Incomia

Plenty has been written about the need for people to better balance their personal and work lives . Ironically, however, applying successful business strategies and tools at home may actually serve to benefit your personal relationships. Take the act of planning, for instance. It’s something that translates well from business to personal life. Planning is all about setting up frameworks designed to keep must-dos ( and stretch goals ) moving along. Whether it’s a complex client project or a kid’s messy bedroom cleanup, a standard framework can make the process run smoothly. This sounds very intuitive, right? Yet carrying best work practices over to personal life doesn’t always happen. When it does, though, it can be both business-changing and life-affirming. The power of applying business strategies at home When I joined our company, I attended one of our quarterly collaborative exchange events. There, a coach within our community shared a riveting story. They had been brought in as...

We all need mindful rejuvenation from time to time. But busy vacations with tight schedules and long lines can easily become as stressful as our daily work lives. Silent meditation retreats offer the opportunity to unplug during our time with deep silence. Whether choosing a three-day or a weeklong stay, silent meditation retreats provide calming programs for growth, health, mindfulness and inner exploration better than any cruise or amusement park can. And our list of retreats just may offer the quiet time away that you need to build your resilience and recharge your soul. What is a silent meditation retreat? Silent meditation involves sitting quietly and focusing your attention mindfully on the present moment. Quiet spaces free of external distractions such as personal devices and noise assist you on your journey to self-awareness. The short-term benefits of silence include the cultivation of inner stillness, clarity and deep relaxation. Longer-term, silent retreats help us to deve...

Time management is something most of us struggle with. In a world that certainly has no shortage of distractions, it becomes all too easy to waste hours or even days on activities that are neither useful nor really all that enjoyable. The good news is, you can learn time management strategies. And you’ll gain the most benefits as long as you understand why you’re doing something and then practice the good time management techniques until they become a habit . Consider this: Do you proactively engage in your day or simply “fall into activity”? In many ways, time is always of the essence, isn’t it? So it’s up to you to effectively manage your time amidst a sea of competing interests. The thing is, we have far more control than we give ourselves credit for. If you would like to get more value out of the hours you have in the day, check out these time management strategies. 1. Begin with the end in mind. Before starting your week, identify the most important tasks you need to accomplis...

The world of work has changed significantly. I remember a time in my professional sports broadcasting career when, in order to fit in, I had to be “one of the guys.” I also remember the women I worked with not helping each other but being highly competitive for the coveted “woman spot”—that place within the male ranks that we all desired but rarely got. At the time, I didn’t realize how toxic that environment really was. In hindsight, I see there was a lot of misogyny.  As I got older, I found my voice and realized that women could be the best support systems out there to help each other thrive at work. Many women know what it’s like to balance family, financial inequality and a demanding career, as well as navigate missing rungs in the corporate ladder. Imagine what would happen if more women supported one another in their roles and stepped into their voices. We would be a force to reckon with.  Why is it important to have women in the room? First, let’s discuss why hiri...

Business leaders have a new solution to alleviating employee burnout and helping them create more balance —hiring virtual assistants (VAs) to free up employees’ time and creative energy. Remote work widely and rapidly became the norm for some workers during the pandemic. Along the way, this transformation offered the future of work plenty of space to be reimagined , including how (and from where) teams function. Laith Masarweh, founder and CEO of Assistantly, an agency that connects businesses with virtual assistants around the world, says that in the third quarter of 2022, bosses hiring VAs for their employees increased significantly, by 10% to 15% of Assistantly’s business. Masarweh says it’s a way to better allocate employees’ time, especially when they have special skills, so you aren’t paying high salaries for basic administrative tasks. He points to around a year ago when there were massive layoffs happening , “just completely wiping companies out,” he says. Many companies a...

In an increasingly unpredictable job market, knowing how to face layoffs and navigate severance negotiations is a necessary skill. According to a recent JustAnswer survey , “58% of people who received a severance package when laid off did not negotiate that package.” Despite that high number, severance negotiations are not a lost cause.  Sho Dewan, career coach, founder and CEO of Workhap, and Merry A. Kogut, a licensed attorney based out of Washington, shed light on the process, debunking misconceptions and providing essential advice to allow employees to confidently enter their severance negotiations .  What is severance pay and when is it due? “Severance pay,” Kogut explains, “is monetary compensation that an employer may provide to an employee when terminating them from their job. Although some employment agreements mandate it, few employers offer it to ‘at will’ employees at the time of termination—employees may need to request it and negotiate receiving it.” So who ...

Graduation represents the closing of one door in service to the opening of another—but it’s not a door that needs to stay shut forever. Maintaining a relationship with your alma mater can benefit you in many ways. But amid social and work obligations, how can you make time to be an active and involved alumni? Consider school back in session, and check out our tips on how to manage your involvement to reap rewards post-cap-and-gown season. Scale your involvement “I encourage young grads to just start by going to one to two events a year,” Katie O’Sullivan, director of communications at Nerinx Hall High School in St. Louis, Missouri, says. “Say ‘yes’ to one volunteer or service project or day that is advertised. At Nerinx, we periodically have days for the current students where we need adults in a variety of fields to talk about their profession, and it is a two-hour commitment, one time.” O’Sullivan said taking advantage of those one-off activities can portend deeper involvement....