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What's Your Choice

Written by Dr. Dorothy Martin-Neville

Thanksgiving has passed, the safety of travel is being questioned by most, and a new Covid variant has arrived.  Just another day in the neighborhood...

The real big question that I see hovering above all of this, however, is who do you want to be for the rest of this year? How do you want to live your life? A whole other level of questioning. 

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How to Cultivate Neurodiversity on Workplace Teams

Written by Susan Fitzell

Diversity of thought may be silently lurking – Give it a voice

A common excuse I hear against creating a more diverse workplace is that it is simply more work. However, this is true whether we are talking about culture and gender diversity or neurodiversity in the workplace. When we have different individuals working together, new challenges arise. 

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Five Strategies for Dealing with Change at Work

Written by Machen MacDonald

The world of work is changing at an extraordinary pace. The old rules no longer apply, and new rules are being written and rewritten all the time. Dealing with change can be unsettling, whether they’re potential or actual, positive or negative. You may be gearing up for a promotion, staring at a wide-open field of new prospective clients, or launching new products and services. Or you may be hunkering down in the face of outsourcing, downsizing, mergers, takeovers, and local and global competition.

How We Respond to Change

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What We Bring to the Table

Written by Dr. Dorothy Martin-Neville

In speaking with an associate today we were discussing a common problem for many entrepreneurs, seasoned or neophyte; you know you have an amazing program, product, etc. and yet no matter how many times you offer it, no matter how you say it, there is little to no response.

It can leave you discouraged or even defeated and looking for a full-time position after a certain number of failed attempts. It can convince you that you don’t know anything. It can also cause you to reevaluate, how did the market change? Has your language not kept up with life’s changes? Is everyone else out there truly more competent than you?

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How to Finish a Task

Written by Juli Shulem

Are you someone who starts a whole bunch of projects and tasks yet rarely finishes any of them? You are in excellent company! A huge percentage (89% according to a study shared in the Huffington Post) of business people don’t finish their task list.  Starting things and not getting back to them often is a result of procrastination, excessive distractions, poor planning, or simply a lack of desire. Maybe the task lost its allure along the way and you just don’t care about it anymore. That could be a problem – or maybe a sign that perhaps it didn’t need to get started in the first place. Whatever the actual reason for not finishing what you started, it can leave you feeling frustrated, overwhelmed (particularly if you have several things left undone), and even a bit like a failure. If you don’t finish tasks at work repeatedly, it could even cost you your job. 

Finishing what we start is necessary for most things in our adult lives: We might be paid only after a job is complete; filing taxes (I know – daunting!)…you get the picture. Less important tasks may not have much value in their completion, so that may have less impact on your life. If, however, you are unable to get yourself to complete the important tasks, then this will require some effort to overcome. Exercising that ‘mindset muscle’ of pushing past the resistance can take some concerted effort – but I have some ideas that should help. 

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Six Steps to Make Your Team More Innovative with Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Written by Susan Fitzell

In the modern workplace, where team-based and project-based work are more popular than ever, companies must find ways to retain their employees. Losing employees is expensive and retention of talent allows companies to better compete against others who may be trying to poach them.

According to the SHRM Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement report, 77% of employees reported that relationships with co-workers impacted their work engagement. 74% reported that relationships with their immediate supervisor impacted their engagement and job satisfaction. (Employee Job Satisfaction, 2016) One way to do this is by making teams as inclusive as possible and creating an environment where everyone can feel like they belong. 

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Is Your Business Ready for a Virtual Assistant?

Written by Jeff Sullivan

How to Know and How to Do It Right

If you do an internet search on “How to choose a virtual assistant” you will find a wealth of good articles and advice about:

  • why you should consider a virtual assistant (VA).
  • what you should look for in a VA.
  • how to utilize the talents of a VA productively for you.

At some point, every small business owner, entrepreneur, and sole proprietor (including me) finds themselves looking at a task and thinking, “I wish there were someone else who could do this so that I can focus on more important things.” It’s a perfectly logical byproduct of successful business growth.

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D.R.A.F.T. to Get Better Organized

Written by Machen MacDonald

Raise your hand if you have piles of files, a full voicemail box, a cluttered email inbox, or an overflowing to-do list.

For most entrepreneurs and small business owners, this is a reoccurring dilemma. Since business moves at the speed of thought, it happens. However, you can do something about it by managing yourself more effectively in relation to those items coming into your existence. 

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Managing Neurodivergent Employees

Written by Susan Fitzell

How to Navigate the Unique Challenges and Maximize the Talents of Your Neurodiverse Workforce

‘Management’ is an active and ongoing process with the goal of creating an environment where all employees flourish and unwrap their potential. When workers are empowered to use their entire spectrum of gifts, they are in better stead to advance company objectives, while simultaneously achieving their personal goals as well. 

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One of Those Days

Written by Dr. Dorothy Martin-Neville

Have you had one of those days where you know you are going into a spiral of anger, revenge, and righteousness and know it, yet – in that moment don’t know if you want to leave the fall just ‘cause???? Your three-year-old is out and having a field day…

I had one of those days this week and could feel myself getting caught up in “They need to learn a lesson. They are unprofessional, inept, and totally disrespectful, entitled idiots.” Because I was using big words “knew” it was my mature adult speaking and dealing with the incompetents of the world. Thankfully I was smart enough to nonetheless get up and go about another task, any task, to get some distance.

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Aristotle in the Boardroom

Written by Joe Curcillo

As the sales team takes their seats in the boardroom, CEO, A.C. Tosser, rises from his seat and begins to address the staff.

Tosser begins by explaining how the next level of sales will positively affect the commissions and bonuses for the people in the room. He chides Mary, “You could finally get that new pool you have talked about,” and, “Fred, you will finally be able to start saving for Little Fred’s college tuition.” He continues, “If sales continue to rise, we will be implementing a program to support the local dog rescue. Ed and Anna, will I be able to get your help on that?” “Oh, and, by the way,” he adds, “we are confidentially trying to arrange to hold this year’s Holiday Party in Las Vegas. It will depend on our mid-year totals, but I just thought you’d like to know.” As he continues, the tone is not only a discussion, but the staff begins to become excited and the room fills with energy!

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Sleep and Productivity

Written by Juli Shulem

Sleep is one of the key factors for our cognitive functioning to, well…function. You can probably recall a time when you didn’t get enough sleep and you were not as effective as you could have been: You forgot important information, your memory was foggy, and maybe you weren’t as speedy or focused as you normally are. There is a reason why there are so many sleep aids available – because it is simply too important NOT to have a good night’s sleep. For years I have been sharing sleep information with my clients who either don’t value having a regular sleep schedule or can’t seem to make one happen consistently. It’s worse when you are actually in bed trying to fall asleep and then can’t sleep because you are so worried about NOT falling asleep. There is a name for that: Sleep Onset Insomnia (SOI) and a neuroscientist at Washington University in St. Louis shared that the pre-sleep stage (when your lights are off and your eyes are closed and you are starting to ‘let go’ of your day) is necessary. If you can’t fall asleep because you have too much on your mind – think of something else – like name cities that start with the alphabet in order…anything to help your mind let go. 

Sometimes we have so much on our minds that we need to be able to give our brains a rest – literally! I recommend a bedtime ritual where you spend a good 45-60 minutes ‘getting ready’ for bed and sleep. When we were babies, our parents had us on a schedule and we got accustomed to it. As we got older and went to school, we may have skipped a few steps. As adults, we may do nothing beyond a few minutes to brush our teeth and change our clothes before falling into bed. For some they sleep – for most they toss and turn. If you take time to let your body ‘wind down’ and you adhere to some consistent rituals every night, that will signal to your brain (and most of your thoughts) to slow down and get ready to sleep. It works.

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READ to Succeed

Written by Machen MacDonald

Readers are leaders. In addition to reading, leaders READ to succeed.

It is said that knowledge is power. The acquisition of knowledge can come from books, videos, courses, and the like. However, there are plenty of knowledgeable, informed, and smart people that can’t get out of their own way and stay stuck in mediocrity. Real power is putting knowledge into action and getting traction toward your goals and objectives.

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Five Tips for Embracing Neurodiversity in Your Company

Written by Susan Fitzell

Corporate conversations about diversity in the workplace often spotlight gender and race. The variations in thought processes that define neurodivergent people are left behind in the shadows. Now that progress has been made in the mainstreamed areas of inclusivity; it is time to prioritize the less-discussed facets of humanity, like neurodiversity.

Neurodiversity is a term that is related to all of human existence. It refers to the diversity of the human mind and its endless variations in brain functioning. Unlike a social identity, neurodiversity is a biological fact that describes the different processes through which we receive, understand, and relay information. In short, it directly refers to the incredible diversity that exists in the spectrum of neurocognitive functioning.

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EXPERTISE, VALUES, AND OUTRAGEOUSNESS

Written by Dr. Dorothy Martin-Neville

The Impact of Values

Our values permeate everything we do, and everything we are. No matter what we do in life, there is always someone who will know more or will know different aspects of what we do. What makes us special, and/or makes people want to work with us, is who we are and what values we emanate from every pore of our being.

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Progress on Planning Your Success

Written by Machen MacDonald

The old adage - plan your work and work your plan is a cornerstone to the foundation of success. It has never been more true than right now. The challenge for most small business owners and entrepreneurs is they don’t know how to effectively plan for growing their business. If they do plan, they typically struggle with implementing the plan.

The one thing we can plan on is the plan not going according to plan. To that point, it’s important to have a process to anticipate and adapt to the ongoing calibration of the plan so that in the end, the intended objectives are achieved and there is cause for celebration.

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THE BOSTON MARATHON AND OTHER TRAUMAS

Written by Dr. Dorothy Martin Neville

In reading a powerful book, Shattered: The Boston Marathon I Never Wanted to Run, Jennifer Kauffman speaks of the many traumas in her life, including being 15 feet away from where the first bomb went off at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

As my friendship with Jennifer develops, I witness her work supporting others who suffer from a wide variety of traumas and PTSD. I can’t help but see as well how many others of us hold onto traumas and suffer PTSD in silence, perhaps not even recognizing it, even though it impacts our every thought, our every decision, and our sense of self. Yes, she works with Vets returning from war, rape or incest survivors, refugees, mass shooting survivors, and so many others, but what other traumas exist for each of us? 

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How Successful Entrepreneurs Act with Less Fear and Hesitation

Written by Joe Curcillo

(And, how to do it)

Millions of people have made the decision to be entrepreneurs, and millions more will follow. One thing that many of them have in common is preparing for the unknown. What nobody tells those who decide to become self-employed is that there are numerous things that will get in the way of your plan and that there will be some people who second-guess what they are doing or simply walk away. The good news is that the fear of the unknown doesn’t have to rule. There are proven ways to become a successful entrepreneur. 

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Keeping PACE with Your Dreams

Written By Machen MacDonald 

When it comes to creating the life you love and the vocation of your desires, it takes careful and mindful planning. This can be done at any stage you may find yourself. Once you design a plan you have to execute your plan, but the very thing you are looking to create or improve somehow becomes the obstacle to it. Therefore, you need to plan and execute as you have never done before.

You have something great within you. You are here to integrate your learnings and experience into greatness and share that greatness with the world. Regardless of your current success, you are absolutely capable of more. The sustaining of the quest need not be exhausting nor daunting. In fact, the bigger and clearer the vision, the greater the fuel it will yield to propel you beyond the gravity of where you are today.

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Strategies for Dealing with Sensory Overload

Written by Susan Fitzell

What’s good for neurodivergent adults is often good for neurotypical adults, too!

Every day, neurodivergent people face the burden of navigating a world that doesn’t always have their needs in mind. Modern learning and working environments are riddled with sensory stimulation. Looking beyond the stress of deadlines and workloads, neurodivergent folks must also worry about their sensory, social, and other needs. This can quickly become exhausting and overwhelming.

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