How to Write a Case Study (+10 Examples & Free Template!)
Ah, the case study: One of the most important pieces of marketing content for a business, and yet all too often, also the most boring. The problem with this is, lose a reader and you lose a customer. It doesn’t have to be this way!
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to write a case study that prospects will actually want to read. An attractive, inspiring, and convincing case study that turns readers into customers.
Table of contents
What is a case study?
A case study is a self-contained story about how a real customer overcame their problems using your products or services. Notice how I used the word story. Marketers are obsessed with the notion of “storytelling” (usually without actually telling stories), but a good case study is a story with protagonist (your customer) who has a problem but who wins out in the end.
By the end of a case study, the reader should be able to visualize themselves as the hero of their own story. They should be able to relate to the problems of your featured customer, and see themselves achieving their own goals by using your product or service.
What is a marketing case study?
In marketing, a case study is an in-depth study of the effectiveness of a certain tool, tactic, or strategy. It focuses on measurable outcomes, like an increase in sales, visitors, or production hours.
What are the different types of case studies in marketing?
2. Explanatory case studies: These case studies explore the impact of a phenomenon or tactic, such as the company’s marketing strategy and how it impacted their growth. In this case, it’s not based on first-hand experience, but rather observation and inference.
3. Implementation case studies: An implementation case study takes the average client case study a bit further, focusing on the actual implementation and covering it in detail.
Examples of excellent case studies
1) Adobe: The Royal Bank of Scotland
This case study focuses on the solutions that Adobe provided for the Royal Bank of Scotland. Their top challenges included fostering a culture of data driven decision making, eliminating disjointed systems, and delivering digital experiences that are relevant and easy to use.
Adobe’s approach and delivery resulted in a 20 percent increase in conversion, as well as improved internal communications, faster optimisation, and a reduction of their content management footprint.
2) Bitly: Vissla
3) LinkedIn Marketing Solutions: Hubspot
HubSpot, in search of high quality leads, turned to LinkedIn Marketing Solutions to engage with marketing professionals in small to medium sized businesses. Targeting them with ebooks, webinars, and how-to guides. Sponsored organic content appeared in members’ LinkedIn feeds.
What to do with your finished case study
So, you’ve written a case study, got it approved and it’s live on your (or your client’s) website… now what? Well that’s the (sort of) easy part over. Next, comes the hard part – getting it out there, letting it be seen and generally making a fuss of the wee thing.
Remember the audience. We wrote some case studies for an ecommerce company. They were 1,000 words long but we were only allowed to mention the product in one paragraph. The rest of the piece had to be a proper story designed to appeal to the company’s target audience. In terms of PR coverage these case studies were – by far – the most successful we have worked on. Why? Because journalists could see the point and people actually wanted to read them.
New delivery media. What about a customer evidence blog? How about turning the source interview into a five-minute podcast? Perhaps combine three or four case studies in a particular sector, say accounting, into a single feature article about technology in that sector. What about the Q&A format? Put the interview up on YouTube?
One case study, multiple presentations. The source interview and research don’t change, but perhaps you could write a traditional case study, a bullet point summary for the web, a killer quote for an email newsletter and a longer more journalistic story for PR purposes. The incremental cost of the extra writing is marginal compared the cost of going through the process to produce the basic case study. Twice the content for just 50 percent more money.
Build a database. We use Notion as an extranet to allow everyone involved – client and agency – to access our work. This means that past case studies are always available and searchable for our use, even if that’s just for referral for formatting future content.
Build in measurability. Too often, people seem to think that the end of the process is getting the case study signed off and uploaded to a central customer evidence website. That is only the beginning of the process. It must be possible to build in more measurability. We work with Hubspot, which offers a boatload of analytics tools so you can track visitors that view your case study, showing where they can from, and if they clicked on a CTA or contact page.
Your case study strategy doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be effective. Utilising just ten percent of the advice we’ve given you above will help you seriously improve your case studies. At Articulate we eat, sleep and breathe case studies because we’ve seen first-hand just how powerful they can be for business. If you need support and help then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
How To Write a Case Study Step-by-Step (With Examples)
A thorough and well-constructed case study uses metrics, such as key performance indicators, to show growth and success that support the idea that a business or salesperson is trying to convey. This strategic use of data and measurement value makes case studies more effective in marketing and other areas than other commonly-used techniques.
Case studies are often found in industries like health care and psychology to help doctors and mental health professionals provide better care. However, they can also be used in business and marketing to increase organizational effectiveness and strategic marketing across many industries. In this article, we explain how to write a case study step by step to help you write your own.
What is a case study?
A case study is a document that focuses on a business problem and solutions. In marketing, this is often used to tell a story about a customer journey, interactions and how a product or service solves a specific issue. Case studies can be used in all levels of business, however, and all industries, not limited to marketing.
The goal of a case study is to encourage the evaluation of a business problem, be it related to customer or client care, or finances or other operations. The case study demonstrates solutions that solve the issue, or case.
Case studies can be used internally to promote effectiveness within an organization. However, in marketing, case studies are often used to show a potential client or customer how working with an organization or buying a product or service can enhance their life or solve their problem.
What is a case study?
A case study is a self-contained story about how a real customer overcame their problems using your products or services. Notice how I used the word story. Marketers are obsessed with the notion of “storytelling” (usually without actually telling stories), but a good case study is a story with protagonist (your customer) who has a problem but who wins out in the end.
By the end of a case study, the reader should be able to visualize themselves as the hero of their own story. They should be able to relate to the problems of your featured customer, and see themselves achieving their own goals by using your product or service.
How to Write a Case Study… Effortlessly
Add Testimonials, Quotes, and Visuals
Proofread and Tighten Your Writing
My high school English teacher’s mantra was “tighten your writing.” She taught that impactful writing is concise and free of weak, unnecessary words. This takes effort and discipline, but will make your writing stronger.
Also, keep in mind that we live in an attention-diverted society. Before your audience will dive in and read each paragraph, they’ll first scan your work. Use subheadings to summarize information, convey meaning quickly, and pull the reader in.
Be Sure to Use Best Practices
Stay laser-focused on your client and the results they were able to achieve.
Even if your audience is technical, minimize the use of industry jargon. If you use acronyms, explain them.
Leave out the selling and advertising.
Don’t write like a Shakespearean wannabe. Write how people speak. Write to be understood.
Clear and concise writing is not only more understandable, it inspires trust. Don’t ramble.
Weave your paragraphs together so that each sentence is dependent on the one before and after it.
Include a specific case study call-to-action (CTA).
A recommended case study length is 2-4 pages.
Commit to building a library of case studies.
Get Client Approval
I hereby confirm that I have reviewed the case study listed above and on behalf of the [Company Name], I provide full permission for the work to be published, in whole or in part, for the life of the work, in all languages and all formats by [Company publishing the case study].
We at Book Cave prefer Jutoh for ebook creation because it gives us more control than most other ebook software out there, while still maintaining a friendly interface.
Browse by topic
Does ebook word count and page length matter? It mattered a lot in print books, where a book that was too short or too long would be rejected for printing and visual reasons. But ebooks don’t have printing costs, and you can’t tell at a glance how long they are. So does length still matter?
Before we dive in, we first need to define the word “pages” which is very fluid in an ebook. We will be using Amazon’s estimation formula, which is that there are 300-350 words in a page (they do take into account images as well, if your ebook has those).
Ebook Word Count by Genre
The average nonfiction book is about 50,000 to 75,000 words, which is about 153 to 230 ebook pages. A minimum count for a nonfiction ebook is about 10,000 words, as long as the content is solid. (Better to have solid, clear information than rambling to make a page count.)
The average fiction book is about 80,000 to 100,000 words, which is about 246 to 307 ebook pages. The length can vary greatly between genres, though. This is for full-length novels. However, many authors, frustrated with the low price of ebooks, have taken to writing ebooks that are between 40,000 and 50,000. Unfortunately for readers, the lower page count generally gives readers books without a lot of depth, side plots, or multi-faceted characterization.
Fiction novellas are usually 32,000 to 55,000 words, which is 100 to 170 ebook pages. Short stories are even shorter (of course), but are often 99 cents or free because readers will feel cheated otherwise—especially if they paid a novel-sized ebook price and didn’t realize it was just a few pages.
What Is DRM And Why Is It A Bad Idea When You Buy Ebooks?
I found this article very helpful, thank you! I have written and published some short stories and priced them at .99 each. In Scrivener the default value for words per page (via project statistics) is 350 words per page, but I haven’t figured out how Amazon works out the number of pages. I can give some examples of word count and Kindle pages if this helps anyone.
I used a Word document and Kindle Create for these books. Some short erotica titles in the same genre as my book are priced much higher; I noted one was $3.00 for 19 pages and another was $3.28 for 39 pages. Although the royalty rate is much lower, it just didn’t feel right to charge more than .99 for such a short book. My current work in progress looks as if it will be over a hundred pages and will likely be priced a little higher, but I’ll keep my shorter pieces at the lowest possible price. I want readers to feel like they receive value for money and aren’t being ripped off.
FWIW, I would still call it a novella if it meets the basic word count definition of one (roughly 30-40k words). This way, readers know what to expect and you become less likely to get reviews that say your novel is too short.
I write for fun. Many of my stories end up in the 7K to 10K range mostly because it’s a once concept story. They aren’t too complex and usually either horror or dirty romance. As I’m just getting started, I haven’t found whether people enjoy the shorter stories or not. I’ll be honest with you, I prefer shorter stories. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve glossed over novels by famous writers because there is just too much unrelated information. I sitll read their books because the stories are good, but I could do without the 200 pages of what I call fluff. But that’s just me. I think I’m just going to price everything at 99 cents no matter how long I make it (probably never over 30K.) Hopefully that will keep everyone happy and I will sell enough to keep me happy.
I have to question that Amazon words per page estimate. I wrote a 50K book and based on how many pages it is — at least according to Amazon — I have roughly 340 words per page. That’s WAY different than the 187 words per page that they estimate. Am I doing something wrong? Should I be editing or formatting my book in a different way to get a higher page count? This is especially an issue for me because I also have it listed in KU, which pays out per page.
Great and good insights I have found here as well as challenging questions and answers. . I have not made eBooks before. I am just on training. I just woke up with this question in my mind,”what should be an ideal words count and page of a standard eBook?” . #Ginuschuks
I am writing a ebook to present a complex subject (Genera Systems Theory) in a comprehensive, integrated fashion that is also geared for like high school students. BIG need for such! I estimate that I will only need about 25 pages of text and about 12 pages of graphics.
Got a friend who is trying the mainstream route for her book and is still being told by agents and writing tutors that the MS must be 85,000 words! My ebooks and paperbacks range 72k to 101k and all sell. I’d love to word count “published” novels to find out how many really are 85,000. My latest will finish around 75,000 because that’s where the story ends. Another 10,000 to pad out would be ridiculous. (One reviewer who doesn’t like me says my books already have “too many words” – and she’s bought three of them!) Like the idea of a novella though, very useful for good ideas that don’t have the legs for longer but they would have to be cheaper or I’d feel I was cheating the reader. The publishing industry though! One name of some renown told me that Medieval Crime Comedy was three things and I was only ALLOWED one!! Ignore these people!
I don’t mind buying a short story or a novella if I know that’s what I’m getting, but a “book” shouldn’t be less than 100 pages or 40,000 words. It’s about setting expectations and delivering value for money, and too many people are charging book prices for short fiction. (And vice versa, but that’s another rant.)
Personally, I blame Amazon’s royalty structure. The 70% range shouldn’t be static. It should be adjusted for length, to allow people to sell a short story for a buck and make a fair amount from each sale. The same goes for epic-length box sets on the other end of the scale; if I’ve got three full-length novels on the market for $5 each, I should be able to collect them into a $12 box without cutting my throat on the royalties.
True, JB. At least Kindle do give a page count, so buyers are informed. However, the page count is not perfect, as some are based on a paperback version, which can be misleading. Whereas ebooks without a paperback version are based on KENP. The results can be wildly different.
Writing the call to action
If your client’s sales cycle is a long one, your ebook is probably designed to play a specific role in guiding the reader along their “buyer journey”. If so, it will include a call to action at the end that encourages the reader to take the next step – whether that’s to read another piece of content, book a demo, take a trial or get in touch with your client.
A diligent client will be measuring the value of the ebook by the number of people who follow this call to action, which means you need to make it as persuasive as possible. So don’t leave the CTA to the last minute, when you’re exhausted and can’t wait to type the final full stop.
Instead, write the call to action early on – ideally in your outline – and make sure you assess it thoroughly when you come back to your draft with fresh eyes before you send it off.
36 Beginner-Friendly Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs (2022)
If you’re a copywriter, blogger, or any type of freelance writer who wants to earn a full-time or part-time income doing what you love, this definitive, A-to-Z guide will help you do just that.
1. Create a Writing Portfolio That Kicks Butt
Further Reading: How to Create a Writing Portfolio That’ll Wow Potential Clients walks you through everything you need to craft an online portfolio of your work, from portfolio sites like Contently to using your own blog. It also offers tips for building a list of writing samples if your portfolio is a bit sparse.
2. Supercharge Your Writing Skills
3. Ask for Testimonials
Did you ask the client to give you a testimonial? A few words declaring their undying love and/or satisfaction with your work (that you can use to help you land more writing clients)?
Most writers who do freelance work, either due to ignorance or fear, don’t ask for testimonials. Our own Jon Morrow says he’s only had a small handful of writers over the years ask him for a testimonial — even though he would’ve been perfectly happy to give one to them.
Karen offers everything I look for in a freelance writer: Her work is excellent, she finishes on time (if not ahead of schedule), and her attention to detail is wonderful. I enjoyed working with her so much that, as soon as her first article was completed, I asked her if she’d like to write for us again. I happily recommend her.
Note: You can count me among the poor, unfortunate souls who missed out on Jon’s generosity. Before becoming Smart Blogger’s Editor-in-Chief, I was a freelancer. I wrote five posts for Smart Blogger as a freelance writer, which means I passed on five opportunities for Jon to say nice things about me. Don’t repeat my mistakes — ask for testimonials at every opportunity.
4. Learn How to Craft a Killer Author Bio
5. Know How to Write a Pitch
The job seekers who are willing to do it have an edge. And the ones who are good at it — and I mean really freakin’ good at it — are never more than an email or two away from snagging a new writing job.
6. Learn the Legal Side of Freelancing
The legalities can seem so scary and daunting that many freelance writers choose to stick their heads in the sand and ignore them — or, worse, give up on their freelancing dreams rather than have to deal with any of it.
Chapter Two: 16 Hacks for Finding Under-the-Radar Writing Opportunities
I kept the search simple, but I could’ve also searched by language (native English, Spanish, etc.), hashtags, date range, and more. The more options you choose, the more refined your search results.
Some of the results will be scams, but most will be legitimate. Many will be for remote writing jobs, but some will be location-specific (usually New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Miami, Washington D.C., Dallas, Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Portland, Oklahoma City, Greenville, Atlanta, and other major cities in the United States). Just skip over the ones that don’t apply to you.
Want to find guest blogging opportunities (since many websites these days pay for guest posts)? Enter “guest post” into the “this exact phrase” option and you’ll see every tweet written by someone looking to promote their latest guest blogging masterpiece.
That’ll give you a list of websites that accept guest posts, which you can later whittle down (after you’ve done a little more research) into a list of sites that pay guest writers.
2. Follow Leads on Social Media
3. Check Out Agency Job Postings
One of the best potential clients is agencies because they usually have an ongoing need for writers. Instead of only getting paid once, you can develop a relationship with a few and get new freelance blogging gigs for months or even years into the future. How to Become a Freelance Writer, Starting from Scratch
4. Find (and Woo) Clients on Their Turf
Most members of these groups are looking to be hired, not looking to hire writers. And when someone wanting to hire a writer does come along, the person who raises their hand first is usually the one who gets the job.
Skip the Facebook Groups. Go Straight to the Sources.
In 2014, I didn’t know Adam Connell of Blogging Wizard. But I joined his mailing list and, lo and behold, a “welcome” email with his address arrived in my inbox. I responded, he wrote me back, and a friendship was born.
After reading one of her posts and admiring her writing style, I connected with Henneke Duistermaat of Enchanting Marketing through a humble blog comment. The same was true with Syed Balkhi. I connected with Pamela Wilson via Twitter. For Jon Morrow, the man who would one day hire me at Smart Blogger, I got on his radar by becoming a student in one of his online courses.
When you’re their student, an influencer is invested in your future. Your success is their success. You’re a walking, talking testimonial. So many — not all, but many — will do everything they can to help you succeed.
5. Pitch to Software Company Blogs
You want to work with businesses that have money to spend on marketing. Chances are, those companies are subscribed to various apps for email marketing, analytics, and so on. Most software companies in the marketing space (like HubSpot, Sumo, PayPal, Ahrefs, etc.) also publish a great deal of content. So, who better to write for? You’re instantly getting in front of thousands of the right clients. Many of these blogs will also pay you to write for them, so in many cases, you can get your first client while also prospecting for clients.
e-Commerce companies with blogs tend to publish a lot of content. After all, every article they publish tends to pay for itself (and then some) thanks to the traffic it brings to the website — traffic that often leads to sales of their product.
The next exceptional technology trend – Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), and Extended Reality (ER). VR immerses the user in an environment while AR enhances their environment. Although this technology trend has primarily been used for gaming thus far, it has also been used for training, as with VirtualShip, a simulation software used to train U.S. Navy, Army and Coast Guard ship captains.
Modern Technology
21.1 Introduction
Modern technology has enabled monitoring of large populations of live cells over extended time periods in experimental settings. Live imaging of cell populations growing in a culture vessel has been widely adopted in biomedical experiments. Such experiments create large numbers of time-lapse images, and the information embedded in these images holds tremendous promise for scientific discovery. The growing amount of such data calls for automated or semi-automated computer vision tools to detect and analyze the dynamic cellular processes, and to extract the information necessary for biomedical study.
Live cells are often of low contrast with little natural pigmentation; therefore, they usually need to be stained or fixed in order to be visible under bright field microscopy or fluorescence microscopy. However, fixing or staining may destroy the cells or introduce artifacts. Label-free imaging, in particular phase contrast microscopy, is highly desirable for live cell imaging because it allows cells to be examined in their natural state, and therefore enables live cell imaging over extended time periods. We focus in this chapter on analyzing time-lapse images from phase contrast microscopy.
While there is benefit in studying cellular behavior at the single cell level, we focus in this chapter on computer vision analysis of cellular dynamics in large cell populations. In particular, we are interested in data where the cell populations are dense, and there is considerable touching and occlusion among neighboring cells. Figure 21.1 is an example of such image data.
In studying cell populations in time-lapse imaging, manual analysis is not only tedious, the results from different people, and even the results from the same person, can also differ considerably. Moreover, it becomes impractical to manually analyze the behavior of each individual cell in a large population throughout an experiment over an extended time span. Much of the current practice in biomedical study is to manually examine a small subset of the entire cell population, and research conclusions are often drawn based on such manual analysis of a subset of the data. This is suboptimal; it could be misguided when the subset is not representative of the entire cell population. Therefore, automating the process for analyzing each individual cell and its behavior in large populations in time lapse label-free images is not only interesting and challenging computer vision research, it also has the potential of transforming how studies concerning cell population dynamics are done, and what they may discover.
T&M Conceptual Patterns
INTENT
Modern technologies support new forms for an organization to present its services and products. In addition, they allow an organization to open up new sales and service channels to better support both customers and suppliers.
PROBLEM
We need a design concept that encapsulates business logic into units independent of interaction mechanisms or front ends, making them available for different channels, technologies, and workplace types.
RELATE TO
This pattern is related to the concepts discussed in the patterns tool design and automaton. For distributed systems it shows how to extract and encapsulate the business functionality of these two elements (see Figure 7.15 ).
SOLUTION
We integrate different sales channels and workplace types. We use domain service providers to offer bundled services and allow both users and customers and suppliers to easily handle related products and services.
By our definition, a domain service provider is a domain-specific conceptual unit within a large distributed application system. A domain service provider represents business logic in a way that encapsulates the reproducible and interrelated interactions of an application context with the pertaining materials.
If domain service providers are not oriented to a specific presentation and handling or interface technology, then a number of different sales channels could package the services and present them differently, depending on the customer type and technology. Different service providers could each support various workplace types and other services.
EXAMPLE
In our bank example, assume that there is a central service provider, AccountManagement . From his or her desktop system, an account manager could request portfolio information for a customer from this service provider. An account manager working in the field, for example, selling a new insurance package offered by the bank, could request account information for the same customer on a laptop application in an ftp (file transfer) session. In addition, this customer uses the AccountManagement service provider in a Web browser over the Internet, for example, to view account statements and make payments from the account.
BACKGROUND: DOMAIN SERVICE PROVIDERS
Modern technologies have had a major impact on how organizations handle their business as they open up different sales channels to reach customers. Many companies offer their products online, and electronic commerce is regaining its pace, especially in the B2B (business to business) sector. A major change can be observed, particularly in the service industry, where companies expand their activities by adding services on demand, call centers, or mobile field services. Currently, many of these service forms are still found in isolation, somewhat blocking integrated services at customer sites, because the underlying applications are primarily linked on a data level rather than over conceptually higher business transactions. For example, many database applications are based on isolated data for accounts, deposits, contracts, and other data pertaining in some way to a customer, but a general concept customer with links to all related entities is missing.
The Internet allows people to compare products and services directly. Potential customers can obtain information about prices and services of different vendors quickly from their homes. The Internet also allows competing vendors, including vendors from different industries, to penetrate the core businesses of organizations. This means that these organizations feel a need to be present in this medium. The reason is the increasing trend that open markets and new technologies dissolve narrow industry boundaries.
The downside is that most currently deployed application systems are too limited to support these new business trends. In addition, many host-based applications have reached the point where they can no longer be maintained or upgraded. While many workplace applications have been replaced by other technologies or implementations, we can see the same happening in an attempt to support new sales channels.
Unfortunately, there are not many integrated applications to support these organizations in their efforts to grab these business opportunities. Domain functionality is developed in many and different ways. If you find some degree of domain-specific integration, it is mostly found on the level of the host database and data-exchange.
Multiple implementations of application logic is the central problem that new technologies must overcome. This problem is further aggravated by a technical problem, because most new applications are implemented as client-server systems. These systems are mostly structured on the basis of the so-called three-layer architecture (see Section 9.3.6 ). This architecture suggests an integration of the functions or applications involved on the data level. In summary, there is a lack of domain-specific integration.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has already received a lot of buzz in the past decade, but it continues to be one of the new technology trends because of its notable effects on how we live, work and play are only in the early stages. AI is already known for its superiority in image and speech recognition, navigation apps, smartphone personal assistants, ride-sharing apps and so much more.
Free Course: Introduction to AI
Other than that AI will be used further to analyze interactions to determine underlying connections and insights, to help predict demand for services like hospitals enabling authorities to make better decisions about resource utilization, and to detect the changing patterns of customer behaviour by analyzing data in near real-time, driving revenues and enhancing personalized experiences.
The AI market will grow to a $190 billion industry by 2025 with global spending on cognitive and AI systems reaching over $57 billion in 2022. With AI spreading its wings across sectors, new jobs will be created in development, programming, testing, support and maintenance, to name a few. On the other hand AI also offers some of the highest salaries today ranging from over 800,25,000 per year (machine learning engineer) to $145,000 per year (AI architect) – making it the top new technology trend you must watch out for!
Machine Learning the subset of AI, is also being deployed in all kinds of industries, creating a huge demand for skilled professionals. Forrester predicts AI, machine learning, and automation will create 9 percent of new U.S. jobs by 2025, jobs including robot monitoring professionals, data scientists, automation specialists, and content curators, making it another new technology trend you must keep in mind too!
DISADVANTAGES OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY
Increased Loneliness
Social Isolation is on the increase, people are spending more time playing video games, learning how to use new modern technologies, using social networks and they neglect their real life. Technology has replaced our old way of interacting. If a user can easily interact with 100 friends online, they will feel no need to go out to make new friends which at a later stage can lead to loneliness.
Job Loss
Modern technology has replaced many human jobs; robots are doing the jobs which used to be done by humans. Many packing firms have employed robots on production lines to increase production and efficiency, this is good news for businesses because it helps them make more money and serve customers, but it is bad news for employees because they may become redundant.
Competency
Increased dependency on modern tools like calculators and spell checkers has reduced our creativity and intelligence. Many today struggle with spelling even basic words without an editor to confirm every word. Others find it impossible to do basic math without a calculator. Though these tools assist to make us more efficient, we may become excessively reliant on them.
Security
Thankfully advances in technology have aided security, however, due to these advances, everything is connected to the internet in some way. Our financial accounts, our photos, our cars, mobile phone, everything touches the internet at some time. Due to the network of worldwide devices and systems, many have fallen prey to an identity thief, hacked accounts by some mischievous hacker. The road to recovery from these types of attacks can be extremely long and painstaking.
World Destruction/Advanced Weapons
Modern technology has been the main aid in the increasing of endless wars. It aids the manufacturing of modern war weapons. So when these weapons get into the hands of criminals, they will use them for their selfish reasons. To add, these weapons often severely damage the natural earth, making some areas uninhabitable.
EXAMPLES OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES THAT SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE
Ultra-thin Quad-band Watch Mobile Phone
This is a modern watch which comes with basic functions of a mobile phone, it will simplify the way you communicate, you no longer have to worry about losing or misplacing your cell phone, now this new technology puts all basic features of a cell phone in a watch, it has a high-definition display, MP3 ringtones, audio tone, it supports multimedia messaging, and so much more. This advancement in communication technology makes me wonder if cell phones will be replaced by watch phones. For those who hate carrying cell phones all the time, this is a great option, you can easily set this watch phone in vibration and connect it to your blue tooth, I guarantee you will not miss any business or important call.
Apple Magic Mouse
Simple and elegant wireless mouse from Apple, you can improve your workplace experience by using this Apple Magic Mouse, it comes in a smooth shell design supported by both touch-sensitive and Bluetooth technologies which make it different from the usual mouse you have. Though you will need a little bit of adjustment if it is your first time to use this Apple Magic Mouse, it is too smooth and very responsive, for those who enjoy playing video games, this Apple Magic Mouse will improve your computer gaming experience. It is so lovely, for those who love Apple products, you can
Kingston Digital DataTraveler
You can easily transfer and move with your data using this Kingston Digital DataTraveler. Many times we back up our data on cloud servers, but these servers are not 100% safe, some prefer backing a copy of my data on a flash drive, this Kingston Digital DataTraveler has 16GB of storage space, so you can store as much data as you want, its size is slim, it can fit in your wallet. This Kingston Digital DataTraveler supports Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, XP and Mac. The cap on the top is fixed on the drive, so you will not lose it. You can easily drag-and-drop files, photos, videos, music and so much more on this Kingston Digital DataTraveler. Simplify the way you move your data with this slim data traveler.
Apple iPad 2
Tablets have simplified the way we perform various computer-based tasks, both students and business people are using these tablets to accomplish different tasks. The functions of this Apple iPad 2 are limitless, for example, you can use it as a video conferencing tool, use it as a presentation tool in a business meeting or classroom, use it to edit business documents or write classroom notes. when it comes to storage, this Apple iPad 2 comes with 64GB of data storage space, quite enough space for all your files, music, photos, software and so much more. From today, you don’t need to travel with a laptop, try out this Apple iPad 2 and simplify the way you do most computer tasks.
SATA Hard Drive Docking Station
Work smart and secure your data by using this SATA Hard Drive Docking Station, it will hold your SATA Hard Drive firmly so you will not worry about damaging your hard-disk and it also comes with a USB port which makes it easy to access or backup data on your SATA Hard Drive directly from your laptop. The transmission speed is up to 5Gbps. You can
Now that we have seen some of the impacts of technology in modern life, it is our responsibility to use technology to improve our lives, but we also have to make sure that we preserve our society and environment, if we don’t control the usage of technology, we shall end up harming both the society and environment. Then for those seeking for jobs, i advice you to acquire different technological skills, make sure that you can create or invent something new using these new technological skills, being employed is just a step most of us have taken, but it does not guarantee financial security, you can use technology to create a small business.
Online dating platforms have millions of registered users and have received lots of good reviews from every part of the world. Dating platforms have helped people connect with their matches in a way where neither party has to waste the other person’s time. It is comfortable, straightforward, safe, and it works.
Technology In Our Life Today And How It Has Changed
Modern technology has paved the way for multi-functional devices like the smartwatch and the smartphone. Computers are increasingly faster, more portable, and higher-powered than ever before. With all of these revolutions, technology has also made our lives easier, faster, better, and more fun.
In this article, we’ll cover how technology has enhanced the quality of life for seniors lives in and out of the home. Technology’s advancements have provided quicker ways to communicate through instant messaging apps and social media platforms. Seniors are able to keep in touch with loved ones, while caregivers have new avenues to check in on aging parents or patients.
Technology has also given us brand new devices in recent decades, like smartwatches, tablets, and voice assistant devices. With these devices, we can do things like transfer money instantly and make purchases for everything from clothes, food delivery, groceries, furniture, and more. Technology has changed how we entertain ourselves, meet each other, and consume all types of media. It’s made fun advancements, but it’s also made important advancements in safety when it comes to home security and medical devices.
Especially for seniors, these devices are providing the freedom to age in place, to live independently, and to continue moving through everyday life with peace of mind. It opens up new opportunities by helping with safety, mobility and connectivity. Medical advancements have made it so you can stay proactive with conditions like diabetes and arthritis. With new medical alert devices, seniors can also get help at the push of a button and keep in touch with loved ones no matter where they are in the world.
Since there are so many new technologies to keep track of, it can seem overwhelming to adapt. However, all of these new technologies are designed to make your life easier. Even though it may not feel intuitive, learning how to use smart phones, smartwatches and voice assistants just takes a little bit of instruction and practice.
Digital technology has changed what people term as “media.” The influence of new technology on media is apparent since a media company isn’t necessarily a news platform anymore. A media company is now any company that helps pass information across the globe, including social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Before mobile technology, you had to search through a dictionary to understand the meaning of a word. Now you can look words up in a dictionary app or quickly search the Internet. Beyond words, you can search for practically anything on the Internet using search engines like Google and Bing.
There is no denying that the future of technology will continue to revolutionize our lives. In a few years, driverless cars may be the norm for everyone, and robots will be commonplace in factories. Future technology is sure to transform our lives in unbelievable ways, but here we highlight the many common ways technology is changing our lives today.
The problem with technology is that most innovations have unintended consequences, and those unintended consequences are piling up, causing harm and creating dangers of existential magnitude.
The problem with technology is that most innovations have unintended consequences, and those unintended consequences are piling up, causing harm and creating dangers of existential magnitude. We turn a blind eye to those dangers and uncritically presume that, for all but the creepiest technologies (such as animal cloning), the benefits outweigh the risks and that technological innovation is humanity’s highest calling.
Global monoculture rarely sees a technology it doesn’t like. Working off the tacit assumption that technological innovation can and will solve the most critical threats to civilization – the collapsing environment, poverty, tyranny, disease pandemics and resource depletion – we are quick to celebrate unproven technologies and slow, oh so dangerously slow, to critically examine their safety and utility. It’s as though a magical spell has pervaded our groupthink, immersing us in deluded fantasies of meeting human needs with a few swipes of a touchscreen.
If you would like to be the laughingstock of your next dinner party, challenge the cultural presumption in favor of technological progress. Other than a few head nods about how we really should unplug from our hand-held devices for a few minutes a day, you will likely be scoffed at as a backward-thinking loser whose resentment probably lies in your pathetic inability to figure out how to organize your iTunes library.
You might even be called a Luddite, because most people, liberals included, think the Luddites were knee-jerk reactionaries scared of any form of technology when, in fact, they were tradesmen and artisans engaged in a class protest against “all Machinery hurtful to Commonality” (i.e. forms of mechanization that damaged people and uprooted communities by forcing skilled workers to become wage slaves in factories). To be labeled a Luddite today is to be intellectually and culturally dismissed even by class-conscious leftists who have a blind spot when it comes to the politics of technology.
Technology is the practical application of scientific knowledge, the manipulation of elements (fire, water, rock) to create tools, methods and products. Primitive technologies like fire and spears enabled humans to meet their basic needs more easily and, hence, be fruitful and multiply. Modern technologies optimize comfort, convenience and speed, enabling humans to be very fruitful indeed, not only with respect to procreation, but in our astonishing ability to create and share ideas, literature, art and music. Still, it must be said that very rich cultures predate modern technology by centuries, and modern communications technologies may have reached a tipping point where what is authentically created and shared is overshadowed by market-driven, corporate-generated content that is sold or imposed.
Technology has its place. After all, the alphabet and the magnetic compass were innovations in their day, and I feel pretty confident in asserting that literacy and knowing which way is north are, on balance, good things. What we as progressive thinkers must do – because no one else is doing it – is acknowledge the ways in which technology can serve us, understand the ways in which many technologies have harmed us and develop some kind of rubric through which we can evaluate the merits of existing and emerging technologies. Furthermore, we must be mindful of the ways in which technologies can be used by corporate and government actors to repress and control us and question whether the benefits of using the technologies outweigh the risks.
A resilient community is one whose people collectively possess the requisite knowledge and skills to meet their basic needs and are healthy enough in body and spirit to meet challenges and take care of less able members of the community (children, seniors and disabled people). Members of modern societies think themselves very clever though we lack even rudimentary knowledge of the biological and artificial life systems that support us. Lacking much authentic wisdom and knowledge, we tend to take vicarious pride in the inventions of others – I, who cannot so much as spark a flame without a match, feel intelligent by dint of my fellow human’s invention of the combustion engine.
Our deluded pride in our species’ intelligence blinds us to the core deception of technology – that it makes us more resilient. A species that is utterly dependent on the seamless functioning of a fabulously complex global superstructure with millions of impersonal moving parts, none of which most of us have even passing acquaintance with, is not, by any stretch of meaning, resilient. Evaluate your own resilience next time you turn on the faucet – what would you do if nothing came out? Do you even know where your water comes from? Many of us cannot imagine how we would survive without mobile phones much less indoor plumbing.
As techno-literacy expands, eco-literacy contracts.
Consider the sad history of the Arctic Ihalmiut people who are the subject of Farley Mowat’s The People of the Deer. Mowat chronicles the Ihalmiut’s adoption of rifles and subsequent loss of the ability to hunt with bow and arrow as their forerunners had done for millennia. Intermittent access to ammunition (and squandering of shells on fox whose pelts they sporadically sold to white traders) resulted in waves of starvation that reduced their numbers to a handful. The Ihalmiut, understandably seduced by the prospect of an easier means of securing meat, lost their resilience. The same story is now playing out among young Igloolik hunters who use GPS to navigate their ancestral landscape. A recent article in The Atlantic (“The Great Forgetting,” November 2013) reports on the rise of fatal hunting accidents as these hunters get lost or wander blindly onto hazardous terrain.
As techno-literacy expands, eco-literacy contracts. As the saying goes, “We know more and more about less and less.” We know how to create PowerPoint presentations, but don’t know a watershed from a wetland. Worse, the more tech-savvy and eco-ignorant we become, the more we delude ourselves into believing that humans are immune to the laws of nature and can magically replenish our planet’s finite resources. We’re unwilling to take even relatively simple, easy steps that would reduce demand for water, electricity and fuel unless a smart marketing campaign convinces us that we’ll save big bucks. Modern conveniences have not only made us lazy, but have led us to assume that the arc of human betterment is inevitable, and that we are but passive observers of its triumphant mastery over nature.
Our attachment to technology often fosters hubris. And though in many cases it enhances community, it also often fuels our cultural bias toward hyper-individualism by making it all too easy to forego human community and place our bets, instead, on the techno-nanny to care for us. We think that we humans are so smart that each of us can go it alone. It’s a dangerous dynamic in which we acquiesce at our peril.
Ironically, the internet and social media have made possible an unprecedented flow of cross-cultural communication and provide a means for mobility-challenged and geographically or socially isolated folks to connect and learn. Much of the re-skilling that is taking place (learning to garden, mend clothes, preserve food, etc.) is greatly facilitated by the vast electronic information storehouse. But as one homesteading educator ominously warns, “Be sure to print out a hard copy of this material, just in case . . .”
This is fairly self-evident: Machines and fossil fuels enable humans to manufacture far more stuff, far more cheaply than we could ever produce by hand. Our stores are crammed with products that are cheap enough to buy without a second thought. Even online activity consumes more energy than most users realize, because massive data servers require ghastly quantities of electricity.
Centre Pivot in Irrigation
Irrigation has been one of the most effective technological advancements in the agricultural sector. It has yielded amazing results and continues to do so. Irrigational practices are sustainable. It aims at conserving the resources while also providing an adequate amount of water to the crops.
Centre pivot is a type of irrigation technology that has ranked first in providing efficient results. Not to forget, it is more suitable for flat terrain. It is also relatively less costly than other technologies.
Conclusion
Mankind is shown time and again that there is no path leading to success that does not involve the incorporation of modern-day technology. With the advancement of technology, things have become simpler for one and all. When all the other industries are taking up technological intervention for their growth and to overcome challenges, why should the agriculture industry stay behind? We have discussed some nuances of the intervention of technology in the agricultural sector and how it is a booming industry in the present scenario. There are many other small and large interventions of technology in agriculture. Involving it only eases the different processes in the industry.
Recent technological development has occurred at such an incredible rate that it has become a source of controversy. Some people are concerned about the negative impacts that technology has on their lives while others appreciate the comfort they obtain from it. In my opinion, the benefits of these developments could outweigh the drawbacks.
The Importance of Modern Technology in the Workplace
An innovative business on the cutting edge of technology is able to empower its remote workers, reap the cost-savings benefits of BYOD policies, and connect its employees no matter how and where they work. It can provide higher-quality products or services, enhance customer service and the user experience, and reduce waste while improving productivity for higher profit margins. All in all, properly utilizing technology in the workplace creates a competitive advantage.
In an incredibly crowded and competitive business landscape, any chance to get ahead is worth capitalizing on. If you’re not taking advantage of the benefits of technology in your organization, you’re likely already falling behind the competition. It’s important to realize that technology in the workplace has become essential for business success.
A Timeline of Technological Advancements in the Workplace
1960s. Technology wasn’t very present in the workplace. Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), a computer chip that drastically changed the evolution of computing power, was invented in 1967 but wouldn’t have a serious effect on companies until years later. The way that people communicated was evolving as more households gained access to televisions and phones, but this was still a challenge for companies. Between the lack of communication tools and infrastructure available, organizations were very limited as to where they could do business.
1970s. Even with the introduction of email in 1971, the impact of technology in the workplace remained stagnant as most large corporations were too focused on revenue to bother trying new tools. However, this decade saw booming technology innovation with inventions such as the daisy-wheel printer, floppy disk, and the first ever video game, Pong. The biggest invention of all arrived in 1973 when Ethernet (which is now the most widely used local area networking (LAN) technology in the world) was invented by Xerox.
1980s. With the rise of tech-giant companies like IBM, Microsoft, Apple, and AT&T, technology in the workplace finally started to gain some traction. The laptop was invented in 1981, and the world’s first cell phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 800x, was launched in 1983. With these new communication tools, organizations were finally able to expand where they could do business beyond their geographic location.
1990s. With the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1989, technology was essentially everywhere by the time the 90’s rolled around. Companies could now use the web to show off their products and services and stay connected with their customers. They could also find and communicate with other suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors that they wouldn’t have been able to previously due to geographic limitations. This became even easier once Google was invented in 1998.
2000s. Google was now used daily by businesses and consumers alike across the globe. Devices such as the Apple iPod and iPhone were created, and social media sites like Myspace and Facebook began to pop up. These innovations started the wave of being able to access everyone and everything online. Consumers were now able to find and contact businesses who offered solutions to their problems, even if they weren’t located close by. At the same time, businesses were now able to do research on their customers to market to them more effectively and create products aligned with their deeper needs.
2010s. We’re all caught up! Welcome to modern times, where technology has become fully integrated into nearly every aspect of both consumers’ lives and businesses’ operations. Workplace trends and business best practices are constantly changing as new technologies are evolving at a rapid pace.
Access and Exchange of Information
Since the mid 1990s, the modern technology has had a revolutionary hit on culture and commerce, including electronic emails, blogs, shopping site, chatting video and social nerwork,etc. People all the world have witnessed such a rapid access and exchange of information. The further the technology reaches, the more doubtful people are about a danger to our society. This development has both pros and cons, which is still arguable.
I’m convinced that the convenience of modern technology is such a clear thing. Every class of people uses the Internet in his own way. Students use the Internet for researching and making friends, businessmen use it for doing business and relaxing, housewives use it for shopping online, travelers use it for booking rooms and taking map, others use it for updating new information and doing transaction online. It cannot be imagined how the world would be without Internet. Just with a mobile phone, a laptop or a desk computer connected with the Internet, we can access the world without stepping out of home.
Looking at the other side of the argument, modern technology is considered to become harmful to our society. As far as I know, the Internet brings a big amount of data at a very high speed, therefore, it is impossible to control the spread of information and the receiving entity. All kinds of information are updated all time no matter source of information and its truthfulness. Even an innocent child can access information easily, which can affect his behavior. What will happen if wrong data is organized for a wrong purpose, leading to an increase in in misunderstanding which may effect behavior, a decision or an outcome? Consequently, a big danger may happen to our society.
From personal experience, I‘m in favor of what benefits new technology brings to us. It is advisable to use modern technology smartly enough to exploit the Internet benefits . Also, we’d better not allow children to use the Internet without supervision of their parents. It’s a good idea to absorb what to be read and heard efficiently and quickly. Anyway, it’s important to learn how to balance our life, spend more time staying out and meeting people instead of staying online all the time.
In conclusion, everything is two-sided, not only new technology. Obviously, we cannot deny the benefits that new technology brings to the world. If someone asks me whether it becomes a danger or not, I think the outcome is upon the way it is used. Last but not late, if I were you, I would use new technology smartly enough.
Comments for Access and Exchange of Information
Quality of Life
Over the last two decades, people have witnessed some tremendous improvements in the area of information technology. While this change has led our work and life more convenient than before, I believe it also brings us several negative impacts.
It is true that recent technology developments have made our life become more convenient. This is because people can use their mobile phone to perform multi tasks, which cannot be imagined in the past. For example, having a smart phone these days allow users to check emails, pay bills and conduct a video conference through internet at anytime and anywhere. Therefore, it certainly makes individuals become more productive as they do not need to physically attend to complete these tasks.
Nevertheless, these technologies also create problems to people’s life. The major one is that it reduces the level of individual’s wellbeing. Thanks to the modern technology, adults are less active as jobs have shifted towards sedentary office work instead of manual labour. If they are getting used to this sedentary lifestyle, it is more likely for them to enjoy sedentary activities rather than outdoor activities. Consequently, they may suffer some chronic diseases at early age.
Anotrher dire effect of developments in technology is lack of family bonding. This is because people’s behavior has been changed by modern technology. For example, in recent years the younger generation tends to enjoy their time on their online life such as checking facebook rather than interact with their families at their free time. If they expose to this situation for long time, they may only live in their own virtual world. As a result, it will not only decrease their communication skills, but also limit their social opportunities with people from outside.
Increase in destruction from equipment in wars or fights
No because…
if people increase the number or force in equipmnet such as bombs and guns, they would eb able to destroy whole city in a few seconds instead of now when you actually have to drop about 6 bombs to destroy part of a city
Yes because…
We have the bombs that can clear multiple cities with one bomb. We have rocket launchers capable of blowing up buildings from the inside out. We have grenade launchers holding several grenades. We could take down multiple cities within a few seconds and use about 6 bombs to destroy a small country right now.
Thats the scary truth. However, technology may be able to bring upon some kind of defense to bombs and explosions to protect cities. How? Personally i’m not sure, but thats what technology is for, to create things that we don’t know and thats what make it so amazing
Is Technology Bad for you?
No because…
63% of people prefer to use the computer or other technology instead of reading or staying warm. A problem that can occur from spending too much time on a computer is that there is a high chance for damaging the eyes.A reason that kids, teenagers, and adults should not be on the computer, phone, iPad, or other technology is that it could take away from homework, work, or chores.
Yes because…
Baseball or football could lead to getting hit by the ball or tackled causing broken bones, bloody noses, bruises ect. Checkers and chess could take away from homework, work or chores. These things are not really “Technology” yes could have the same or worse results. No chess and checkers are not really the “in thing” at the moment, but my point is is that without said technology there would just be something else to distract our minds
Technology is not much important.. In earlier time. Life was also there. Technology make our life lazy not easy. U can see properly. What kind of impact are reflecting on our health. Because of what. Because of science technology. We should concern about birds. They die day by day.. Life is not to living.. It’s just like complete ur days on earth..
Technology has been advancing for the better of humanity for years now, most of what we’ve created out of this has been really good. Although behind the scene how do we know as technology advances, it’s not also advancing for the bad, bad people with power and money being extremely capable of using this technology to their own advantage, eventually technology is going to reach a point where the human mind will easily be manipulated, you’ll be influenced, etc. We only see what were aloud to see. 0_0
modern day technology such as phones, computers and medical technology is great and can even save life’s but have we sat back and thought of all the bad thing like eye damage, bullying and not to mention the addictive habits, technology can save lives but it can also destroy them
I do love this technology but was born in 1958 so didn’t grow up with it. I think it’s bad when kids don’t do much else and social media means they are in danger of bullies or grooming by older women or men pretending to be the same age. We need to educate everyone specially young children teenagers and parents of those age groups. Keeping a eye without being invasive or overly protective must be hard. There are so many good points too it though. We better get used to it and any potential dangers as its not going anywhere. Lol. Be strict with time limits and if necessary check browsing history and be aware of what social media sites they are on. There are parental controls too. Homework shouldn’t be copied from websites. They should just look and then write their own way.
Remote people management is tricky because it strips away so much of the incidental communication that people management runs on. Here are a few tips for improving your people management while working from home.
What Is People Management, and Why Is It So Important?
In this article, we answer these questions and move on to talk about why and how business leaders should be invested in their company’s people management performance. We also offer some tips for how to practice good people management in a remote working environment.
But people management is about much more than this. At its heart, it’s about paying attention to and caring for employees. This could mean looking after their wellbeing, compassionately helping them overcome stumbling blocks, or inspiring them to do their best work and strive to meet their personal and professional development goals.
Ensuring that employees are getting the compensation they deserve
Making sure each employee and team has the resources they need to do what is expected of them (including having enough time to do what they are asked to, or enough team members with whom to share a workload)
Ensuring that employees have the wellness resources they need to feel safe and happy at work (including, for example, listening and compassion from their manager when they are struggling)
Helping mediate and resolve conflicts between employees or on a team, or better still, cultivating a communicative and cooperative environment that doesn’t breed conflict
Going beyond workplace training to help employees develop the confidence and enthusiasm they need to realise their potential
Helping employees overcome challenges that hamper their job performance
Consider how even an “ideal” hire can be disengaged and unproductive without strong management, while someone who may not be the best fit for their role can develop new skills and do a good job if they have a great manager.
Essential people management skills
People management requires several soft skills, including those that can lead to open and honest communication as well as improved employee experience. Each of these skills can better help you interact with your employees and perform organizational tasks.
1. Empowering employees
Empowering your employees helps them develop new skills and be more productive. It’s important to train new employees well and give them the knowledge and resources they need to perform assigned tasks and continue learning on their own.
2. Active listening
Active listening is the practice of listening to the speaker to fully understand their perspective, question or concern before responding. Active listeners remove distractions, maintain eye contact and offer verbal or non-verbal cues to indicate their engagement and understanding.
When an employee comes to you with a question or issue, use nonverbal cues such as nodding to demonstrate your engagement while they’re speaking. Respond thoughtfully by repeating a summary of your understanding of their message. If you have understood, you can then ask follow-up questions to learn more about what they need. You can also express that you empathize with their experience to further assure them you understand and respect them. These active listening techniques lead to quality people management that promotes positive interactions in the workplace.
3. Conflict-resolution
Good conflict-resolution skills can help address interpersonal challenges. You can analyze the situation and identify what the causes of the conflict might be. If there’s a miscommunication or differing opinions, you can mediate between opposing parties and help them make a compromise or reach a collective understanding. After mediation, monitor the situation to ensure the conflict is fully resolved and to prevent it from occurring again.
4. Flexibility
Knowing when to be flexible and when to more firmly direct employees is an important aspect of effective people management. You can demonstrate flexibility in your management style by accommodating individual employee needs—such as adjustable schedules or remote work options—and allowing employees to adjust their individual workflow so they can be as productive as possible. You should assess the results of the employee’s process to ensure its efficiency and to help them revise the process if it can be optimized.
For example, if one of your employees prefers to complete related tasks in batches while another employee moves back and forth between different tasks, analyze each employee’s results. If both employees are their most productive using their respective processes, then you can encourage them to continue using and improving their systems. You may even ask them to demonstrate their individual processes to other employees to optimize the entire team’s workflow. If an employee seems to be struggling with personalizing their process, you can coach them through the standard steps, and help them discover what works best for them.
5. Patience
Patience is an important people management skill that uses kindness, respect and empathy while helping others overcome obstacles. You can use patience when training new employees, teaching new processes, handling conflicts or solving problems. When employees can trust their managers to be patient, they are more likely to ask for clarification to ensure they understand directions and to increase the quality of their work.
For example, if an employee continues asking questions about a single process, you should continue to guide while trying new ways to better communicate your message. Consider providing multiple examples that clarify and demonstrate your instructions, or combine typed instructions with visual diagrams if possible.
6. Clear communication
Communication is a necessary people management skill that enables team members to work together in solving problems, brainstorming new ideas and adapting to new changes. Your ability to clearly communicate with your coworkers can help you be a better team member.
, such as too much information at one time or inaccessible terms. Allow your employees to ask clarifying questions, and directly confirm that each member of your team understands the information so there is no miscommunication.
7. Trust
Trust means believing that you can rely on someone’s abilities, assistance or advice when you need it most. Building trust helps your team work together more efficiently and productively. Teams should be able to trust that their leader supports them and believes in their hard work. Leaders should be able to trust that their team can complete tasks correctly and on time.
You can build trust by reliably performing your tasks and demonstrating technical skills when employees ask for help. You can also promote trust when you provide constructive feedback that helps team members improve their skills and work quality.
Last but not least, the soft skill to be able to appreciate people for the work they do is something that can make a people manager rise to the top. As a people manager, he or she should praise and reward team members for the good job that they do. This can positively impact how employees perceive their work and make them feel grateful for the experience they are getting in the organization.
What is people management?
People management is a part of human resource management that encapsulates all the processes of acquisition, optimization, and retention of talent in the organization. It involves training, directing, and motivating team members to maximize the productivity of the workplace and enhance overall professional growth.
Leaders in a company, namely the team lead, department heads, and managers, leverage people management practices to oversee the flow of tasks and increase the performance of employees on a daily basis. The process looks into how employees work, engage, behave, and attain growth in the business. It is the job of a people manager to provide continual support and lead the way for employees towards success.
A people management system leveraged to manage team members have a significant influence on the overall working of the company. As such, people managers need to adhere to these practices as a holistic puzzle without deviating from the main objective of the business. Effective people management involves providing support for the following:
What is people management?
People management is a broad topic that covers what it means to develop, organize, problem-solve for, and grow the employee side of the business. These skills range from being able to mediate a personality clash between team members to building an effective performance management strategy for a business.
People management is different from performance management in that it extends beyond considerations of employees’ work and instead focuses more broadly on employees’ well-being. While performance management is about the ongoing process of setting and evaluating employee progress against established goals, people management is about enabling employees to solve problems and engage effectively with other team members.
You have a management team because you don’t expect employees to magically come up with and enforce company structure. Similarly, the idea behind people management is that you have managers because you also can’t expect employees to manage their own development, processes, and people problems all on their own.
You can build your people management skills by making small changes in your mindset and your perspective on problems. The management tips that follow will help you think about tweaks you can make in your own process to be a more effective and successful manager.
1. People management starts with listening.
We think of good listening as something that happens between the beginning and end of a conversation: being attentive, making eye contact, taking notes, and waiting for the other person to finish before you start to talk. And those are all parts of the listening skill set that you should practice.
But good listening is essential to the management role, and it starts before you even sit down to talk to an employee. Keys to listening well include keeping an open mind and not jumping to conclusions before or during conversations, according to Dianne Schilling, an expert on emotional intelligence.
This means you can’t assume what an employee is thinking, what their problem is, or what the solution to their problem is – you have to let go of your preconceived notions, and you need to ask them. Even if they think the cause of a problem is obvious, a great manager listens with the intent of understanding as much about the situation as possible; they don’t just barge in with a possible solution. Prep for meetings, but don’t go in thinking you know all the answers.
2. Separate personal problems from organizational ones.
Employees are going to have problems and you are going to have to help solve them. But not all problems are created equal. The root causes of workplace problems often fall into two categories: personal and organizational. They may manifest the same way when talking to one or a few employees, but understanding the difference will save you from a disproportionate response. Treating an organizational problem like a personal one is like putting a bandaid on a broken window. Similarly, treating a personal problem like an organizational one is like remodeling your kitchen to become a better cook.
These problems, when they occur with one (or a few) employees, can be corrected with your people management skills and no significant reorganization. On the other hand, organizational problems are entrenched and can’t be solved by problem-solving one employee’s problem.
These issues stem from inherent problems in the organization of the company. Managers need to use their people management skills to comprehend the organizational problem behind the above problems, while still people-managing to keep employees’ heads above water until the problem is truly fixed.
3. Understand each employee’s purpose.
To communicate with employees and empathize with them, you have to understand what draws them to their role and what joy they derive from their work; i.e., their purpose. Purpose is a huge part of what keeps people satisfied at work and what drives them to succeed and push themselves professionally. Knowing why an employee feels connected to their role and why they’re inspired to be an individual contributor to the business helps you as a manager understand how to help them succeed in a way that also benefits the company.
People want to work on projects where they believe they can do well, and when they’re given the opportunity to do what they do best, they feel more connected to their work. Pinpointing exactly what an employee likes about their role — or why they may be striving for a promotion — allows you to frame solutions in a way that helps employees gain perspective on their larger context in the business.
For example, two engineers are both struggling with a project they work on. One isn’t interested in the end result of the project, and doesn’t feel motivated to complete the work. The other enjoys the project and the collaborative aspect of pair programming, but isn’t getting along at all with their pair programming partner.
Transparency
Being transparent and open is one of the best ways to build trust with your employees. It shows them you are being honest with them and not hiding any information. If you want to be transparent, you need good communication skills and to make good use of your data. Tell your employees what is happening instead of letting them find out on the grapevine. Make sure you communicate why you have made a decision, ideally by providing data and analysis.
Tip: Use HR software that has an employee portal, so everyone can access relevant information at the same time, even if they aren’t in the office. SentricHR provides a news feed within its employee portal, which displays the latest news and company activity.
The type of support you give for these personal concerns may be different from the support you give for business matters, but the result is the same: inspiration to continue doing their job to the best of their ability.
20 People Management Skills Every Manager Needs To Succeed
A big part of being a successful manager is leveraging your experience and technical skills to get the job done. But those two factors are really only half of the story. Your success as a manager will primarily depend on “soft skills” that are easy to take for granted. What are these talents that mean more than experience and technical prowess combined? Three words: people management skills.
You can assess your own people management skills by simply asking yourself the following question: “How well do I work with others?” But when you try and get to the specifics of what it means to be an effective team member , the insight often breaks down into generalities such as, “She’s likable,” or, “He’s got a good personality.”
11) Leadership Skills
One of the most important people management skills you can develop is the ability to lead effectively. Effective leaders motivate their team to do great things. Ineffective leaders often have undermotivated, underperforming, disengaged teams.
But, like all the skills on this list, you can develop and strengthen your leadership skills. All it takes is an understanding of what motivates your team members, a willingness to make improvements, and plenty of practice.
Don’t feel overwhelmed if you’re not doing any of these things right now. Choose one and work on it until it becomes a habit. Then choose another trait from the list and practice it for a few weeks. Take it one step at a time and your leadership skills will improve dramatically.
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When your boss is threatened by your ideas, s/he may send you signs that your intelligence, creativity, and enthusiasm are not welcome anymore. That means your boss now wants you to quit your job. If your manager is truly terrified of you, you may be subjected to disciplinary action as a pathetic attempt to put out your fire. It happens because fearful bosses don’t empower their workers; instead, they bring them down. These types of bosses only prefer flattering and obedient employees. When you are serving a toxic boss and you are too smart, too vocal or too creative, your boss will send you signs that he or she wants you to leave your job.
Signs Your Boss Wants You to Quit
Feeling like your boss wants you to quit can make your day-to-day life exceptionally stressful. If you’re seeing signs you should quit your job, take matters into your own hands by doing things like planning for a new career and making your life outside of work more enjoyable.
Hopefully your current boss isn’t as insufferable as any of the higher-ups in Horrible Bosses. After all, no one wants their career life to feel like a dark comedy that’s poised to end disastrously. But, having a strained relationship with a supervisor may be a sign you should quit your job. If you don’t have the best rapport with your boss, you’re definitely not alone. And you never know, if your boss has been particularly difficult lately, they may actually want you to quit. Fortunately, if your boss or your job makes you miserable, you have other options. Take your supervisor’s behavior as a blessing in disguise and a sign that it’s time to quit your job and move on to bigger, better opportunities.
If you think you may be in this situation, don’t despair! After you learn some signs that may indicate your current job (or boss) isn’t for you, we’ll offer advice on how to make the most of a bad situation until you find something better. And remember, isolated incidents could mean anything, but if you notice a pattern, you may want to start updating your resume.
What are the signs your boss wants you gone?
Everything I do seems to annoy my boss.
My boss has started micromanaging me.
My boss has completely abandoned me; it’s like I don’t exist.
There is nothing I do that my boss fails to criticize.
There is no small talk for us.
My boss won’t greet me — or smile.
My boss won’t make eye contact.
My boss has a derogatory demeanor and reserved, domineering body language when dealing with me — and behaves differently with others.
My boss isn’t available for me via email or phone.
My boss attributes my successes to my colleagues.
I get blamed for problems that were not my fault.
When I ask my boss for feedback, I rarely get it.
My boss doesn’t listen to anything I say.
My boss goes to my subordinates first for new projects — not me.
My boss no longer asks for my input on key decisions.
I’m often excluded from major meetings that involve my work.
My boss’s door is always closed for me.
My boss always disagrees with me.
If more than half of the statements above apply to your situation, your workplace dynamic might indeed be unfavorable. However, before rushing into conclusions, let’s see if you’re prone to some type of negative thinking that can affect your perception of your work relationships.
“I think my boss wants me out”: identifying negative thinking
How do you determine if this is a catastrophizing thought, rather than the real situation at hand? Your first task is to stop the kind of thinking that fosters helplessness. Instead of the exaggerations your mind is conjuring, focus on rational alternatives.
We can start to change our thinking when we recognize common patterns. This requires self-awareness, because irrational thoughts are often automatic — and convincing. Check out the table below to see if the examples in the left column ring true to your current situation at work. Then examine the rational alternatives in the right column and modify them to fit your situation.
Causes of Stress in the Workplace That You Should Know
Remote work & Productivity
They always disagree with you
It’s also crucial to realize that your supervisor is still a human and that while this hostile attitude is unjust, it’s a normal reaction to the climate produced by frequently hiring and dismissing people. So, if your employer continuously disagrees with you, it’s possible that they’re trying to assuage their own fears of terminating you.
When your manager considers firing you, they will request that you document everything connected to your job. Filling out timesheets so the organization can keep track of how you spend your hours and minutes may be part of it. From now on, they will give you even the smallest instructions in written form. For example, the feedback that used to be given during a coffee break now requires an email chain with your boss’s boss cc’d.
Denied overtime
Once your boss has decided to terminate you, he or she will refuse to pay you overtime. It’s an attempt to minimize your monetary perks in order for you to feel discouraged in your job and quit. Sometimes your boss will drive you to work some extra hours, but you will not get paid any overtime.
Realizing that your boss wants you to leave is sad, but you’ll stop feeling awful about the issue when you know that merely being yourself has made your employer uneasy to the point of excessive conduct. You’ll no longer blame yourself for being intelligent and capable because you’ll see that it’s your terrified employer, not you, who has a problem. You’ll notice that your management is frightened of your own strength. It’s possible that you’ll have to shift employment. That’s fine! You weren’t planning on leaving this job anyhow.
