5 Strategies That Will Help You Build Strong Workplace Skills

5 Strategies That Will Help You Build Strong Workplace SkillsAs we look at a brand new year, you might have the classic resolutions lined up eat better, sleep better, be better. If your revamped goals also include being better at your job (or stepping up your game so you can nab a new job), theres a great way to make progress without changing everything at once build your workplace skills. This can mean bolstering skills you already have, or seeking out new ones. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Saying go forth and build skills is one thing, but how to actually do that? Lets look at some strategies for how to start your growth process.1. Be realistic.If you decide you want to brush up your Spanish language skills, dont expect to be fluent in six months time (no matter what that app tells you). Make sure youre setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound). Make sure your skill-building goals have concrete steps that can be achieved in the time and brainspace you have available.For example, if youve been saying youll take that management seminar when you have a magical period of free time that never materializes, chances are youre bedrngnis going to do it this time around, either. Make sure you have the time and space in your life to work on these skills before you dive in.2. Focus on quality over quantity.Making a little progress on 10 skills is nice, but wouldnt you rather make tons of progress on 2 skills? spielblttchen a few areas where you can really dig in and put in the work, with the time you have available.3. Focus on process over end result.Lets say your current plan (realistically) looks like this1. Improve communication skills.2. Yada yada yada.3. vorrckenThats a system that isnt going to work. Its great to envision where you want to end up (thats a key part of any goal setting exercise), but you cant let the details in the middle get muddled while you focus on the end. M ake sure you know exactly how youre going to get to that endpoint by creating specific steps and touchpoints along the way. Where do you want to be in two months with this? Six months? A year?4. Pick skills that will be useful.Dont learn Swahili because hey, why not learn Swahili? Learn Swahili because your company just opened an office in Tanzania, or because your bosss boss is fluent, and youd love to drop some key phrases at next years office holiday party. Focus on skills that will be useful to you in the short term, and that are specific to your career path. For example, if the next level at your job involves presentations, work on your public speaking skills. If data analysis is an emerging trend in your field, seek out online lessons for some ninja tricks to improve your Excel game.5. Know your existing strengths.Yes, the whole point of this exercise is to learn new things. But it will be very difficult to learn these new things if youre going too far outside your comfort zon e, and want to give up because your new skill is hard. It could very well be that youre just not learning the skill in a way that makes sense to you. Make sure that you understand how you learn best. If its by watching other people do things, take online tutorials. If you process information by hearing it, seek out lectures. If you would rather read about it, head to the library. If you try to align your skill-building with your best learning style, you increase your chances of success.So what skills will you be building in the new year? Wed love to hear about your progress

Average Cost of Daycare 7 Ways to Get More Value From It

Average Cost of Daycare 7 Ways to Get More Value From It How would you feel if the price of daycare dropped giving you an extra $250 per month? Wed all be having an emoji working mom party. A 2016 Care.com member date report showed the average cost for center-based infant care is around $10,468 per year, and for toddlers, its $9,733. Given the financial cost of daycare, theres no wonder that 85 percent of working parents would love it if their employers offered childcare benefits.The Economic Policy Institute has a comprehensive chart on the cost of childcare in each state. If you live in New York, then your annual daycare cost is an average of $14,444. That represents 21.2 percent of the zentralwert family income in the state of New York. Infant daycare costs in New York represent a 205.2 percent share of public college tuition (college tuition$6,892) and a 94.1 percent share of the annual rent findings of $15,030. Those are some hefty percentages cited by The Economic Policy Instit ute, and they arent that pretty throughout the rest of the U.S either.These are the infant day-care costs in 10 other States according to the Economic Policy InstituteNew Jersey $11,534,Washington $12,733DC $22,631California $11,817Texas $8,759Massachusetts $17,062Florida $8,694Rhode Island $12,867Georgia $7,644Pennsylvania $10,640While we dont have total control over the average cost of daycare, after-school programs, or a nanny, we can control the derived value.1. Get involved in the future of daycare.One of the best ways to add value to a service is to help improve it in the short and long term. Holly Flanders, a childcare consultant from Choice Parenting, says, Offering parents night/weekend family events during non-work hours can be an amazing way for centers to offer their staff mora hourly compensation and a type of wellness that is healthy for family, staff and community bonding. Ask your daycare dienst what their center plans are and offer to help in simple ways.2 . Work a job you love.Working gives us a sense of purpose. If youre happy at work, then youre likely to see more value in the cost of daycare. In over seven years of experience as a Career Coach, Ive found that individuals often dislike their jobs because it doesnt utilize their strongest and desired skills, abilities or values. Or they dont get on well with a boss or co-worker. Being underpaid is also a frequent reason individuals dislike their job. Perhaps, you dont like your job for a combination of those reasons. If youre feeling overwhelmed with the task of finding a better employment, get support and start with small, impactful steps.3. Do your part to decrease what experts say is key.Marcy Whitebook, the director of Berkeleys Center for the Study of Early Child Care Employment, elended that turnover in early education centers is often about 20 to 30 percent. The stability of staff is one aspect that experts recommend parents consider when choosing a daycare provider. Turnover sometimes occurs when low wages dont compensate for the demands of the role. Express gratitude to your little ones teacher in their preferred way. A smile and a positive attitude go a long way youll also want to do all you can to make aya your child regularly sleeps well. Poor sleep can increase the chances of children being irritable and hyper aka more hard work.4. Form comprehensive questions based on your values.What are five things you value about sending your infant or toddler to daycare? When your monthly daycare bill goes out instead of seeing it as a daycare expense see it as a price youre paying for your five values. Jot down your number one value and make a note to talk about it at your next parent meeting. Thinking of questions ahead of time can help you have a more comprehensive discussion especially if you frame your questions using the five Ws (who, what, where, when, why), and how.5. Capture the memories.Dr. Sally Goldberg, a professor of education and parenting book author, believes A parent wanting to provide age-appropriate activities is better off turning to a preschool staff than relying on a nanny. Children get up to a lot of stuff in daycare. Make sure you capture all the memories. It can be helpful to schedule time on your calendar to save pictures and videos on a hard drive or electronic device. That way youre frequently creating storage space before you need it.6. De-stress, energize and problem solve.A daycare is a great place to make friends with new moms. Chances are you have similar values to other parents, live in nearby errors, and share similar experiences given that your kids are close in age. Being part of a community of like-minded moms can give you the energy you need to be an even better parent. A motherhood community can also provide a place to vent, problem solve and reduce stress. If there isnt already a Facebook group or a group on a similar platform with the moms in your kids class, then why not start one?7. Use what youre paying for and...Dont forget to ask for recommendations, too. Daycares are often perfect places to find recommendations for child-related services or products. Doing so is a great way to save time and money. Balancing work, children, and self-care isnt easy, and it definitely keeps us busy, getting quality and quantity sleep has a domino effect on our career, parenting, and our health. Pull out the welcome paperwork, visit your parent portal and make sure youre fully aware of all the bells and whistles offered by your daycare provider.The cost of child care can be hefty foreven atwo-parent family with a high household income, and especially for single-parent families or low-income families. But you can make the most of daycare centers. As always, Im rooting for you and of course hoping the average cost of daycare drops. But in the meantime, Im sure youve found a solution or two or feel more inspired.--Rachel Montanez is a career coach and career development speaker. Check out her website here.