Posted by Bettina Warshaw 05 / 11 / 12
Trade productivity for positive emotions
Being on facebook, twitter, multiple email addresses, spotify and news sources all at once may not be the way to be the most productive, that’s true. But it will make you the most happy. Here, Nathan Ingraham discusses a study by Dr. Zheng Joyce Wang that shows that while multitasking doesn’t leave you feeling more productive, it leaves you feeling more satisfied.
Simplification for efficiency
The idea is to have the highest quality with the least complexity. In this article, Aaron Levie discusses that to be successful, just be simple and awesome.
Do managers want to innovate?
Innovation is a great idea, when there is time to implement it. It takes time to brainstorm, come up with creative ideas, and put them into action. Despite the fact that managers may say they want their employees to innovate, they also want their employees to do their job. Ron Ashkenas discusses how you can work with your manager in order to innovate.
Are we innovative or stagnant?
Technology has made it so that we can innovate – take ideas, and put them into action with the use of skills and creativity. However, are we at a standstill? Piers Fawkes encourages us to stop, take a moment, and figure out how to get back on the new idea bandwagon.
If you’re not making something better, try again
When you’re building a product, you want it to be great. When you’re making it, you should be thinking about how to make it better – that’s what Apple did, and look where they are now. In this article, Aaron Shapiro explains how you can follow Apple’s lead and do the best you can do.
Posted by Bettina Warshaw 05 / 10 / 12
It’s rare to hear someone say that there is too much money, but Fred Wilson said it. Speaking at our Tuesday, May 8th #Rethink, Wilson broke down the problems with Venture Capital.
Most notably, Mr. Wilson pointed out that the vast majority of venture capitalists do not make returns on the $30 billion of capital invested annually; his feeling is that $15 billion would be the right number. Compounding the problem, the industry is facing a tectonic shift with crowd funding for equity on the horizon. Mr. Wilson pointed out that if 1% of American investment assets were directed into ventures it would equal $300 billion.
How does he rethink venture capital? Although one option is to retire, another is to add the expertise of proven vc skills to the power of crowd funding.
Keep an eye on this blog for footage of the entire talk, coming soon. For more information, check out what Forbes, GigaOhm, and Portfolio.com said about #Rethink Venture Capital.
Our next #Rethink on June 12th at 8am, tickets can be reserved at Eventbrite.
Posted by Bettina Warshaw 05 / 04 / 12
Be present, but only if it’s for a reason
We’ve seen reports about big meetings leading to burn out and actually hindering productivity, but that doesn’t have to be the case. In order for meetings to be effective, they have to be done with purpose. That includes who you welcome into the room. Ken Segall of Fast Company offers the keys and skills to having a great meeting.
Control your email compulsion
With so much information in your pocket (in your phone), it’s hard to not want to know what’s going on at all times. But, between checking email on the phone, reading it while waiting for the elevator, and again in the office, we’re wasting an amazing amount of time. What’s the best way to cut down on time wasted reading, re-reading, checking and re-checking? Peter Bregman from Harvard Business Review has some advice.
Are we out of ideas?
Since the creation of the internet, there has been an amazing amount of innovation. Tools lead to ideas which lead to innovations – but where does that leave us now? The trend dictates that we should be on to the next newest and greatest, but are we? In this article, John Naughton shares his thoughts on innovation, creativity and where to go from here.
You have to feel for who you lead
As a leader, it’s important to empathize with your employees. The only way to truly see from their perspective and understand how they feel is to put yourself wholly in their shoes and become “the other.” In this Fast Company article, Ginny Whitelaw explains how to do just that, and what benefit it will bring.
You’re never too small to succeed
Brian Solis of Mashable has a lot of ideas and knowledge, learned them from trial and experience. Check out this interview in which he discusses branding, consumer friendliness, and how to succeed.
Posted by Bettina Warshaw 04 / 24 / 12
Creative challenges to keep you thinking
Feeling a little creatively tapped out? Push yourself creatively with these tests from the 99%.
“Your success creates success for others”
As someone of authority, you want to help others succeed. But their success can only parallel your own. So you know what that means – you have to focus on yourself. Check out this advice from Jeff Haden on how to be your most successful.
Tips to be a free radical
There are 42 million freelancers in today’s work world, and that number is growing. How do you become a free radical, and make it work for you? Lindsay Olson has tips and tricks on being a successful free radical.
Get up, get going
Working on what you love often means working at a desk for a majority of the day. In fact, most Americans spend about 72 percent of their time sitting. This could not only lead to a less healthy life, but a shorter one. It’s time to get up, get going, and stay on top of your game.
Can’t focus? Maybe that’s a good thing
It’s awesome to break the rules. Ryan Tate’s new book, The 20% Doctrine, explains how in today’s work environment we have to be unconventional to be innovative.
Posted by Bettina Warshaw 04 / 13 / 12
Find motivation internally
External motivation isn’t enough for creativity (anyone who has sat down at a desk to “be creative” can tell you that). Instead, creatives need internal motivation, to see themselves succeeding. In this article, Jocelyn K. Glei explains how to motivate yourself creatively.
Engage your employees with three small questions
As someone of authority, it’s easy to have simple conversations with employees without really engaging with them. TJ McCue has three simple questions that you can ask your employees, and all you have to do is really listen to the answers.
Work your working memory
More often than not, I come up with an idea or look up a phone number, don’t write it down, and promptly forget it. Recent studies have shown that you can train your working memory and not only will you be able to remember immediate information, but your intelligence and IQ may go up as well. All you have to do is work your working memory.
Get power from rejections
Being rejected isn’t fun. In fact, it’s pretty unpleasant. However, it isn’t the end of the world, and doesn’t have to be what kills your day. In this article, Ron Ashkenas recognizes how rejection can hurt, but also how it forces you to be creative and come up with new ideas.
Leverage your expertise
You have to have a lot of knowledge about your field to be successful. That’s not just because it’s how you become good at what you do, it’s so you can leverage your expertise. We’ve heard the cliché “knowledge is power.” Ted Leonhardt proves how that comes into play with jobs, negotiations, and your passions.
Posted by Bettina Warshaw 04 / 10 / 12
Coworking is a trend that has taken off in the past couple of years, and we aren’t the only ones who have taken action. What makes Grind different than other coworking offices? NPR interviewed co-founder Benjamin Dyett about our curated membership and how that balances our community.
As noted in NPR:
“Besides providing a well-lit office space with dependable Wi-Fi, Grind is also offering a certain kind of collaborative workspace — where a Web designer can get legal advice or an event planner can team up with a food writer. Dyett’s basically “curating” the mix of people to ensure this happens at Grind. Think fewer male coders with their headphones on, and more women in faux fur vests doing PR work on their laptops.”
Check out the full article and interview here.
Posted by Bettina Warshaw 04 / 07 / 12
What does imagination mean?
It’s hard to be creative, to get down to the core of imagination. But, what does it mean to have imagination? In this post, Maria Popova introduces Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer.
To be a strategic thinker…
There are many skills necessary in being a great leader. One of the most underrated of those skills is having the ability to strategize. Do you have what it takes to think strategically? This article from INC gives you the six habits you need to be a strategic thinker.
Be a great leader
Being a great leader isn’t easy, but the basics needed to be one are simple. You just have to…
Earn what you deserve
You don’t want to be a serial under earner. Your time and skills are worth more than you give them credit for. How do you know if you’re selling yourself short?
The cost of free
Something that is free may be very alluring…it’s free! But then you get hooked on the app or the product, enough to actually buy it. What is the ultimate cost of free?
Posted by Bettina Warshaw 03 / 29 / 12
5 tips for getting a job in social media
What’s better than a job in social media? You get to be on the forefront of breaking news, promote your brand, and share your voice. But how does one break into the industry? Whitney Parker has the tips.
Was your project successful?
I’ve always learned that you can achieve success if you follow the appropriate guidelines. However, in a fluid workspace, how do you know if you have achieved that success? Make your own rubric.
Take a bunch of good people and make a great team
In a perfect work situation, we would be able to hand pick our teams and be able to play upon the strengths of each person for ease in productivity. Of course, that isn’t always the case. This article offers ideas and insights on how to take good people and turn them into a great team.
Turn mistakes into opportunities
The first step to learning from your mistakes is to admit that you have made one. Once you do that, your opportunities are endless.
Information Overload
We’re so connected we might as well be plugged in. Between social networks and smart phones (pocket computers) we’re inundated by facts and information from the moment we wake up until we put our phone on vibrate for the night. How much of that information are we absorbing, and is it possible to step back and disconnect?
Posted by Bettina Warshaw 03 / 22 / 12
Keep it Simple
Overwhelmed with work at work? Do you have too many things to accomplish and not enough bandwidth to get everything done? Leo Babauta has thirteen little things you can do to make a big impact on your day.
Being a control freak ups your productivity
There are times when being a control freak may be a negative, but that isn’t the case when you’re a free radical. In order to be successful as your own boss, you need to be in control. In this article, Ann Smarty shows you how being a control freak is beneficial for productivity.
Where is the trust?
When the economy was hurt, so was the trust that employees have for their employers. No longer able to provide comfort and consistency, employers had to break unwritten promises and make changes. Now, with things looking up, how do companies re-establish trust?
Cut your hours, cut your stress
What’s the problem with working more than 40 hours a week? In more time you can get more done, right? That is, if you can avoid the burn out. Jessica Stillman breaks down the history of the 40 hour work week and why 40 hours is really the best for your sanity and career.
Make culture part of your strategy
Fast company asked the question: which is more important, culture or strategy? According to Rachel Sklar of Change the Ratio, that was the wrong question all together.
Posted by Diana Palacios 03 / 21 / 12
Since founding EO Integration in 2009, Roberto has produced three short films, and developed digital and branded content for numerous clients. In 2011, Roberto brought EO to Grind. He started the year taking on an incredible project: creating and producing a social media campaign for Ecuador’s Yasuní-ITT Initiative in order to change the rules of oil exploitation in the world.
Yasuní-ITT is a revolutionary initiative established after a considerable oil reserve was found within Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park. In 2007, President Rafael Correa announced at a United Nations General Assembly the country’s commitment not to exploit the oil. In doing so, and forgoing the financial compensation, the Ecuadorian government and the Yasuní-ITT Initiative will change the rules of how the world approaches the use of its energy resources.
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