Trading "forced fun" for team building To encourage employees to interact more, some companies have instituted "forced fun" activities to get employees out from behind their screens. One PR firm opted to forgo traditional happy hours and instead chose mid-week company retreats that focus on team-building activities that challenge employees and foster cooperation. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (9/17)How to prove you're management material You'll improve your chances of landing a management position if you demonstrate a strong work ethic and the ability to collaborate and build relationships, writes Kevin Dickinson. Read up on management best practices and volunteer to lead meetings, oversee the internship program or other tasks involving leadership. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (9/11)
Making the Connection
7 sleuthing tips to discover a hiring manager's name Addressing your cover letter to "To Whom It May Concern" can turn off a hiring manager, and a little detective work can help you determine who is in charge of hiring, demonstrate your initiative, and show that you did your homework, write Shana Lebowitz and Allana Akhtar. Tips include scanning the job description for who the position reports to and requesting information from connections you have at the company. Business Insider (9/17)
A survey finds that more than 80% of workers who needed to improve their skills found free training online or enrolled in employer-sponsored training or boot camps, compared with a quarter of workers who took university-level courses. The data also shows that 67% of respondents said they felt colleges and universities were too focused on traditional students and didn't offer enough options for working adults. Campus Technology (9/17)
Your Next Challenge
Why it's wise to humanize a resume We humanize our resumes when we replace cliches with a conversation that includes specifics about what inspires our work, writes Hilary Corna, founder of Human Processes Continuum. This information sets resumes apart from their generic counterparts and results in people finding the best culture fit. Medium (tiered subscription model) (9/13)
Balancing Yourself
A lighthearted approach for relieving workplace stress The World Health Organization says workplace stress creates feelings of negativity and adversely affects professional efficacy, writes Jonathan Keyser. This article discusses how important it is for team leaders to instill a lighthearted atmosphere and suggests ways of doing it. Fast Company online (9/16)
A large swath of books published between 1924 and 1964 have fallen into the public domain because of a copyright loophole. This piece offers a treasure trove of websites and platforms you can use to access the free books, which the New York Public Library is cataloging. The Verge (9/17)
It's so nice to get flowers while you can still smell the fragrance.
Lena Horne, singer, dancer, actress, civil rights activist
