United EVENTures

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brain teaser, trivia, power of the brain, morning
5 Brainteasers to Get Your Brain Moving this Morning
5 Brainteasers to Get Your Brain Moving this Morning 960 678 Emilie

Here at United Eventures, we love our brain teasers! We use brain teasers and trivia in all types of events, from our Trivia Nights where trivia is the main focus, to our Geotrekking where you can find brain teasers or trivia at various checkpoints. So whether you are looking to improve your brain teaser skills for your next United Eventure, or you’re simply looking for a way to exercise your brain in the morning, we found 5 great brain teasers just for you!

 

Under The Radar
Thanks Henry D

Spell radar

Spell the word RADAR.
Start on any R.
Advance in any direction, forwards or backwards.
Follow the lines from letter to letter.
You can not skip letters.
Question:
How many different ways can you spell RADAR?

Which number replaces the question mark ?

 Non Verbal Reasoning Brain Teaser

Brain Teaser to test Spatial visualization ability

How many blocks do you see ?  #riddle #riddles:

Answers

Try not to peak!

  1. RADAR problem: 80 Ways. Can’t get to 80? Hint, you can reuse the same A and R twice per word. Try finding the total from one corner, and then multiply by four.
  2. Number question mark problem: 9. The sum of every square is 22.
  3. Letter question mark problem: O. The letters at the front of the alphabet correspond with those in the back- A corresponding with with Z, B with Y, C with X.
  4. Folding cube problem: D.
  5. Block problem: 9 blocks.
Brain teaser 1 Courtesy: http://www.pedagonet.com/brain/SpellRadar1.html
Brain teaser 2 Courtesy: http://funthingstodowhenbored.com/riddle/brain-teasers-solver-4th-square-by-looking-on-others
Brain teasers 3&4 Courtesy: http://www.funwithpuzzles.com/2015/06/non-verbal-reasoning-test-with-answers.html
Brain teaser 5 Courtesy: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/305400418459642631/

 

feng shui, workplace, work, desk, productivity, positive energy
10 Ways to Increase Productivity through Feng Shui-ing Your Workplace
10 Ways to Increase Productivity through Feng Shui-ing Your Workplace 960 640 Emilie

We all know that having a clean, tidy desk can make us feel more organized and productive. But often the days get busy and it’s hard to prioritize the cleanliness of our work spaces. However, with these simple tips, we provide you some easy ways to increase your productivity and positivity by easy changes to your workplace environment. Each tip revolves around the practice of feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice which utilizes the rearrangement of objects in specific locations in order to maximize a positive flow of energy. By following feng shui principles, it can create a warmer, more productive place for us to do our job in. The best part? These changes alter the very flow of your workplace, so even when it gets a little messy, you will still have a better place to work in.

1. Orient your desk so that it faces the door. This helps for two reasons. First, it means that you will face people as they enter your office, making you feel more grounded and in control. This is why it is referred to as the “command position.” Second, it will mean that any client or coworker who enters your office will see your face as they enter, making them feel more comfortable. You do not need to be perfectly in front of the door, but you should be looking at it, from the opposite wall.

2. Keep nature prevalent in your office. This can include a small aquarium, plants, or wind chimes; all of which embrace one of the five elements as according to feng shui. Experiment with putting things on different walls/corners of your office, because various placements may have a better flow than others.

3. Be aware of pointed or irregular objects. Feng shui seeks to increase positive energy called chi. The opposite of chi, called sha chi, increases the flow of negative energy. Sha chi is present through irregular and pointed objects, especially when these irregular shapes are in places that infringe on your workspace. For instance, make sure pointed edges of your desks and tables aren’t pointed towards you or clients as they enter. Be aware of how branches outside your window or shadows from buildings outside interfere with your indoor space. Try rearranging what’s inside your workspace to make sure such shadows and outdoor objects interrupt your workplace in less intrusive ways.

4. Increase circular, softer edges. In opposition to sha chi’s relation to straight lines and pointed edges, you can find chi through softer shapes, like circular and soft edges. These shapes are meant to increase flow and circulation, instead of abruptly disrupting flow.

5. Use mirrors. A lot of the time we can’t remove sharp edges in our workplace. We work around a lot of things with sharp edges: desks, computers, filing cabinets. Sharp angles and long straight lines tend to increase the “speed” at which chi travels around the room, making it feel more negative. In order to reduce the speed and make chi travel more slowly, utilize mirrors in your workplace to make it travel more gently.

6. Embrace sense of smell. Smell is a far more powerful tool than we think. In fact, we hardly ever remember how much smell can do! Smell can help with memory, and importantly here, it can help with clarity. Specifically, feng shui believes that citrusy and peppermint based smells with help increase mental clarity in the workplace. You can use candles, fragrant sprays or incense to help put these smells in your office.

7. Learn the importance of color and cardinal directions. In accordance to feng shui, each of the five elements (fire, water, earth, wood, and metal) are associated to different colors and cardinal directions, each of which are attached to certain meaning. Depending on what you want your space to emphasize, you can choose to pay extra attention to these cardinal directions and colors. But remember, feng shui is built around balance. The best workplace will find a balance of all of these elements.

  1. Wood– Creation and Growth- East- Green
  2. Fire– Power- South- Red
  3. Earth- Agriculture- Center- Yellow
  4. Metal– Money- West- Grey and White
  5. Water– Communication- North- Black

8. Remove objects of your “past life.” Are there pictures on your desk with friends you don’t see anymore? Are there awards on your wall from activities you are no longer involved in? Remove these pieces of your past life and embrace pictures and reminders of what currently is bringing you joy in life. By surrounding your office with memories from the past, this creates stagnant energy instead of creating a positive, moving flow of energy which could be embraced by what you currently find exciting and moving.

9. Keep as little on your desk as possible. According to feng shui, energy in your workspace is the most positive when you only keep what you absolutely need on it. That means your computer, phone, pencil holder, maybe a stapler and only the few pieces of paper you need. Imagine how fresh the energy in your office would feel if you only pulled out a file as you needed to use it, and then it went right back in a filing cabinet. Keep your coffee and laptop handy, but keep everything else hidden away until you absolutely need it. And then, remember to put it back away after.

10. Clear out that clutter. Okay, I know I said these are suggestions that help despite clutter, and they do! However, your flow of energy is never going to be as positive as possible as long as you have clutter around. Spend one day filing away anything that is an older project which you are not currently working on. Keeping around these old projects in your line of vision is the ultimate way to feel stagnant energy. By organizing and decluttering, it keeps the energy around you light and fresh.

So there it is! By keeping the energy around you warm and light, it will help not only your productivity, but also your positivity. And the best part is, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it. Feng shui principles can easily be embraced with spending very little money, or no money at all. It’s all about rearranging and understanding flow. So good luck with your new and improved workspaces!

Samborn, Hope V. "Go With the Flow: Tapping into Positive Energy in Office Decor through Feng Shui Principles." American Bar Association Journal 87.10 (2001): 76-77. Web.
Bonaiuto, Marino, Elena Bilotta, and Angela Stolfa. "'Feng Shui' and Environmental Psychology: A Critical Comparison." Journal of Architectural and Planning Research 27.1 (2010): 23-24. Web.
Leffler, David. "BEING SOLO: How to Feng Shui Your Law Office." GPSolo 27.5 (2010): 58-59. Web.
meetings, workplace, efficiency, productivity
How to Make Your Meetings More Effective
How to Make Your Meetings More Effective 960 319 Emilie

No one gets excited for meetings. Each one marks a time on your calendar that you are forced to delay all other work, postponing what you’ve been working on to update others about your progress. Anyone who has ever run a meeting knows the challenges: to keep people focused, to keep people engaged, to cover everything you need to without letting the meeting get too lengthy. But at the end of the day, meetings are important. They allow us to flush out bad ideas, brainstorm new, innovative ideas, and organize everyone so they feel like they are on the same page. But how do we ensure that each meeting is a successful one? How do we keep people engaged, while still being productive? Luckily for you, we have searched articles and research papers to bring to you the best advice to make your next meeting a great one.

Increase Information Availability. A recent study by the Journal of Business Research showed that meetings can actually be a key way to increase empowerment within employees. However, it relies on one key factor. Specifically, empowering meetings rely on information availability. The easier it is for employees to easily access the information they need, the more productive the meeting will be. Additionally, it will allow employees to feel like they achieved more throughout the meeting, causing them to feel more empowered and positive about the next meeting.

Reduce Status Updating and Increase Problem Solving. A recent study analyzing stand up meetings collected interviews and empirical data from over 70 meetings, and analyzed the most positive and negative contributing factors for each meeting. It showed that employees feel more positively about meetings when they focus on information sharing and problem solving/discussion. However, they felt negatively about meetings that focused around status updating, and were long in duration. Aim to keep a schedule of what you need to discuss each meeting, and work to stick to this schedule in as short a time as possible. Additionally, establishing a way in which your employees can update superiors through quick technological means will allow for less time in each meeting to be spent on status updating, and more time to be allowed for problem solving.

Take a Walk. Here at United Eventures, we love the Ted Talk by Nilofer Merchant, which you can find on our About Us page. Merchant talks about the sedentary lifestyle that so many of us live in the modern age. She mentions a time when she was asked to meet with someone as he walked his dog. She has applied this idea to create “walking meetings” which means that less and less of her meetings are done in an office. Not only has she felt like she is being more active, but also that a walking meeting allows people to be less entrenched in their views, and has actually led people to talk in a more collaborative, agreeable manner. Although this cannot be used for all meetings, it is a great idea for catch-up or brainstorming meetings. Try carrying a notepad or voice recorder to catch important information and new ideas.

Optimize Your Virtual Meetings. Virtual meetings have been used extensively for many useful reasons. However, when applied improperly, virtual meetings can be frustrating, increase confusion, or waste time. A recent study demonstrated three main components to a successful virtual meeting. 1) Look at your worker’s perception of productivity. Do your workers feel like the virtual meetings are increasing productivity? Believe it or not, this perception is actually just as important as the actual productivity during the meeting itself. 2) Create clear behavioral steps for how your employees should use the technology and act during virtual meetings. Behavioral steps should outline a company’s policies and guidelines of how people should behave within virtual meetings. Currently, far less ownership exists within virtual meetings as compared to on-site meetings, and this will work to close that gap. 3) Focus on your company’s virtual maturity. The more exposure and experience your company has to virtual meetings, the more successful each one will be (which makes sense). Companies that are equipped to have external virtual meetings will be far more successful with their internal ones. A general rule of thumb is if you don’t feel comfortable using your technology or organization methods for an external virtual meeting, you should not be using these tactics and technology for your internal meetings. Overall, the implementation of virtual meetings may show an immediate increase in productivity, decreased travel time, etc. but this will eventually level off. Virtual maturity means that you must work to transition your virtual meetings past the replacement stage (in which you are simply using these types of meetings in place of on-site meetings) and transitioning to an integration stage. Remember that virtual meetings are different from on-site ones, and your company should be developing techniques and policies that work specifically for virtual meetings. Using virtual meetings simply because people are in different locations is not virtual maturity. Instead, utilize tools that transition virtual meetings into something that allows for effective collaboration.

Lindeblad, Peter A., Yuliya Voytenko, Oksana Mont, and Peter Arnfalk. "Advancing Sustainable Solutions: An Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Research Agenda." Journal of Cleaner Production 123 (2016): n. pag. Web.

Allen, Joseph A., Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock, and Stephanie J. Sands. "Meetings as a Positive Boost? How and When Meeting Satisfaction Impacts Employee Empowerment." Journal of Business Research (2016): n. pag. Web.

Stray, Viktoria, Dag I.K. Sjøberg, and Tore Dybå. "The Daily Stand-up Meeting: A Grounded Theory Study." Journal of Systems and Software114 (2016): n. pag. Web.
work-life, balance, family, happiness, career
Finally Attainable? Research Shows How to Achieve a Work-Life Balance
Finally Attainable? Research Shows How to Achieve a Work-Life Balance 960 640 Emilie

The ever unattainable work-life balance: we all search for it, but finding it is a different story. The more that happens in our lives: becoming married, having children, receiving promotions, the more we worry we will be unable to balance all that is on our plate. But, believe it or not, research demonstrates no correlation between marital status, presence of children, or even age of children on typical perceived work-life balance. With this in mind, we can know that even with a busy family life, we can still attain harmony: we just have to know how.

Try mindfulness exercises. Studies have shown that increased mindfulness correlates with a better work-life balance. Mindfulness refers to the ancient Buddhist idea of being present in the moment: paying attention to the sounds, feelings, smells, and sights within the present moment. Whether washing the dishes or taking a shower, mindfulness focuses on the beauty and senses within each moment. Luckily, the internet contains many suggestions for methods to improve your mindfulness. We particularly like the articles and methods from Tiny Buddha and Della Terra Wellness.

Focus on your sleep. It also has been demonstrated that sleep quality mediates the relationship between mindfulness and work-life balance. We all know that sleep is important, and the last thing a busy person wants to be told is to spend more time sleeping. But here is yet another reason why it is so important, so remember to get your 7-8 hours a night! Additionally, pay attention to the quality of your sleep. Nowadays, there is a lot of technology at your fingertips to track how well you are actually sleeping. Take a look at your Fitbit’s sleep data, or try  apps from the Apple Store like SleepCycle or SleepBot.

Talk to Your Partner. Support from your partner is crucial in being able to maintain that work-life balance. Keep the communication open and frequent with your partner. Admit challenges you are having at work or at home. Being honest about the struggles you have in both aspects of your life, as well as any difficulties you have balancing the two, will allow you to more easily handle the challenges of your hectic life.

Turn to your Coworkers. Not only is partner support incredibly important, but so is coworker support. As the only people who truly know what you are going through at work, make sure you are choosing to befriend coworkers who are supportive and caring. As much as you can, try to work alongside coworkers that you can rely on when it comes to work crises, it will make your life less stressful if you don’t have to worry about every crisis that arises.

Be aware of your workplace environment. Whether or not we want to admit it, sometimes the workplace we are in will prevent us from achieving this balance. Research shows that employees have the best work-life balance when they are with a company that has a positive organizational structure. This includes the following factors: 1) allowing employees enough freedom so that they do not feel like they always have to check or receive approval for their actions, 2) motivating employees through reward instead of punishment, 3) consistently being open to many different opinions, and 4) embracing employees as part of the identity of the company.

Let go of control. It may sound counter-intuitive, but the more you try to control both your work and family life, the more it leads to conflict between the two. A recent study from the European Management Journal shows that seemingly positive traits, such as self-direction and achievement, are actually associated with a decrease in work-life balance. When we attempt to keep both our work life and family life perfect, we get stressed out when there are issues in either one. We then perform less well in both parts of our life, resulting in a damaging, cyclical pattern. Instead, we must remember that neither our work life or family life will be perfect. In fact, even if we devoted our time solely to one of these parts of our lives, problems would still arise. It is not until we stop trying to will our control over everything that we will achieve a more harmonious balance between the two.

Panisoara, Georgeta, and Mihaela Serban. "Marital Status and Work-life Balance." Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences 38 (2013): n. pag. Web.
Chernyak-Hai, Lily, and Aharon Tziner. "The “I Believe” and the “I Invest” of Work-Family Balance: The Indirect Influences of Personal Values and Work Engagement via Perceived Organizational Climate and Workplace Burnout." Revista De Psicología Del Trabajo Y De Las Organizaciones32.1 (2016): n. pag. Web.
Allen, Tammy D., and Kaitlin M. Kiburz. "Trait Mindfulness and Work–family Balance among Working Parents: The Mediating Effects of Vitality and Sleep Quality." Journal of Vocational Behavior 80.2 (2012): n. pag. Web.
Ferguson, Merideth, Dawn Carlson, Suzanne Zivnuska, and Dwayne Whitten. "Support at Work and Home: The Path to Satisfaction through Balance." Journal of Vocational Behavior 80.2 (2012): n. pag. Web.

 

Ted Talk, Shawn Achor, Happiness, Work, Success
How to Find Happiness in Your Work
How to Find Happiness in Your Work 1024 543 Emilie

Here at United Eventures, we are all about promoting teamwork and camaraderie, so that going into work each day is something you love to do. We think it’s important for everyone to enjoy the work that they do, and appreciate the successes they have made. For this reason, we wanted to share researcher and bestselling author Shawn Achor’s inspiring Ted Talk with you. Achor discusses a major mistake we make by assuming that we will attain happiness if only we gain the success we are looking for. He says that every time succeed at one goal, we raise that goal so that we once again have to work for success. In this way, if happiness is on the other side of success, we will never reach it.

Achor lists several ways that we can find happiness that helps us achieve success, instead of success helping us achieve happiness:

  1. 3 Gratitudes: Each day, write three new things that you are thankful for.
  2. Journaling: Each day, write about one positive thing that has happened over the last 24 hours.
  3. Exercise
  4. Meditation
  5. Random Acts of Kindness: Write one positive email or text each day saying something kind to someone you know.

Achor offers each of these suggestions so that we can find happiness to improve our work, instead of creating an endless cyclical relationship between success and un-fulfillment. Comment below with your thoughts about Achor’s talk!

 

 

business, collaboration, soft skills, teamwork
6 Soft Skills Every Leader Needs
6 Soft Skills Every Leader Needs 960 677 Emilie

We all know the importance of technical skills and experience, but what may be even more important is those “soft skills” that make up the person behind resume. It is easy to underestimate the importance of these personality based skills, but it is these skills that allow for harmonious collaboration amongst team members. Possessing technical abilities is just a small piece of the puzzle, which cannot be employed without the proper soft skills. Below we composed a list of the most effective and useful soft skills that everyone, from new employee to CEO, should learn the value of. Each one reflects a way to turn ideas into actionable steps which will get the most out of your employees.

1. Understand values and atmosphere. Every company has its own vibe, ethics, priorities, goals and atmosphere. Often we don’t think about how our priorities, values, etc. align with those of our company. When our feelings unknowingly do not line up with those of our company, it results in tension and frustration when we feel like an outsider within our own place of work. Spend some time devising a list of these key attributes. What values do you prioritize in a workplace? What goals do you believe a company should emphasize? What type of atmosphere should a company have? Casual? Professional? Then devise a list answering the same questions on behalf of your company. Devise a list of ways your employees might answer these questions. By being aware of these differences in point of view between you, your company, and fellow employees, you will more easily understand the frustrations of you and your employees. In order to work on this incongruity, try adapting your company’s goals, priorities or atmosphere to be more accommodating for your employees. If you are an employee yourself, try to find tasks and goals to work on which better mesh with your priorities.

2. Know how to convey your message. Years ago, studies by Albert Mehrabian developed the classic 7%-38%-55% rule.  The rule explains what people actually pay attention to when you talk: concluding that they put 38% importance in the tonality of your comment, 55% in the body language you use, and only 7% in what you are actually saying. It is thus important to remember that what you are saying to people is far less important than the way you are saying it. An employee will actually be left with a more positive experience if you give them constructive criticism with positive tonality and body language, than if you compliment them using a flat affect. Thus, it is important to remember how your comments are actually being interpreted. Work on your tonality and body language when providing constructive criticism, and your employees will be far more receptive and eager to improve.

3. Know what questions and topics to discuss. Whether you are in a meeting or writing an email, know how to pose questions and topics in the most positive way. Each question should be geared towards finding areas of commonality and collaboration amongst your team. For instance, let’s say you are trying to reformulate your company’s webpage. There are multiple ways you could pose this to your team.

Example 1: I’ve decided to change the header of our website to a larger font. Is everyone okay with this?

Example 2: I’m working on ways to improve our website’s homepage. For instance, I think it would be useful to increase the font of our header. What are your thoughts? What other ideas do people have?

Example 3: I’ve decided to change the header of our website to a larger font. What does everyone think about that idea?

The first version, while still attempting to be inclusive, does not truly aim at collaboration. It is posed as a yes/no question, and seeks for a quick resolution. The second version attempts to engage the group, genuinely valuing each person’s suggestion, making the second example better than the first. The third example is less optimal than the second; however, it is still an improvement over the first example. This third version elicits a less lengthy group conversation than the second example. Thus, it still aims for a quick resolution, but is more inclusive than the yes/no question in example one. By learning to optimally phrase questions, avoiding yes/no phrasing, your team will feel more comfortable voicing concerns and questions. This will overall create a more positive and effective workplace, in which your team can more easily reach agreement on new ideas.

4. Self Management. Be efficient with the time you have, set clear and concise goals. Each of us are given the same amount of time in a day, and often it is easy to be overwhelmed with the amount you have to do. When we become exhausted by our amount of work, it is easy to coast through, accomplishing the bare minimum and using time ineffectively. By setting goals for yourself, you will work more productively and feel more rewarded at the end of the day. By transforming your job into goals you set for yourself instead of goals your company sets for you, you will end up feeling more accomplished at the end of each day. Incidentally, taking this initiative will lead to greater success for your company.

5. Be a “Big Thinker.” Stop focusing on small errors, and start focusing on the big picture goals and accomplishments for your company and team. If your project hits a bump in the road, focus on the ways your end goals or timelines have changed, not the error that caused it. If you have an employee that is continuously making errors, work on coaching them through these challenges. By setting an example for your team that it is more important to focus on the big picture than smaller mistakes, it will lead to an increase in professionalism throughout the workplace and change the way people innately react to a seemingly negative situation.

6. Negotiation Skills. Often times when one party begins to negotiate, it results in conflict as the other party resists. The first party feels like they are not being heard, and that no one is trying to accommodate their concerns. When negotiating with employees, try to actually understand and care about what they are saying. Listen to each point they make, getting to the heart of the problem, not just the requests they are making. Make sure your employee knows you want to help, even if you can’t. And remember, that negotiations require compromise on both sides.

Luo, Tracy. "The Negotiation Skills of Workplace Professionals." Morgan McKinley. N.p., 31 Aug. 2015. Web.

Calder, Alan. Selling Information Security to the Board: A Primer. 2nd ed. Cambridgeshire: ITGovernance, n.d. Print.

Ducey, Ariel. Never Good Enough: Health Care Workers and the False Promises of Job Training. Ithaca: Cornell UP, n.d. Print.

Reddy, B. Rathan, and B. Supraja Reddy. "Soft Skills for Professional Excellence (Basic Concepts, Instruments and Cases: 3 Modules) Personality Development (Module - I)." Indian Journal of Industrial Relations 42.1 (2006): n. pag. Web.


art, creativity, brain
7 Ways to Increase Your Creativity and Innovative Thinking
7 Ways to Increase Your Creativity and Innovative Thinking 960 640 Emilie

Are you more scientific or artistic? More right brain or left brain? In a world where we seek identity by putting ourselves into boxes, it is easy to simply say that we “aren’t creative.” We tend to think that if we aren’t involved in a creative profession, or deeply engrossed in a creative activity, that we aren’t creative. We look at artists, interior decorators, writers, and so many other professions, thinking how we could never accomplish what they have. But we must remember that creativity is like any other skill, and without practice, it will never be able to grow. It’s not that we are uncreative, simply that it is a skill we have devoted little time and effort towards cultivating. Creativity is an important skill to master, because it can allow for innovative solutions and problem solving in every type of job.

Roman Krznaric, author of several books about empathy and living, discusses the idea of creativity in his book How Should We Live?: Great Ideas from The Past for Everyday Life. The book is a fascinating read, and can be purchased here if you are interested in reading the book in its entirety. He discusses how in modern times it is even more difficult to try to recapture your internal creativity. He suggests that this is because we compare ourselves to creative idols, like Michelangelo or Van Gogh. Knowing that we can never live up to this prevents us from ever trying to stimulate our creative juices.

Krznaric may have a point, but there are certainly many reasons why enhancing our creativity has been put on the back burner for most of society. We are a society driven by instant gratification and reward, and unless your job requires creativity, creativity simply seems like a nice skill-set. But it certainly doesn’t seem like a necessary one. But at the end of the day, challenging yourself creatively can make you feel just as fulfilled as challenging yourself intellectually or physically. So if you’re looking for ways to bring creativity into your life, try some of our suggestions below!

1. Find creativity in your daily activities. Trying to become creative doesn’t mean you need to sit down and force yourself to paint every day. Instead, there are many ways you can embrace creativity with the tasks you already choose to do. Cooking is a great example: by playing with different ingredients, going off-script from recipes, and experimenting with presentation, you can make something as simple as a salad a new, creative experience. Try putting down the recipe book, and experimenting yourself with flavors you think may suit each other. Similarly, interior design and gardening have great “real world” applications which can test your creativity. Try reupholstering a flea market chair or rearranging your furniture to give your house a new look. Or try creating new floral arrangements in ways you haven’t before. Even if your creations turn out poorly, remember that creativity is a learning process, and even what seems like failure is already turning you into a more creative person.

2. Don’t be afraid of failure or ridicule. Psychologist Abraham Maslow said that true creativity comes when people embrace the feelings and thoughts they have, without fear of others’ reactions. When first trying to harness your creativity, you may feel reluctant to try or say something new. You may fear that your creation will look unattractive, or people will not like your idea. Instead, try to move past this fear, and stay in touch with the creative feelings that are within you. Do not think negatively about your ideas or the products you make. Each one is a stepping stone towards greater success.

3. Go crazy. On this same track, remember that no idea is too crazy. Even if your idea seems completely outlandish or impossible, give it a shot. At the end of the day, creativity comes through the process of learning and trying, not through sorting through a million ideas until you find a flaw with each one of them. And remember, some of the world’s best ideas seemed crazy at first. There is nothing wrong with trying something that seems out of the box.

4. Change your perceptual set. Your perceptual set is the way in which you are biased towards interpreting something. For instance, when someone looks at a pair of scissors, people always see them as a tool for cutting other objects. By sticking to our perceptual set, it is more difficult to see novel ways in which we can use objects. To practice changing your perceptual set, spend some time looking at a common object (for instance, that pair of scissors) and create a list of all the ways in which you could use this object other than the purpose for which it was intended.

5. The more, the merrier. The more ideas you have, the better. The more projects you attempt, the better. Often times, our brains force us to confront the ideas that are in the front of our mind, before we can get to the more complex ones in the back. Whether you are participating in a group conversation, or simply jotting down notes as you brainstorm, make sure you include every idea (even if you know it isn’t good). By writing them down or saying them out loud (instead of keeping them in your head) you will be able to push these ideas to the side and focus on new ideas.

6. Don’t forget that your main goal is creativity. Although more projects and more ideas are helpful, do not simply go through the motions trying to produce the greatest quantity of ideas and projects possible. A study done by psychologists Steven J. Kachelmeier, Bernhard E. Reichert and Michael G. Williamson looked at participants who were instructed to create puzzles. The study demonstrated that when participants were valued  solely on quantity, their creativity suffered, and they created less intricate puzzles. Similarly, when they were analyzed solely on their creativity, the number of puzzles they produced reduced in quantity. This shows us that while we shouldn’t be scared to try new ideas and projects, we should always remember that our goal is to produce something creative. Value your ideas based on their creativity, not just how many projects you can produce.

7. “Leap before you look.” In the book Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, authors Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel talk about a gardener named Bonnie who’s motto is “leap before you look.” Bonnie self-taught herself how to garden, and despite many failures she eventually came to learn what types of plants should be planted where, and what type of care each plant needs. Although a less efficient way to learn, this can be a great way to go about the creative process because it makes the process less overwhelming. Instead of reading countless books and articles to first educate yourself, try going about projects and learning from your mistakes. Many people find this method to be more hands-on, allowing you to start your creative journey on day 1. If you’re interested in reading Make it Stick, you can purchase it here.

Overall, creativity is a noble goal. And with hard work and dedication, you yourself can become creative. Just remember that creativity exists in a wide variety of ways, and you can’t find it without a little hard work and motivation.

Daley, Kristin E. "Taking Care of Your Creativity." The Journal of Museum Education 30.1 (2005): 23-31. Web.
Kachelmeier, Steven J., Bernhard E. Reichert, and Michael G. Williamson. "Measuring and Motivating Quantity, Creativity, or Both." Journal of Accounting Research 46.2 (2008): 341-73. Web.

 

5 Amazing Ways to Motivate Your Team, According to Research
5 Amazing Ways to Motivate Your Team, According to Research 1024 683 Emilie

When it comes to being a successful leader, one of the most important skill-sets is learning how best to motivate your team. Luckily for you, we scoured the internet to find some of the best advice out there. Below are 5 surefire methods for motivating your team, as according to research.

1. Show Interest in Your Team’s Career Advancement. According to Payscale.com, the number one reason people quit their jobs (45% of quitters) is because they feel like they had no mobility within their former job. Speak with your team members about the possibilities they have for personal and professional growth, making sure clear paths exist for them to work harder and achieve these goals.

2. Make the Work Challenging. Another top reason for people quitting their previous job is because they did not find the work challenging enough. It is important to provide work which is difficult enough to keep workers interested, preventing them from falling into the tedium of repetition.

3. Utilize Objective Based Team Training. In addition to providing challenging work, it is important to provide workers with clear, outlined goals. According to research from the Changzhou Institute of Technology, objective based team training should include two main components: clear individual goals, and company/team goals and visions. It is important that each worker understands both the company objectives on a grander scale, as well as their role in this goal. Providing training in this way will increase team spirit and motivation by outlining the importance of each individual’s role within the larger context of the company.

4. Emphasize the Unique Contributions of Each Member. According to research by Albert Bandura, team members work less effectively when they believe that someone else on the team is a “weak link.” Even if this belief is not accurate, misconceptions that someone else on the team is not pulling their weight leads to team members working unproductively. By emphasizing the successes and unique skill-sets of each team member, this will make each member of the team feel like everyone is a useful, necessary member. Furthermore, it will allow newer members a safe environment to to grow and learn without judgement.

5. Create Distinct Tasks for Each Person. The term social loafing was coined in the 1900s as a result of a rope-pulling experiment. In this study, participants were asked to pull against a rope either alone or with the help of another. Participants put in less effort when they were pulling the rope alongside someone else as compared to when they were pulling the rope only by themselves. Team leaders should thus avoid assigning one general task to multiple team members, because it allows each member to put in less effort when another person is there to pick up the slack. Instead, assign each person a more specific task within the larger task, holding each person accountable to their portion of the objective.

Thoughts or comments? Comment below! We love to hear from you.

Clark, Richard. "Research-Tested Team Motivation Strategies." Performance Improvement 44.1 (2005): 13-16. Web. 
Holub, Anne. "Why Most People Quit Their Jobs." Payscale. 30 Sept. 2015. Web.
Jiang, Xin. "How to Motivate People Working in Teams." International Journal of Business and Management 5.10 (2010): 223-29. Web.

 

food, jersey girls food tours, jersey city, alessia aron, Zeppelin Hall Bier Garden, Porta, where to eat, places to eat, dining, dinner, lunch, orale, razza, asbury park, pizza
Jersey Girls Food Tours, @JGFoodTours: Where to Eat in Jersey City
Jersey Girls Food Tours, @JGFoodTours: Where to Eat in Jersey City 750 497 Emilie

Written by: Allesia Aron, Co-Founder of Jersey Girls Food Tours

I am not a winter person. I hate the cold. As the weather starts warming up, I am constantly fighting between being skinny or eating the mouth-watering taco or Soppressata pizza (Don’t worry, Ill tell you where you can find them). It’s hard not to want to go out and explore new places to eat and drink! The weather might not be as warm as we’d like it to be by end of April, but we’ve curated a few spots that might inspire you to explore a few new places around Jersey City – both indoors and outdoors. Be warned, these might not help you squeeze into that hot new bikini you just got from Victoria’s Secret, but your significant other will love you anyway (especially after they try some of this amazing food!).

Seasonal Menus at Porta, Orale, and Razza

While it should be a staple that restaurants always use seasonal and local produce and ingredients, that isn’t always the case. My three go-to’s for the best quality ingredients and seasonal menus are Porta, Orale, and Razza, and they just happen to all be in close walking distance of each other.

Orale

Orale is a Mexican-fusion restaurant right by the Grove Street PATH. Aside from making the strongest and tastiest margaritas in town, their menu offers a unique twist on Mexican cuisine.

What’s New:

The Barbacoa Pork Nachos: these are not your average nachos. If Orale puts nachos on the menu, they are going to be epic. Don’t you hate when you eat through the first layer of cheesy nachos and the ones at the bottom have no toppings left? The worst. But not at Orale. Each layer of chips has a healthy serving of smoked gouda (not cheddar!), house made BBQ pork, yellow habanero salsa, black beans, raddish, crema and pico de gallo. Nacho overload.

I’m a big guacamole fan. Orale offers a guacamole trio sampler and you can choose from over 9 different types of Guacamole. Recently added was the Doriloco. If you’ve been to LA or Mexico City, you may have heard this word, which kind of translates to “Crazy Dorito.” Bodegas would cut open the Dorito bags and throw in all sorts of crazy ingredients; grated carrots, jicama, cucumber, pickled pork rinds, peanuts, jellied candies, lime juice, chili powder, and swirls of several kinds of fruity syrup and hot sauce. Naturally, Orale had to somehow incorporate this into their Guacamole line-up. The Doriloco guac has doritos, fresh fruit and hot sauce. Don’t knock it til you try it! I tried it this weekend at Boozy Brunch. Oh, and boozy brunch: twenty-five dollars for brunch open bar. You’ve been warned. Let’s just say Monday was a blur.

Other Top Picks:

The pork belly tacos! Suvee-cooked pork belly, aka slow cooked for 18 hours, and then crisped to perfection, served with pickled red onions. THIS is where to eat an amazing taco.

If you are a tequila fan, they have a great selection of tequilas, including my favorite, 1800 Coconut.

Porta

Asbury Park is my favorite shore town so when I heard Porta was opening in Jersey City, outdoor fun definitely came to mind. This old department store turned industrial, Napoleon-style pizza joint, spans from Columbus Drive to Newark Ave, and so does the rooftop, which hosts two large bars. Coming this summer, you’ll be able to order not just small bites, but their delicious pizzas too up on the rooftop. It does get pretty packed on the weekends so I prefer dining during the week. Enjoy live music on certain weekdays under the soft-lit Edison string light bulbs.

What’s New:

Spring Betty pizza – creamed goat cheese and spinach béchamel, thyme, and garlic. This pie is definitely something different. I find it to be a lot lighter and a great option for Spring weather even if you’re craving pizza!

Tyrion Clamister – (any GoT fans?!) A ton of flavor and a bit creamy. Baby clams, bacon, Vidalia onion, lemon, parsley, olive oil, breadcrumbs.

Other Must-Try

14 and a half – I mentioned that I would tell you where to get the best Soppressata pizza. This is it. A little spicy, a lotta cheesy, all delicious. San Marzano tomatoes, homemade mozzarella, homemade ricotta, hot soppressata, Calalbrian chiles, oregano, and EVOO.

Wash it down with Lambrusco.

Razza Pizza Artigianale

Chef Dan Richer is a James Beard nominated chef, a master bread maker and very serious about pizza. I dare to admit I am not a tomato sauce fan, yet I find myself asking for a side of tomato sauce (no, he doesn’t use Italian san marzanos here!) to dip my crusts in when I eat at Razza.

A Must-Order This Spring

Maple Bacon Pie at Razza is back! If you are a big fan of savory with a touch of sweet and smoky, this is the pie for you.

Rooftop Dining/Outdoor Dining

There are so many great rooftop and outdoor bars in Jersey City. Skinner’s Loft has a quaint and intimate rooftop that is great for date night. If you’re looking for a little bit more fun with a big group (and possibly pretzels and pizza), check out the Zeppelin Hall Bier Garden or Porta. The people watching from outside of Left Bank Burger Bar is second to none along with almost everywhere on NEWARK AVE! Take a stroll in pedestrian plaza in between stops to soak up some sun and work off all that beer you’re drinking! There is no shortage of options for outdoor seating so if one spot is full, your’e sure to find a spot next door or close by.

Food Tours with Jersey Girls Food Girls

Can’t decide on which amazing restaurant to try first? Try them all and more on a Jersey Girls Food Tour. Yes, this is totally a shameless plug but you can thank me after you experience a tour! Five to six restaurants, along with drink pairings, meeting chefs and owners, learning about the city and eateries we visit, and a pretty damn awesome tour guide. Especially if you’re new to the area, this is the best way to learn and appreciate this great city we live in. And no, you don’t just have to be a Jersey girl to take a tour. Don’t take my word for it though. Go here, and I’ll see you on a tour, or buy someone a gift certificate to a tour. We’ll even make the gift card pretty for you.

About the Author: Alessia is co-founder of Jersey Girls Food Tours based in Jersey City, NJ. When she’s not running food tours, she’s planning her next vacation for herself or others, a service she recently introduced through the business. Her favorite destination, so far, is Colombia and hopes to expand tours to South America in the future!

olympics, olympics games, first modern olympics, athens, rio, olympic games
Where did the Olympics Start?
Where did the Olympics Start? 855 900 Emilie

With the Rio Summer Olympics rapidly approaching, we are sure some of you are wondering where and how the Olympics began. Interestingly enough, the Olympics date all the way back to the summer of 1896 and, unsurprisingly, was located in Athens, Greece. The 1896 Olympics brought back the Olympic games after it was banned for over a thousand years. It was also the first Olympics to be held in modern times. Participants came from many countries, and events included many sports we still compete in today, including gymnastics, fencing, cycling, and tennis.

Looking for a taste of Olympic fame yourself? You’re in luck! United EVENTures can create and individualize an Olympic Games specific for you and your group. Contact us for more information!