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How Can You Tap Into Your Superpower? 5 Tips For Becoming A Visionary Leader.

leader

How Can You Tap Into Your Superpower? 5 Tips For Becoming A Visionary Leader.

The business world moves fast – faster than ever before, thanks in large part to new technology and higher expectations from customers in an ultra-competitive landscape. And for leaders, it’s about constantly moving their company forward or being left behind.

Being “in the moment” is crucial, but one key factor separating successful companies from mediocre ones are visionary leaders who can look far ahead, see the change that needs to be made and empower others to make it happen, says Mari Tautimes, a prosperous business owner and author of #KeepGoing: From 15-Year-Old Mom To Successful CEO And Entrepreneur.

“Visionary leaders guide companies to positive change and significant growth with great ideas and long-term decision-making,” she says. “They inspire and empower their team. They unite the company with a powerful common goal that aligns departments and builds strong relationships.

“The vision stems from natural curiosity, a passion for potential, and a quest to improve not only the company but the lives of others. Being a visionary leader is a superpower. It’s being able to envision a future that’s better, possessing the drive towards that, and actively selling others on your ideas. When this superpower is tapped into properly, it can change the world.”

Tautimes offers these tips to become a visionary leader:

Create space to visualize. Tautimes says coming up with a vision, like many creative thinking processes, requires time alone to focus. “It could be getting exercise, sitting at a sidewalk cafe, or any way you can kick-start the creative process,” she says. “Develop a systematic approach to tapping into your vision. Take clarity breaks during the day, where you get away, unplug, and free think about the future and your business.”

Be a risk taker. A visionary leader creates change, and change doesn’t come without risks. Tautimes says such leaders are willing to struggle and step out of their comfort zone. “You need to have a true stomach for risk and not be plagued by this pesky inconvenience to need to know how something can be done,” she says. “You have the belief that it can be done and the team will help you figure out how. You need to keep in mind that achieving the vision and reaping the rewards are worth the pain along the way. Otherwise you’ll stop pushing forward and the dream will die. And when your team buys in and sees you stepping out of your comfort zone, they’ll be empowered to do the same.”

Communicate passionately and listen thoroughly.  A visionary leader must communicate the vision with a consistent passion that pulls everyone on board, Tautimes says. But the vision may never be achieved if the leader doesn’t listen to and accept some advice from team members. “A visionary leader doesn’t just stampede through everybody and ignore all the naysayers,” she says. “Without the support of others who can keep the visionary grounded, the project will fail. While visionaries create the ideas that shape the future, there’s usually a huge support system behind them that assists with execution.”

Know your industry inside-out. Being a visionary leader requires curiosity that leads to learning in-depth about their industry, including market trends and relevant data. “A visionary leader needs to gather lots of information, which helps them make accurate observations and define and refine their business vision,” Tautimes says. “They make connections in networking and are constantly gaining knowledge and growing. When the right opportunity comes into their view, they know when to strike.

Set practical goals that motivate the team toward the vision. ”It might take you years to reach your vision, but you have a clearly stated picture of it, and you’re excited thinking about it,” Tautimes says. “To help maintain your enthusiasm and that of your team members, and to continue momentum, set goals along the way that are milestones of progress toward the vision. Define a time frame for those next few goals.”

“Creating a vision for a business and following through on it requires boldness, commitment, communication and boundless energy,” Tautimes says. “Visionary leaders who truly stay focused on the vision while keeping everyone on board and moving forward can see great success.”

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Mari Tautimes (www.maritautimes.com) is the author of #KeepGoing: From 15-Year-Old Mom To Successful CEO And Entrepreneur. She rose from administrative assistant to CEO of her family’s businesses and sold them for $16 million. An entrepreneur for over 20 years, Tautimes is a speaker, trainer, EOS Implementer® and mentor, sharing her story of perseverance and success to help others create fulfilling lives.

masters

MASTER OF YOUR DOMAIN: ADVANCE YOUR EDUCATION AND CAREER AT HOME OR ABROAD

Whether you want to study at home or abroad, and/or in English or another language, there are numerous master-degree programs aimed at global trade professionals.

For our purposes, we have identified intriguing educational opportunities, first in the U.S. and then around the world.

DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Master of Science in Port and Terminal Management

Lamar’s Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering and College of Business have teamed with port and marine terminal leaders to offer port-management courses. The university claims its Master of Science degree program in Port and Terminal Management is unlike any other in the world. It’s aimed at working professionals in the public port and private marine terminal industry seeking to advance and enhance their careers by studying under field experts and scholars within the Southeast Texas Neches River ports and conducting cutting-edge waterfront community research.

Texas A&M University-Galveston

Galveston, Texas
Master of Maritime Business Administration & Logistics

The university, which was founded in 1876, claims its Master’s in Maritime Business Administration and Logistics “places students in a prime position for successful leadership roles within the field of maritime business administration.” Coursework came about through experienced experts having shared the latest advances within the industry. Students can pursue an online degree or an on-campus track that offers a license option, a five-year combined undergraduate-graduate program or a thesis option.

Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, Maine
Master of Science in Maritime Management

To be perfectly honest, we prefer this degree program’s other name: Master’s & Commander. Whatever you call it, the degree combines two programs: Small Vessel Operations and International Logistics Management. And students can also earn their U.S. Coast Guard Mate Less Than 200 Gross Tons, Near Coastal or Inland license as well as Maritime Port Manager certification from the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives. International logistics involves studying the process of planning and managing the movement of goods and products in a company’s supply chain from one point to another—and across at least one international border—until reaching the consumer. It must be noted that while a substantial portion of studies can be done online, some on-campus coursework is also required.

State University of New York Maritime College

Bronx, New York

Master of Science in International Transportation Management

The SUNY graduate program offers these five tracks: business of shipping; global transportation security; international logistics; marine insurance; or research in international logistics and shipping. But students can also select from a vast array of elective courses that cover liner and tramp shipping, port operations, international trade, economics, insurance, law and other topics so they may may design a track tailored to their specific needs and interests. Options include: a 34-credit, online, on-campus or hybrid degree program that involves four core courses, six electives and one culminating capstone course; a 40-credit, in-person only program that includes an Advanced Certificate in Supply Chain Management with the completion of four core courses, five supply-chain management courses, three electives and the culminating capstone; and a 96-credit, hybrid program that includes the 34-credit master’s degree as well as a U.S. Coast Guard third mate license. While the courses may be completed online, the license includes 62 credits at the undergraduate level that must be done on-campus. 

American Public University

Charles Town, West Virginia

Master of Arts in Transportation and Logistics

Conducted through APU’s Dr. Wallace E. Boston School of Business, the accredited online program teaches advanced logistics skills and technologies needed to manage enterprise-level manufacturing, shipping, retail, security, emergency management and disaster relief. Students are provided a higher-level examination of the principles, policies and trends in air, maritime and ground transportation; supply chain optimization; security; and sustainability. Portions of the program were developed in partnership with the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Global Maritime and Transportation School. 

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences

Rotterdam, Netherlands, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Master of Science in Shipping & Transport

The one-year, full-time, English-language program will, according to the university, “give you an excellent opportunity to improve your skills in business administration in the maritime and logistics field.” Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of shipping management, economics and finance, logistics management and transport laws & policies. The program “guides students to make the link between understanding the fundamental maritime and transport concepts, tools and techniques and to apply them effectively and successfully in real-life situations,” boasts RU. “We practice a genuine ‘Rotterdam hands-on and make-things-happen’ approach, which is our distinctive strength.” 

Netherlands Maritime University

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Part-time Master of Science in Shipping and Transport

This 27-month, fully English program, which is aimed at shipping and transport management professionals, provides a multidisciplinary view on maritime, port, transport and logistics issues and complex management problems. Consisting of four core modules with various courses and a final module that is dedicated to thesis research, the program flips online learning on its head. Three-hour classes that are held two nights a week are expected to be completed on-campus. And every five or six weeks there is a full Friday of excursions or simulations. Your off hours can thus be devoted to your day job which, unless it’s real close to Rotterdam, will have to be performed online, from your student housing. When you’re not working, in class or off on an excursion, you are expected to discuss, analyze and share thoughts about your coursework with fellow students. Welcome to the brave new virtual world! 

University of Bamenda 

Bamenda, Cameroon

Professional Master in Transportation, Shipping Management & Logistics and Supply Chain Management

The two-year, English-language, on-campus program is under the umbrella of the university’s Higher Institute of Transport and Logistics, whose departments include General Studies, Customs, Land Transport, Maritime Transport and Transit and Logistics. The degree program covers Transportation and Logistics, Shipping Management, Logistics and Supply Chain Management and, besides courses, students must complete an internship and dissertation. 

Bureau Veritas Business School 

Alcobendas, Spain

Master in Shipping Business Administration & Logistics

This program is aimed at business people, naval engineers, civil engineers and other port and maritime professionals who want to conduct their studies online and in Spanish. (How’s that for niche programming?) “The primary objective of the course is to achieve a comprehensive knowledge of the management of maritime and port companies,” states Bureau Veritas , “as well as to develop the skills and capacities necessary to know how to analyze the maritime port, and logistics company from a managerial point of view.”

port management

LAMAR’S PORT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ENHANCES CAREERS AND BUILDS KNOWLEDGE

Lamar University’s new Center for Port Management prepares today’s port and terminal management professionals for tomorrow’s industry challenges and opportunities. The center’s flagship offering is the fully online Master of Science degree in Port and Terminal Management. The 12-course program blends theory and practice through course content and delivery, taught in equal measure by industry experts sourced globally, and faculty from Lamar’s Business College and Industrial Engineering Department.

“Throughout my 40-year career, the port industry has sought an advanced degree in port management that would recognize the exceptional nature of this critical profession, as well as advancing its practice,” says Erik Stromberg, the center’s first executive director. “As an industry veteran, my focus is on the application of knowledge to the practice of port management.

“Historically, port managers prepared for their significant responsibilities through on-the-job training and continuing education as offered by trade organizations, such as AAPA,” says Stromberg in reference to the American Association of Port Authorities, which he ran for 10 years. “The required set of skills and knowledge could take years to develop, but even then, it would typically address the manager’s functional focus and not the broad spectrum of port authority roles and responsibilities.

“Our port master’s degree program spans the many interdisciplinary skill sets a senior port leader needs to understand and apply. Management skills training in leadership, team building and decision-making are included in the curriculum. The curriculum also addresses one of the most important port management responsibilities, which is to balance the public and private sector roles a port authority must play.”

Stromberg continues, “Importantly, one of the very important if less obvious roles our port industry veterans play in delivering course content is to convey the normative value of port management. Port authorities operate as a public enterprise, requiring management acumen and business-like efficiency in the delivery of public goods—jobs, economic development and waterborne commerce. There is a tangible aspect of port management that prides itself on generating public benefits, as well as achieving commercial success that engenders a strident dedication to the craft.”

The center’s program also provides continuing education to Texas and West Gulf ports and terminal managers, primarily through the SE Texas Waterways Advisory Council’s Education, Research and Workforce Development Committee. Two very successful programs—“Women in Transportation Management—Ports and Terminals” and the annual “Hurricane Planning” workshop/webinar—recently concluded.

The third aspect of the center’s activities lies in sponsoring industry-relevant research. Most of the supported projects have successfully facilitated safer and more efficient waterborne transportation and waterway utilization. These projects, along with information about the center’s education and training programs, can be found at lamar.edu/portmanagement.

breakbulk americas

Breakbulk Americas Returns Live and In-Person to Houston

Breakbulk Americas, the region’s largest trade event for the project cargo and breakbulk industry, will return to the George R. Brown Center in Houston, Sept. 28-30 this fall. Since the first Breakbulk Americas held more than 30 years ago, nothing stopped the show—not Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Harvey—until the COVID-19 pandemic when most offices closed, employees worked from home and travel was nearly non-existent. No large events were held in 2020, but 2021 presents a vastly different scene in the United States. Breakbulk Americas will be the first Breakbulk event to be held since the shutdown of March 2020.

Enthusiasm and interest in the show are running high. Breakbulk Americas will welcome back global sector leaders including DHL Global Forwarding, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, CMA CGM, Kuehne+Nagel, AAL Shipping, bremenports, Goldhofer Aktiengesellschaft, Liebherr and Bahri. New and notable to the show floor this year are Volvo Penta and Airbus, household names in the industrial manufacturing sector.

This September’s event is all about getting together as an industry after a long and unwelcome break. Fortunately, the vaccine rollout has been very efficient, and Americans are able to move around with a great deal of freedom, which bodes well for the event this fall. However, international travel remains uncertain. Breakbulk organizers are monitoring the global situation and will add remote coverage of the event if necessary for those unable to travel. We are working very closely with the City of Houston and the George R. Brown Convention Center to make sure that this is a safe experience for all.

Safe and secure

In a personal email to Breakbulk Americas organizers, Visit Houston, the city’s entity that governs events and tourism, has outlined its exceptional safety measures that will be in place for the event along with other improvements to support the region’s top event for the project cargo and breakbulk industry.

“Our city and team are vested in your success and are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance your experience,” John Solis, Senior Vice President of Sales & Client Services at the GRB, said in a communiqué to Breakbulk. He said the convention center has made significant enhancements to its facility, including:

The George R. Brown Convention Center is the first facility in the world to deploy the Integrated Viral Protection (IVP) system. This is the world’s first biodefense filtration technology proven to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 (99.999%) and other airborne contaminants, and was recently awarded the 2020 Emerging Technology Award by The
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Solis said.

In addition, a new virtual studio inside the convention center will provide flexibility to maximize opportunities for hybrid experiences. This feature will allow Breakbulk to host remote expert speakers should that be necessary due to travel or budgetary considerations, along with its in-person industry panelists.

The new features complement Hyve’s (the Breakbulk event series parent company) own Safe & Secure program that is being applied to all Hyve events around the world, including Breakbulk Americas, Breakbulk Europe and Breakbulk Middle East.

Networking first

The Breakbulk team has conducted extensive customer research around expectations for Breakbulk Americas, and the message has been both unanimous and clear: after the event hiatus, networking is the most important feature of the event. Participants want to meet in person, catch up and explore new business opportunities. And Breakbulk Americas has an enhanced plan for that.

The traditional welcome reception held Tuesday evening at the GRB will embrace the spirit of Texas as thousands gather for the Reunion at the Breakbulk Saloon. Indeed, the entire exhibition floor will be decked out Western-style with “watering holes” (themed bars) throughout the halls. A dedicated shippers lounge will be a hub for EPCs, manufacturers, energy companies and other cargo owners to meet with one another and schedule meetings with exhibiting service providers.

Leading up to the reunion will be an Executive Summit for C-level exhibitors and shippers to tackle post-COVID recovery together, and on a lighter note, all attendees are invited to participate in the 2021 Maritime Workers Emergency Medical Fund Golf Tournament at the Hermann Park Golf Course in Houston.

The first full day of the exhibition and conference begins Wednesday morning, continuing through Thursday afternoon. On the main stage, industry leaders will present a wide range of insights on the evolving impact of COVID on business and projects, Biden’s infrastructure plan, U.S. offshore wind project opportunities, the carrier sector, Women in Breakbulk will tackle how male co-workers can be better allies, and the effects—both long term and short term—of the greening of the oil and gas supply chain. There will also be a gathering for Breakbulk Veterans, industry leaders from all sectors with 20 or more years of experience. In the lead-up to the event, our
news team will continue to cover these topics both on the website and throughout the pages of Breakbulk magazine.

While serving current industry professionals is critical to our mission, Breakbulk is also committed to fueling the next generation of transport and logistics professionals, and 2021 presents an unprecedented need to attract young people to the industry. On Thursday, Jerry Nagel Education Day, a half-day program to introduce students to the industry followed by guided tours of the exhibition floor led by the Exporters Competitive Maritime Council, will be held. With strong ties to Texas universities and beyond, Breakbulk typically hosts around 200 students and their instructors at this introduction to the industry and to its leaders. This program is free to educators and students.

Registration is now open with early bird pricing through July 31, 2021.

_______________________________________________________________

Useful links
Registration: https://xpressreg.net/register/BATC0921

Hotel Accommodations: https://americas.breakbulk.com/Page/book-your-hotel

Safe & Secure at Breakbulk Americas: https://americas.breakbulk.com/Page/safe-secure

Program Agenda: https://americas.breakbulk.com/business-programme

Floor Plan: http://americas.breakbulk.com/page/floor-plan

To inquire about exhibiting, visit https://americas.breakbulk.com/Book-a-Stand

Press contact:
Leslie Meredith
Director Marketing & Media
Breakbulk Events & Media, Hyve plc
E: Leslie.Meredith@breakbulk.com
T: +1 801 201 5971

degree

Universities with Supply Chain Management Degrees

When someone hears the phrase supply chain, they might automatically think about products in a warehouse. While the products do eventually get stored into a warehouse, supply chain management focuses on every aspect relating to its production. It is also one of the most lucrative career choices available. With so many job opportunities and high salaries all around, you may be tempted to go back to school to obtain your degree. Here is everything you need to better understand this business sector, what universities are best suited for this degree and how you can pay for it.

What is Supply Chain Management?

Supply chain management is when you keep tabs on the production process of a certain product or service. This can be broken down into five very distinct categories; planning, sourcing, manufacturing, delivery and return. With the appropriate measures taken, you can dramatically cut the costs and save a lot of time.

Degree Timeline

A degree in supply chain management can be utilized in several ways. In addition to overseeing the life cycle of products, there are a variety of other positions you can hold. But prior to that, you need to earn the right type of degree. While some people choose to only earn a bachelor’s degree, others opt to further their education and earn a master’s or even Ph.D. The time you spend earning your degree will depend on the degree itself. The higher your degree level, the better job opportunities you’ll have at your disposal. In fact, here is a small list of the type of jobs you can expect to see when applying:

-Operations Manager

-Materials Supervisor

-Logistics Analyst

-Supply Chain Analyst

-Demand Forecaster

-Supply Chain Consultant

There are many jobs to choose from with this degree, but these are the ones that people usually apply for. The cost of a bachelor’s in this program depends on how far you’re willing to go. At most, you can pay up to about $65,000 for tuition. The average cost of this degree, however, can range from $34,000 to roughly $40,000.

Top Universities for Supply Chain

You can get a degree in supply chain from any university that offers it. However, there are a select few colleges that are better to get the degree from. Below are four of the most recommended universities to acquire your degree in supply chain management. But before we talk about some of the best schools to earn your degree, we need to discuss finances. If you’re already paying student loans and are concerned about debt, you may want to consider refinancing. When you consolidate your debt, you can focus more on your studies and less on your financial status. You can also use a calculator for repayment options to get a better idea of your monthly payment.

Portland State University

Since supply chain is a fast-growing business, Portland State University can ensure you’ll receive a rich education in a short amount of time. In fact, this college in particular has been certified by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) themselves. One of the reasons for this official certification is because their program allows their students to experience what’s in store in supply management first hand. Having actual experience gives many applicants a much-needed advantage when applying for a job.

Colorado State University

Colorado State University’s SCM program is incredibly thorough. From learning how to do customer service to known trade compliance works, Colorado State University is one of the better choices if you decide to pursue a master’s degree. Just remember that a master’s costs more per credit than a bachelor’s degree.

Texas A&M International University

Founded in 1876, Texas A&M International University is in the top 100 best universities to attend. The cost of the in-state tuition is about $12,500 while out-of-state tuition is around $39,400. As for the program itself, it will teach you how to effectively coordinate any team efforts. It’s also going to help you develop the necessary leadership, business and technical skills that are required in this line of work.

University of Nebraska Kearney

At this university, you have several options for earning your degree. They offer undergraduate programs, graduate programs and MBA specializations. Depending on your occupational goals, you may even want to consider getting a Ph.D. The overall cost also depends on the course of study. Currently, if you’re attending out-of-state, the cost is around $26,000. In-state tuition typically costs about $18,300. This fall, however, the out-of-state tuition is being altered to the same as if you were attending in-state. If you wait until fall, you’ll be saving almost $8,000. Whether you’re looking to switch careers or be eligible for a promotion, returning to school can make that happen. Use the above as a guide when deciding on a school and whether supply chain management is right for you.

iconoclast

Calling For Bold Thinkers: How To Become An Iconoclast In The Post-COVID World

The word “change” has become synonymous with the pandemic, especially in relation to business models affected by new consumer behaviors. Though change was a matter of necessity for companies to survive the crisis, many executives believe that it will remain the theme going forward.

Knowing what type of change is needed – even if deemed radical by some – is the key to finding new opportunities, and those who boldly act on these ideas are iconoclasts, who are important in these challenging times, says Tony Zorc (www.tonyzorc.com), author of Iconoclasm: A Survival Guide In The Post-Pandemic Economy and a tech entrepreneur.

“Being an iconoclast is crucial to surviving the post-pandemic world,” Zorc says. “An iconoclast is an individual who challenges the established way of doing things, engineers, a better way, and doesn’t give a hoot what tradition calls for.

“Our collective reaction to the virus – with business shutdowns and all the other government restrictions on society – points to one crucial factor: we as a society do not question what we are told – potentially to our own detriment. Iconoclasm is about unlocking doors and ushering everyone through them. That kind of approach is the key to unlocking opportunities in the current and post-corona economy.”

Zorc offers these tips on how to become an iconoclast:

Challenge why. “The pandemic has revealed something that has been in place for years – that most organizations, corporations, governments, and even schools nowadays don’t want us to think for ourselves,” Zorc says. “Iconoclasts identify the prescribed or established way. Then they ask what existing paradigms they subscribe to without questioning them, and they recognize the historical underlying dynamics supporting those paradigms. Through that process, they determine if there are opportunities to do something different and better.”

Design a plan. Zorc says a project plan starts with identifying the desired outcomes, the obstacles in the way of achieving those results, and the requirements for success. “Ask yourself, ‘What am I looking to achieve?’“ he says. “You then work backward from the go-live date you have set, and list the major milestones that must be reached by specific dates along the timeline. Engineering a plan without dates is just a dream, not a plan.”

Execute the plan. Action is the defining characteristic of an iconoclast, Zorc says, but fear of failure or lack of conviction and commitment often prevent a person from following through. “When it’s time for the showdown, like in the old Westerns, some people flee the town and don’t show up,” he says. “Talking is so easy. I’ve met hundreds of people who have wonderful ideas and want to be an entrepreneur but have no plan and don’t want to take risks. Fear overrides momentum and they go back to doing their old way. But a willingness to confront failure is an inherent part of the iconoclast formula.”

Level up. “This is the act of improving your lot in life without losing what you already have,” Zorc says. “It also means pushing yourself day after day. It’s done incrementally – not trying to attain the huge goal all at once, failing, and losing motivation. When planning to level up, think in terms of days and weeks. For example, if you’re writing a book, shoot to write 500 words per day rather than aiming to finish chapter one in the first month. If your plan doesn’t seem doable in the allotted period of time, break your goal down into smaller bites or acquire more resources in the form of time, money, people, and materials.”

“Dynamics are changing quite often, and our established ways of doing things are not in step with them,” Zorc says. “People will change when someone takes the time to show them a better way. That’s the true iconoclastic opportunity.”

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Tony Zorc (www.tonyzorc.com) is the author of Iconoclasm: A Survival Guide In The Post-Pandemic Economy. He is a tech entrepreneur and founder of Accounting Seed. Zorc designed a flexible technology as an accounting software solution and his vision became the platform for his international company, which has sold over 15,000 licenses to customers in numerous industries. In 2018, Accounting Seed was named among CFO Tech Outlook’s Top 10 Accounting Solutions Providers. A graduate of Hope College, Zorc was the Illinois High School Gymnastics Coaches Association senior gymnast of the year in 1992 and a state champion.

teaching

Remote Learning in Business Education: The Need for Innovative Teaching Methods

Remote learning is a situation when education (teaching and learning) takes place at a distance through virtual platforms. Remote learning is also called distance education or virtual instruction. Thousands of students all over the world have been enrolled in online education. After an exceptional situation with the pandemics, these numbers increased and are still increasing.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Remote learning has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are some positive aspects of virtual education.

You save time – During remote education you do not need to go to school or college.

You save money – in many cases, you need to take public transportation or a car to get to your educational institution. You buy tickets or spend money on the fuel of your car.

You can study at the school or college you want – Nowadays, applying to a college in a foreign country is not a luxury but a prerequisite to your success. Remote learning allows you to overcome this challenge.

Some disadvantages of Remote learning are:

Complex technology – Online classes require the presence of quite expensive technology and sometimes payable applications. Connections are not always done through free applications and an effort should be made by the student to have the necessary equipment to connect.

Knowledge of technological tools – A previous knowledge of the use of ITC is required, especially if it is regarding a more specific higher education.

There are more pros and cons to remote learning, nevertheless, our article aims to show how effective remote learning in business education can be and which innovative teaching methods can be included in the process. If you have decided to apply for business education and are looking for professional advice some university admissions consulting experts may offer you a choice between a face-to-face education and remote learning.

The Shift From Traditional to Online

The falling interest of students to attend full-time business education programs made many prestigious institutions consider it a remote teaching possibility. A wide number of online courses were created and offered to the students. The famous learning platform Coursera was created expressly for remote courses. These changes started in 2013-2014, when John Fernandes, the chief executive of the business school accreditation group AACSB, announced the emergency of a cautious assessment.

Wharton, one of the most prestigious US MBA supporters offers more online education courses.

Harvard initiated distance classes and was one of the first ones, as well, to launch business education through the virtual platforms.

Innovative Teaching Methods

The shift from traditional was followed by new teaching methods, very different from the traditional strategies. The whole process from applying to admission interviews have changed their format. University admissions consulting experts bolstered the online preparation of the students. New educational platforms offer new educational abilities and insights.

Innovative teaching methods are essential to make the teaching process more attractive for the students and provide extrinsic motivation. This extrinsic motivation will bring to the intrinsic motivation and the combination of these two will create a boost of an impulse to learn. Remote education is challenging as it requires constant active learning strategies. Computer-based techniques must be extended and updated. The connection between the student and the instructor is the grab of productive learning.

Professor M. Natarajan claims that some useful innovative teaching techniques are: computer-assisted learning (CD-ROMs), web-based learning, virtual laboratories, case studies, group discussion, brainstorming, audiovisual presentation, assignments, seminars, quiz and assigning project works.

Online Business Education Teaching Techniques

Flipped Classroom – FC is a type of blended learning when a student has a task to do at home and then applies it to real-life situations or problems during class time. This technique makes students work independently using the previous knowledge given by the instructor during the class.

Business Simulation Games – This is a technique to increase learners’ capacity of reacting and solving a problem, it shapes the awareness and management abilities of the students. The best business simulation games of 2019-2020 are considered to be Vitronomics, Two Point Hospital, Mashinky, Job Simulator and more.

Virtual Reality – At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this technique is one of the most popular ones. The VR technique creates an immersive atmosphere, which is one of the essentials for productivity. The Stanford University Graduate School of Business has also included virtual reality in its two online certificate programs. They highly believe that virtual reality boosts students to learn, be engaged, think quickly, and lead the project.

Online Experiential Learning – Undrahbuyan Baasanjav from the Philadelphia University claims about the effectiveness of including experiential learning in remote teaching. This technique helps to strengthen students’ practical and professional skills and combine these abilities. This technique will also stimulate students’ ability to manage their remote teams once they decide to run a startup business across the globe.

Remote learning in business education is not a plan, it is evidence. More new students join the new online platform to study and master their business management skills. The new teaching techniques are not choices, they are prominences that encourage further achievements of the learner and promote the productivity of remote classes.

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Edita Hovhannisyan is an expert in Iranian and English studies. She is a mom of two sons and holds two University degrees. She contributes articles about education, its methodologies and new approaches to more effective learning and progress.

leader

How to Be a Leader, Not Just a Manager, Even Working from Home.

Nothing in the business is as valuable as the people, and nobody can help you more than an empowered team of like-minded people. Over the past twenty years, we had a few turning points for our company when we had to make significant changes to catch up with the world around us. Every time, our team helped us, supported us, and collaborated with us to make these changes happen. I could not even imagine doing all that on my own.

This is how I learned that leaders lead by inspiring others, while managers focus on what needs to get done on a daily basis. Both are needed, but only one will truly inspire your team to move through even the hardest times.

In the beginning, a lot of our team had to work nights and long weekends, just like any other start-up. Our management team always stayed with the teams even if we could not help them professionally. I always made sure that the team had something to eat (as simple as getting them a take-out or ordering a pizza) or could get home if buses were no longer going (driving them myself or getting them a cab). We lead by example, not just by telling our team what to do.

As a result, in 2008, our CTO and a few trusted employees opened our first US-based office. These people left the comfort of their established lives at home, they encountered a profoundly changing environment around them, and they practically had to travel halfway around the globe. However, they did it for us and with us. Some of our employees practically became part of the family.

How did this all happen? Through connectedness. When it comes to connectedness, it is essential that people feel that they are still working together even when no one is around.

Here are 5 tips to lead your team to a place that feels truly connected:

1. Make sure that everyone understands the common goal. Think of that as providing your employees with a North Star to guide them. It is the only way to align their efforts and your company’s vision and goals.

2. Make sure that they have enough means to communicate effectively. During COVID-19, we introduced multiple tools for our employees: forums, corporate discord servers, group chats on Skype, Zoom, Google Meet, etc. There are hundreds of products available on the market right now, so choose what works best for your business.

3. Ensure that your teams have at least one daily meeting where they share what they did yesterday to make you all closer to the goal; what is their commitment for today, and are there any obstacles on their way right now?

4. Visualize! Visualization is one of the most effective tools to keep everyone connected—Burndown charts, shared documents with progress, kanban boards, etc. There are plenty of instruments for visualization that allows everyone to keep track of what is going on. And that helps them to feel connected to the company and each other.

5. Make sure that information is being spread around. When people are working from home, you lose osmotic communication. So find ways to connect them. We introduced things like a monthly newsletter and town hall meetings. We share all the news and everything we think is essential in a newsletter. And then we assemble everyone at a general meeting, where anyone can ask management anything. Or share their information with everyone if they want to. That helps a lot.

Above all, ask questions and listen to your team. As leaders, you’re there to motivate, so listen hard and often.

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Gehtsoft USA LLC is a software development and agile consulting company from Raleigh, NC. For more than 20 years, we help businesses to develop and support their products, resolve their IT problems, and do the Agile transformation of their business processes. Our technical experts, certified technical trainers, professional scrum masters, and product owners have a unique skill set and experience.

success

6 Facets Of Human Needs That Drive Business Success.

In good economic times and bad, some businesses find a path to success while others are forced to board up their windows and doors.

What’s the difference between those that soar and those that flounder?

Ultimately, business success comes down to how well the people who work for that business perform, says Jeanet Wade, the ForbesBooks author of The Human Team: So, You Created a Team But People Showed Up! (www.thehumanteambook.com).

And employee performance, good or bad, usually can be traced to leadership – whether company leaders want to admit it or not, she says.

“When teams break down and employees disengage, leaders and managers typically don’t question their own strategies,” says Wade, founder of the consulting firm the Business Alchemist.

“Instead, they blame the people assigned to carry out those strategies. If they are feeling charitable, leaders and managers say those people were bad fits. If they aren’t feeling charitable, they call them whiners, complainers, or failures.

“But in about 80 percent of cases, I believe it’s not that the people are the wrong people for the job, but rather that leaders aren’t prepared to handle what I call ‘human moments’ because they fail to understand and address these natural human needs.”

Wade says there are six facets of human needs that leaders must take into account in order to expect teams to perform at the highest level possible.

Those facets are:

Clarity. In too many workplaces, Wade says, people are unsure what’s expected of them or how their jobs fit into a larger plan. “People on teams sorely need clarity, or they’ll lapse into confusion,” she says. “Specifically, team members must understand the purpose of the team itself, their role within it, the team’s outcome goals, and how their team fits within the larger organization.” 

Connection. Human connection is indispensable to healthy teams and is premised on connection to common core values, physical place, and a larger company culture, Wade says. The trick is in creating those connections. Wade suggests one way is an exercise she refers to as 3-2-1. People in a group are asked to share three events they’ve experienced, how they responded to them, and how those events impacted them. Then they share two childhood stories or coming-of-age adolescent memories. Finally, they share one of their biggest fears.

Contribution. Wade says teams within an organization should never exceed 15 people, and leadership teams should be even smaller. The reason: The larger the team, the less inclined individuals are to contribute. “One of the best things we can do as leaders is to acknowledge the human psyche’s need to contribute and to reward it,” she says.

Challenge. Leaders and managers often are hesitant to challenge others, Wade says, not wanting to push people or make them uncomfortable. “But when we withhold opportunities that challenge people, we ultimately deny others an important human need,” she says. “The trick is to make sure challenges are productive. They should be difficult, but not so overwhelming that people withdraw if they fall short.”

Consideration. Everyone feels the need to be recognized and valued, Wade says. Unfortunately, leaders and managers often spend so much time on toxic or poor-performing people that they neglect everyone else. “You can’t obtain and retain top talent if you don’t show them respect and consideration at every stage of the journey,” Wade says. “They must be recognized for good work, thought about for promotions, and reminded of how critical they are to the organization.”

Confidence. Confidence is fragile and can be easily shaken, Wade says, which is why it’s critical for leaders instill confidence in their teams. People fearful about failing become hesitant, avoid difficult challenges, and are less productive. “But if you have confidence, even the hard stuff doesn’t seem so daunting,” Wade says. “When leaders, managers, or facilitators help build confidence in their teams, they can inspire others to achieve audacious, improbable goals.”

“When all six of these facets are fully accounted for in teams,” Wade says, “people are able to gel with one another, operate harmoniously, engage in healthy disagreement, and achieve important objectives.”

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Jeanet Wade, the ForbesBooks author of The Human Team: So, You Created a Team But People Showed Up! (www.thehumanteambook.com), is a Certified EOS® Implementer and the founder of the consulting firm the Business Alchemist. As a facilitator, teacher and coach, Wade helps companies implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a set of business concepts, principles and tools that help business owners and executives run more successful businesses.

strategy

How and Why Your Business Strategy Eats Your Business Culture for Breakfast

Global leaders across the globe have found that corporate strategy is critical to business success. Corporate strategy could be the most important component of success in the ever-changing business environment of today.

Executives evaluate the success of corporate strategy. Corporate strategy reflects the degree to which a company can expand and determine the right pathway to success. The key function of a corporate strategy is to help executives utilize it for goal achievement. In this context, corporate strategy is becoming the forefront of success in corporations worldwide. Success, therefore, is dependent upon how executives formulated their organization’s strategy. Corporate strategy has been a focal point of the executive span of control but has not been associated with leadership enough to make it an integral part of organizational success.

One outcome of corporate strategy is to connect knowledge with other companies that want to share successes and failures. Leaders can inspire organizational members to network with more successful competitors by sharing successes to build alliances and not only enhance competition but communicate best practices as a way of keeping the highest standard of operation in the industry. In doing this, leaders implement a corporate strategy to develop relationships with external environments to identify new opportunities that occur in an ever-changing hypercompetitive marketplace. Leaders, in fact, implement a corporate strategy to expand the growth opportunities available to organizations that may be challenging, but, important to close the gap between success and failure. This leads to converting acquired knowledge into organizational processes and activities to improve or discontinue processes that contribute to success.

Furthermore, executives focus on individuals as the major source of knowledge and show how follower’s ties together so that they can affect the sharing, storage, transfer, and apply knowledge within organizations. Executives, therefore, see these connections, and the related shared knowledge and memory, as central to the effectiveness of corporate culture. Executives know that corporate strategy through sharing individual knowledge around the organizations can positively contribute to building a strong corporate culture. Therefore, executives should build an atmosphere of trust and openness and use corporate strategy to convert individual knowledge into valuable resources for their organization to close the performance gap and help organizations prosper.

The key is for executives to inculcate corporate culture within organizations so that information can be found and used instantaneously. Corporate culture enables organizations to promote the depth and range of knowledge access and sharing within companies.

Corporate culture is enhanced by providing further opportunities and information sharing. Executives can enhance knowledge sharing by providing access to knowledge, and stimulate new ideas and knowledge generation, transfer an individual’s knowledge to other members and departments, and improve knowledge capturing, storing, and accumulating, aiming at achieving organizational goals.

Executives that employ corporate strategy can propel knowledge sharing in the company to generate more innovative ideas and solutions for new and demanding issues that come up constantly in our hypercompetitive economic environment. In doing this, executives can employ corporate strategy through implementing coaching and mentoring practices by sharing experiences gained by imitating, observing and practicing. Executives that use corporate strategy have found that it builds a strong corporate culture through facilitating knowledge sharing throughout all levels of the organization.

Corporate strategy focuses on defining and recognizing core knowledge areas, coordinating expert opinions, sharing organizational knowledge, and scanning for new knowledge to keep the quality of their products or services continuously improving. Corporate strategy, therefore, is an essential requirement of corporate culture by which knowledge is shared among people.

However, executives may lack the required corporate strategy to interact with other organizations or distrust sharing their knowledge. Executives are, therefore, clearly the right focal point for developing networking with environmental components by adopting corporate strategy to develop relationships and interactions. The key here is to inspire their organizations as a whole to develop networking with more effective enterprises through employing corporate strategy directed at connecting knowledge with other companies. Executives are finding that corporate strategy creates a shared understanding of problems which can develop an effective corporate culture that enhances the knowledge sharing process.

Through the corporate strategy, executives could build a climate inspiring followers to share their knowledge, and facilitate the knowledge sharing process. Thus, executives can apply corporate strategy to enhance knowledge sharing among human capital and stipulate knowledge to be shared around the organization and with other companies.

Global leaders can now see how they not only can directly support corporate strategy, but it can also cultivate an effective strategic decision-making process, which will enable corporate culture within organizations. Executives can also see that cultivating an effective strategic plan coupled with cultural issues requires developing leadership within organizations—not only at the higher echelons of the organization but at every level. Thus, in light of the increased pressures of the global workplace that inspires leaders to exert effective change at the organizational level, this article points out the vital importance of business leadership in reshaping an organization’s strategy to have access to higher performing culture within organizations. This article also suggests that corporate strategy and corporate culture constitute the foundation of a supportive workplace to improve business success and reduce operational risk.

Standing on the shoulders of scholars before us, I indicate that corporate strategy and corporate culture are major resources for business success and support the positive impact of these two vital factors on business success.

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Mostafa Sayyadi works with senior business leaders to effectively develop innovation in companies and helps companies—from start-ups to the Fortune 100—succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders. He is a business book author and a long-time contributor to business publications and his work has been featured in top-flight business publications.