Using Project Management to Maximize the Holiday Season at Work

10 November 2018

Holidays are a stressful time for all of us. You are pushed and pulled to the limits to get everything done before the festivities can begin. This constant stress can push you to the limits at work, especially as you try to juggle multiple tasks before the year comes to a close.

Project management is the ideal way to gain control over your work responsibilities. The ability to manage your projects judicially will help you prioritize and complete what needs to be done before the holidays start.

No matter what the task is at hand, you can use project management skills to advance the progress at work while reaping the rewards of your time off during the holiday season.

Define the Scope of Every Project You Are Handed:

For starters, you need to look at the full scope of every project that comes your way now as well as into the future. This means that you have to decide if you have the time or the resources to complete what the project will require.

It can be tempting to jump in head first without fully understanding what you are getting yourself into. You need to stop and think before you start and determine if the project is really possible. Saying no to projects that will cause you more headaches than necessary is all right. Don’t beat yourself up over it as you have looked at the full scope of the project at this point and decided that the parameters are beyond your control.

Go Digital with Your Business Operations:

One of the easiest ways to make your projects go off without a hitch during the holiday season is to adopt a digital system. Papers are messy. They get lost and are no way to operate in this day and age. Take the time to evaluate a platform that will do it all for you.

There is a myriad of apps available today that can delegate and prioritize everything that needs to be done each day. These automatic systems will give you the time you need to focus on more pressing tasks and help you to maximize your day without forgetting an important detail or nuance.

Utilize Your Team and All of Their Skills:

Now that you have a digital system in place and you have defined exactly what needs to be done for an upcoming project, you need to get your team onboard. Assess where each member of your department can help you the most. Utilize their skills to your advantage to get the project done before the holidays hit.

You need everyone’s help at this point in the year, and most employees will be grateful to lend the helping hand. Taking on all the responsibilities of the office is not a wise way to manage your time. Get the help you need and do not be afraid to delegate. You too want some time off this holiday season.

Create a Plan That Works and Fits Your Timeline:

With everyone at the ready to help you with your projects, you need to develop a strong plan that will fit the timeframe you have left for the year. Think about every step of the project and the amount of time it will take to complete it. Can it be done in the time you have available? If you answered with a resounding “yes” you are ready to move forward and commence the project.

If you are unsure that it can be done, don’t take the risk. You will only disappoint others and end up with an unsatisfied client. Be upfront about how long a project will take and establish a friendlier timeline that will work for everyone involved in the project.

Access the Risk and Execute:

By now you are gung-ho on getting your project going, but you need to heed a little caution to make sure that you have thought about all the risks that could potentially occur. You may wind up over budget or exceed the time capacity you have outlined. Think about these considerations before you execute the project, so you are prepared to handle anything that comes your way.

With a little bit of patience and some forethought, you can avoid pitfalls that many projects succumb to over the holidays. Knowing in advance what can go wrong will help you ready for any issues that could crop up. When you are sure, you have thought of everything move forward with the project execution.

Close Out Your Project Before the End of the Year:

Now’s the time to get moving on your project. Time is of the essence, but you have utilized your project management skills to make the most of the time available before the holiday season gets here. Do not stall or procrastinate on your projects as this will only cause you to worry as you try to relax and have some fun over the holiday season.

Using these tips can help you close out those pressing projects before the festivities start. You will be able to leave the office behind and find that the project management skills you have put in place now will help you in the coming year.

You can make a difference in how you complete your projects and reduce the stress that befalls many during the holidays. So, get moving on your projects now and get ready to enjoy the holidays without work hanging over your head.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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Negotiate Your Salary Wisely With These Seven Employment Law Tips

Negotiating your salary can be a difficult and intimidating process, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right knowledge and preparation, you can take charge of the conversation and be in a better position to get the salary you deserve. Checkout 7 Prime Employment Law Tips To Negotiate Your Salary: Here are some tips from employment lawyers that will help give you the confidence to negotiate your salary successfully. 1. Know Your Worth Before entering negotiations, research typical salaries for your industry and job title, as well as what other employees at your company are making. Having this information handy will give you a better idea of what would be considered fair compensation for your role. Knowing what is appropriate for the industry and having data to back up your claims will help support your request for more money. 2. Practice Makes Perfect Negotiations can be nerve-wracking, so try practicing with friends or family members before actually sitting down with an employer. Go through real-life scenarios so you can learn how to respond effectively in various situations, and make sure you feel comfortable articulating your points regarding any situation presented during negotiations. 3. Don’t Sell Yourself Short When negotiating a salary offer, never undervalue yourself or accept an offer that is too low without exploring all of your options first. When considering a job opportunity, remember that salary isn’t everything; bonuses, vacation days, health insurance contributions, and other benefits should also factor into the equation when calculating whether an offer is right for you. 4. Do Your Due Diligence Be sure to ask questions about job duties and responsibilities during interviews; this way there won’t be any surprises once you start working at the company if there are additional tasks that weren’t discussed prior to hiring. Additionally, make sure to ask about potential opportunities for raises or promotions before accepting a job offer so there won't be any miscommunication later on down the line about expectations for future growth within the company. 5. Be Prepared for Rejection If an employer doesn’t budge on their initial offer after negotiations, don’t take it personally; they may simply not have room in their budget to pay out higher salaries at that particular time. However, if they do reject you outright without considering counteroffers or trying to come up with another solution, then it could be best to consider looking elsewhere for employment opportunities. You don’t want to settle for something that isn't ideal just because it's offered immediately available from them. 6. Know Your Rights It is illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants based on anything regarding national origin, sexual orientation, religion, gender, race, or physical disability. This means employers cannot pay certain individuals less than others based solely on these factors; therefore, it is important that applicants understand their rights before entering into negotiations with potential employers. This way, they can know when they are being treated unfairly by employers who may try to take advantage of them due to their protected status. All of these things should not be asked about when speaking to upper management about getting an increase in your salary. 7. Be Confident Confidence is key when negotiating salaries; employment lawyers like Levitt LLP recommend you stay focused on what value you bring to the table rather than worrying about making mistakes or saying something wrong during negotiations. You should also remain firm in your stance while being respectful of the other person's opinion; remember that negotiation is part of the business, so don't let emotions get in the way! Just like any other skill, practice makes perfect when it comes to negotiating salaries; eventually, you'll become more comfortable in these situations. Read Also: Best Paying Jobs In Industrial Machinery/Components 7 Best Employment Law Tips For Businesses In Dubai What To Look For When Researching A Criminal Lawyer?

3 Reasons Why Businesses Find Application Fraud So Devastating

There are all kinds of businesses for which individuals have to fill out applications. You might have a banking app, for instance, and someone wants to fill out an application so they can purchase a CD or open a new checking account. You might have a website set up with a paywall, and some individual is trying to apply for membership. There are many more business models where people try to fill out applications to become members, purchase things, get in line to buy new products coming out, and more. If they can fill out an application with no issues, it benefits them since they can get what they want, and it helps the business since it can generate revenue. However, application fraud does exist, and it can harm a business entity significantly. In this article, we’ll explain what application fraud is, and we’ll go over some reasons it can devastate a business if that company can’t figure out a way to identify and block it. What Exactly is Application Fraud, and Why Does It Happen? There are all kinds of ways to block application fraud, such as AI machine-learning fraud protection. Before we talk about any of that, though, you should understand exactly what we mean when we use the term “application fraud.” Application fraud occurs when a malicious individual or entity tries to sign up for a new account. They might do so on a website or through an app. They will usually use stolen or synthetic identities to do so. They might sign up for a single fraudulent account, or they might create and run programs that try to activate hundreds or even thousands of new accounts at the same time. But why would anyone do that? Profit is one reason. Someone might sign up for thousands of fraudulent accounts and then use the dark web to sell those activated accounts for a much lower price than the business would charge. Mischief is another reason. Someone might try to activate all of those new accounts because they like destroying a company and tearing down what the business has tried to build. Some hackers are essentially anarchists, and they try to demolish legitimate businesses for no other reason than because they can. Now, let’s examine three potential application fraud impacts. A Company Can Lose Money When This Happens: Let’s say that a hacker creates a program that tries to open thousands of new accounts at one time. The accounts they create give those who utilize them access to exclusive website content behind a paywall. If the hacker is successful and sells those active accounts to dark web users, they will start using those accounts. The website, or site network, can potentially lose thousands of dollars or more. If they cannot generate revenue through legitimate, active accounts, then they may have to shut down eventually. Their Site Can Crash: A hacker might also create a program to try to open up lots of fraudulent accounts at the same time, and the website has safeguards in place that can identify and nullify the attack. However, the program might be so pernicious that it overwhelms the website’s defenses. The hacker might not be able to get all of the active accounts that they wanted, but the company’s site can crash. When that happens, it might take their IT department several days to get it up and running again. They Might Have to Pay for Tons of Overtime Hours: In the scenario we just described, the company might have to pay their IT staff lots of money for the overtime hours they are putting in to get the website running once more. They might not even have a regular IT department, in which case, they will likely have to reach out to web developers or IT specialists via Upwork or some other freelancer platform. This will ultimately cost the company money, and though they might have blocked the hacker’s attempt at stealing accounts, that hacker will have the last laugh. The company must still expend both cash and resources trying to bring their site back online. Application fraud can be problematic, but entities do exist that can help companies that are dealing with it. For instance, you can reach out to an entity that has AI-enabled software that can detect these attacks as they happen. They use advanced algorithms to zero in on the attack and stop it before it can go into effect. Read Also: Why Do Businesses Need Lawyer’s Advice? Why Your Business Needs Call Center Tracking Major financial problems that can affect a new business Why OKRs Help Businesses Grow and Improv

Work from wherever you want

Surely we would all be aware by now what it’s like to be in the working environment. You’re often stuck in one place, doing the same old repetitive things for who knows how long and then being expected to do things in the way the boss tells them to. You need to work from anywhere. Moreover, in all this, they are to maintain a good level of motivation so that their mood and levels of fatigue do not take a toll on their workload. As we know, it's just not possible to keep a high level of motivation in a confined environment, you are bound to let it get to you no matter what. Compromising on the quality of work, in turn, could have your boss reprimanding you or in some extreme cases even fire you. So what do you do? How do you even get out of a situation like this? We may have a solution to your issue should you choose to go with it. Northbridge Secure is a company which looks to take people out of the office environment and places them in a more comfortable setting. A setting which they are familiar with and where they will be able to perform better, a setting of their own choice. Whether it's their bed, a park or just sitting around in their living room, the company looks to bring the entire work environment into one centralized location where you can access them from just about anywhere. Essential Things You Need To Take Care Of While You Work From Anywhere What is NetConnect? What net connect is, is a software system launched by Northbridge Secure. It’s a system which allows the user to get out of an uncomfortable environment and move into a more comfortable setting in order for them to increase productivity. They have access to all their files and everything else they will need, just like as they were in their office environment, yet with the comfort of being wherever they want. This way the worker is in touch with their other coworkers and can get whatever work which they want to be done with whatever help they need through the online support of their colleagues as well. It’s basically your entire office on your device, be it a computer or cell phone. This makes it great for people who are constantly on the move. Is it secure? Northbridge Secure claims that they have indeed met whatever safety considerations a usual business is concerned about. It’s common for hackers and other rogue agents to try and infiltrate such a system and take advantage of key data. This could cost your company a lot of money if sensitive information gets into the wrong hands, not to mentioned ceasing to be a company as a whole. Just an overall nasty situation if you think about it, one which you don’t want to get caught up in. For this reason, the company has taken the best measure to ensure security when it comes to their NetConnect software. They have taken note of the potential dangers to the company of working from a software and on personal devices and tried to ensure that there is no access route for hackers to potentially get in and steal data. Long story short, yes, it is secure. You can use it anywhere We talked about this briefly earlier. So on one of those days when you’re out with your friends or family and you remembered that there is a little bit of work to be submitted and you can’t be late. You don’t even have your computer nearby and you start to panic. Well, fear not. NetConnect works on any device you choose, whether it's a cell phone, laptop or tablet. Now you can work anywhere and at any time. You can catch up on work which you are late on either while you’re sitting in the park, or at a bar with your friends. You really don’t need to worry about anything other than getting it across in time and the quality of work. That’s somethings Northbridge Secure cannot help you with. Hopefully, something like this can help you and your work life out just a little bit. It certainly makes things much more efficient for people who don't work well in an office environment and are working part-time in different places. We hope that Northbridge Secure business can be useful, yet feel free to scout the market for whatever suits your needs best. Final Take Away Hence, these are some of the core factors that you have to take care of while you want to improve your work from anywhere. Try to fetch the best results while you want to improve your Read Also: 5 Informal Team Building Activities To Break The Ice Among Co-Workers What No One Tells You About Working Remotely

Using Project Management to Maximize the Holiday Season at Work

Define the Scope of Every Project You Are Handed:

Go Digital with Your Business Operations:

Utilize Your Team and All of Their Skills:

Create a Plan That Works and Fits Your Timeline:

Access the Risk and Execute:

Close Out Your Project Before the End of the Year:

How to Successfully Turn Around Struggling Companies

Critical traps to avoid in your warehousing

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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Negotiate Your Salary Wisely With These Seven Employment Law Tips

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Work from wherever you want

Using Project Management to Maximize the Holiday Season at Work

Define the Scope of Every Project You Are Handed:

Go Digital with Your Business Operations:

Utilize Your Team and All of Their Skills:

Create a Plan That Works and Fits Your Timeline:

Access the Risk and Execute:

Close Out Your Project Before the End of the Year:

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How to Successfully Turn Around Struggling Companies

Critical traps to avoid in your warehousing

Tags

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related