A person who feels appreciated always do more than what is expected

Recognition is a fundamental human need. At the most basic level, it makes us feel valued, which is what inspires us to stay all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at work. Out of all the things that matter in the workplace, helping employees feel appreciated is the most important one.

Gladly, this isn’t something that I have learned the hard way. I have always believed that people flourish when they are praised. The people I have here at ProofHub are constantly recognised for excellence (individually and as a team), encouraged to excel, and helped to discover their own wisdom.

But I can see that isn’t the case for every organisation. In many organisations, recognition is highly de-emphasised - unless it’s specifically related to promotions, appraisals or delegation of the next assignment. The need of the employee to be appreciated for their efforts often goes unseen and unheard in such cases. As a result, self-doubt starts to creep in, and it makes employees feel as though they don’t belong.

For me, employee recognition has no calendar. It’s not limited to Employee Appreciation Day or any other day of the year. It’s an important part of ProofHub’s culture all year long and probably always will be. Here are three reasons why that’s so.

1. Recognized employees are happy employees

Let’s put it this way: when you start appreciating people for their work, you spread good vibes in the office which further translates into a happier and more productive work environment. Show your employees that you see their efforts — tell them how much of an impact they’re having on your organisation and its goals.

2. When employees feel happy, they stick around

Happy employees tend to stay longer in an organisation and perform better. That means if you have some high-performing, talented members in your team, make sure that their efforts are not overlooked. Doing this will not just help you increase employee retention - it will also save on time and money from having to train new hires every time a potential employee leaves your organisation.

3. It fosters an atmosphere of trust and teamwork

Honestly, I was surprised (and you’d be too) by the degree to which a simple thanking your employees fosters an atmosphere of trust and teamwork. Knowing that your efforts are being recognised and appreciated by people higher up the management chain really helps to feel deeper workplace connections - and that's another reason why recognition is important and it should be practised year-round.

Author Bio:

Vartika Kashyap is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub and has been one of the LinkedIn Top Voices in 2017 and 2018.

HOW TO MAKE THE CHILDREN/STUDENTS STRESS FREE DURING THE OUTBREAK OF CORONA VIRUS DISEASE

Corona virus from Ravneet Kaur

How to make the children/students Stress Free during the Outbreak of Corona virus Disease

How to make the children/students Stress Free during the Outbreak of Corona virus Disease

The outbreak of corona virus disease 2020 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people especially for Students/Children. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions. Coping with stress will make our community, the people we care about, and us stronger. Students/children respond to stress differently. Some common changes in their behavior are like irritation, worry or sadness, unhealthy eating or sleeping habits, avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past, headaches or body pain etc. This stress affects children academic success as well as health.

ACADEMIC

Ø  Curricular

As the COVID-19 continues to spread, many school/colleges around the globe are shifting to online learning in an effort to slowdown the spread of the disease. Students are provided with e-contents, which is of two types i.e. Assembled e-contents and Created e-contents. Assembled E-Contents means assembled from several resources and books with due care.  On the another hand Created E-Content is that form which is developed by author based on various sources, as well as his/her own work. Various forms of contents are text, picture, sound, video, animation, simulation and presentations. It may Video classroom, Virtual classroom, E-lessons, online discussion, Mobile learning.

Ø  Non-curricular

To cope with the problem of students stress, teachers may start some online co-curricular practice/activities with students. For example

Fine Arts ·         Drawing ·         Collage making ·         Poster making ·         Card making ·         Paint on old Dias General Knowledge ·         Brainstorming ·         Debate ·         Quiz ·         Poetry

Music ·         Audio clip on topic ·         Dance Video on topic Fashion Designing ·         New look from recycling clothes ·         Embroidery on jeans ·         Dying fabric ·         Sewing from waste ·         Making rugs

Environment ·         Plant in useless bottles ·         Kitchen gardening in ports ·         Model building with waste Beauty ·         Nail art competition ·         Eyeliner completion ·         Hair style completion

There are some special things which are required to consider while online learning as well as activities. These ideas from educators from around the world, many of whom have already been teaching during corona virus lock-down are

1.      Consider digital reach and infrastructure unequal capacity-This is the major hurdle in preparation for online learning. Many out of us do not have smart devices to use. Most families don't have one computer per person. During the country lock-down, parents may also be working from home, meaning several people could be competing for one or two computers. Therefore, make sure all online apps work lock down on mobile devices in case a laptop is not available. Non-availability of internet/network connectivity and its regular recharge should also require considering. 

2.      Practice- Teachers should train themselves and their students on the apps and technology tools they may need to use in the event of lock-down. Must consider many of the skills learned during the online learning period will be equally beneficial in a regular classroom. Need is to continue same after the breakout of this period.

3.      Provide clear guidelines to staff and parents-During a lock-down, communication between administrators, staff, parents and students is more important than ever. The channels of communication need to be frequent and clear. There should be step by step detailed information of how the college will operate during a lockdown so staff and parents are on the same page/platform it may be a whats app group. It also includes where to find the daily assignments; a list of sites and tools the students will need, how to log in and what to do if the technology doesn’t work etc. Next, prepare a step-by-step guide on how to access and use online learning tools and curriculum. Make sure this information is in various formats including video and text and include screenshots and screen-casting tutorials.

4.      Establish daily schedules-Guidelines should be clear about when teachers and students need to be logged on. A full day in front of a screen is a lot for kids and teachers, especially for families who may be sharing one device. Many schools are choosing two check-in times – a morning meeting and an afternoon check-in – and then allowing families flexibility about how they organize the schedule.

5.      Provide robust learning-it is tempting for teachers to upload Quality E-contents for students otherwise students will suffer. Following things must consider:

o   It should be as per objectives of curriculum,

o   Clear expectation

o   Break learning into smaller chunks,

o   Immediate  feedback through online knowledge checks,

o   Comments on collaborative documents and

o   Chat to keep students motivated and moving forward,

o   Include virtual meetings, live chats or video tutorials to maintain a human connection.

o   Others.

6.      While it may seem fun to work from home, it can be challenging to keep to a regular schedule. Following things that can help include

o   Take regular breaks.

o   Making time to exercise.

o   Keep to a regular sleep schedule.

o   Limit distractions when possible (turn off social media notifications, for example).

o   Set daily and weekly goals.

o   Make time to socialize, even if it’s virtually.

7.      Choose the right tools and stick with them-There is variety of technology tools, many free, are available to help. With so much out there, it can be tempting to try to use everything. Instead, limit the number of tools, apps and platforms so students and their parents are not overwhelmed. Videoconferencing will take you and your students into each other's homes so it's important to consider privacy. Even consider the privacy issues of each and every technology tool.

NON-ACADEMIC

There are strategies and methods that can be utilize our daily time. Some methods/strategies to cope up with this problem are:

FITNESS ·         Exercise ·         Healthy food to eat ·         Yoga ·         Meditation ·         Practice Dance ·         Rest ·         Walk on Terrace ·         Play Games

FAMILY ·         Recall Memories ·         Play Games with family ·         Watch Music ·         Create Music ·         Cook ·         Clean and Organize ·         Re-arrange household items ·         Share knowledge and Experiences ·         Gardening ·         Pamper Pets

SELF ·         Think about your future ·         Create new fashion look ·         Reconnect with old friends ·         Explore artistic in you ·         Create (blogs) ·         Update your online profile ·         Read book ·         Online study time

The protection of students/children is very important. Precautions are necessary to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19 in school/colleges. It is important to remember that COVID-19 does not differentiate between borders, ethnicity, disability status, age or gender. Education settings should continue to be welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and supportive environments to all. It is requested to follow following instructions/checklist to for healthy INDIA.

Checklist for parents

ü  Monitor your child’s health.

ü  Teach and model good hygiene practices.

a.       Wash your hands with soap and safe water frequently.

b.      If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

c.       Ensure that safe drinking water is available and toilets or latrines are clean.

d.      Ensure waste is safely collected, stored and disposed of.

e.       Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow and avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, nose

ü  Encourage your children to ask questions and express their feelings with you and their teachers.

ü  Prevent stigma by using facts and reminding students to be considerate of one another.

ü  Coordinate with the colleges/schools to receive information and ask how you can support them in safety efforts (though parent-teacher committees etc.)

Checklist for students and children

ü  In a situation, it is normal to feel sad, worried, confused, scared or angry. Know that you are not alone and talk to someone you trust, like your parent or teachers

ü  Ask questions, educate yourself and get information from reliable sources.

ü  Protect yourself and others. Wash your hands frequently

ü  Tell your parents, another family member, or a caregiver if you feel sick, and ask to stay home.

ü  Be a leader in keeping yourself, your education institute, family and community healthy.

o   Share what you learn about preventing disease with your family and friends, especially with younger children.

o   Avoid sharing fake news, whats app and facebook messages.

o   Model good practices such as sneezing or coughing into your elbow and washing your hands, especially for younger family members.

How to Make Mondays Productive

Here are some tips (out of many) that can help you be more productive on Mondays and make you hate them less.

1. Start the week on the right foot

Mondays can be tough but if you start off on the right foot, it can be great making your rest of the week successful. This is one of the simplest ways to make you Monday feeling good.

• Get up a little earlier

Please stop snoozing your alarm at least on Monday mornings. I never start my week rushing for office. It does great for my energy level for the rest of the day too. And most important, don’t grab your phone as soon as you open your eyes. Practice mindfulness, stop negative thoughts. Get positive thoughts and think about the excitement of the day.

• Pump those jams

Gather your power songs and play in a couple of fun oldies that will make you keep smiling by the time you reach the office. What Monday blues? No more!

• Reach your desk on time

I know it’s tough to be excited about working on Monday mornings, but when you wake up early, you’ll probably be on time. Arriving early to work on a Monday morning will make you ready for the day. It sets a good pace for the rest of your week.

• Get organized

And you are there on your desk. Does it seem a little disorganized? Clean it up! Is your inbox cluttered? Sort through it! Is your task list complicated? Move aside anything unimportant to set priorities right.

• Start off with a tough task

As you’re ready to start your day, make sure you are choosing the tough tasks. Be a little hard on yourself, trust me, it will do good for the rest of the day. You’ll be better able to handle other tasks and feel easy when you’re left with easy-to-do tasks by the end of the day.

While these may not seem like a lot, they’re all simple ways to kick off the new week on the right foot. You might make the best of your Mondays.

2. Get one thing done immediately

The time you lay your eyes on your system, keep one thing in mind, you are not going to switch between tasks. You know there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that you’ve accomplished one from the many tasks. Knock your tasks off your plate one by one. Do something that will get your soul in the right mode

3. Take ownership of your state of mind — physical and mental

Growing up happiness chemicals should be done as early as possible to kick start Monday. The way you perceive your Monday morning largely depends on your state of mind. If you are in a bad mood everything around you will be very disturbing. And how horrible do you feel when you feel drained off your physical energy?

“The kingdom of heaven is not a place but a state of mind.” ~John Burroughs

The physical state of mind

• Schedule the intense workout.
• Pre-set the healthy morning breakfast to get into ‘work mode’.
• Plan the morning dance party with your friends.

The mental state of mind

• Get aware of your thoughts and emotions.
• Refocus your mind on something empowering.
• Be sure of what you are about to do next.

When you are able to change your state of mind you more feel like you are in control of how efficiently your body and mind function, regardless of Monday. No longer will your brain wander around and you can bring back focus and productivity to your days.

4. Mind your time

Another bit of making your Mondays productive is to have a time tracking system to organize your time. How long do you take a complete task? Are you daydreaming? Are you taking longer than normal to accomplish a list of tasks? This is usually what happens on Monday. Therefore, having a time tracking system can do wonders. The other benefit is that it provides you a more accurate vision on how much free time you actually have and how long certain tasks actually take

5. Send out good vibes

When I think I am able to set myself up for a great Monday, I make sure I am motivating my team as well. Whether you play a managerial role like me or not, you can manage to motivate your team or people around you. Planning, organizing, managing time are not just enough for a productive and happy Monday, you should persevere with a positive attitude.

Mondays don’t have to be bad. That’s 52 days a year, about 15% of your days, which is a lot. Let’s not waste these days. Because Mondays can energize your week or jeopardize everything, do it right!