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Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Yahoo Security Breach Proposed Settlement
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Yahoo Security Breach Proposed Settlement
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Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Help Keep Your Account Secure
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Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Important Security Information for Yahoo Users
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Thursday, October 20, 2016
Follow up Notice - Important Message Regarding Your Account Security
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Thursday, September 22, 2016
Important Message Regarding Your Account Security
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Saturday, November 12, 2011
What Makes a Good Manager?
A manager is judged by a different set of criteria for different people. Each time you come into contact with a person, be it your boss, a colleague, a prospect contact or a client, you will be assessed on how you handle the situation. While it is not always possible to please everyone, it is vital to develop a strong set of skills necessary to make decisions, manage your time and employees successfully and give value to the company in order to promote yourself. So how do different groups judge a person as a manager? What skills make a good manager?
From the top down, success is likely to be judged as how much value a manager is adding to the company. For example a manager of a sales team may be judged primarily on the amount of sales revenue brought in by the team he/she manages. While other considerations are important such as sticking to the available budgets and staff turnaround levels, the figures that upper management will regularly review are pie charts indicating sales revenue. This will often be done in comparison to sales managers from other areas. Other areas of review may only be looked at if there is a problem. For example, if the manager runs over budget then this issue will be addressed.
From the bottom up the manager is judged by many different skill areas. 'People skills' are vitally important. This can be broken down into communication and the success at building relationships with people. A team will judge their manager on the way he/she communicates with them on a daily basis and how various situations are handled. A good manager will have good listening and communication skills and will build a rapport with staff. Employees will feel respected, satisfied with their positions in the company and confident that they have the skills necessary to complete their work. There are therefore many talents a manager needs to become successful.
Communication skills are vital and can help with the full range of people a manager comes into contact with. Being able to communicate instructions and ideas to staff while in return listening to them is the backbone of good management. Without this skill communication will break down on all levels, misunderstandings will occur and mistakes will be made. Good communication skills will allow your staff to develop a high level of trust in the manager. This is important since they will feel able to communicate ideas and issues that will benefit the company and strengthen the manager's position.
When communicating with staff it may become apparent that some of them feel that they lack the skills necessary to complete some tasks well or would like to advance their skill set. A good manager recognises that training staff is necessary to ensure that the company get the best value from the employee and the employee will feel fulfilled in the role. Investing in the people that work for you makes sense since you and the company will reap the rewards in quality and varied work. This will mean a lower staff turnaround that will keep recruitment and training new staff member costs to a minimum.
An expert manager also recognises that Information Technology is an important issue. It is vital that data is clean and up to date which can be overlooked until a crisis occurs. Learning to deal with data through software is important since this can include contact lists for existing customer base along with prospects. Once the database become clogged with errors, duplicates and out-of-date information, real problems can occur. You will need to know all relevant information of existing customers including what products they are using, if for example you are a manager in a software house. For sales information the data is important to get accurate statistics for financial decisions. For prospects, it is a waste of time, energy and money to be sending marketing information to the wrong people. Most managers will be in charge of some kind of database of information.
A good manager will therefore take an active interest in what technology is being used to store and protect the data and how this can be improved. Since any problems are ultimately the managers responsibility, it is good practice to know exactly what is happening with the data that your team rely on to do their jobs and which you will rely on to justify your own position. At some point you will be asked to provide reports and statistics for your team and it will look very unprofessional if you cannot provide solid, accurate statistics.
While reviewing the data, it is also worth reviewing the procedures and methods of the team as a whole. Is everything running as efficiently as possible? Get feedback from all members of staff and make improvements where possible, but make changes sensitively. Be aware that some people are wary of change. A good manager will not be afraid to praise and congratulate staff on a job well done. When people feel encouraged and recognised for their good work, they are more likely to strive for further encouragement by working harder and accepting changes you wish to make. A simple gesture such as a box of donuts after a hard week can go a long way to making your staff feel appreciated.
As demonstrated, becoming a great and successful manager requires a variety of complex skills. As a manager you are responsible for all things and should take that responsibility seriously. It is sometimes a juggling act between keeping your staff and your own boss happy while ensuring all the work is done on time, in budget and preferably with a smile! Do not underestimate the importance of learning to manage your time to fit everything in. The best managers are those that can successfully juggle all this responsibility with an active social and home life.
Managing Your Money the Easy Way - Step by Step
Managing your money is no harder than organizing your toolbox. The only reason that it sounds so complicated for many people is the misconception that money is just a number in your bank account. Actually, money is different from money, just like a piece of tools is different from each other. Also, money is not just something so you can exchange for stuff. It is your tool to organize your life, and your bank account is like your toolbox. Once you realize this, managing your money is as easy as organizing your toolbox.
Managing money easy way step 1 - categorization
This step answers what you need.
Just like organizing toolbox, we need to find out how many tools we have or need. Anyone can list why we need money, including shelter, food, living expense, emergency reserve, family protection, liability, retirement, children's education, entertainment, charity, your dream. The list can go on and on and on...
Managing money easy way step 2 - prioritization
This step answers what you need first and how much you need.
How you prioritize your money says a lot about who you are. This part should be unique to you. Don't let your neighbours, your relatives or your financial advisors take away your value in life. The common suggest is:
1. Emergency reserve
At least 3 months of your living expense is recommended. Cash is the best for this purpose. It should be highly accessible, such as savings account in a bank without being locked in for long term. An alternative way is to have enough personal line of credit or credit card limit, but be aware that you will have to pay interest if you have to use it when circumstance arises.
2. Insurance
This is to protect the most precious you have, yourself and your family, against unexpected event like death, critical illness and disability. The main purpose for insurance is to replace your income, so that you or your family will not suffer from dramatic financial setback due to any disastrous incidents.
3. Living expenses and financial liability
This section should be strictly necessity of living only, including rent/mortgage, grocery, clothes and other living rated bills. It should not include your takeout food or movie tickets. You will have a pretty good idea how much it would be by adding up all the bills you receive every month. The money should come out of your daily chequing account. If you would like to use credit card, make sure you pay the balance before the due date. A easy way is to setup auto payment schedule so you don't have to worry about it.
4. Plan ahead
This is the things we label as very important but not urgent. It could be your retirement, or your children's education. Depending on amount you need and when you need it, you can put them in conservative or moderate investment vehicle for longer term. The main purpose should be maintaining the purchase value against inflation and gaining decent return without taking on too much risk.
5. Your lifestyle
Movies, restaurants, hobbies, or some causes that dear to your heart. Life should be joyful. Again, you should prioritize your life in your own way. Some people decide to put certain cause on the top, and live the other part of their lives around it. In some culture, parents would put their children's education before their own food. You are the decision maker of how you should live, as long as you are fully aware the consequences of your decision.
Managing your money easy way step 3 - Action
The final step requires your action.
Once you have finished the first two steps, this one is rather simple. All you have to do is to arrange the things that you need, just like you put the tools in the appropriate section in the toolbox. Setup accounts with different purposes with your bank or investment institution and shop for needed insurance.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Simple Exercises, Body Weight Management, And Training Tips
These days, more and more people are striving to incorporate physical fitness into their daily routines. Doing so not only keeps your body in top condition, it has great benefits health-wise. When it comes to specific exercises, body weight management is one area that many have difficulty in mastering. However, with basic information and practice, anyone can learn how to put together the proper workout for their needs.
What is Body Weight Management?
When it comes to body weight management, there are typically two reasons why people use exercise to control this aspect of their life. The first scenario applies to those that have recently shed unwanted pounds and met their weight loss goals. By performing certain exercises, body weight can be maintained so that they can focus on staying at their goal weight. The second scenario deals with individuals that are currently happy with their weight and wish to use exercise to prevent weight gain or loss.
Although body weight management also requires maintaining a healthy and nutritious daily eating regimen, staying in peak physical condition by performing certain exercises is a necessary factor in preventing a person from experiencing fluctuations with their weight. This type of management is regularly practiced by both men and women.
Your Workout
When it comes to exercises, body weight workouts should be tailored to meet not only an individual's fitness goals but their preferences as well. There are a variety of exercises that target different areas of the body and over time it will be easy to see which types are ideal for producing favorable results.
Core & Abs
Strengthening the core and sculpting your abs are a great way to maintain a flat and tight stomach. For effective core/ab exercises, body weight workouts should include the vertical leg crunch.
To perform the vertical leg crunch, lie on the floor and extend your legs, keeping your knees crossed (your body should be similar to an L shape). Your hands can be interlocked behind your head or flat on the floor for support. Lift your shoulders off the floor, bringing your chest towards your feet and slowly lower yourself back down to the floor. Repeat 1-3 sets for up to 12 repetitions.
Legs
Looking for exercises, body weight workouts or routines that target the legs? Then you'll want to try combining the squat with an exercise ball. Using a medium to large size exercise ball, place this item against the wall so that it is between the wall and the curve of your lower back. With feet shoulder width apart, slowly bend your knees and lower yourself a few inches from the ground. Hold this position for three seconds and make sure your shoulders are level and that your hips are square. Now gradually stand back up to your original position. Repeat as needed.
Muscle Building
Need muscle building exercises, body weight programs or workout ideas? There are numerous exercises that fall under this category. Bench presses are one of the most popular. Start by lying face up on the bench. Grab the barbell using an overhand grip. While inhaling, lower the barbell to your chest slowly until it lightly touches your lower pectorals. Next, exhale and push the barbell back up to starting position and repeat.
Convenient exercises, body weight workouts and training routines are those that can be done right in the comfort of a person's home, which is ideal for individuals that do not have the time, money or flexibility in their schedules to join the local gym.
Effective Time Management For Working Students - Calendar, a Necessity
At last you are now in college! Only a few more years and the career you have been dreaming to achieve for years is already within your grasp.
However, the path is not easy and wreath with beds of roses. Lack of financial means to pay for your tuition, books and other necessary expenses can be an aspect to make your college student life miserable. Of course, you can get a part time job to and support yourself, but it will be precious time away from your studies.
You need accomplish also other college activities in successfully finishing your course. Notwithstanding old and new friends which will surely invite you to social events.
Well then, you need to hone up your time management skills and draw up a time management calendar. Having a Calendar of your activities will help you get through the difficulty of balancing your time between study and work, extra-curricular and social activities with friends.
More and more State Universities and Community Colleges are aware of the fact that college students have to work in order to survive and finance their college education. Because of this insight, these schools adjust their class schedules to meet every student's needs.
However, administrators and advisors in the office find a hard time of scheduling and managing classes for working college students. This is because there are too many people to schedule and manage and few people to draw up the class schedules.
College working students like you who practice effective time management strategies can be a big help. You can assist university and community colleges administrators in drawing up class schedules that are effective for working students. Professionals at college need your definite schedules so that they can draw up a fair enough class schedules.
You can work out by yourself an efficient time management schedule, which takes into consideration your studies, and part time job schedules. In the end, with an effective time student calendar time management plan, you also save money.
Here is a great method of setting up your calendar of time management schedule:
1. First off, you must have a semester calendar. Universities and other colleges provide students with blank semester calendars. You can obtain one through online or create one according to your own liking.
2. In the semester calendars, enter your class schedules, project due dates, registration dates and other important dates. These important dates may come from your class syllabi and the school timetables provided in their brochures and announcements. Enter each date as you find them into your semester calendar.
Set up your own due dates for each phase of a big project, like term papers and projects. You can also add personal commitments to social and personal events.
Maintaining a semester calendar as your time management method will give you a view of what commitments you need to fulfill. It will help you plan before a given schedule. This way, you will avoid last minute disasters.
3. You can also set up a weekly planner. There are available weekly planners provided by institutions you can obtain them online or get them at the registration office during enrollment. If you want to, you can also buy or create your own.
In the weekly planner, you need to enter your regular class schedule and other obligations on a weekly basis, like work, club or church meetings and assembly. Make it a point that you insert ample time for review and reading before and following each class lecture you attend.
Take note of it in your planner. If you are wondering the enough time to put in for a review, have a general rule to plan two hours of study for each hour a lecture transpired.
Plan your regular time off from work and school. Enter bed and wake up times in your planner. Meanwhile, for projects, exams and other personal commitments, leave off blank slots.
4. Tally out your weekly planner and semester calendar every Friday night or late afternoon. This will enable you to check out the things you have accomplished for that week and adjust on the activities that you still need to do for the following week.
Incorporating these other commitments can be done by placing them in the blank time schedule you have on your weekly planner. Then add new items you are committed in for the incoming week. Enter new things and schedules as new obligations, commitments and engagements come up.
You can have your weekly planner to check out before saying your affirmation to a commitment or engagement. If you find you have a previous entry on the said date and time, then it is best to turn down the invitation early on.
5. Every night create a daily "action list" for the following day. Use your weekly and semester calendar to do this. You can even put in categories to set your priorities straight.
Having a calendar for effective time management will reveal its importance when you reach your goals. The main purpose of maintaining it is that it will help remind you of the key goals you have set forth to achieve.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Money Management In Forex Trading
Money management in Forex trading and market isn't your usual way of budgeting your daily cash. While it does involve allotting how much to which, it's certainly more complicated and there are different money management strategies that a Forex trader could adopt.
Money Management DEFINED: This is a subsystem in the Forex trading industry. Depending on the strategy you adopt, money management tells you how much you should risk when you get an entry signal from the trading system. It also tells you the money you need to put on a single trade. With a lot of financial strategists spending every waking moment of their lives to find a way to 'tip the balance to their favor', it's natural that you would find different strategies for money management. However, all of them have one central theme; to prevent exposure to high risk.
Money Management Strategy 1: Martingale
You can ask any gambler around and, believe me, they know what this strategy is about like they would know their ABC's. The idea is straight forward and simple: as you lose more, you increase your risk. For example, if you risk $50 and lose, you need to bet $100 on the next turn. If that doesn't quite work, bet $200. After a long enough losing streak, theoretically and statistically, you will win. And, if you have doubled your risk right from the onset, that single win could recoup your initial loses and, if you are fortunate enough, even gain some profit.
The question, however, is this: do you have enough to finally win and make it back? Unless you have an unlimited amount of money to spend, this is hardly a reliable strategy. There are a lot of newbie Forex traders who adopt this strategy. Unsurprisingly, it leads not only to great losses but, much worse, to wipe-outs!
Money Management Strategy 2: Anti-Martingale
The anti-Martingale is the opposite of the above money management strategy. The idea is to increase your risk when you are winning and tone it down when you are losing. Like the Martingale strategy, this is high-risk, but it's perfect for traders who want higher returns while still keeping their initial balance. There are many experienced Forex traders who adopt this money management strategies, and with good results!
Money Management Strategy 3: One Percent Risk Rule
This system has saved many traders from total bankruptcy and wipeouts. The beauty in this strategy is that it's simple and effective. The name says it all: for every trade, you should adjust your risk to roughly 1 percent of your account's balance. Here's an example: let's say your account has $1,000,000. One percent of it is equal to $10,000. That means your Stop Loss should be tweaked so that, for every trade you go into, you will not lose more than $10,000. Simple and effective, indeed, but why is it that only a handful of traders adopt this? The answer is that they are not looking for moderate profits. They want to hit it big in as little time as possible.
Six Money Management Tips For Successful Forex Trading
In Forex it is difficult to earn money and even more difficult to manage the invested money. Once traders learn to manage and control their losses, the probability to earn profits increases. Money management is all about the amount of money you are putting in a trade and the degree of risk you are taking.
Risking a small percentage of your account
Experts of the Forex trade advise to invest a mere 1% to 2% of the total account so as to be able to accept loss of the trade if at all it occurs. The purpose is to be able to survive a loss and learn from your mistake. You must remember that with each loss, your core equity gets depleted and thus your chances to remain in the business for long reduce.
Regaining the lost money to break even your account
It is essential to keep a track of the amount of money lying in your core equity after each lost trade. In addition to this, it is vital to calculate the amount of money you need to earn in order to bring your account back to the break even point. This has to be kept in mind while trading further because if you keep losing, the percentage of return money keeps expanding making it even more difficult to bring your account back to the original size.
Hedging
When the currency exchange rates move unfavorably, you need to adopt the policy of hedging in order to protect your stock position. You declare to future sell your holdings at a set price so as to free yourself from market fluctuations. This is helpful to survive unpredictable price changes.
Diversify your trade
Trading in only one currency pair provides few trading opportunities. Thus it is advised to diversify and trade in different currency pairs. Each time you pick up a new trade, the base of your calculations is your core equity and not the starting balance, which means that you have lesser money to stake. The trick here is to switch to a currency pair with a lower correlation coefficient so that your risk percentage is reduced. For example, if you were trading in EUR/USD, your next currency pair should be USD/CHF because these two pairs have a high negative correlation such that when one pair goes up, the other falls down.
Martingale/Anti Martingale strategy
According to the Martingale strategy, traders increase the stake when they are losing with the intention to be able to cover-up for the losses with one big win. On the other hand, according to Anti Martingale strategy, traders reduce the stake when they are losing and increase it when they are winning.
Risk/Reward ratio
A good trader will enter a trade if he can foresee a reward that is 3 times the risk involved. This 3:1 reward/risk ration ensures profits in the long run.
In order to stay in the forex business for long it is vital to protect your account. Once you ensure your stay, you can then focus on growth prospects. Therefore, before you aim for profits, learn how to cope with losses. Money management teaches you all of this.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Why Good Employee Training is Essential For Business Success
Employees are the lifeblood of any company, as all business owners and managers are well aware of: good ones know what their job responsibilities are, how to use their time effectively, and what their bosses expect them to accomplish on a daily basis. But good employees don't usually happen by accident: they are made good through effective employee training.
Unfortunately, many companies choose to cut fiscal corners in their training departments, hoping that their employees will simply learn as they go. This is a risky strategy, however, and many workers simply fall through the cracks: bosses assume they know what to do, when the employees' performance clearly indicates otherwise. Here are some ideas to help jump start a training program for small business employees.
-- Put training back into the company budget. If training becomes a priority, Human Resources will have the freedom it needs to develop a strategy that will see to it that workers get the training they need to perform more effectively. The owner and managers all need to be supportive of those in charge of developing a training program, and need to make sure that there is money earmarked for this purpose and this purpose alone.
-- There must be a consensus on what the needs are when it comes to training, and because funds are no doubt limited, the program should focus on these needs first.
-- Do not implement any large-scale training program before testing it out on a small group first. This just makes good common sense: something may look great on paper but end up being a disaster in practice. Small-scale testing will provide the feedback necessary to fine-tune the program or overhaul it altogether.
-- Choose your training methods and accountability system carefully. There are plenty of ways to train employees: you can run a mentoring program, bring in a professional trainer, or set up online training classes that can put them through a graduated skills acquisition program. Many businesses choose a combination of the above, to give their employees a variety.
-- Make sure that the training each employee receives is relevant to his or her duties: putting everyone through the same program may not be appropriate and employees will tune out if they feel like they are being made to learn skills or knowledge they will never use.
-- Follow up with training by employing a measurement system to assess the effectiveness of what employees are learning. You may also want to implement a computerized system that can track the successful completion of training, both online and through other methods, by individual employees.
Having well-trained employees means lower worker turnover rates, a more content work force that has an investment in the successful accomplishment of their daily tasks, and a more professional environment overall. Employee training is well worth the effort.
Money Management - You Are Broke Because You Want to Be
How many times have you seen this "I Make $20,000 a Month Using...."? The internet is full of money making schemes. We are bombarded daily with spam email, popup advertising, Google Adsense ads and the like. It seems like 90% are announcing the next big Internet money making extravaganza. That or advertisements for porn. Either way, 90% of these are probably a waste of time and very likely a scam to milk every last dollar out of your bank account that they can. So why do these annoying tactics work? They must work right? Someone is making money or they wouldn't be everywhere.
The real issue is WHY they work. All of us want to be financially free. We are all looking for the way out of our paycheck to paycheck lives. The problem is most of us never really take the time to first figure out why we live this way. Second, we fail to figure out how we really want to live. What is really important to us. We see the big house and the fancy car and we think "this is what I need."
I read an article the other day. It was about families making over $250,000 a year that are broke. They are afraid that the new tax laws are going to push them over the edge into financial ruin. I don't want to get into the new tax issues in this article. Whether it's fair or unfair is not the point. The point is that if you are making $250,000 a year and bringing in $12,000 a month how can you be broke? The answer?
BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE.
I understand that the cost of living is high in many areas. I understand that families have obligations such as college funds and electric bills. I understand all too well. But I also understand that this is America. And in this country we are blessed with the right to make choices. If you choose to live in an area where your 1500 square foot house costs you $300,000+ it's your choice. If you choose to drive a $45,000 car it's your choice.
So what if you only make $40,000 a year? Or less? You still have choices. I have heard it said that the most costly item in the world is an excuse. No matter what your income level you still have choices. Some of them may be difficult. Some may require more work. But you still have a choice.
So here is the key to financial freedom, actually there are three:
First, you must understand that you do not become wealthy because of the money you earn.
You become wealthy because of the money you spend.
If you spend less than you make you can become rich. Period, end of story. It may take you longer if you only make $40,000 a year but you can become wealthy if you spend less than you make. So you must first understand what you spend your money on. Down to the penny.
I challenge you to track every cent you spend for the next thirty days. I would bet that most of you would be shocked at the money you spend on things like eating out, snacks and other crap you really don't need.
Second, you have to decide what wealth is. Is it a big house and a fancy car? If so, you need to understand exactly what this will cost you. The average American does not understand the real cost of buying ìstuffî. Here is a hint: If you are not paying cash for that new car you are paying too much.
Financing has ruined this country. Not because financing is a bad thing but because most consumers do not understand principal and interest. Once you understand that interest is an incredible force when it is working for you (in the form of investments) instead of working against you (in the form of mortgage payments, credit cards etc.) you can start to see that all that crap you are financing is actually robbing you every month. Until you understand this you will NEVER be financially free.
For me wealth is time. I know how much my time cost. And what I am willing to pay for it. Surprisingly, once you strip away all the stuff that can steal your money and your time it is easy to see that financial freedom does not cost as much as you might think. For me it's much less than $250,000, much less. For you it might be more. Either way must understand that it is possible to become wealthy without these principles but impossible to remain wealthy without them.
The third thing you need is a plan. Now you know where you spend your money (or what you are throwing it away on). You know what wealth is to you.
Now you need to figure out how you can pay for it. More on this next time, until then I suggest you start with Rule 1 and stop the bleeding. You can do it. If you really want it!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Using Cash Management Services For Improved Business Money Management
No matter what type of financial management responsibilities you might be undertaking, whether for a small business a corporation, or just for your own family, one essential element that must be properly managed is the cash flow of the organization. Cash management is especially important in businesses that have a lot of cash coming in the door, such as bars, restaurants and other types of retail establishments that deal in cash. For these kinds of enterprises, professional cash management services are crucial.
Banks provide many different types of financial management services, financial management solutions and financial management systems to their customers of all sizes, but especially to businesses who typically rely on the more sophisticated and powerful business financial management offerings. Business cash management is one of the many essential services that are offered.
Cash management services for organizations from small businesses to large corporations can help assure that the business has the cash on hand that is needed to conduct transaction for their customers. This keeps the customers happy and returning to the business because they are able to make their purchases without problems.
At the same time, the financial services that banks offer their business customers help to make their routine banking needs simpler, faster, more efficient and cost effective. Making the business financial management solutions and systems easy to operate and manage helps to assure that business owners and managers can focus their time and attention more on running their businesses effectively and profitably, and less on dealing with the business financial management issues.
Cash flow is crucial to a smoothly running business operation and so the purpose of these financial services is to make sure that the cash that is required for the daily business operations is properly balanced. This means having enough cash on hand each day in order to conduct business as needed and yet also minimize the amount of cash that is in use so that the maximum available assets can be invested to earn a return.
There are a number of different cash management products and systems available these days from banks and other financial services companies. These various financial services and solutions vary widely and the best solution will primarily depend on the particular business, the industry it is operating in, how the business overall is being managed, and what the business financial management goals are.
Many companies go to great lengths to carefully keep track of cash flow, both incoming and outgoing, and providing that cash flow data to one of their financial managers. This person, in turn, can then take this information, analyze it and generate accurate predictions about the future cash needs of the business and pass these findings along to the cash management services in order to produce the best business cash management plan possible.
Stress Management Training - What's Effective?
Stress Management
In the businesses, NGOs and government organisations I work with there are two kinds of people -those who admit there is stress in their lives and those in denial. Both may suffer but the latter cannot address what is a crucial workplace issue (in the UK the Health and Safety Executive make it a legal requirement for employers to address it is considered so important irrespective). Happily macho attitudes are dying out as people realise the impact stress can have on health (most of the Western World killers are stress related), efficiency/productivity (studies show that stressed people DO NOT work well) and relationships at work and at home.
Stress training is becoming recognised by businesses as valuable as if done well it decreases staff turnover (churn-rate), increases effectiveness and reduces absenteeism. As well as being an ethical stance, providing stress management saves organisations money. What then are some of the barriers relating to stress training? Aside from prejudicial attitudes that stress can make one weak there is also a misconception that people work well stressed. Some positive arousal or eustress can of course be beneficial - but most people in modern organisations that I see are well beyond this daily and working on adrenaline and heading towards burnout. The concept of "sustainable working" is often a useful one for managing stress, as is the distinction between "live relaxation" (like an athlete) and "dead relaxation" (like a unconscious drunk).
Other barriers to stress management include time and cost. Short targeted courses funded by government grants can help with both of these.
What Makes Stress Training Effective?
Some stress training is effective and some is not (as measured by participants in feedback or by "hard measures" like staff sick days). Here are some of the things that make workplace stress management training courses effective if included:
Choose an Experienced Provider
Would you do dentistry "in house" or ask your mechanic to o it? Of course not, it pays to get a specialist in to address stress at work and the same is true of investing in an experienced and specialist stress training provider. Of course I am biased but the real test is that paying customers agree.
Adequate Pre Course Assessment Was Done
Stress training will only work if it is targeted to the organisations needs. Public stress courses are possible but if the trainer is talking directly to the concerns of delegates after having done thorough research this is superior. A pre-course stress management questionnaire would be a minimal measure.
Stress Course Has an Embodied and Integral Perspective
Talking about theories of stress is not enough as stress is an embodied phenomena and this much be addressed. Similarly looking at any one angle on stress is insufficient as psychological, biological, social, cultural, environmental and organisational aspects must all be considered for effectiveness as these elements are all involved. Ken Wilber's integral model is the most complete theoretical overview I know of.
Stress Training is Interactive and Fun!
Interactive and experiential training will alleviate the problem of tired or bored delegates not taking anything in, and gain crucial buy-in.
Stress Management Training Enables "Real-World Transfer"
Training often has a bad reputation as in many organisations people will go on a course, then promptly forget everything they have learned. It is important that stress training embeds learning in real-world applications. Follow-up e-mails and revision sessions are also effective.
This article is of course just a brief introduction to stress training and what makes stress management effective, but I hope it has been a helpful start. There are several government grants for stress training currently available in the UK so please get in contact to benefit your productivity, health and relationships.