What Do Women Want? At Work, That Is… [INFOGRAPHIC]*

What do you want at work? What does success mean to you? What is your biggest challenge at work? We asked these very questions (and more) to thousands of professional women around the world to better understand the challenges women face in their careers, what success means to them now and how that’s changed over the past 5-10 years.
While some stark differences emerged by country, we uncovered some key global trends. Today, almost two thirds of working women say that success is about achieving the right work-life balance. This is a major shift from 5 to 10 years ago when ‘salary’ topped that list along with an ‘interesting job’ and ‘responsibility’. Interestingly, work-life balance wasn’t really on the radar then.
These findings emerged from our ‘What Women Want @ Work’ study, released today in celebration and support of International Women’s Day on March 8th.

So what’s changed? The upheaval of the global economy has meant fewer staff and resources so we all have to do more with less. The other major factor has been the growth and reliance on technology. We increasingly operate in an ‘always on’ work environment where many of us can’t resist starting and ending our days on our smartphones. The line between work and home life has blurred as technology has become systematically ingrained in our lives. All of this seems to have contributed to women taking stock and reassessing what’s really important to them.
Not surprisingly, our study tells us that working women the world over are looking for one thing above others – greater flexibility. As a working mum of two little boys, I know only too well what a juggling act it can sometimes be. Two out of three of working mums we surveyed agree and ‘would like more flexible work conditions’. Furthermore, there is a strong belief that for the next generation of professional women greater flexibility will be crucial for their success – a whopping 4 out 5 agree with that sentiment.
Other big issues that the study surfaced included concerns over lack of investment in professional development and lack of a clear career path. Encouragingly and despite all this, there is a great deal of confidence and optimism about careers and future opportunities – with 3 out of 4 women believing they can ‘have it all’. Perhaps that’s what women really want.
So where can professional women turn for support? As the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn is a great place to start.

1. Get career inspiration. Choose someone you admire at your company, check out their LinkedIn profiles and take a look at the steps they took in their careers to be successful.
2. Seek out women mentors. Join LinkedIn Groups for professional women in your industry or region. Make new connections and learn from others.
3. Ask, and you shall receive. If flexibility is an issue where you work, connect with other women on LinkedIn via your own network and utilise LinkedIn Groups to gain advice on how to ask for flexible work conditions. Then, set a plan to present to your manager. You can also research positions similar to your own on LinkedIn to understand the skills required so you can have regular informed conversations about your position.

* Ngaire Moyes, February 28, 2013

30 Things You Should Not Share on Social Media*

1. What chicken you are plucking or cow you’re milking on Farmville on Facebook
2. How many you have killed on Mafia wars or where they are buried.. again on Facebook
3. Party photos showing you inebriated or a hand placed where it shouldn’t be
4. That you are having a party.. you might get more guests than you counted on
5. Photos revealing you flirting with the bosses wife at the annual work Christmas party
6. That you are having an affair
7. That you are thinking of having an affair
8. Complaints about your boss
9. That you hate your job and want to leave.. you might get your wish.. involuntarily
10. Don’t share photos or an event that reveals that you were not sick that day at work
11. That are you are planning to take a sickie
12. Drama with your friends
13. Issues with your parents
14. Passwords.. unless you have more money than brains
15. Hints about passwords like dogs names
16. Images and videos of your children
17. Updates on Facebook after you have escaped from Jail and on the run (don’t laugh it has happened)
18. Revealing your thoughts about a court case… when on jury duty
19. Don’t link personal sites to professional business sites like LinkedIn.. don’t mix business with pleasure
20. Financial information such as how much money you do or don’t have in your bank account
21. Personal Information
22. How to get more friends or followers.. it already sounds like a scam
23. You are leaving on a holiday
24. The dates you are away on your holiday
25. Your daily schedule.. burglars have been known to use these little hints to their advantage
26. Showing you doing something stupid .. not good for personal branding
27. Your bodily functions
28. Revealing extreme views on Race, Religion or politics
29. What you had for breakfast
30. Finally, If you are not comfortable about it … don’t share it

*by Jeff Bullas

27 Tips To Make Your Brand A Social Media Powerhouse

Facebook

• Link to your Facebook page in your email newsletter
• Post your news releases to Facebook as an update
• Link to your blog and website on Facebook
• Run competitions on Facebook
• Ask customers to vote on two new products to see which one will sell (Supre do this on their Facebook page
• Advertise on Facebook

YouTube

• Video 2 minute reviews of your products and upload them to YouTube
• Interview your company’s experts who are passionate about what they do and literally embed them virtually into your website and blogs.
• Interview customers by video
• Interview your companies key strategic partners on video and upload those to YouTube
• Record your seminars and post it to YouTube

Blogging

Evolve your blog into a social portal by including these social features

• Retweet buttons as a standard feature of your blog
• Facebook Social plugin (this will then update everyone who “likes” your company Facebook page when a new update hits the Facebook stream)
• Facebook share feature
• Embed and feature YouTube videos on the blog in the side panel and in posts
• Place a LinkedIn share button at the top of each post

LinkedIn

• Put your companies Twitterfeed on its LinkedIn profile
• Link to Facebook on the profile (you have 3 website URL’s available to use)
• Link To your Companies blog from LinkedIn
• Activate the LinkedIn blog feature panel

Twitter

• Retweet buttons on your blog
• Tweet buttons on your email
• Tweet specials to your brands followers
• Monitor Twitter noise for customer feedback
• Create multiple twitter accounts that communicate to each of your vertical markets

Social Mobile

• Develop a mobile app that includes features makes it easy for people to share with their friends on Facebook or Twitter
• Register with Facebook places and start offering specials to people who checkin nearby on their mobile phone

by Jeff Bullas

“Thank-You” makes you a better client servicing person.

Came across this article written by Laura Spencer, from North Central Texas- Two Special Words that Will Make Your Clients See You Differently. Even though these might seems like a little word to you, but saying these 2 words does mean a lot to your client at all times.

It shows them that you CARE, APPRECIATE and SINCERE.

It makes them feel that they are IMPORTANT, VALUED and ACKNOWLEDGED.

Five Times to Thank a Client or Prospective Client

Here are five occasions when you should consider thanking a client or prospective client:

1. When they’ve met with you personally. Say something like, “Thank-you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday.”
2. When they’ve interviewed you by phone. Say something like, “Thank-you for considering me for this project.”
3. When they’ve gone out of their way to provide with support for a project. Say something like, “Thank-you for the help and support that you provided on XYZ project.”
4. When you enjoyed the work that you did. Say something like, “Thank-you for giving me the opportunity to work on XYZ project. I really enjoyed it.”
5. When you enjoyed dealing with the client as an individual. Say something like, “Thank-you for working with me on XYZ project. I think that we make a good team.”

BUT, watch out for the “Thanks-You” hurdles:

1. The insincere thank-you. Don’t tell the client that you enjoyed working with them or on their project if you both know it’s not true. Most clients can sense when you’re being insincere.
2. The inappropriate thank-you. Don’t thank your client for the support they gave you if they didn't give you any help, and so on.
3. The overblown thank-you. A thank-you need not be excessive to be effective. Don’t make your client uncomfortable by fawning on him or her or offering inappropriate gifts.

So, now it’s your turn! Thank You :)