader will continue on.

Gaging Your Audience

Blogging hones your audience reading skills by giving you direct feedback on what works and what doesn’t. This is a powerful skill because no single approach works for everyone. For example, your boss may want a more summary type of report why your colleagues want all the gory details.

Gaging your audience is a matter of trial and error. Sometimes, it’s amazing what resonates with some and annoys others.

Knowing What Motivates Your Audience To Action

When we communicate, we want to either inform people or spur then to take action. By understanding what it takes for your readers to comment on your post, give you their email or even buy your book, you get accustom to looking for these triggers.

This is not to say you trick people into doing things by lying. That’s career limiting and unethical but you should know what motivates your intended audience to take action on the data you present to them.

Organizing Your Work In a Clear Manner

Crisp, clean prose is a joy to read. When you organize your communications in easily digestible, well throughout structures, readers will enjoy it more. When enjoyment is coupled with information, your audience will remember you. In fact, they will look forward to your analysis and take joy in your conclusions.

Responding Positivity to Criticism

We all have critics. Work critics are particularly bad since you just can’t delete their comment (like I would ever do that!).

Blogging teaches you that you can’t please everyone. You will get people who will bash you for your use of the wrong word, saying something lame or just plain being mean.

Critics are there to cast a light on things we can work on. If you take that attitude, then every critic will make you grow stronger. As you positively deal with critics, their voice starts to drown out and you can focus on the important things. Work critics work the same way.

Contributing to Other Peoples Success

Guest posts are a great way to get your blogging feet wet. All sorts of blogs accept guest posts (including mine).

When you help others succeed it not only feels great but you get a lot in return. You may not see the direct benefit right away but it does come. Bloggers (just like your co-workers) remember when you helped them and will be more apt to return the favor or even recommend you for projects.

Start Small And Work Your Way Up

You might be thinking that blogging takes a ton of time. It can if you dive in and don’t think about what you want to get out of it. The best way to start is to offer to guest post on other peoples blogs. This is a fantastic way to practice selling yourself and your skills.

The other way to start would be to add comments to posts or join a forum. There are several forums out there that have regular contributors. One such forum is Stack Exchange, where you can ask and answer questions about all sorts of topics.

However you start, consistently blogging will sharpen not only your writing skills but also your spoken skills. When you clearly write, you tend to clearly speak because the thoughts in your head are organized. You stop saying “um” or “like” or “ok”. Instead, your verbal skills mimic your writing skills and your interactions become more and more enjoyable and beneficial to everyone.

So, give it a try. Your career is just waiting for some Jet-fuel Assisted Take Off.

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Why Blogging Consistently Can JATO Your Career originally appeared on The Daily MBA on July 18, 2011.

Negative people suck — both figuratively and literally. They sap the energy out of a room and bring everyone down. These Negative Nelly’s want to pull the rest of us into their negativity vortex by any means necessary.

Negative people are also like radioactive isotopes. You may not be directly near them but their negativity spreads far beyond the kill zone.

In order to combat these positive energy vampires, it’s essential to have the right frame of mind, attitudes and skills. Consider the following methods your garlic and holy water for negative people.

Method #1: Keep A Positive Attitude

The best way to combat negativity is to remain positive. Sure, that seems obvious but it’s the way you are positive that matters. Most negative people will immediately point out that you are just being way to positive and are not a realist. That’s a common retort from negative people. That’s why you have to keep your positive attitude on the inside and be upbeat, yet practical on the outside (see below for that).

Method #2: Don’t Get Sucked Into The Negativity Vortex

Too often, we feel sorry for negative people. We, as humans, tend to gravitate towards the negative simply because there is usually a downside if we don’t pay attention. This is probably due to our survival instincts.

Nowadays, it’s hardly life or death but we still have it engrained in our DNA. This makes it easy to get sucked into the negativity of the negative person.

Avoid the negativity vortex by limiting your interactions with the negative person as much as you can. Any interaction should be short and to the point. Too much caring about the persons issues will switch the negativity into overdrive. I know, it’s cruel but a single negative person, let loose in the wilds of your organization, will create more havoc than 10 positive people can counter. It’s just a fact.

Method #3: Be Upbeat, Yet Practical

A positive attitude is essential to so many things but particularly important when dealing with negative people. You can be all Little Miss Sunshine but you still need to be practical.

Life has a lot of challenges and negative people make life a little more difficult. If you remain upbeat yet do practical things to solve your problems (and indirectly, theirs), then that will go a long way in combatting negativity.

Method #4: Always Look For A Solution

Even if you have no idea about how to solve a problem, look for one. Most negative people have a doom and gloom attitude about everything. They think that the whole word is against them. If you have to interact with Negative Nelly, then always have a couple of solutions to offer. That way, at least you can give them something to go think about.

Method #5: Be Data Driven

Negative people are usually emotionally driven. They really don’t look at data nor do they look for positive trends. For them, they are always looking for the negative aspects of any deal or situtation.

Strive to be driven by the data, both good and bad, that you have to work with. This is the only way to breakthrough the negative energy and get to a solution.

Remember, they still may be negative about the situation but if the data is positive, then they will look foolish.

Method #6: Above All, Remain Calm

The best technique, by far, is to remain calm when the negativity is flying around the room. Panic and anxiety feed the negative person because it reenforces their point — the world is going to end, we better prepare.

If you find yourself about to go negative, take a deep breath and bring your mind back to one positive aspect of what’s going on. Use that as your anchor. Strive to build from that one positive aspect to bring the interactions back to a calm, positive state.

It’s Tough But Doable

I’m not sure exactly why negativity has so much more amplification than positivity but practice experience has shown that it does. It’s tough to combat the negative people around you but it’s doable. Start with your attitudes and feelings, remain as positive as you can and always stay calm.

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Methods To Combat The Negative People Around You originally appeared on The Daily MBA on June 27, 2011.

We all lead busy lives. From work, to our social commitments to our kids school and social commitments, it can all be daunting. All of these commitments, projects, meetings and events are great but if you take on too many, you can start to dilute yourself. This is particularly easy to do at work where being seen as a “go getter” will get you promoted.

Too often, we don’t realize that all these commitments are actually counter productive. They distract us from what’s important. Consider these seven signs that you might be diluting your impact:

Sign #1: Too Busy to Take a Day Off

No one and I mean no one is too busy to take a day off. Rest and rejuvenation are critical to our survival. Without some down time, we make mistakes, become irritable and don’t focus on the details. If you find yourself in this situation, ask yourself why you can’t take a day off. If it’s because no one else can do your job or they might screw it up, then you really need to revaluate how you manage your work. No one is indispensable — not even the president.

Sign #2: Attending Too Many Meetings

Most meetings are a total waste of time. If you attend too many, you are just wasting your valuable time. The meeting glut is usually driven by people who want to influence every little detail. Resist showing up. This can be hard to do but just realize, what’s more important — attending a meeting or creating value.

The next time you are invited to yet another meeting, really think about what you will get out of it. You should attend at least one and if it’s a total waste of time, politely stop going.

Sign #3: Tossing and Turning at Night

Trouble sleeping is a sure sign of dilution. If you spend all night worrying about all the projects, tasks or issues you have to deal with, it’s time to start getting rid of projects and commitments. You need your sleep and the more sleep depraved you become, the worst your performance. It’s actually in your best interest to be well rested and ready to go on the projects and tasks that are the most important to you and your career.

Sign #4: Burning the Midnight Oil

Working hard is noble. Working too hard is crazy. If you find yourself working 12 hour days for more an a month, something is terribly wrong. Your effectiveness as the days and weeks roll on will severally diminish. As your effectiveness slips, so does your quality of work. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s best to hire more people or take small breaks. I know, you absolutely need to get your product out — everyone is depending on you. Sure they are, just like they depend on everyone else in the company. Even if you are a solo micro-entrepreneur, do you really want to work yourself to death? Is it really worth it to bust your hump and then be too burnt out to do anything else? I didn’t thing so.

Sign #5: An Inbox Filled with Unread Email

Email is a curse. Unread email is a sure sign that you have way too much going on. Email gets abused because it’s so simple to send off a quick note. When you get too much email, you are clearly getting overwhelmed with more and more useless data. Accept the fact that you will not be able to respond, nor read, all that email. It’s liberating to make your inbox reach zero by simply focusing on what’s important. Believe me, if it requires your attention, it will bubble to the top of your inbox.

Sign #6: No Quiet or Alone Time

Alone time is a vital part of productive day. When you have time to quietly work or reflect, your mind clears and you can concentrate on what’s important. If you can’t make time for yourself then you are seriously over committed. Quiet work time is essential to actually getting your work done. Without a solid block of uninterrupted time, your work product will come out disjointed. In addition, you will feel like you are getting nothing done because, you really are getting nothing done.

Sign #7: Making Silly Mistakes

Mistakes happen when you are rushing or tired. If you find yourself making silly mistake after silly mistake, then you really need to find a way to focus. Most mistakes won’t kill you but the more little mistakes you make, the worst your decisions and work become. Pretty soon, all you make are mistakes.

The single biggest contributor to silly mistakes is being rushed. So, avoid being rushed. Plan out your work so that you know what you need to do and then focus on getting it done.

So I’m Diluted, Now What

Congratulations. You made the first step — you admitted you have a problem. Now, what to do about it. Most of us just can’t drop everything in an afternoon but we can certainly start on the path of becoming more focused and productive. Here are a few things that can set you on the right path:

• Say No: I know it’s hard to say no to another revenue generating project. I know it hard to say no when people need your to help. All these things are hard but you must realize that for every new project you take on, you dilute the other ones. Prioritize what’s important and only take on projects when you are done with others.

• Schedule Quiet Time: or just work time. Make it a point to set aside a couple of hours a day to work, without distractions. If this means leaving your cube or shutting your office door, then do that.

• Only Read Emails Once a Day: Email is one of the most time consuming tasks man has ever invented. Well, ok, surfing the Internet and reading blog articles is a close second. Get in the habit of only checking email once a day. Believe me, you won’t miss anything and you will be much more productive.

• Leave A Meeting If You Add No Value: I know, bold and daring but hey, if you add zero value, why show up? Now, your boss might have other ideas but strive to only be at a meeting if you add value. Adding value means participating — not bringing your laptop and working on other things.

• Start And End Meetings On Time: Most meetings are horribly run. They start late, end late, don’t have an agenda and the moderator lets people drone on way too long. Make every meeting count by respecting everyones time. Start on time, end on time and for God’s sake man, have an agenda!

• Pick Up The Phone/Skype Instead of Sending An Email: I’m sure you remember that thing with the buttons on it. You know, the one you used to dial instead of sending an email. Use it. A phone call can save you countless back and forth emails. In fact, why not have an email free day. Make it a rule that you cannot email on Fridays or whenever. If you want to send someone a note, why not IM them or better yet, go to their office. Hey, you can even pick up the phone.

You’ll Feel Better, Trust Me

Okay. I know I’m being all preaching on this stuff but I speak from experience. It’s a horrible feeling to be overwhelmed with commitments. You really to need to pick your projects carefully. That means you have to say no once in a while. Think of it this way, you want to give your best to whatever project or cause you take on. If you are diluting yourself, your performance will be subpar and just make the experience more of a chore than fun. At work, choose the battles you fight. Don’t try to change everything all at once. Relax, there are plenty of projects and opportunities — you just need to be ready, rested and able to take them on.

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7 Signs You’re Diluting Yourself And What To Do About It originally appeared on The Daily MBA on June 20, 2011.

Your boss is a delicate individual. The amount of ideas, issues and thoughts running through their head is staggering. All of these concepts need to be synthesized into some sort of tangible plan. Interrupt that synthesize and your boss will go crazy. Challenge that synthesis and your boss might just lose it. Don’t get me wrong. There is always a time and a place to challenge your bosses direction or decisions. The dilemma lies in knowing when and where to do it while not driving them crazy in the process.

Bosses Hate Surprises

One of the universal truths of management is that bosses hate to be surprised. Nothing irritates a boss like being out of the loop on some important development. You should always let your boss know about any sort of issue or new development preferably before anyone else knows about it. This will allow your boss to think about the implications and formulate a plan.

Never surprise your boss in front of a group of peers or even his boss. This could embarrass them and you as well.

Attitude is Everything

Your boss has enough on his plate to have to worry about adjusting everyones attitude. Make sure to keep an upbeat, positive attitude towards your workplace, even when things are going wrong. You don’t have to be foolish or ignorant of problems — just don’t approach them in a negative way. Things happen. Schedules slip. Products break. All of these things are just part of working and should be fixed with a “can do” attitude.

People that are constantly negative will wear down their boss to the point where they will stop interacting with them. This is a bad sign and will negatively impact your ability to get ahead. Remember, bosses like positive, upbeat people that can change the world not negative people who think the worlds going to end.

Priorities Change, So Deal with It

One of the biggest frustrations is the shift in priority. This happens in every organization. Priorities change for a number of reasons and the reason really doesn’t matter. What matters is that your boss needs you to move in a different direction and that’s what you need to do. Sure, you can question a bad decision or complain that all this priority switching is making you less productive. Your boss understands that. What bosses can’t stand is the constant whine of employees that challenge every decision or direction. Remember, you are being paid to do what your boss tells you to do. Most likely, you don’t have all the information, so be cautious when you question a priority change.

Good bosses will explain why the priority change has occurred and that should be enough for you to move on. If it’s not, then you may need to go to your boss privately and constructively, explain your position. Most bosses will find this helpful and informative since deep down, they hate priority changes as much as you do.

Tender Care and Feeding for Maximum Harmony

I’m not saying that you can’t challenge assumptions, complain about priorities or sometimes surprise your boss. That’s not it at all. What I’m trying to convey is that the build up of these things will slowly marginalize you in your bosses eyes. This you need to avoid. Once your are marginalize, then promotions, new projects and more resources become scarce. Your work experience actually gets worst and your effectiveness will suffer.

Bosses are delicate individuals — just like all of us. To ensure that you don’t drive your boss crazy, make sure to have no surprises, graciously deal with priority changes and project a positive attitude.

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How to Drive Your Boss Crazy in Three Easy Steps originally appeared on The Daily MBA on May 9, 2011.