How To Sell Your Idea in 60 Seconds or Less

How To Sell Your Idea in 60 Seconds or LessHow To Sell Your Idea in 60 Seconds or LessYou dont need to be in an elevator to give an elevator pitch. In fact, that very rarely happens. So, what exactly isan elevator pitch? Well, even if you havent heard the term, it doesnt mean youve never given one. Heres the basic premise Sell Someone Your Idea in 60 Seconds or Less Thats it. Its basically a challenge to convince someone that your idea, whether its a new ad campaign, a new product or service, or even yourself, is a good one in the time it takes for the elevator to travel several floors. And if you cant do it in that time, youre in trouble. It means youve over-complicated the whole thing. Why is the Elevator Pitch Important? If you have an idea to sell and you meet a potential buyer, you need to jump on that opportunity and pitch it to that person quickly, and with confidence. If theyre a busy CEO, you wont have long. You have to make a solid presentation, get across the main poin ts of your product or service, and leave a memorable impression. You could bump into one of these potential buyers at any time, be it a party, on the street or, as the title suggests, in an elevator. When that person asks so what do you do? or you get the chance to making an opening gambit, you have to be prepared. What are the Essentials of a Good Elevator Pitch? This differs depending on what youre selling. There are a few schools of thought on this, including this excellent one by ExpertAlyssa Gregory, but there are several common elements. Define the Problem and Solution This is key. In the first few seconds of the pitch, you outline a herausforderung that currently exists, using language that draws in the listener. Common ways to start the pitch include Dont you hate it when The biggest problem with Whats the deal with After you identify the problem, you then present your solution, using the majority of your remaining time to outline how your product or service meets th e demands. It should be broad enough to avoid technical jargon and figures, but be specific enough to clearly solve the problem. Every Word Counts There is no room in a pitch for any flowery language or extra verbiage. You have just 60 seconds, or less, to get someone interested. So, write your pitch, edit it, refine it, cut it, practice it, cut it again, and keep going until every word you use is essential. Prompt QuestionsYou want to engage your audience. The best way to do this is to tee up questions in the pitch. Those starting questions mentioned earlier are good, but you can always include more. Just remember the w words you learned in school WHAT is your biggest challenge right now?WHO is your biggest demographic?WHY should people come to you?WHEN will you be ready to take a big step?WHERE do you see your company in five years? And the HOWs of course HOW is business?HOW long have you had the problem?HOW much time do you have? Be Conversational, but Professional Youre walking a fine line. No one wants to hear a stale, pre-prepared pitch. It should feel natural, like a conversation. It should bedrngnis feel like youre cornering the prospect with 60 seconds of over-rehearsed fluff. But at the same time, you dont want to be so relaxed as to seem unprofessional, unprepared, stuttering or forgetful. Keep it cool, imagine the prospect is a colleague you know and trust, and talk respectfully but with passion and drive. Think of Columbo. Always respectful, always curious, always magnetic and he never leaves without planting an idea in your head. Be Enthusiastic If youre not interested in what you have to say, why should anyone else be? You need to have a genuine passion for what youre selling, whether its a huge plan for a solar powered car, or a new ad campaign for paper clips. You are not just selling the idea, youre selling yourself (see this article for mistakes you should avoid). And above all, have fun with it

About the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake

About the Naval Air Weapons Station at China LakeAbout the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake01About NAWS China Lakenavy.milChina Lakes Branch Health Clinic is open to all active duty and retired military and their dependents.The closest emergency room is at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital located at 1801 N. China Lake Blvd.The Branch Health and Dental Clinic at China Lake on Blandy Avenue provides routine outpatient medical care to all eligible beneficiaries.Patients with medical problems that require additional treatment are referred to local civilian providers or military treatment facilities on other bases.

How a Judicial Externship Can Help Your Legal Career

How a Judicial Externship Can Help Your Legal CareerHow a Judicial Externship Can Help Your Legal CareerAs a law student, youll have a number of opportunities for career-enhancing off-campus activities. One fantastic opportunity is a judicial externship, i.e. working for a judge, either during the semester or over the summer. If your school is located near any chambers, this is definitely an opportunity to investigate. What You Will Do As a Judicial Extern When you work as a judicial extern, youll typically do work similar to that done by the judges clerks. (One note,dont call yourself a judicial clerk or law clerk when youre a judicial extern. This terminology is typically reserved for the judges full-time clerks whove graduated from law school.) On an average day, you might work on a memo on a particular issue of law that the parties briefed in advance. You might do research on evidentiary rules if youre in a trial court. Youll probably also have the opportunity to observe cour t proceedings, including trials, jury selection, and motion hearings. Youll likely help draft opinions that the judge will issue. How Being a Judicial Extern Can Help Your Legal Career Working as a judicial extern can be very interesting and exciting, and is highly beneficial to your development as a lawyer. As you read briefs and motions, youll learn more about how to construct a winning legal argument (and what notto do). Youll see whats compelling at oral argument and in briefs, and youll get a chance to peek behind the scenes and see how judges actually decide cases. Of course, youll improve your own research and writing skills And, youll (hopefully) gain a mentor and advocate for the rest of your legal career. When Judges Hire Their Own Externs As Law Clerks tauglichkeit externs often wonder how working for a judge as an extern might impact their later application forjudicial clerkships. The answer is, It depends. Some judges have a policy ofneverhiring their own extern s as clerks, and are typically upfront about this policy when you apply to extern. The logic behind this is that extern and law clerk slots are limited, and its not fair to let one person have both. Other judges, however, do openly hire their own externs, and essentially use the externship as an extended interview. If the question doesnt come up in your initial externship interview, its probably safe to assume the judge doesnt have a strong policy one way or the other, but its worth asking about if this is a judge youd really like to clerk for (as a full law clerk). Even if you extern for a judge who wont hire externs as clerks, all is not lost. Assuming you do a good job and the judge likes you, theres a high likelihood theyll put in a good word for you with their judge friends, drastically improving your chances of securing a full clerkship when the time comes. How You Can Get a Judicial Externship Each school is different, but to apply for a judicial externship, youll typical ly have to submit a resume, titelseite letter, and writing sample. Some judges might also require references, so its worth getting to know your professors early on (office hours are a great way to build these relationships). Ask around and youll find out the details. Be sure to check with students who previously worked with the judges youre considering. Most are nice, but some judges are notoriously hard to work for, and perhaps are best avoided Existing Options The range of judicial externship options will depend on whats close to your school, or where you can live (for the summer). The possibilities are vast Most state courts, federal courts, specialized local courts, trial courts, and appellate courts have options. Chose one that suits your career plans, and a judicial externship can set you on the way to legal career success

ASME Student Members Complete WISE Policy Summer Internships in Washington, D.C.

ASME Student Members Complete WISE Policy Summer Internships in Washington, D.C. ASME Student Members Complete WISE Policy Summer Internships in Washington, D.C. ASME Student Members Complete WISE Policy Summer Internships in Washington, D.C.Aug. 19, 2016 (Left to right) ASME WISE intern Brenna Doherty, ASME Government Relations Manager Melissa Carl, and WISE intern Emily Sheffield pose in front of the Capitol Building on the final day of this summers internship program. ASME student members Brenna Doherty and Emily Sheffield recently served as ASMEs 2016 Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) interns. Ranked in the past as one of the best internships in the U.S. by the Princeton Review, WISE offered a unique opportunity to third- and fourth-year engineering students to spend the summer of 2016 in Washington, D.C., learning about the interaction of technology and public policy.Doherty and Sheffield were among 12 interns from seven engineering professional societi es who served in this years summer internship program, which took place from June 6 to Aug. 5. Selected from a nationwide competition, Doherty, Sheffield and the other interns spent nine weeks learning how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues and how engineers can contribute to legislative and regulatory public policy decisions. At the end of the nine weeks, the interns produced a public policy paper on a topic of interest to them and ASME, and then presented their findings on Capitol Hill. Brenna DohertyBrenna Dohertys policy topic was related to planetary defense, specifically focusing on tracking, deflecting, and destroying near earth objects (NEOs). To mitigate NEOs, she recommended increasing space-based tracking capabilities testing kinetic impactor technology analyzing nuclear device technology increasing interagency roles and developing an emergency manual. She attends the University of Wyoming where she majors in mechanical engi neering and minors in computer science. After graduating in December of 2017, Doherty plans to work in the aerospace and defense industry.Emily Sheffield served as the joint ASME/Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office WISE intern. Sheffields research paper dealt with how to improve the publics perception of manufacturing. Her specific focus was on K-12 aged students and how they should be more greatly encouraged to pursue career and technical education (CTE). Her papers recommendations included that the National Academy of Engineering produce a report reviewing the present scope and impact of K-12 manufacturing-related education efforts and its effects on the manufacturing prestige and workforce skills gap. Sheffield is currently a student at Harding University where she studies both mechanical engineering and pre-law. After graduating in 2018, Sheffield plans to attend law school to study intellectual property law. Emily Sheffield To review Dohertys and She ffields policy papers, please visit www.wise-intern.org/journal/2016/WISE2016.html. For additional information about the WISE program, please visit www.wise-intern.org or the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering web page on ASME.org, or contact Melissa Carl, manager, Government Relations, at carlmasme.org. Melissa Carl, Government Relations

Tattoo vs. Career

Tattoo vs. CareerTattoo vs. CareerIn fact, ttowierungs, piercings and other body modifications are growing trend among the young population. In the USA, around 40% of people between 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo. There are different opinions on it. Some people say it is an art and the way of self expression. On the other hand, some think it is self harming, and begging for attention. How can tattoos and other body modifications affect your career?People with body modifications dont have to worry about the others. It is their preference and there is nothing wrong with it. They are used to be judged and most of the time they dont give a damn about it. In ideal world, they would not be judged at all. Unfortunately we dont live in the ideal world.Some of the companies have no problem with tattoos and piercings and some do. It is actually their right to either accept it or not, as long as it doesnt have anything to do with discrimination on the grund of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Basically, if the modification is part of a religious belief or homeland culture, company can not discriminate you anyhow. Company has the right not to hire you, if the tattoos are unacceptable for the job.In some fields tattoos are not problem at all. For example actors, models, musicians, artists, truckers and many others have made the tattoos cool. It is just your responsibility not getting the tattoo on your face, if you want to become a banker.The Harris poll found out, that about 30% of tattooed people feel sexier, 16% regret the choice and 9% feel uncomfortable at work because of it.Tattoo removal is significantly more expensive than tattoo by itself. For 35 inches tattoo removal you will pay around $250. It will disappear after 10 to 15 sessions. The most removed tattoos are from visible body parts such as arms, face and neck.The lesson from this article is Dont get a tattoo on a visible places, until you want to have a serious job, some companies may have a nti tattoo policies. If you are about to get a tattoo, think about it, so you dont regret anything. And please, dont get one in Las Vegas in the middle of a wild party, you will regret it almost for sure.source Moster.comDo you like this story? Share it with your friends.Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

Things You Wont Like About 6- and Things You Will

Things You Wont Like About 6- and Things You Will 6 - - the Conspiracy If you take a look at each of ansicht ingredients, you will observe that every one among these are needed for success. Basically, synergy usually means the capability to tie in all the ingredients listed above. Our objective is to arm Americans with the ideal emergency food supply for extended term storage. There are a number of ways to obtain new details. Lots of us are time poor, which means that we dont manage our usage of time to receive the best outcomes. Take it one day at a moment, and stick to these ideas to manage yourself in the practice. The War Against 6 - That distribution of outcomes that comprises the sum of all potential combinations, is referred to as a binomial distribution. Last, advertising in print distributions mean youre really work with a person when buying your advertisement space instead of depending on an on-line calculation to choose wherever your promotions should live. 1 imp ortant aspect to bear in mind is theres a dilution of all species present and must be considered. Compute the initial four terms of every one of the next. 6 - - the Conspiracy Lets return to the survey respondents for a minute. Ideally, you should start the process from the minute you make the choice to move upon the nation. In order to work, gruppes want to share a frequent goal that all members of the team agree on and must realize. Basically, you wont have an extremely effective team. If youve already set up an automated bill setup, be sure to discontinue that. The hardest part is finding out which car insurance provider gives you the absolute most value for your hard-earned money whilst providing the trustworthy coverage you need as a driver. You will not ever learn whether youre saving money on your vehicle insurance plan if you dont compare it with other big insurance businesses. If youre on the lookout for tactics to enhance your organizations reputation for service, I would love to supply you with some proven customer service guidelines whom I have found particularly beneficial. For the point of this report, the author will utilize Goal. In this instance the goal has to be reassessed. A standard goal may be something as straightforward as a firms mission and vision statement. A lot of these goals were being carried on in the subsequent calendar year, some people carrying forward all their goals. Being in precisely the saatkorn book is simply not good enough. Money Money is a typical reason for not pursuing your objective. Divorce can bring each of the situations youve worked so difficult to achieve come crashing down. 6 - the Ultimate Convenience There is, in addition, the component of distractions. Start with searching Facebook Groups to see whether there are any active groups for individuals with your illness. No matter whether you get a common or uncommon chronic illness, you should have the ability to connect with others onli ne. Based on the harshness of your illness, you might shell out a good deal of time managing it. If youre eating poorly and not exercising youre more vulnerable physically and emotionally to the consequences of distress. Keep your focus on the new habit that you want to have or eliminating the awful habit until you do not have to consider it since youre living your new way of life. The very first of the four choices can occur in 2 unique ways. What You Should Do to Find Out About 6 - Before Youre Left Behind Finding a moderate quantity of exercise on a regular basis can do amazing things for your anxiety levels. Keeping your entire body and your health in good shape is critical. No one would like to let their disease define them, but additionally, there are times once we will need to take it simple. Just dont forget to speak to your health care provider prior to making any significant diet or lifestyle changes. The Downside Risk of 6 - Auto insurance companies across the U.S. make claims every day they can help you save money on your automobile insurance premiums. Also, addresses linked with cell phone providers want to get changed also. If youre scared you wont have the ability to survive because of finances, pick up the telephone book and get started calling shelters. When it would be somewhat unfair to say that women get the upper hand regarding surviving divorce because of the many resources and documented pieces of advice they can utilize, this point is undeniably correct. For all communication to work, it has to be two-way in nature. Deficiency of Skill In order to move forwards you might need to pick up skills on the way. While this happens you have to be realistic. Youve got a vision of where you need to go and exactly what you would like to do, but doing it isnt quick. - Options Now you have really defined your goal youre prepared to go. This document was superseded. To have true synergy, everyone should be on precisely the same page. WestlawNexts website comprises a search link on top of each page.

Why You Need to Default to No in Your Recruiting Process

Why You Need to Default to No in Your Recruiting ProcessAvoid false positives by defaulting to no in your recruiting JoeFindsTalentClick To TweetJosh TolanMy name is Josh Tolan and Im the CEO of Spark Hire, the leading video einstellungsgesprching platform used by thousands of organizations around the world.And this is The Recruiting Reel, a video series in which we discuss real recruiting challenges with prominent recruiting experts to provide you with actionable tips you can apply to your own recruiting.Today, I have the pleasure of welcome Joe Burridge to the show. Joe is a Senior Recruiter at the video game company, Electronic Arts, and is quickly ascending in his recruiting career. He has worked as an agency and corporate recruiter and been part of some extremely fast-paced recruiting efforts.Joe has some great insight from his experience on how to make more confident hiring decisions and improve trust with hiring managers by defaulting to no in your recruiting process.Ill let Joe take it from hereJoe Burridge My name is Joe Burridge. Im one of the senior recruiters at Electronic Arts, which is an American video game company with about 13,000 employees across the globe. Today, what I want to talk about is defaulting to No when recruiting. Thats going to be a mindset thats really going to help you when making those tough decisions on candidates.To abflug, Im going to give you some examples from my earlier career when I was definitely defaulting to Yes. When I was working for recruitment agencies, Id often hear the phrase, If in doubt, send them out. What that means is when you have a candidate who youre not quite sure is a fit for the position, theyve got some positives but also have a lot of things that youre not too sure about or negatives, but you know what, send them out because you never know, the might be the one who actually gets the job.Or, an example from working in-house. Perhaps you interview a candidate who looks fantastic on paper and have all the skills and experience they need for the role but in your last interview with them you think theyre not really a cultural fit. But you reisereisepass them on to the next stage of the interview anyway in the hope that they get the job and it all works out okay. In both of those examples, youre defaulting to Yes and you really want to avoid that in recruiting as it can ultimately lead to lowering your talent bar and making bad hires.What you really want is to avoid false positives. What I mean by that is a bad hire and its much better to miss out on a bunch of false negatives, as in to miss out on a whole bunch of good people for the role. The reason for that is, sure, youve missed out on some exceptional people but if you have a good candidate process anyway, hopefully, youll be able to reach back out to them. But, is the devastating effect of making a bad hire is they could be toxic for the culture, they could do a really poor job and increase time and cost, and lowering quality , and worse case scenario they ruin your company.Theres a whole bunch of positives to defaulting to No that may not sound like the most positive things. First of all, it will help you become a better recruiter. If youre constantly thinking that there will be someone out there saying no to this candidate no to either moving them forward in the process or to the hiring decision, it makes you build a better argument for them. Youve also got to be thinking, Okay, Ive got to justify my reason for saying Yes to this candidate.Secondly, going back to that idea of time, cost, and quality. If youre assessing candidates better, youre going to save time. As in, youre going to pass through candidates to the next stage of the interview that should be better meaning less time spent on interviews for the rest of the interviewers in the process. Because of that, youre going to reduce costs because those other interviewers can be spending their paid time in a much better way, and much more effective ly. Ultimately, this will improve quality. It will improve the quality of the candidates youre sending through, which should mean, in an ideal scenario, that the hiring manager has a whole bunch of highly qualified and fantastic people to choose from to make that hiring decision.And last, youre going to improve that trust with your hiring managers. Its always better to send through a really small group of candidates but making sure that every single one is perfect for the position. Rather than sending through a lot of candidates who sort of hit near the mark. It is really easy to do that, especially when youve got a position that is hard to fill and the hiring managers are just asking for candidates. Its really easy to just send some candidates through just to keep them happy. But its always better to just wait and stick to your Nos and make sure you put through high-quality candidates.I want to end on three easy steps you can implement to make sure that you can actually start pract icing this and improve your recruiting. First of all, and its a really obvious one, but make sure you know the role. This is the best way to avoid defaulting to Yes. If you truly know the role, youve spent the time at the beginning of the hiring process learning the position, getting to know the team, working well with the hiring manager and know what the position is, then youre less likely to come across a time where youre not too sure whether to pass the candidate through or not.Secondly, making sure that you understand who the others are in the interviewing process and making sure they are fully prepared and equipped to do a true assessment of your candidates. So, do they understand what the role is, do they understand their purpose in the interview process, as in, is there a particular part of the goal that theyre assessing, and why are they a part of the interview process in the first place. And lastly, are they actually set up to assess the candidates. Have they been through i nterview training and have they interviewed candidates before?Last, encourage transparency and feedback. You make work in a company that discourages interviewers from sharing that feedback to avoid bias, which is fine, but make sure that you encourage that they are really analytical with that feedback and provide that to you and the hiring manager. Its a great opportunity to learn from the candidates coming through the process to constantly iterate and improve every time.So, thats it from me. I hope youve enjoyed it and best of luck with your recruitingJosh TolanNow that is experience folks. You just heard some real-world advice from someone who is living and breathing recruiting every single day.This is a tough thing for a lot of recruiters to overcome especially if one of your key performance indicators is the number of interviews that youre booking.Dont get it twisted though. Joe isnt telling you to be so strict that you eliminate good candidates. Hes saying that you need to be b etter at identifying who is a good candidate and be confident in your assessment. And this takes work. A lot of work.You need to get with the hiring manager and even meet with people who are already doing the role if it already exists in your organization. Find out what success looks like and then youll be able to look for this in your anfangsbuchstabe screenings.When you have a crystal clear picture of what youre looking for, you should be able to build a solid case for why youre moving forward with a candidate. If you cant, well, that tells you all you need to know.You should document the reasons why youre moving forward with someone, not just why you reject them. This will allow you to review these notes with a hiring manager so they can give you feedback which will help you improve going forward.I want to thank Joe Burridge for coming on the show today. Go hereto learn more about career opportunities at Joes current company. Connect with Joe on LinkedIn here. Also, follow him on Twitter JoeFindsTalent.Thanks so much for watching The Recruiting Reel and stay tuned for more episodes. For additional HR and recruiting content, head over to hr.sparkhire.com and subscribe. Also, follow us on Twitter. And subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to know about the newest episodes of The Recruiting Reel.Thanks again for watching and happy recruiting

3 lessons learned at the United State of Women Summit

3 lessons learned at the United State of Women Summit3 lessons learned at the United State of Women SummitI just wrapped up an incredible weekend in Los Angeles at the second United State of Women Summit, a gathering of over 5,000 women from across the country who are standing up to make their voices heard and take action in their communities.On Day 2, Bossed Up joined She Should Run and Platform Women to provide a day-long training on how to clarify and communicate yur vision like a boss. Our practical, tactical training came on the heels of a day full of inspiring speakers and rallying calls to action.Here are some of my favorite moments and key lessons I took away from Day One1. Check yourselfStanding arm-in-arm with Patrisse Cullors-Brignac (the co-founder of Black Lives Matter), actress and activist Jane Fonda took the mic and was the first to admit that her understanding of race and intersectionality had been lacking, so Im studying, she said, to a round of deafening applause.I t was wonderfully refreshing to hear this kind of admission from a white woman with so much power to lend to the feminist cause. She demonstrated that no one expects perfection from our leaders, and in fact, admitting to a shortcoming was a vulnerable, authentic, and humanizing moment. By telling us what she was doing to improve herself, she set a model for anyone who feels like they dont have a good practice of intersectionality in their feminist arsenal.Watch her impressive speech in full here2. Your existence can be you resistanceTarana Burke, the creator of the MeToo Movement, gave a stirring call to action centered on self-care for all the activists, organizers, and leaders in the crowd. Putting away her prepared remarks, Burke went off-script and got real about the need for sustainability in the movement.Theres a lot of work that we have to do, she said, Theres always going to be a lot of work for us to do. But you have to take care of yourself. And so I dienstgrad you to not let your life be consumed by the work, cause taking care of yourself is part of the work.She challenged the crowd to find joy on the long road to justice and pointed out that simply living our lives can sometimes be rebellion enough. Let your existence be your resistance, she said.Listen to her remarks here(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)0 if (d.getElementById(id)) return js = d.createElement(s) js.id = id js.src = https//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.jsxfbml=1version=v3.1 fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs)(document, script, facebook-jssdk))Let Your Existence Be Resistance Tarana BurkeWhat every woman needs to hear NOW Thank you for speaking truth to power, Tarana Burke. ??USOW2018 StateOfWomenPosted by The United State of Women on Saturday, May 5, 20183. Youve got to walk the walkIn a wonderful dialogue with Tracee Ellis Ross, Former First Lady Michelle Obama stirred up the crowd in talking about the dichotomy too many leaders men leaders, in p articular live with. On the one hand, they whisper into their daughters ears that you can be anything you set your mind to, and then on the other, they walk into the office not realizing that the status quo perpetuates a very different reality.If we want our daughters to be able to achieve their full potential, we need to examine our own practices at work and our societys continued, underlying discomfort with women wielding power.Otherwise, she said, Weve sold them a bill of goodsAnd its not just on the shoulders of men to examine this hypocrisy, Obama contended, its on us as women, too. If we as women are still suspicious of one another, she said, if we still have this crazy high bar for one another than we have for men we have to have that conversation with ourselves as women.Watch the full conversation hereThis article first appeared on Bossed Up.

Why healthy competition among employees works

Why healthy competition among employees worksWhy healthy competition among employees worksOne of my favorite childhood memories is the centuries-old national tradition ofcolor warat camp.I loved the intensity of this week of games, contests and events, as well as the life lessons it imparted. We celebrated when we won and cried when we lost, but we learned to compete and respect each other simultaneously.We are now just emerging from a generation of parenting that gave competition a bad rap and ignored the psychological benefits that can be gained from learning how to win and lose. And thats not just my own experience - its been saidthat competition effectively brings out peoples creativity, innovation and camaraderie.Building a killer instinct among friendsAt my company, we strive to infuse color war-style competition in the workplace and have found that not only does it improve our culture, but it also raises our performance as a team. From brain teaser scavenger hunts to Amazing R ace-style challenges, our focus on healthy competition has paid off Acceleration Partners wasranked No. 4on Fortunes 2016 list of the top 10 places to work within our industry.To promote collaborative innovation and trust among teams, you need to appreciate the competitive process more than the end result. Competition exists in life and business you cant ignore it. Someone out there wants your employees, your clients, your marketing mindshare and more. If youre content with being in second or third place, thats where youll end up.If you want to be a market leader, you have to understand these three truths about fostering competitionCompetition can be a good thing.When team members work together towards a shared goal, they push one another to be more creative, productive and motivated. Even when a team loses, its members maintain that feeling of goodwill.At our annual meeting in Boston last year, we held a Great Race competition based on Boston-specific clues. One team had the odds s tacked against it Not a single partie on the team was from (or familiar with) the city. It was no surprise that the team finished last, but that didnt discourage its members They didnt get angry or let their loss sour the experience. Instead, they worked together and learned what they could have done to overcome their disadvantage, buildingresilience and determination, and some new friendships. In the end, we all agreed that this team had more fun than any otherHow you compete matters.When competition is tight,researchshows that those who compete out of fear of losing often turn negative. Rather than learn from the experience, some companies might demonstrate this by acting like sore losers when theyve lost a bid, badmouthing competitors or making excuses for why they didnt get the work. Dont be that company Failures, after all, can be valuable learning opportunities. And the more you learn, the better you become. Performance marketing is a very competitive industry. We dont win eve ry client opportunity that wed like to, but we compete respectfully, and its paid us back in spades. Many times, clients who initially passed on us have reached out down the road to work with us. Because we display no hard feelings when we arent initially selected, we keep the door open for a future relationship. How do we manage to maintain this mindset? Our version of color war has helped us embrace and appreciate healthy competition. By creating random teams that compete for a small period of time and then returning to our normal groups, we ensure that everyone understands that how you treat people during the contest matters. Just because someone is on another team one day doesnt mean he cant be on yours the next.Internal - and external - collaboration is essential.Collaboration and competition are not mutually exclusive. To effectively compete, you must collaborate. Many highly-talented individuals within our company wouldnt be nearly as effective if they didnt work together a s a team. Its all about leveraging each persons skills and capabilities, and not expecting one person to carry the entire load or have all the answers.This idea also applies externally The most successful companies are those that expand andstrengthen partnerships, resulting in nimble innovation and strategic problem-solving. Weve seen this concept at work at my company. Although some companies in our industry might view us as competitors, we know that when we collaborate and share our expertise as partners, we can help each other solve some of the industrys biggest challenges.Finish strong - no matter the resultsEven if you know youre not going to win, theres real value in seeing the competition through and displaying resilience. For example, in a brain teaser competition held at our annual meeting, only one team could win. Even after roger spread that we already had a winner, the remaining teams continued to work together to complete the activity.They didnt quit just because they knew they wouldnt win they all wanted to see it through and solve the problem themselves. When teams are released from the pressure of winning or losing, they start to feel free to reach for (and focus on) personal performance heights. All startups could use a little more of that initiative within their teams.Entrepreneurs need to remind their employees how enjoyable the challenges of healthy competition are, and teach them to embrace the opportunities it affords them to reach their full potential. Pretending there arent winners and losers doesnt help anyone in fact, it often sets up a situation for disappointment. Its time to return to embracing competition because, whether were winning or losing, were always learning.Robert Glazer is the founder and managing director ofAcceleration Partners.This column first appeared at Business Collective.

How to Ask a Stranger for Help - The Muse

How to Ask a Stranger for Help - The MuseHow to Ask a Stranger for HelpLast week, I got two emails. On the surface, they were very similar- both messages were from aspiring writers I didnt know, both were polite and professional, and both were requesting advice and potentially an introduction to my editor.However, my reaction to the two messages was very different. I was eager to help the first person and annoyed at the thought of assisting the second.I couldnt figure out why, until I went back and reread the messages.The only distinction? The first person explained why she was asking me specifically for help- and I was flattered as a result. Meanwhile, the other person made his request with no explanation.So, what can you learn from this to make sure youre in the first camp? Identify the Reasonfruchtwein of us request favors from strangers at some point (if not often) during our professional careers. And we never pick the recipients of our asks randomly. Theres always a concrete rea son weve chosen someone, whether its because he or she has the right expertise, works at the right place, or knows the right people.But our mistake is assuming that our why is implied. However, this why is actually really important, as it gives you a chance to compliment the recipient while providing some context.Include the ReasonNext time youre asking someone for help (whether he or she is a stranger or not), make sure you provide an honest yet gratifying explanation of why youre reaching out.Lets break down the two most common reasons.Youd Like the parties AdviceFlattering explanations Im looking for insight into topic, and since youve got such a strong background into field, I thought youd be the best person to ask.Your impressive LinkedIn profile makes me believe youd give great feedback on topic.Ive been stumped by problem for a while I figured that since youre an expert in subject, you might be able to offer some help.Youd Like to Know More About a CompanyFlattering explanati onsBecause youve been with employer for length of time, Im confident youd be able to give me a really thoughtful, accurate representation of what its like to work there.I know you only joined employer length of time, but since youre working in the department Im interested in, in a position similar to the one Im applying to, with people Ill be working with, your description of how its been so far would be incredibly helpful and relevant.As a job title for employer, you clearly have a lot of influence, and Id absolutely love to get your thoughts on the culture, values, and work style.Put it TogetherSo, after youve clarified why youre emailing that person specifically and found the right way to phrase it, its time to weave your explanation into your request. Your best bet is using this templateIntroduce yourself + make your request + provide your reasonHeres what it looks like in action Dear Ben,Im a freelance web designer whos looking to transition to a full-time role. Since youve got a fantastic reputation in the design community and have worked with many of the agencies Im interested in, I was wondering if I could get some advice about making the switch. Would you be available for a quick phone call or answering a few questions over email?If youve got too much on your plate, I completely understand.Thanks so much,AjaNow that youve got this trick up your sleeve, your requests for help should definitely be mora successful.Photo of woman on computer courtesy of Shutterstock.