Understanding the Big Decisions of Open Enrollment

Understanding the Big Decisions of Open EnrollmentUnderstanding the Big Decisions of Open EnrollmentAs youre ticking off the many good things that roll around each year in the fall- crisp air, leaf peeping, pumpkin lattes- theres a pretty good chance open enrollment doesnt make the list. Nearly 3 in 4 respondents to Aflacs Open Enrollment Survey say reading about their benefits is long, complicated or stressful. And alfruchtwein half would rather do something truly unpleasant- like talking to an ex or walking over hot coals- than complete this years benefits enrollment. The upshot? Most punt. Four out of five say they spend less than an hour on their benefits decisions, and even more just choose the saatkorn benefits year after year. The Price of Inaction That can getexpensive if you choose wrong. Say you opt for a plan where a doctor you landsee once a year is out of network. That may be a cost youre willing to bear. But if you end up needing that doctors services for an unexpec ted additional procedure? You could end up paying 300% of what it would cost if youd found an in-network doc from the get-go, according to a 2015 study by the AHIP Center for Policy and Research. Likewise, if you opt to pay the higher premiums that come with plans that have lower deductibles, but rarely see a doctor or fill prescriptions because youre healthy as a horse, you could end up paying more in up-front costs than need be. And the price of sticking your head in the sand is only heading higher. The total cost of healthcare in the US is about $3 trillion a year, of which consumers pay out of pocket about $400 to $500 billion- and our share is rising about 10 percent a year. Im willing to bet that our share is just going to go up, says Thomas Torre of Copatient, a company that helps consumers negotiate their doctor and hospital bills. That trend is unstoppable. Making the right benefits decisions, therefore, depends on arming yourself with a real understanding of the first havi ng a basic understanding of the terms you see when you read about todays health plans. (Aflac tested this, too. Most people dont.) And second, being able to answer a couple of questions that will tell you which kind of plan is likely to be best for your wallet. Making the right benefits decisions, therefore, depends on arming yourself with knowledge and understanding of the fundamental insurance concepts at work. Speak the Language First, you need to have a firm grasp on common health insurance terms. In its survey, AFLAC found most people dont have a grip on a basic healthcare vocabulary. Its hard to make a decision if you dont know the following terms PPO A preferred provider organization. This is a health plan that doesnt typically limit you to in-network healthcare providers (or make you get referrals for specialists) but will require you to pay higher out-of-pocket costs for out-of-network healthcare providers High Deductible PlanA plan that requires you to pay for most of your care (doctors and prescriptions) until you meet your deductible. Qualifies you to open an HSA or Health Savings Account. HSA To help defray the costs of your higher deductible, youll have a health savings account into which you and your employer can deposit pre-tax money that can be invested and grow tax-free. If you use the money to pay for qualified healthcare expenditures, you generally wont have to pay any taxes on it when you use it. PremiumThe amount you pay- typically monthly- to purchase health insurance. Deductible The amount you pay out of pocket for healthcare before the insurer starts to pay its share. Co-pay The amount you pay for an office visit or prescription that supplements what the insurer pays (until you meet your out-of-pocket maximum). Coinsurance The percentage of a healthcare service you are required to pay until you meet your out-of-pocket maximum. The Big Decisions Now you can move on to picking the right plan for you. Here are the big decisions yo ull need to make. PPO vs. high deductible plan with HSA. If youre getting a plan through your employer, these are likely your choices. To make the call, look back at your medical usage over the past year.How many times did you see a doctor? How many prescriptions did you fill? If youre healthy and dont take a lot of medications, youre generally better off with a high deductible plan. If you have high expected medical expenses, including pharmaceuticals, youre generally better off with a PPO. Compare the deductibles against those premiums. Notice, I said generally better off. It is possible to follow those guidelines and make mistakes. Pick a health plan based on premiums alone, according to the Copatient survey. Premiums are important, but theyre not the only element to consider, says Justin Sydnor, Associate Professor at the Wisconsin School of Business. Add up your yearly premiums and compare what youre paying on a higher-priced policy to what youre saving on the deductible. If yo ur employer is making a contribution to a Health Savings Account to defray a high deductible, make sure to take that into account. Consider the doctors, formularies and other costs. Make sure you take into account the variables that dont have a price tag attached. Are the doctors that you want to see on your plan? Are the drugs youre likely to take? How much will you pay- in the form of a copay or coinsurance- every time you go for medical care? Look at last years health history, and assume your behavior will be largely the same. And if you cant afford the pricier plan?Remember A cheaper plan is better than no plan at all. With Kelly Hultgren

Why Staying in a Job You Hate May Be Good for You

Why Staying in a Job You Hate May Be Good for You Why Staying in a Job You Hate May Be Good for You Every day, I tell myself I want to be skinny. But what if I stopped and just accepted myself more instead?You may be wondering what this quote has to do with you and your career. The answer is everything.Many people havent yet reached their professional goals, or they are stuck in jobs with which theyre not happy. Perhaps youre one of these people. Rather than constantly reminding yourself that youre not where you want to be, you might be better off staying in a job you hate at least for the moment.Let me explainI welches at the gym this weekend when I heard a twenty-something say the quote at the top of this post to her friend. I inserted myself into the conversation bytelling this woman that she was skinny, and that one day, in the future, she would look back on pictures of herself from this period of her life and realize how skinny she was.The conversation then shifted to our pro fessional lives. I learned that this woman was a lawyer a professionally unsatisfied lawyer. She said she spends most of the day reviewing contracts and legal documents in seclusion. Her work environment didnt even come close to the collaborative environment she longed for.I chimed in again. Why stay in a job youre unhappy with? I asked.Financial freedom was the biggest reason, she said. Then, she shared advice a friend had given her Suck it up. This is what you have to do if you want to play in the big leagues.We debated the merits of her staying versus her leaving. Ultimately, she seemed resigned to stay where she was for a few more years, at least until she felt she was in a better position to make a meaningful move.Rather than focus on whats making her unhappy in the present,this woman has decided to accept herself professionally for the time being. That way, she can focus on getting a better job in the future.Its not always easy to accept the things we dont like or that dont f ulfill us in the moment, nor is it easy to resist the urge to change the situation as soon aspossible. Staying in a job you dont like isnt the most common advice youll find on a career site. Its also not the right advice for everyone but neither is the advice to immediately seek out a new opportunity. Everything is relative to your situation and your future goals.In a world that places so much emphasis on the need to be happy, it can be easy to overlook what we gain through struggle. In fact, listening to your feelings isnt always the best way to make professional decisions. Certainly, your present happiness should be considered, but it should also be integrated with your long-term goals.Looking to make a change or even totally reinvent yourself? Before you make a decision based on your current emotions, ask yourself What do I stand to gain by staying in a jobI hate? What doI stand to lose?The answers will help you decide what your next move should be.A version of this article orig inally appeared on theAtrium Staffing blog.Michele Mavi isAtrium Staffings resident career expert.

ASME Introduces New Advanced Manufacturing Fellowship

ASME Introduces New Advanced Manufacturing Fellowship ASME Introduces New Advanced Manufacturing Fellowship ASME Introduces New Advanced Manufacturing FellowshipApplications are now being accepted for the Societys newest Federal Fellowship opportunity - the ASME Advanced Manufacturing Fellowship. The Advanced Manufacturing Fellow will serve a yearlong term as an advisor to the America Makes innovation institute.America Makes, which launched two years ago as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute and is managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, was established to help the U.S. expand its capacities in additive manufacturing by facilitating collaboration among leaders from business, academia, non-profit organizations and government agencies, focusing on such areas as entwurf, materials, technology and workforce development. The ASME Advanced Manufacturing Fellow will be expected to provide scientific, technical, curricular and intellectu al leadership, as well as analytical support contributing to the advancement of the institutes goals, particularly as they apply to workforce development and educational outreach. The Fellow will also serve as a liaison with internal and external partners, including policymakers, to help America Makes enhance its network of education and workforce development solution providers and help organize the development of the body of knowledge on additive manufacturing processes, materials, and design understanding and methods - both emerging and currently in practice - that offer promise for engineering design and technical implementation in the production process. The Fellow will support the America Makes partners in the development and marketing of online, hybrid and traditional continuing education courses and workshops in the interest of developing the current engineering and technician workforce in industry. The Fellow will also provide instruction and content resources to engineeri ng and technology faculty at universities and community colleges to assist in evolving their curricula to prepare the technical workforce of the near future with the latest in additive manufacturing tools and techniques. The Advanced Manufacturing Fellow will serve for one year, preferably from January through December 2015, depending upon his or her availability, and will be required to relocate to Youngstown, Ohio, for the fellowship term. The ASME Foundation, which is sponsoring the program, will provide a stipend of $60,000 for the yearlong fellowship.Applications for the new fellowship will be accepted through Sept. 30. For more information on the ASME Advanced Manufacturing Fellowship program and how to submit an application, visit the programs page on ASME.org or contact Kathryn Holmes, director, ASME Government Relations, by e-mail at holmeskasme.org. For more information on America Makes, visit americamakes.us.Kathryn Holmes, ASME Government Relations

Boost Employee Productivity

Boost Employee ProductivityBoost Employee ProductivityYour finance kollektiv is almost always a well-oiled machine, hitting reporting deadlines and closing books with precision. But even companies with top-notch leadership occasionally wobble and suffer from subpar performance. As long as everyone recovers their balance and gets back in the groove, its all good. However, if management doesnt right the wrong, employee productivity keeps falling.As the leader of your department or company, its up to you to motivate workers and make sure employee productivity, morale and stress remain at healthy levels. To do that, you need to recognize the situations in which effectiveness on the job tends to slip, take steps to avoid them and take action if you binnenlandsee them.Here are five situations to watch for, along with advice for how to maintain and boost employee productivity.1. Ship on autopilotWhen theres a vacancy in management, a finance team can temporarily operate and still get its wo rk done. But at some point, someone needs to step in full time to steer the ship, make course corrections and set new goals. Of the CFOs responding to a recent Robert Half Finance Accounting survey, 70 percent said leadership vacancies either greatly impede or have a somewhat negative impact on workers performance.See an infographic, below, which shows how unfilled manager positions sap productivity.Employee productivity tip Dont take so long to hire. Most companies arent quick enough during the recruitment process, especially for positions in management. It takes an average of five weeks for employers to fill a senior position, according to another Robert Half Finance Accounting survey. The sooner you have someone in place to oversee a team and really care about its performance, the less worker productivity should slump.2. Exit of rock star employee This is especially damaging to smaller accounting firms, where workers typically wear many hats. If a payroll specialist leaves a la rge company, others in the department can cover various projects until the position is filled again. But in a small organization, where one person may be in charge of payroll, human resources and accounts payable/accounts receivable, a vacancy can seriously hamper productivity. Whats more, when top performers depart, other employees sometimes follow them out the door, which creates a staffing nightmare.In a new Robert Half survey, when employees were asked if they were likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months, more than four in 10 workers (42 percent) said they were. For respondents ages 18 to 34, the number likely to seek new employment in the next year jumped to 68 percent.Do you know How to Make Retaining Top Talent a Priority at Your Company?Employee productivity tip Prevention is key. Minimize the odds of losing talent with an effective employee retention program. This includes financial incentives such as bonuses and raises, but also quality-of-life perks - especial ly flextime and remote working arrangements - that help workers balance their professional and personal lives. Dont forget to have career-path conversations with top performers, who are less likely to leave if they see a future within the firm.But since most people dont stay with one employer for life, management needs to prepare for vacancies. Whenever possible, cross-train staff so the departure of one person doesnt hobble productivity. Also, develop a good relationship with a recruiter or staffing agency so you can quickly and easily fill vacancies.3. Fatigue falloutBeing busy is great for an accounting firm, but not so much for staff motivation. In fact, 31 percent of CFOs in our survey said the greatest cause of lost productivity is increased workload. Employees can multitask only so much before efficiency drops and the error rate increases. Plus, job satisfaction dips when working evenings and weekends becomes the norm rather than the exception.Employee productivity tip Incre ase staffing as necessary so your workers dont burn out. For peak periods like tax season and year-end closing, bring in part-timers or contractors to handle extra reports and other work. Also, encourage employees to use all their vacation days. Everyone needs to get away from the workplace to unplug, unwind and recharge.Need to hire? Let us help you find the right finance or accounting professional for your team.LET US HELP YOU HIRE4. Meeting maniaGroup get-togethers are necessary for planning, brainstorming and debriefing. But too much of a good thing is counterproductive.Employee productivity tip Take a close look at your teams calendar to see where you can cut back. Change weekly meetings to every other week where possible. Feel free to cancel a regular phone conference if the same information can be covered in an email. People are most productive and innovative when they have large blocks of time to focus on a task. Recognizing this fact, some companies even institute no-meetin g days.5. Bad tech rolloutsThis happens to countless workplaces You upgrade a system or platform with the goal of saving time and effort, but something goes wrong - leading to downtime - or worse, data loss. Management then scrambles to come up with a fix or workaround so productivity doesnt come to a grinding halt.Employee productivity tip Invest time upfront to reduce the risk of a failed upgrade. Start by meeting with all shareholders - staff, vendor, IT - to plan the rollout. Dont skimp on the QA phase have actual users test each functionality in addition to the developers. And if possible, opt for a series of smaller upgrades than one massive one.Your business can ill afford a slump in employee productivity. Recognize the situations when workplace efficiency is likely to drop, and then either head them off or take immediate action to get employees right back on track.What else helps with productivity? Read 5 Ways Managers Can Promote Happiness at Work

Model Resume Guide

Model Resume Guide Our resume examples offer inspiration, but more importantly guidance on the best way to structure and compose the elements. You would like your summary statement to be this compelling that hiring managers cant quit reading. An acting resume template makes it possible for you to be spared from the pressures of needing to create a resume from ground up. Our Acting resume sample will definitely help you discover the role you desire. The Battle Over Model Resume and How to Win It In addition, you can look for call center jobs on Monster. When applying for employment, you need to always be searching for an advantage over other applicants, and pointing out that youre a specialist in one or more regions of the job is a significant method of doing that. On the east coast, its the specific opposite. Take a look at the following links to get started browsing for exciting job positions in your town. Nobody expects you to have a good deal of work yet. Excellent lu ck and should you ever need help, dont hesitate to get in touch with us Make it seem clean with plenty of white space. Theres no design frills involved. Life, Death and Model Resume On the base of your resume, theres a section devoted to your special skills. You are able to list the particular kinds of classes your child has taken, along with the elements of each program. Making your resume is vital. Fun layout especially made for children. If you believe that youve got potential of being a prosperous teen model then theres excellent news for you, since the growth within this field is increasing day-by-day and you may easily work towards of becoming a top model. Some companies are always searching for models with experience. There are lots of modeling agencies, which cater the necessities of the teen models by giving them good web modeling assignments. If youre a model or actor whos actively searching for work, you can require an acting and modeling resume format that will help you put your most helpful efforts forward in securing work. The most significant step in the modeling career is to get an ideal professionalized portfolio. Also, it basically depends on your looks. Below you will discover an acting and modeling resume format which will help you easily compose a new resume. It is very important to realize that different fields demand that you write your resume in various ways. When writing a resume, it helps to review resume examples that are linked to your occupation. It is possible to look at generic resumes, but engineering resume samples will be the absolute most useful due to their specificity to your area. As a consequence, no 2 resumes will look the exact same. The Honest to Goodness Truth on Model Resume You cant send the specific same promo model resume to different business for assorted job. Dont invent modeling jobs to create your child appear good. When you submit an application for work outside the modeling industry you re predicted to have a resume. In addition, you can look for acting jobs on Monster. Remember to make certain you display your contact and any applicable representation information clearly on top of your resume, below your name. Please be aware that the posting of academic positions is at no charge. You ought to be aware that a great deal of resumes are screened by software that looks for keywords associated with the job which youre applying for. When its an on-line portfolio, do that with a hyperlink. The Benefits of Model Resume The Blank Resume Model can likewise be structured in the way which best presents your abilities and experience. Teaching jobs usually need specific degrees and certifications, so be certain to highlight your education. Training proves that youre serious. The Child Acting Resume Template was generally created for everyone who can perform a child actor. Work aspirants must be aware of a resume template instead of a programs vitae template. The templates are helpful since it will allow you to earn a professional resume even should you not have the idea of formatting a customized resume which could incorporate all the exact important particulars. Distinct templates are supplied for different purposes. Opposite to what you may have heard, the area of fashion modeling offers practically everyone a gunst der stunde to take part. Therefore, if your latest experience was in film, then all your film experience is going to be written on top, even if some of that experience may be older than your television or theater experience. When an entertainment industry professional sees your kid is altruistic and cares about helping others, that person may want to work with your son or daughter. Some folks might think that fancy is better, but in the event of a prosperous executive resume, easy and professional is the best way to go. Details of Model Resume Any roles both big and small ought to be included in an acting resume, in ad dition to any extra classes or training past a conventional education. All appropriate experience also needs to be included on your acting resume. If you are only beginning, you can consist of information like training, skills, etc.. Other than that, in addition, it showcases any distinctive skills present. At precisely the same time you do not need to list all youve done but the most essential roles and events first followed by others performances and emphasize on the critical roles you have performed. Achieving success in the modelling sector isnt always simple. In it, showcase all of the good work youve done to date. For that reason, its important to highlight upon your major accomplishments.

Resume Writing or Editing Ideas

Resume Writing or Editing Ideas The War Against Resume Writing or Editing Offering free resume reviews is one method to discover clients. If youre searching for he best resumes writing service, you have arrived at the proper place. There are many websites with tips around the internet, but most bring just a few them. On top of that, our cost of resume writing services is among the lowest on the industry. Written language skills are an essential part of many positions in virtually every business. You are also able to get a feeling of the internal language used within a specific industry or company. A technical writer should have strong communication skills, together with exceptional writing and grammar abilities. Your own personal writer will allow you to create a modern resume, dependent on your career story and meeting all of the high standards of your industry. Vital Pieces of Resume Writing or Editing Writing and editing is a rather wide category. Student tasked wit h broad array of dissertation writing guides. Writing and editing need a lot of interrelated abilities, and its challenging to understand what to include. Want to Know More About Resume Writing or Editing? Whats more, you can get assistance with the very best way to acquire the job offer and salary you have earned. A resume builder is an internet service which will help you make your resume from scratch. Analyze job ads You will discover lots of useful info on job ads. Even in the event that you customise it slightly, a fantastic recruiter will observe the template a mile off. Simply enumerating your abilities and experiences isnt enough. Trusting a specialist in rewriting or building a new resume will provide you with the confidence in knowing you have an appropriate document for employers to notice. Attempt to comprehend the market of the organization you are asking for work, and identify what sort of difficulties they could be going through. When it has to do with findi ng work in our preferred field, we certainly have to present our very best efforts. The website does not have any limitations concerning your professional experience and specialization. Know the purpose of your resume Some men and women write a resume as though the aim of the document was supposed to land work. If for some reason youre unhappy with your new documents, well work with you to rewrite them until youre Although its a formal document in 1 sense and need a professional feel to it, its also a document which should reflect enough of your personality to stick out from the crowd. Additionally, you can want to increase your LinkedIn profile. A professionally written resume or CV supplies a lot more than simply listing your skills in a normal way. So it is recommended to improve your CV writing. Whether youre looking for a resume, a CV or a cover letter, you can trust us.

Best Cover Letters of 2019 [+3 Great Examples]

Best titel Letters of 2019 +3 Great Examples Best Cover Letters of 2019 +3 Great Examples The Absolute Best Cover Letters of 2019+3 Great ExamplesWhat do the best titelbild letters have in common? Well, for a start, they wow the hiring manager from the get-go, and make them want to read to the end. They are also created specifically for only one job opening.How to Create the Perfect Cover Letter (That Works)As a career counselor, Ive reviewed thousands of titel letters for hundreds of different positions. Give me a quick glance at your titelseite letter and I can tell you whether the hiring manager will throw it away or keep it.Thats why I wrote this article to give you the lowdown on what makes the best deckblatt letter, so that employers have no choice but to invite you in for an interview.Target the RoleFirst, if you want to make a strong pitch, you should target the job directly.At the very least, that means you need to refer to the position by name, and make it clear that this i snt a cover letter youve sent out to multiple companies. A hiring manager wants to know what you can do for their company, so if you dont address your cover letter to their needs, itll be trashed.Respond to the Job RequirementsIf you really want to make an impression, respond to one or more bullet points from the job description, and outline how you can fulfill each requirement. This shows you that you can handle the duties of the job, and hit the ground running on your first day.Also write about what attracted you to this particular role in the first place. When you do this, dont talk about salary numbers or perks, but rather something that makes you excited to work for the company.Additionally, you could point out a problem youve elendiced its facing - one that youd be able to fix.You can also mention an interesting fact that youve learned about the company or position, such as a bit of information you picked up from reading the news. This will prove that youre motivated and deta il oriented.Craft a Great Cover Letter Opening LineUse one of these ideas for the opening sentence of your cover letter. You only get one chance at making a first impression after all. Since its the first thing the hiring manager will read, youll need an opener that immediately hooks them.Check out this exampleThis opening line is much more effective than starting your cover letter with the dull sentence I am writing to apply for Position Name. A strong introduction will show the hiring manager that youve done your homework.By customizing your cover letter to the role, youll immediately set yourself apart from the vast majority of applicants whose letters dont address the companys needs. When composing your cover letter, think of it as your elevator pitch in written form.3 Great Cover Letters from Creative Job SeekersMillions - if not billions - of cover letters have been sent out, but only a small fraction of them are cover letters that work and that have landed an applicant a jo b. Thanks to the internet, hiring managers have shared some of the amazing cover letters theyve encountered.1. The Consummate ProfessionalIn this great cover letter example, the applicant landed a job as a project manager by proving they had the required skills and experience in a short but effective cover letter. Their professionalism and humor shines through. Notably, they address their cover letter letter to the person theyd be reporting to, rather than using the generic To Whom It May Concern, which is the best way to get things startedThis approach may not be the best if you already have a lot of experience under your belt. But its perfect for an entry-level position, since all of the candidates will have similar backgrounds. A good cover letter will get read - a great cover letter will land you an interview.2. The Compassionate CandidateThis awesome cover letter left a strong impression by showcasing the writers zest for life. Their compassion toward people and animals in par ticular makes them a desirable employee. Their cover letter also shows that despite working in entry-level roles, they still helped to fulfill organizational goals.3. The Much-Improved ApplicantThe author of this wordy cover letter was horrified to reread it after finding it buried in their email outbox several years after submitting it.Their original cover letter was difficult to read because of its length and lackluster content. It simply repeated the bullets on their resume, and didnt showcase their passion or interest in the role. So they asked experts to rewrite it.The redone version is much more readable, since it has short, easy-to-read paragraphs and an impactful opening line. Its much more likely to hook the hiring manager and help the candidate score an interview.See if there are any lessons you can take from this cover letter to apply to your own.Our Best Cover Letter ExamplesSometimes the best way to learn how to do something is to see some great examples. Browse our ama zing cover letter examples below to discover the best strategy for writing a cover letter.Cover Letter Samples for Job ApplicationsHow to Use These Great Cover Letter ExamplesFirst, read through our samples and note what they do well - you can adapt these features and apply them to your own.Then, choose the cover letter sample you want. You can either click through to the page and hit the download button, or you can copy and paste the text into Microsoft Word or Google Docs.Change the text to reflect your circumstances and the job opening. Dont forget to insert your telephone number, email address, and mailing address in the space for your contact details.Amazing Cover Letters - the ConclusionOnce youve got the basics down, creating a great cover letter becomes easier. Just remember, the best cover letter for a job is the one that reflects your personality, shows youve researched the company, and proves that youll be able to handle the tasks in the job description.We have a full l ibrary of effective cover letter templates for you to pick from, so browse them until you find the one thats right for you.Alternatively, if youre pressed for time, our cover letter builder can help you assemble your own in a matter of minutes.

Dont Overlook the Puncture

Dont Overlook the Puncture Dont Overlook the Puncture Dont Overlook thePunctureMIT Ph.D. candidate Nikolai Begg says the riskiest part of a surgery may not be what you think.I always had an interest in medicine and I welches watching surgery and realized how risky it can be just getting access to departure it by puncturing, he says. So many medical procedures require a puncture step. If youre trying to get to some space deep in the body, you want to get there with as little tissue disruption as you can, which is why we use needles. Or think about cranial drilling when you have to remove a section of skull away and they drill holes.But what can be done to improve the puncture step, if anything at all? When you drill through drywall to hang a picture, there is a moment when the drill bit goes to the other side and the drill bit jerks forward, he says. The same thing is an issue when it comes to puncturing in surgery the risk of puncturing too far. You could hit a structure in the spina l column for some medical procedures. You could drill too far into a skull.MIT Ph.D. candidate Nikolai Begg invented a force-sensing instrument. stellung Lemelson-MIT ProgramWhile an engineering student at MIT, he created a puncture procedure device with the concept of least-resistance force to decrease the acceleration. The idea is a flexural mechanism where there is force applied to the tip of the device, the mechanism essentially locks in place within the body of the device opposing an attraction spring, he says. As the device accelerates forward after puncture, the spring is causing the blade to accelerate backwards. You are decreasing the risk of an injury from the puncturing part of surgery.The first of the device models his team built werent flexural and didnt have a low part count. He estimated there were 12 components to linkage and using flexure cut the part count down to one. Simpler and less expensive, he says. You have a device body for housing, sheathing for the tip, t he puncturing tip is coupled to the flexural linkage, which couples to the retraction spring, which is coupled to the body of the device, he says.The size of the puncture? Begg says it could be hypodermic-size to drill bit-size, to even larger. The size of the puncture depends on the application and forces involved, he says. Imagine a needle used to puncture into the lung to collect fluid. That is going to be a smaller flexure. When youre trying to gain access to the brain involving the skull, a much different level. For flexure, one of the proof-of-concept models I built was about an inch square and half an inch thick. And actually it was a metal part using micro waterjet cutting to make the flexure. The flexural joint had extremely thin sections so it needed to use manufacturing technology.He has learned many lessons from working on the device. A major one was an even greater appreciation of considering the business side of things. I was very focused on the proof of concept and di dnt think as much about these other things, but, if I had, then that can keep you from opening your mind and thinking broadly, too, he says. The work also just reinforced my need to be fascinated and curious. Just observing and talking with surgeons and you realize theres a problem. Its exciting to dream of a possible solution.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further Discussion As the device accelerates forward after puncture, the spring is causing the blade to accelerate backwards. You are decreasing the risk of an injury from the puncturing part of surgery. Nikolai Begg, MIT

The changing workplace Generational differences

The changing workplace Generational differencesThe changing workplace Generational differencesAs I work with organizations across the country, the issue of understanding, leading, and working with employees from different generations continues to be one of themost common challengesleaders mention to me. With the influx of millions of Millennial and Gen Z employees, understanding the differences across generations in the workplace has become a huge focus for supervisors, managers, and HR professionals.The number of Millennial and Gen Z employees is expected to surpass Baby Boomers (individuals in their late 50s and older) by the end of 2019 and they will comprise nearly half of the total working population by 2020. Organizational leaders and HR professionals affirm knowing and understanding your employees is critical in order to have (and keep) an effective workforce, thus, distinguishing and addressing the differences among younger team members is important.Communicating across the g enerational divideSince we each are shaped by our life experiences, people who have similar life experiences tend to think and respond to situations mora similarly than others who didnt share those experiences. At the heart of most of the conflict and misunderstanding that develops between employees of different generations are communication style and core motivation. And frustration can flow both ways from older employees (Gen X supervisors and Boomer senior managers) with Millennials and Gen Z, and younger employees with their colleagues who are senior in age.Employees become frustrated, irritated, and confused by colleagues from different generations because each comes from a different culture and they believetheircultural approach to work and life is the way things should be done. For instance,research revealsthat 40% of Millennial employees say that Baby Boomers are mora guarded with their communication. Nearly the same number of Boomers say that Millennials are often too bras h and opinionated.Its not about age, its about core valuesWe analyzed the responses of over 55,000 employees who took ourMotivating By Appreciation Inventoryover a four year period. We compared the responses of individuals from different age groups to landsee if there might be some differences in the frequency that the chose their primary, secondary, and least valued language of appreciation.What we found is that both the younger and older generations valued Words of Appreciation and Quality Time the most and Tangible Gifts least. The biggest difference appeared not in the type of appreciation they favored butHOWthey preferred that language of appreciation to be shown.For instance, when thinking about specific actions within the language of Quality Time, younger team members are more interested in working together with colleagues on a project than older generations are. Baby Boomers and older Gen-Xers are fine with working in teams to get tasks done, but they have more of a divide-a nd-conquer approach where they meet together to determine the common goal and then delegate tasks to accomplish individually. Younger employees generally enjoy the process of hanging out together to work cooperatively to achieve the final product.These difference in approach to group projects, relates to another aspect of Quality Time. For older generations, Quality Time with their direct supervisor was much more important than Quality Time with their coworkers. The reverse is true with younger generations. They are more interested in spending time with colleagues and not as much with their supervisor.The overall lesson to learn is individuals from different generations think differently and make alternative choices from other generations because what they value is not the same. Leaders and supervisors need to understand what is important to younger generations and the factors that motivate them to become fully engaged in their work. Earning more money (by itself) is not the prime motivator for most millennial employees. Conversely, working collaboratively with team members, having a sense of improving the world, having the ability for a flexible work schedule, and wanting frequent feedback are all important factors to this generation of employees.The one thing that is foundational for successfully conveying appreciation in the workplace is to communicate in the appreciation language that is desired by each individual. This is a small investment that creates a win-win-win situation (for the employee, for the supervisor, and for the company) and results in a more positive workplaceFor more in-depth discussion and data on generational differences, pick up the new edition ofThe 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. This article first appeared on Appreciation At Work.