Everyone comes across a vindictive boss; it happens and the movie ‘The devil wears Prada‘ best exemplifies this. Of course, this does not excuse any bad behavior but dealing with a difficult boss are a fact of life and that’s something that every professional has to learn to manage.

The tips posted here should enable you to do just that and help you to dealing with a difficult boss and still make a good impression.

Read Also: How to Be a Better Employee

1. Understand the issue

It could well be that your boss may be dealing with other issues which could account for the fact that he seems perpetually cross with you.

It could be personal or something that’s work related at the least, before you castigate him as a ‘devil in Prada’, you may want to take a few moments to check out how he operates and whether he is stressed out.

Chances are, if your boss is good at his job, then you may well be the X-factor in which case you need to adjust your work habits so that you are able to make a good impression on your boss.

2. Figuring out their goals and priorities

If you do have a difficult boss to deal with, then a good way to deal with the same is to figure out their respective goals and priorities.

One of the common priorities’ that most managers have, by virtue of being a manager, is to make their company a success.

So, you may want to focus on delivering along those lines and soon your boss may well change his opinion of your work and your abilities.

What’s more, by being able to help your boss with his current priorities’ and with the company, you should be able to give your career a much-needed boost in the process.

And the golden lining, if you do perform well, then you could well be on your way to a promotion and to a new department head.

3. Pressure triggers

One thing that you may want to do is to help identify the various triggers that are most likely to set off your boss on one of his angry rants.

Chances are that he has an anger management issue, and is likely to take them out on you. So, you may want to find out what sets him off and see if you can take effective measures to prevent the same – for example, if he gets made over typos, then you may want to triple check your work before you hand it in.

Or if he does not want to be disturbed in the afternoon, then you can ensure that no one disturbs him during these hours.

4. Work ethic and work style

Granted that you have to dealing with a difficult boss and no one is asking you to imitate your boss but it would not exactly be a bad thing.

Rather, than imitate another person’s mannerisms or even ape them by wearing the same outfit, you may want to study their work ethic and how they operate at the office.

For example, you may want to see how they multi-task when working and adopt some of those measures as your own.

For example, do they prefer to communicate with all their employees and stay on top of the issue or are they more content to delegate work to others and see what happens.

Are they informal, and want to discuss common issues such as the latest movies with their assistants or do they prefer a formalized working environment?

These are some of the things that you may want to pay close attention to as it can help you connect better with your boss, and in the process, work better with him.

Read Also: 10 Challenges Faced by HR Managers and How to Tackle Them

5. Feedback

Feedback is an important process of any job; usually you get it from your boss and other departments in the form of a performance review.

But it is also a good idea to gauge your boss’ reaction as regarding your work so far and how he views the same.

Since you are not into the habit of gazing into a crystal ball, asking for your boss’s opinion should enable you to adapt and change yourself accordingly.

True, you may not be too happy about the feedback you receive but think of it is an opportunity to grow better and what’s more, the feedback may well transform you and give your career a boost in the process, while enabling you to communicate better with your boss.

6. Always be one step ahead

Yes, this is easier said than done but if you have a boss who loves to micromanage all those working under him and that involves you – the one thing that you can do realistically, is to foresee the same and stay ahead of the curve.

In simple terms, make sure that you complete all the assignments he assigns to you and gets it done ahead of the designated time so that he really does not have anything to gripe against you.

This is one effective method for getting your boss off your back. You may have to sacrifice some of your free time but if that involves you in completing all your tasks ahead of schedule, you would be better off for it.

Once your boss realizes that he does not need to micromanage every task he assigns over to you, he would relax and let you handle the same.

7. Act as a leader when you need to

Leadership roles often do not often come knocking on the door, requesting permission to enter –you may well have to grab the opportunity.

Assuming that you have an incompetent boss and a difficult one at that, he may not be able to handle the official challenges that he is required to.

In such situation, you may need to take on the leadership role, but only if you happen to know the work and the required project guidelines well enough.

If that is the case, then you can chart a new direction for the concerned project, brainstorm with the rest of your team and ensure that the deliverables are executed on, in time and as per schedule.

But remember that you do not and should not want to undermine your boss so make sure that you keep them in the loop and update them with every change that you make to the project and how it can affect the entire organization positively.

8. Do not let it affect your performance

Dealing with a difficult boss and then, there are those who are crazy; but irrespective of how your boss acts in the office and with you in particular, you should not let it weaken your own performance.

It is important that your work speaks for itself and granted that there are times you may find it too stressful to even focus on work.

In such a scenario, you may want to find a hobby as it can help you relax and in turn, enable you to focus on your work properly.

Remember that the best way to dealing with a difficult boss is by doing a stellar job and do not try to take it too slow with your designated work as a way of getting back at your boss or by taking too many sick leaves.

Both do not work and the only thing that you can do is to ensure that your performance is perfect and also maintain a good relationship with others in the company, at least until you can quit this job for another.

9. Do not hold grudges

Yes, dealing with a difficult boss can make you see the but you need to accept that at the moment, they have authority over you. And that includes ordering you about, designating meaningless tasks to you and running roughly shod over you.

But you should not focus too much on the negative aspects or even hold a grudge for long as it is meaningless and would not really help contribute anything meaningful to your life or to your career for that matter.

Read Also: 11 Software Tools Every Team Manager Needs

10. Research

Before you end up with another difficult boss with your next job, you may want to research the company that you are interviewing for, check out their management and see if they have a good reputation.

You should be able to check out the company online, see what other employees or ex-employees have to say about the company so that you can have a good idea of what you can expect with the new company from day 1.

And during the interview process, you may want to ask the interviewer some pointed questions regarding the company, their work ethic and their management style as it can allow you to glimpse into the inner workings of the company.

Bottom line, you need to do your research so that you can make sure that you are not stuck with yet another difficult boss.

Conclusion

Next time you face a boss that you cannot manage properly, go through these tips and calm yourself down. Be patient in your ways and you will surely win your boss’ trust.

Beyond your education, your designation, and your experience, a work relationship is also career-defining factor. Despite all the professional guidelines, a workplace is ultimately about many people working together.

So, we all make an image of the people around us and they do the same about us. Your relationship with your colleagues, seniors, and juniors decides your productivity, promotional opportunities, goal achievements, pay increase and job satisfaction as well.

You can’t be too reserved or too interfering. There has to be a balance in your work relationships, which comes with effective interpersonal skills.

Read Also: How to Build a Better Company Culture

What if you avoid building work relationships?

Not working on your work relationships burns a lot of bridges professionally. A person, who simply uses his designation to put pressure on others, doesn’t earn any respectable place in a company.

Putting blame on others without offering support or a solution is another problem. These kinds of habits make you an unwanted person in your office.

People avoid working or collaborating with you on projects. This immediately impacts productivity. And eventually, you can feel left out and not appreciated in your company.

So, the question is- how to build great work relationships to obtain a satisfactory work environment?

Ways to build great work relationships

The core basis of building a great work relationship is your ability to bring positivity even in a negative situation.

Your approach to working with colleagues should be empowering and motivating for others. That is how you can unify everybody working around you.

To help with that, here are some great ways of building great work relationships:

1. Always present a problem with a potential solution

No one likes a person who only points out issues without giving any effort to solving them. You must have seen such people in your work environment.

They always know what the problems are with a team, a project, a deadline or anything else. But they never use their abilities to find even a potential solution.

This one habit can make you a bundle of negative energy at work. Your co-workers and seniors will start neglecting your point of views. This decreases professional reputation and harms future opportunities in the company.

Every time you feel the responsibility to point out an issue, present it with a clear solution. Put genuine efforts into finding actionable ways to resolve that problem. This will enhance your importance in the eyes of your bosses and co-workers.

2. Never blame publicly

When you work in a team, projects face some problems. So, you try to find the source of that problem. Sometimes, it is the system that creates an issue, while in other situations it is a colleague.

Identifying the source of a problem is necessary. However, so many people do this just to put the blame on others to hide their own mistakes.

Even if you have genuinely found the right person to blame, it would be wrong to publicly announce their mistakes. You need to make sure that only the most relevant people know about the mistakes of a colleague.

If possible, you should try to have a one-on-one with the person in a private meeting. This way, you can present the facts and also offer your support to help that person fix the problem.

Putting blames and calling out colleagues publicly create a lot of enemies in the work environment. And you don’t want that.

The more allies, the better chances you get to grow with the support of others. You can’t be a lone wolf when there are a hundred wolves working in a pack.

3. Use your verbal/nonverbal communication capabilities wisely

Using a sarcastic tone when talking to certain employees, looking away when a junior is trying to convey his or her point of view – These are negative communication signals that ruin your reputation.

We all act like a radar when it comes to reading verbal as well as nonverbal communication signals.

If a colleague hears a sarcastic tone in your voice, he might start talking bad things about you to others. If a junior feels you don’t care about his or her point of view, you won’t be able to motivate them to maximize their work efforts.

Shouting and giving an angry face to people are other two big communication issues at the workplace. You should know that there is absolutely no right time to scream at people at work.

If your personality is all about dignity and respecting other people, you won’t feel the need to scream in any situation.

4. Be a trustworthy team player

From a football field to an organization, a team runs smoothly with mutual trust. Your team members should be able to trust you. But that won’t happen if you constantly blindside your co-workers, reporting staff or your boss.

Very often, employees hide facts knowingly or unknowingly, which can put other team members in a bad spot. A work system is about a collective resolution of problems to achieve a common goal.

You need to understand and apply this in daily work approach. Always make sure that every relevant persongets information directly from you. These relevant people are everyone involved in a work system.

If you are transparent in your work approach, co-workers will trust you and bosses will believe in what you say. This is key to building a reputed image in your workplace.

5. Commit to what you can actually deliver

Work in any organization is interconnected. Your failure to deliver begins a chain reaction of failures in multiple departments.

Which is why you have to be very clear and practical when giving commitments. Setting deadlines is not a formality. If you constantly fail to deliver work on-time, it puts you in a bad light in front of your co-workers and seniors.

They eventually stop believing in your capabilities, even if you deliver the best work.

For all these reasons, you have to choose your commitments wisely. Never take a responsibility you can’t fulfill. And if you take such a responsibility, present the potential delays or issues in advance.

This is way better than not delivering the work and harming the stream of work flow.

When you get responsible about your commitments, it doubles the importance of your work. It is true that your ability to meet deadlines can get interrupted by other people. Which is why you need to factor in all the aspects in the first place and choose a deadline you can follow.

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6. Share your credit for contributions, ideas, and accomplishments

Do you remember the time when you accomplished a work goal for your company?! Now, try and remember all the help you received directly or indirectly to achieve that goal.

If you have been managing a team, think about the ideas you created only because of the inputs offered by your team members.

Realizing the impact of co-workers and juniors in your accomplishments the best positive change you can bring. People think that sharing credit reduces self-importance. But no. It actually increases your value in the eyes of your bosses and colleagues.

Every time you are presented with a credit, take some time to think about everyone involved. Who gave you a small idea?! Who contributed to the process of working on that idea?!

Who supported your ideas till the accomplishment of your goal?! Think about all these questions, recognize and thank people.

Even a simple thank you creates a big impact in motivating people who work with you. And your relationship gets stronger, which helps in accomplishing more goals.

7. Help colleagues and juniors improve their skills

Every individual brings something to the table in a company. The work culture in a company should allow individuals to improve their talents, experience, and skills.

This happens when employees start helping each other. It is not just the manager who can motivate and encourage employees. One employee can also help another employee find the true potential of talents.

When one employee grows, it improves the capacity of the whole team, which boosts the growth of the whole organization. Your help in this process puts you in a positive light in front of your colleagues, juniors, and seniors as well.

Noticing talents, giving genuine compliments and praising the efforts should be an ongoing habit in your work life. These are really simple things, but they have a big impact on your relationship with everyone who comes in contact with you at work.

8. Keep your work relationship expectations in check

You responsibly manage your work relationships and expect the same from others. But others won’t necessarily start behaving responsibly right away.

Your behavior brings a gradual change in work relationships. Every individual is different, so you can’t expect them all to behave the same way.

Instead, you should keep your expectations in check when it comes to how other people behave around you at workplace. Otherwise, you will end up feeling frustrated or lose your ability to stay calm and responsible.

That being said, it is uttermost important that you convey your expectations in a respectable manner. Tell what you expect from your co-workers, juniors, and seniors as well.

Don’t give too high expectations to your co-workers. Give small suggestions or request, so your colleagues can gradually improve their relationship building abilities.

9. Initiate positive conversations

You build relationships when you start knowing other people at workplace personally and professionally.

It happens gradually, but you can make efforts by initiating positive conversations every time you come in contact with an individual or a group of co-workers.

A positive professional conversation can take place during a meeting. Similarly, you can have a personal one-on-one with a co-worker during lunch breaks. The conversation should be positive and shouldn’t be forced at all.

If you are new at your workplace, initiate conversations by asking questions. You need to find a window of opportunity when a colleague is open to conversation.

This means you can’t bother when someone is busy. Also, the topic of conversations depends on how closely you know that co-worker. Just ask yourself how comfortable you feel starting a conversation. This way, you will find the safest way to initiate conversations.

Regular interaction allows you to know the point of views and personality traits of others. This gives a framework for building work relationships.

10. Listen and observe

Apart from talking, you also need to actually listen and observe. This process should involve people working in your company and the organization as a whole.

Listening and observing allow a chance to understand work culture as well as the personality traits of co-workers, juniors, and bosses.

Understanding other people’s point of views let your brain design a strategy on how to work with each individual. The process is automatic usually, but you need to take control in order to avoid being judgmental.

Getting control of your observations is about respecting the point of views and evaluating your own personality at the same time.

Read Also: How to Improve a Toxic Work Environment

Conclusion

All in all, you need the mentioned ten habits in your professional life to build great work relationships. The process is easier said than done, but you can achieve this goal with determination and self-assessment.

Be truthful to yourself and understand the complexity of working with hundreds of people.

Hopefully, this article has helped you gain some great ideas to improve your work relationships.

If you are choosing to install WiFi, then it may be a good idea to go with a mesh-based WiFi system since you are essentially looking to get your whole residence covered.

There are a few things that you may want to look out for, about whether the WiFi is as good as advertised and if you are indeed able to get connected from any part of your residence.

If you have opted for the older model, then chances are that you may hit a few WiFi dead spots in your residence/office.

But before you rush out to purchase another WiFi modem, you may want to go in for a range extender.

Read Also: How to Set Up WiFi At Home: 5 Easy Steps

Chances are that all you need is a range extender and with it, you should be able to get connected from any part of your residence.

Most of the range extenders are quite easy to set up, all you have to do is to name it, connect the same to your WiFi, give it a new name and give your WiFi a much-needed boost in the process.

Granted, that choosing one over the lot may be easier said than done, which is why we have tested and listed some of the top range extenders below, for your easy convenience.

1. Netgear AC1200 WiFi Range Extender EX6150

Netgear is indeed a well-known company and one that has indeed grown over the years; it has offered several digital products over the last few years, of which the Netgear AC 1200 happens to be one.

They have managed to show the world that they have still got it by showcasing Netgear AC 1200 to all but what makes this device popular is the fact that it is easy to set up and can be plugged into any electrical outlet.

With this device, you do not have to worry about anything as the installation is fairly simple; just follow the directions as listed with the device. The EX6150 is extremely easy to use, and with it, you should have reliable WiFi in your residence real soon.

2. D-Link WiFi Dual Band Range Extender DAP-1520

This WiFi range extender sticks out on account of its size and the fact that it comes packed with all the advanced functionality that you would ever need.

The DAP 1520 is extremely robust and quite tiny, so much so that it is actually inconspicuous – so much so, that it is almost invisible unless you are specifically looking for this range expander.

It comes with a simple design and lacks an Ethernet port for extending the range, and the antenna is inbuilt as well. And given its size, functionality, it certainly stands out as one of the best range extenders that your money can buy.

3. TP-Link RE350 AC1200 WiFi Range Extender

The WiFi range extender has been developed by a Chinese company and one that is slowly gaining recognition for all the right reasons.

Granted that you may be a bit leery of this product seeing how it has been built by a Chinese company but, it should provide you with the range you require.

Above all, it is priced reasonably and this may be the extender that you need, especially if you are strapped for cash.

It comes with an LED signal indicator on the front and installation is quite simple and easy, so much so that even a novice should not have much problem installing it.

4. Linksys RE6500 AC1200 Dual-Band Wireless Range Extender

On the outset, Linksys range expander seems a bit bulky and it certainly resembles a router, but that being said, it happens to be quite powerful.

The sturdy end of the design allows Linksys to come out with a range expander that includes four gigabit Ethernet ports, which should allow you to expand your current network to include other network devices with ease.

What’s more, this range expander also comes with an audio jack that you can connect to any sound system and stream digital music in real time. This device is indeed powerful and should help you stay connected, at all times.

Read Also: Top 20 Parental Control Routers to Use in 2019

5. D-Link DAP-1320 Wireless N300 Range Extender

If you were looking for a cheap but effective solution for your WiFi problems, then this one may well do the trick. D-link’s DAP 1320 is all right when it comes to expanding your network range, but it is not that powerful as some of the other range expanders.

Moreover, it does not come with the required Ethernet ports either nor does it feature dual bands or 802.11AC. Despite all this, the device is quite popular as it is quite tiny, easy to handle and set up.

So, if you were looking for a cheap way to boost up your current network, then this range expander may well be your best bet.

6. Linksys Velop

Here’s another range expander from Linksys; this range expander consists of the wireless mesh network and makes the case for why you may want to try one as opposed to the rest.

It is small, effective and highly functional; the best part about this mesh network is that it is quite easy to handle and is quite similar to your phone settings, so you should be able to set it up easily.

With it, you should be able to access all the net you want, at high speeds.

7. Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2

This WiFi range expander is certainly powerful enough and features dual bands – 802.11n (up to 330 Mbps) and 802.11 ac(up to 866 Mbps).

What’s more, with this powerful range expander, you should be able to get connected from anywhere in your residence or office.

The Trendnet WiFi packs quite a punch and while it may not look that great, it is certainly functional and comes with its own WiFi.

In short, with this range expander, not only do you get a powerful range expander but a WiFi as well, in the process. Please note that at the moment, this product is available only in the US and UK markets.

8. Amped Wireless Athena-EX High Power AC2600 WiFi Range Extender (RE2600M)

The Amped Wireless Athena range expander is indeed powerful; it is sleek, small, highly functional and should definitely give your WiFi network the required boost.

It may be a tad pricey but happens to be one of the best, it also supports MU-MIMO data streaming, and delivers a powerful performance.

9. Amped Wireless Titan-EX High Power AC1900 WiFi Range Extender (RE1900A)

The Amped Wireless Titan range expander certainly stands out for all the right reasons. It is quite fast and moreover, it has already been tested for the same.

It comes with 5 wired ports but lacks any parental control. It also cost more than the competition but it is certainly worth it.

10. Netgear Nighthawk X4 AC2200 WiFi Range Extender (EX7300)

The Nighthawk range expander is certainly one of the fastest ones of the lot; it definitely packs quite a punch, and also happens to be one of the fastest plugin range expanders that you are bound to come across.

Incidentally, it also supports MU-MIMO format and yes, it may be a tad pricey bit but it is certainly worth it. What makes this range expander stand out is the fact that it comes loaded with all the advanced functionality that you would need.

What’s more, if you have been facing quite a few dead spots in your residence, then with this range expander, you should be able to install it without any hassle.

Read Also: How to Fix the Most Common WiFi Issues?

Conclusion

These are some of the best WiFi range expanders, and you can take your pick. Granted you may think that expanders are the same even though they all boost your WiFi network for the better.

But irrespective of which range expander you pick, it’s important to pony up as most of the range expanders are quite fast. It may cost a tad more than the others, but in the end, it should be worth it.

Just so you know, that while there are some expanders that are rather slow when compared to others. But comparatively, they are still as good as it gets, if not more.

Please make sure that you review all the details, check out the range expander online and check out some of the reviews left by other customers. This should provide you with a good idea as to whether the range expander is worth it or not.

And you may want to shortlist a few, depending on your current budget and what you are planning to use your internet.

The endless race of the second hand and the hour hand gets irky when you don’t have an appropriate time management strategy. Time management is important to you get through the 24 hours of the day feeling productive and accomplished.

Lack of proper planning is what creates confusions and causes you to lead a lot of important minutes in vain.

Here are the key factors you need to get right for effective time management.

Pull your thoughts together

1. Tweak your agenda

2. Analyze and prioritize tasks

3. Say no when you cant

4. Whenever you can, Delegate!

5. Save your force for tasks you are good at

6. Avoid doing things that can wait!

7. Planning for tomorrow will give you a head start for the day

Keys to time management

Running your own business can be profitable in many ways compared to being an employee in a company. What is even better is that you can create your own team of brilliant professionals working with you to fulfill customer needs and fetch in loads of money and prosperity.

To achieve that kind of status, you will have to work extremely hard to have competitive advantage over your rivals. Keeping up is not easy, but is also not impossible.

Read Also: 11 Habits Of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs

This post will help you achieve your goals through a list of crucial business books. You can prefer these for learning the skills used by the top business players around the world.

1. Tools of Titans

The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

Written by – Tim Ferriss

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This business book ranks so high in the list as it depicts the productivity tips, business advice, life lessons and much more.

It serves business ideas in a simple and elaborate way for you to understand them efficiently. The time utilized in reading this book will be a great investment for your future entrepreneurship.

2. Outliers

The Story of Success

Written by – Malcolm Gladwell

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This book answers an important question: what is so special about achievers in business?

The writer might have a perception before writing this precious book as the people pay comparatively less attention to the culture of successful people, family and the idiosyncratic experiences of their nutrient and other related upbringings.

It further defines the practices as the mere component.

3. Tribe of Mentors

Written by – Tim Ferriss

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Here is another book by Tim Ferriss. He has an accomplished business writer, with stupendous accumulation of some of the most phenomenal ideas related to business.

No doubt this book keeps up to his reputation, as it focuses on a wide range of business ideas and insights to advice readers with an influential approach.

4. The Power of Broke

How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage

Written by – Daymond John

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This book is a good source of information for aspiring entrepreneurs. You can consider this book as a veteran that illustrates how beginners can solidify their business base to build an empire.

It further depicts about how one can cope up with his or her financial situations at times of crisis.

5. Deep Work

Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Written by – Cal Newport

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This book tackles with the ability to focus by avoiding the various distractions. Here the author explains about mastering the skills.

In this book, you will find the most effective solutions, which are served with the information to attain the best result in reasonable time.

6. Start with Why

How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Written by – Simon Sinek

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The basic premise of this business book is that the leaders have the greatest influence, even though their tactics were unorthodox. This is built around the world ‘why’ to influence others.

7. Smarter Faster Better

The Transformative Power of Real Productivity

Written by – Charles Duhigg

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This book offers a new definition to the term productivity. It not only teaches about how to focus, but also illustrates about managing time.  It further focuses on the transformation of making certain choices.

8. The Motivation Myth

How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win

Written by – Jeff Haden

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This defines the term ‘motivation’ in a way that will make the reader believe in himself or herself once again. The book is practical, and itis anticipated to find and maintain the real motivation to achieve great success.

9. The Lean Startup

How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

Written by – Eric Ries

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This book depicts the lean startup approach. Many founders seek to build a startup company with new products in the market. This book delivers a similar idea of validation.

10. The Hard Thing about Hard Things

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Written by – Ben Horowitz

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This book shares the insights about how the leaders are confronting their problems. The author analyzes and gains the ideas that he depicts in the book.

11. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Written by – Mark Manson

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This one embraces the faults, fears, and uncertainties in an entrepreneur’s life. Furthermore, it begins a search to achieve honesty, courage, and responsibilities in one’s business.

12. So Good They Can’t Ignore You

Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

Written by – Cal Newport

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The book argues about the true passion to discover. Here,the blend of hard work with unparalleled skills make the ability to perform in a truly commendable way.

13. The Power of Habit

Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Written by – Charles Duhigg

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The book defines that habits are the keys to achieve any meaningful means of life. This books explains how such habits are giving way to discipline that one must exercise regularly.

14. Never Split the Difference

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Written by – Chris Voss and TahlRaz

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In this book, the writer shares the skills that help him to get success. Moreover, it clearly defines the volatile pressure that builds up at the time of negotiations in business.

15. Money Master the Game

7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom

Written by Tony Robbins

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The book depicts about the people who naturally find the goals with the practical strategies that further replicate their success. The Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context are its three primary rules.

16. Zero to One

Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

Written by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

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The book discusses building a new business and the ideas to keep it upright. It further talks about the next generation who will focus on introducing new ideas to the customers, rather than replicating and modifying ideas that already exist.

17. Hooked

How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Written by NirEyal

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The author took an insight upon the successful companies and their difference with the other slow-moving companies and products. This book further talks about the four-step process of successful companies.

18. Extreme Ownership

How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

Written by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

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The book talks about taking the real-time situations by describing about the battlefields. The author further talks about the team ownership, what is responsible for everything, and whatever the team does.

19. The Personal MBA

Master the Art of Business

Written by – Josh Kaufman

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Instead of learning the theories in an official MBA course, the books reveal about the business with the practical experiences and the fundamentals of the modern businesses.

20. Traction

How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth

Written by – Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares

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The book represents the idea of a compelling argument about the key success of businesses. Reading this book can make everything significantly easier. Traction further proves that your business is on track or not.

21. Purple Cow, New Edition

Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

Written by – Seth Godin

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The term ‘purple cow’ is a metaphor for something unbelievable and counterintuitive. The author remarks the old industry tradition in brown and then it talks about making the business remarkable.

22. Rich Dad Poor Dad

What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

Written by – Robert T. Kiyosaki

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The book talks about how you employ your money to work and earn for you despite working for a lifelong just for money. This emphasizes on keeping your money as the object.

23. Influence

The Psychology of Persuasion

Written by Robert B. Cialdini

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The books depict the six universal principles. Furthermore, it teaches how one can achieve to master them through these principles of persuasion. The six principles are reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity.

24. Decisive

How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

Written by Chip and Dan Heath

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The book avails the reader with the four-step process to counteract and tackle with the biases and irrationalities. This further gives them a path to make strong decisions to perceive the same.

25. Startup Opportunities

Know When to Quit Your Day Job

Written by – Sean Wise and Brad Feld

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This book depicts the most realistic results, on whose basis most of the businesses can attain the required success. It informs how one should first validate an idea and then settle the startup. This book skillfully elaborates this crucial phenomenon for helping aspiring entrepreneurs.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter if you cannot or do not have the budget to get all these books. Just a few of them can change your business tactics for the greater good. So, do not be depressed as these will help you achieve your business goals.

 

One would think that the office would remain free from the rough and tumble of politics and one could almost be forgiven for thinking along these lines.

The reality is quite different, you are bound to come across politics more often in the office than you would, say during a friendly get together.

The fact remains that you head over to your office, 5 days a week and no one to date, has managed to avoid any political talk in an office setting. So what do you do when you encounter such heated discussions in your office?

For example, the last US election which was also one of the most polarizing ones to beset that nation managed to divide husband and wife, son and father, and even made its impact felt in the boardroom.

It becomes vital to know what to do, when you come across any such political decisions and remember, that people can get quite animated when discussing politics and that’s all the more reason for why political discussions should be actively discouraged in any office as it can change and alter your focus.

Read More: Why Employee Engagement Matters?

1. Be diplomatic

While the common consensus has always been to avoid talking about politics or for that matter religion, it can be a tad difficult to ensure that your office remains sacrosanct, especially if there happens to be some breaking news, related to either one or both.

In such situations, you are bound to come across such lively discussions right here in the office.

And when you do, the first thing that you need to understand is that you need to avoid taking a clear-cut position.

For example, if your colleague asks you what you think of X or Y, you can always come back with a non committal reply.

If you are asked for your opinion on a political matter, you can always respond saying that you need more time to come out with a firm response since you have just heard the news.

The point is that you do not exacerbate the situation any further, and by being diplomatic, you are avoiding any unnecessary arguments and in the same line of vein, you are ensuring that the current discussion soon dies down.

You may be under the assumption that it is safe to hold discussions with those who agree with you but if history is any indication, you would know by now that the above statement is not true.

Either way, a little diplomacy goes a long way to retain the peace at the office and in the process, ensure that the focus is directed towards the project at hand, rather than a political debate.

2. Do not conform

When it comes to avoiding political discussions at the office, the one thing that you need to do is to avoid conforming.

Granted that’s easier said than done and you are more likely to conform to those around you; chalk it up to human nature.

But when you conform to your colleagues’ political opinion, you are just encouraging them to continue with more discussions on politics.

But keep in mind that the more such discussions you are involved in, the less you end up getting done at the office.

Chances are that your job satisfaction is going to take a beating as well as your overall performance.

What’s more, these political discussions can often prove to be too distracting so much so that you may find it harder to concentrate on simple matters which are why it is always better not to conform to the opinion of others, just for the sake of agreeing with the prevailing political opinion and instead focus on your work at hand.

Anayse productivity with wifi attendance ad banner

3. Seek out common ground

Granted that you cannot avoid political discussions with others but in the long run, it is always better for your work and for the concerned office, to seek out some commonality.

For example, you may find that you may have more in common with George from accounting – both of you may feel that humans need to do more to avoid climate change.

So, if George or someone else should initiate a political discussion, you can always guide it along to another topic and in this case, climate change.

This can help you avoid political discussions at the office and direct you towards a more meaningful conversation. By discussing the common issues affecting you both, you are able to guide the conversation into something that’s productive.

4. Changing people’s mind

One of the reasons that people often indulge in political discussions is that they are always under the impression that they can change the minds of all those who disagree with them.

That’s easier said than done for it is not that easy to change the political affiliations of others or get them to change their minds, based on a single discussion.

This is also one of the reasons why most political discussions are always heated, and people have been known to even come to blows for the same.

So should you become part of a political discussion at the office, then you need to realize that there is little hope of changing the other person’s mind and that you need to agree to disagree with the other person.

Simply put, there’s extremely little you can get out of the discussion and instead of needlessly extending the political discussion; you need to accept that others have a right to their opinion, and then walk away from it.

5. Dissenting

It may surprise you to know that if you ask others permission as to whether it is okay to dissent with them and their views on any topic, they are almost always going to say “ok”.

Psychologists all over the world have used this tactic to good measure and it works wonders in any conflict-ridden situation.

So if you are dragged into a political discussion at the office and you hold a differing point of view, then you may want to ask the other person as to whether it is okay for you to dissent with their views.

And once you get the affirmative, just state your position and that you respectfully disagree with their views and walk away from the discussion at hand. This should help nip the political discussion in the bud.

Read More: 10 Competent Steps to Improve Employee Engagement

6. Change the subject

This can be a little harder than most of the other points listed above, depending on how heated the discussion is getting.

For example, the UK referendum on Brexit, or Prime Minister May’s Brexit vote caused heartburn for many rights across the UK.

Brexit often featured prominently in political discussions at offices in the UK just as Donald Trump’s policies did at various offices across the US.

The point is that when it comes to important news or breaking news, discussions cannot be avoided forever at the office.

Chances are someone or the other would want to discuss the same, and given the situation, you may just want to go ahead with it.

But if the discussion is becoming too heated with tempers flaring wide, then you may want to come up with some excuse to walk away from it and in the process, preserve your own sanity. If that fails, then you are left with no option but to change the topic.

But before you can do that, you need to ensure that you are able to calm the waters by validating the person/s that you are having a discussion with.

Just tell them that you think that their views are important enough (irrespective of whether you agree or disagree with them), validate the same, and then tell them that the current discussion is too important to be had in the office and that you all need to get into it in detail later on.

Or you could tell them, “ I think it took guts to put that on the table”, and then tell them that the discussion has to be shelved for now, since you would not be able to discuss it openly.

In other words, you are letting them know that their views are important and valued; now, you can use this gap to change the topic of discussion to something more sedate.

This is how you get to change the topic of conversation without stepping on anyone’s toes.

Conclusion

The points listed here should go a long way to helping you avoid political discussions at the office. You may not agree with the political views of others, and you may even want to contribute something to the discussion at hand but just keep in mind that both politics and religion are not meant to be discussed at the office.

Moreover, participating in such discussions at the office has the tendency to alter your focus and even your performance. Given this, it is better to avoid all political talk or discussions and focus more on your work.

The organizations are looking beyond just phone calls and emails for effective communication within the team and clients.

The advancement in technology is offering a lot of options to take the communication to the next level and make the collaboration more efficient, dynamic, and engaging.

A lot of tools are available at the moment for enhancing the in house office communication and to tackle the communication with the remote teams connecting from across the globe.

Of course, new technology demands a lot of learning to use such tools which might be a headache for beginners.

However, there are some advanced learning tools that give importance to user convenience and have a minimal learning curve.

Here we have put up a list of some of the most advanced but user friendly employee communication apps that can take the productivity to a more impressive level.

1. WiFi Attendance

wifi-attendance

This tool was basically designed an attendance tool for helping employees to clock-in and out through their phones, but the latest rendition of this app has all the features of a communication app.

It is powered with considerably prominent features like notifications, announcements, document sharing thus making it more than just an attendance and leave management app.

2. Slack

Slack

This is in fact a next-generation management system. Its communication style covers a range of options like messages, files, comments, videos, audios and even automatic notifications.

Unlike other tools, the speciality of Slack is its internal help robot, Slackbot that guides you through every process and enables you to instantly program automatic responses.

3. Ryver

Ryver

It is a free team communication tool which unites a team of any size easily. It features unlimited data storage and premium service can be accessed for free in first two weeks.

You can connect to more than 500 apps as it can be easily integrated with Zapier. Other pros include unlimited message history and built in task management.

4. Smartsheet

Smartsheet

This is an extremely powerful but a simple communication tool for office communication. Apart from basic communication, the tool can offer a helping hand with scheduling, resource management, file-sharing, task allocation and even sale tracking.

Easy and consistent communication is the key as it lets you share anything across mobiles and desktops. The employees are easily connected to any updates or changes through customizable alerts.

5. Microsoft Lync

Microsoft-Lync

This awesome tool from Microsoft lets you efficiently communicate with clients through chats and instant messaging. Microsoft Lync can be integrated with other Microsoft tools (including Skype) thus enabling flawless communication through a quality platform.

 

6. Biba

Biba

It is renowned as an all-in-one mobile communication tool that can take your office communication to a different level.

A lot of communication areas such as conference calling, business messaging, video conferencing and online meetings all from one place can be managed with this app.

It is even backwards compatible with a local dial-in phone connection. The tool can offer desktop screen-sharing options and comes with a one-click group chat feature.

7. VeriShow

VeriShow

This awesome tool comes with almost all options expected out of a comprehensive communication tool. It features online communication options like file sharing, video conferencing, chat, voice, whiteboard and screen-sharing.

It even allows live annotation capabilities. Its customer-facing features make it an ideal tool for team meetings. As this is a web based app, downloading it in your device is not a concern.

8. Skype

Skype

The app’s business version comes with powerful video and audio call functionality. The Skype for business communication tool allows real time collaboration for up to 250 people. The innovative radical redesign allows storage up to 1TB. It features integration with Microsoft Office 365 apps.

 

9. Yammer

Yammer

It serves the need of a full-service private social network which can easily connect decision makers and employees of all levels within the organization.

The tool promotes flexible collaboration with advanced knowledge sharing. Yammer can be easily integrated with Skydrive, SharePoint and Skype and helps with seamless sharing across teams.

It offers assistance for clearer communication with notes and comments and the contents are easily searchable.

 

10. eXo Platform

eXo-Platform

This open source social solution can be an asset for your office communication. The app can be customized to meet the particular needs of an organization.

The stress-free collaboration is the key speciality of the app and it enables the team to use productivity tools set as well as generate and share files and polls.

11. Campfire

Campfire

This web-based communication tool has taken team communication to the next level through password protected group chats.

Any vendor, colleague or client can be invited to join this chat and take part in the group communication. During communication, one can share text, file and code to convey the matters clearly. Unlike other apps, account setting has not many hassles.

12. CardBoard

CardBoard

This communication app is known for its unique visual approach which is both engaging and intuitive. Easily collaborating with anyone with an email id is possible through this app.

It even serves the role of a work flow manager and online whiteboard and allows collaboration on story mapping.

13. StaffConnect

StaffConnect

The internal communication within the team can be made easy and efficient through this professional app. The colleagues can be connected easily through this app as it encourages two-way dialogues.

The news can be delivered and broadcasted and the managers can easily share any data or updates in the form of texts, images and videos.

14. Stride

Stride

It is a novel team communication app which is an ideal option to organize company workflows. It features 10 integrations, 5GB storage and allows up to 25K messages.

The usage simplicity is the key for stride and team communication is allowed in private and public rooms. Stride provides audio and video call features and the workflow can be managed well with ‘Actions’ and ‘decisions’.

 

15. Twoodo

Twoodo

Organizing and streamlining team communication has taken to a different range with Twoodo by using the power of hashtags.

It comes with a Twitter-like interface and conversations within team can be made effective by integrating tasks, reminders and events.

The posts are shareable and searchable and easy integration with Skype, DropBox, and BitBucket enables comprehensive communication from a single place.

16. Flock

Flock

This is an awesome team communication app that features multiple integrations, instant messaging and built in to dos.

By integrating with Appear.in, you can even make audio and video calls with your team. Even its Freemium plan is limited with 10K message history.

The other highlighted features include deep integration with Google Drive and inbuilt polls.

17. Fuze

Fuze

A comprehensive and effective internal communication environment can be triggered through Fuze app. You can connect with the team easily through video conferencing and HD video calls.

The app’s features make it easy to set up a meeting with the team almost instantly. You may even integrate it with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Lync and Box for a better usage experience.

18. Bluebeam Revu

Bluebeam-Revu

This amazing app enables users to collaborate on PDF markup, by editing tasks and making comments. The app allows real-time communication which makes the collaboration on design approval process easy and flawless.

It is considered as a major time-saver for project coordinators. Its key features include intuitive controls, simple menus, and easy document comparison.

19. Redbooth

Redbooth

It is a comprehensive app that is designed to improve team communication and easily transit the project management activities.

It comes with a chat room and provides options for file sharing, HD video calls, text documents, charts, and reports.

The project task and chats can be merged to trigger quality communication among employees and they will always be up to date.

 

20. Glip

Glip

Everyday activities of an employee in an organization can be effectively handled with Glip. This is designed for seamless communication and collaboration which can be handled through notes, calendar, tasks, to-do lists, and chats.

The app can save your time which you spend for checking emails in the middle of your work. It comes with built-in video calling functionality and connecting on the go with co-workers and clients is really easy.

21. Bitrix24

Bitrix24

The small enterprises as well as start-ups can make use of this communication app. It is a lot easy to use and up to date with user friendly features.

Its ability to create plans is what makes it special among similar office communication tools.

22. BlogIn

BlogIn

BlogIn is an effective internal communication tool; think of it is a platform to exchange ideas with each idea, to share feedbacks and even peer review concepts.

Essentially, it is a platform which employees and team members can use to keep themselves informed, to communicate ideas and concepts with the whole team and centralize information resources, as applicable to a project in a single platform for ease of use.

23. Trello

Trello

You can use Trello to keep track of the progress made by your team, review their work and even monitor their performance in real time.

It should be pointed out that all the tasks on Trello come with additional features such as file uploads, comments, checkboxes and much more.

24. EXo platform

eXo-Platform

EXo platform is an open source social solution that you can utilize to streamline your team’s performance.

This app enables you to share files, polls with others in your team, instantly communicate with others and even share ideas and feedback with the rest of the team.

Best of all, you can customize this app to suit the needs of the team and that of your company.

25. Hipchat

Hipchat

Hipchat allows you to chat instantly with the rest of your team and you can also use the app for private chats – but other than this, the app also makes it possible for you to make HD video calls, transfer large amounts of data without any hassle, and secure gated access and much more.

It comes with a reasonable price tag and there is a free option as well – just what every small enterprise or startup needs.

26. Wrike

Wrike

Wrike is an easy to use platform that you can use to collaborate with others, share files, hold discussions, and even assign tasks.

What’s more, anyone can communicate with others on any aspect of the project, share their thoughts, feedback and this should definitely help your team perform better in the long run.

Additionally, you can use this platform to assign tasks and monitor the progress on the same, to date.

Conclusion

Have a look into these amazing office communication tools whenever you are looking to find a solution to the collaboration concerns.

The right use of these tools can take your business to the next level as proper communication within and outside team is the key for progress.

These tools can not only enhance the productivity but also boosts up the overall efficiency, employee morale, and customer experience.

However, the organizations have to make sure that the right tools are chosen which exactly meets their actual purpose.

If you choose a tool of advanced level but with complex features, make sure that you give proper training to make its usage comfortable for the team.

When it comes to your children and their habit of using the internet, you know two things for sure:

  • Too much internet addiction is not good for them.
  • But, the internet offers a high-quality learning ground.

To provide a balanced exposure to the internet, you can use parental control routers.

This article has 20 of the best parental control routers to use in 2019.

Read Also : Top 25 Parental Control Apps

1. Asus AC3100

Asus-AC3100

With Asus AC3100, you attain dual-band function, which offers great speed to a maximum of 2.1 Gbps. The router contains four antennas and the brand promises a wide range of coverage in an area of 5000 sq. ft.

The dual-core processor of 1.4 GHz makes data transfer convenient. With all that, you get AiProtection feature in this router to manage all kinds of parental control.

2. Router Limits Mini

Router Limits Mini

To make a budget-friendly router purchase with a parental control feature, you can choose this mini router. This small router provides connectivity feature, which allows you to connect to an existing router.

This gives control over everything that your child sees using the internet. You can connect it with any device your child uses to access the internet. The speed gets enhanced along with the coverage, but it all stays under your control.

3. Linksys AC1750

Linksys AC1750

Among all the routers with parental control, Linksys AC1750 is the lowest priced router. This dual-band router offers a speed of 1.7 Gbps. The coverage is decent and you get to use a Wi-Fi app on Android as well as iPhone devices.

The app helps in using the network in a prioritized and controlled manner. The app also provides the ability to set various parental controls to avoid certain types of content.

4. Netgear Nighthawk AC1900

Netgear Nighthawk AC1900

You can get 1.3 Gbps of speed with this dual-band router. The router contains a QoS or quality-of-service feature, which allows you to prioritize bandwidth for better quality on certain devices.

So, you can improve bandwidth to stream videos or to play games. The router even supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, which turns your home into a smart place to live. You can also monitor the use of network by setting parental controls.

5. Circle with Disney

Circle with Disney

If you already have a router, use this device to integrate parental control feature. This small, beautiful looking device is easily pluggable and gives you control over the use of network.

The connection allows you to use an app on your Android or an iPhone device. Using the app, you can filter content available online for yourself and your kids.

There are multiple age-appropriate settings to set different kinds of filters. So, you can provide different accessibility to your 5-year-old, 10-year-old and 15-year-old.

6. Netgear R7000P Nighthawk AC2300

Netgear R7000P Nighthawk AC2300

This dual-band device is fast with an access speed of 1.6 Gbps. Bandwidth maximization becomes possible as this router supports MU-MIMO.

You can easily connect the device to storage drives and transfer content. The parental control is built-in, which allows you to download the app of Disney Circle and decide the accessibility for your kids.

7. Symantec Norton Core

Symantec Norton Core

Internet security doesn’t have to be a concern for you. This router is one of the most secure options you can find out there. The beautiful geometrical globe-like shape of the router looks amazing.

You can connect the router to access the network. The router offers an app to control Wi-Fi settings and accessibility. There are several kinds of content filtration options. Plus, you can monitor kids’ internet activities on an ongoing basis.

8. Buffalo Airstation Router

buffalo airstation

The performance level is moderate about 400 Mbps. But the router comes with filtration ability for inappropriate content.

The router provides support to desktop and other devices. And you can easily install and configure without wasting too much time. The range of network stays around 15 ft. The spatial distance decides the network strength as well.

9. Linksys EA6900 AC1900

Linksys EA6900 AC1900 Wi-Fi Router

This model from Linksys is a bit expensive, but offers complete safety. The router contains 3 antennas, which provides complete coverage of your home.

The dual-core processor makes high speeds possible to manage data transfer easily. The router also supports cloud storage.

The safety protocols and parental control features are updated regularly to improve the controllability. You can control the network access and decide a fixed time period for your kids to use the internet.

10. D-Link Gaming Router AC1300

D-Link Gaming Router AC1300

With dual-band, this router offers a speed range of 450-867 Mbps. The StreamBoost feature of this router improves the internet network management capacity for users.

Read Also : Top 15 Parental Control Routers to Use in 2018

The installation and configuration take no time if you use a Wizard. You can customize and blacklist content and set various time limits for internet accessibility.

11. Netgear AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi

Netgear AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router

Simple-to-use and great range of coverage, this router is smart and perfect for any home. You get 40 feet of coverage along with a speed that can reach 1750 Mbps.

You can connect this router to 12 devices at the same time. The router provides parental control on all those devices. You can remotely access router’s setting and review and manage the use of the network.

12. Clean Router

Clean Router

This parental control router is connectable to a modem. The configured router provides control over every device including the connected gaming consoles.

You can restrict certain sites and decide what sort content is watched by your kind. This also includes the videos your kid watches on YouTube. The filtration capability has nine different categories.

13. Tenda AC9 Wireless AC1200

Tenda AC9 Wireless AC1200 Router

With two antennas and support from Beamforming tech, this router is a package of features. And you can control all those features using its Tenda App.

You can blacklist and whitelist content types, websites, and other sources. The control features also give you the ability to restrict access to a particular time period.

14. Screen

Screen

A small device that comes with an app installable on Android and iPhone devices. You can connect the app with all kinds of content devices such as streaming gadgets, TV, gaming console and others.

Then, you can monitor each and every device and decide a bedtime, use tracking facility and cut off internet as per your requirement. The control is possible remotely, so you always stay one step ahead!

15. Torch Router

Torch

The beautiful wood veneer design of this router is the first thing you notice. However, the internet filter features are also impressive.

You can control devices without even using any software or app. A standard monitoring, website locking, and other control features become easy. You can preset network accessibility and decide the cut off periods.

16. Xfinity

Xfinity

Xfinity is best to offer appropriate content exposure to your kids via the internet, television and other sources. The parental control feature for TV has voice control, which you can access remotely.

You can control the content streaming on platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, and Pandora. The Wi-Fi access is controllable as well.

17. Luma

Luma

This router has unique parental control features. For instance, you can decide network access with respect to the daily time period, bedtime restriction and also give a pause period to the accessibility.

All the restrictions work on each and every connected device. You can decide which devices get the restricted access to Wi-Fi. Luma also identifies malicious software and blocks them for you. However, content filter stays under your control completely.

18. UnGlue

UnGlue

UnGlue has been designed especially for kids, so you can help them manage their time on the internet. This model gives you control over the total screen time of your kid.

You can balance kid’s screen time on smartphones, laptops, tablets, television and other gadgets using this single device. You can block adult and violent content, pause the internet and obtain activity reports as well.

19. Koala Safe

Koala-Safe

This tiny tool is pluggable to an existing Wi-Fi router you have at home. Connecting this tool allows you to create a kid-friendly network environment at home.

No violent or adult content becomes visible to your kid. You can decide the time period, for which, your kid uses the internet. Plus, get different reports on internet access.

You can purchase this one tool once and forget about paying any extra cash for subscriptions.

20. Ryfi

Ryfi

This tool offers a reward system, which comes built-in. You can utilize this tool to give different tasks to your kids. Once the task is finished, kids earn more internet access time.

Read Also : 15 Best WiFi Security Camera To Buy In 2019

You can connect Ryfi to your existing router and modify the settings on the device to begin the use. This tool is more fun for kids, as they get to involve in the process of earning more internet access time.

Conclusion

So, there you have all your top 20 parental control routers. Now, you can choose the best-suited one for your requirements and make your home Wi-Fi kids-friendly in 2019. If you already have a router, you can choose a parental control router attached provided in this list.

Hopefully, you are feeling less concerned about the internet accessibility of your kid.

Many research studies have pointed out the importance of maintaining a healthy work life balance. This simply means that you should value both your professional and personal life without allowing one to impinge upon the other.

A healthy work life balance not only helps you to maintain a better mental health but also to enjoy good physical health and wellbeing.

Moreover, it increases your productivity and you eventually become a more rounded individual. You can achieve this by giving importance to both work and life by clearly understanding what is important for you at the moment.

Here are a few tips and tricks you can consider to keep up a better and healthy work life balance.

Read Also: 15 Tips To Ensure Better Work-Life Balance

wifi attendance

1. Better Time Management

Time is a valuable commodity in anyone’s life. So you should learn how to you use it wisely and effectively whether you are at home or office.

Managing time gives you enough free time where you can easily fill out the gaps you made in both professional and personal life.

Mismanagement of time results in spending extra hours in office which takes away the time you kept for personal things and vice versa.

2. Prioritize Your Life

A better version of time management is prioritizing what you actually want to do in your personal life and work space.

Understand what actually matters to you the most and prioritize your daily schedule accordingly. Whether you are at work or home, proper communication is important to let people who care know about what is bothering you or lacking in you.

Sometimes your life partner or your colleague can help you to sort it out for you.

3. Keep a Line Between Professional and Personal Life

It is seriously important to draw a line between your office work and personal life. Plan your day accordingly so that you don’t need to take the pending office work to home.

Similarly there might be lot of personal problems bothering you but make sure that you don’t take it to office which affects your productivity at work.

4. Set Career Goals

A sense of satisfaction is what everyone matters at the end of a day’s work at office. So make sure that you have set clear goal for your professional life and you are working towards it.

A vision for yourself and forward thinking can help you stay positive and motivated. The energy you get from such sense of satisfaction at work can easily reflect on the happiness you can give to your loved ones at home.

5. Set Personal Goals

Similar to setting professional goals, it is important for an individual to set personal goals too. It can be about maintaining your fitness level or owning a house, buying a car or making a family.

It is just one life and you have to enjoy all aspects of life to experience it to the fullest. So you also spend some time to work towards your personal goals along with success at work.

6. Prioritize Family after Office Hours

It is important to prioritize your work during the working hours. Similarly, it is important to prioritize your family matters after the working hours.

Whether it is a commitment to your parents or a promise to your kids, don’t mess it up with your office work when you are at home. Your loved ones will badly need your presence always rather than the money you earn for them.

7. Get Better at Email

The official emails are always a crucial element that kills off the productivity at work. One should know to manage and review it efficiently.

Be sure to respond to emails in a timely manner but see that you don’t keep on checking it every time that may take away the focus in the present work.

Also reduce the rate at which you respond to official emails when you are at home unless it is that urgent.

8. Embrace the Off Button of Gadgets

Every gadget that is available today comes with an off button which simply means that you can switch it off when not needed.

In fact, staring at a screen for more than 7 to 8 hours a day can affect your eyes, your mood and energy. So take enough effort to minimize its usage after your office time to have some quality time at home.

Attendance App

9. Meet clients halfway

You don’t need to always promise clients to meet them at their office if it is far from your place. Better ask them to meet at half way at a coffee shop or similar place which helps you to minimize the time you spend for official travels.

You can use that saved time productively to finish off the other work early or you may use it to take a small break between the tight schedules.

10. Maintain Healthy Eating Habits

You should always give importance to your diet even if the office and meeting schedules are too tight. Don’t skip the meals and minimize the intake of junk food which you normally choose to save time on the go.

Plan the day accordingly so that you can eat well and prefer homely food whenever possible. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

11. Get Enough Sleep

Getting a regular good night sleep is important to earn the energy for the next day. Don’t sit overnight to complete your pending works which indirectly affects the productivity of your next day.

It also takes away the quality time you spend at home which can even lead to mood swings and energy loss. Some people choose to sleep less during working days and sleep more during weekends or holidays which affects the sleep cycle.

12. Don’t Skip Regular Exercise

Just like proper sleep and healthy food habits, maintaining your fitness level is always important. So manage your daily schedule so that you spend at least 30 minutes every day at gym or just take a half an hour walk in the morning or evening.

It gives you lot of energy which eventually helps you in being productive at work and you can keep away from unwanted illness.

13. Take time to make time

It would be wise to spend some time to make time. This simply means to take away some time from your schedule to chart your days effectively so that you end up saving time and being more productive.

You may even use time trackers to see the areas in which you are wasting time and work to make it better every time. The time allocation can be made depending on what you actually want to do by skipping the time consuming unimportant stuffs.

14. Manage your mind

Take some time out from your busy schedule to manage your mind when anxiety, fear or self doubt creeps in. Choose to go for meditation or yoga classes or do it at your home.

Manage some time for reading which can keep your mind relaxed. You may also read business books which give you tips and strategies to manage the time efficiently.

In fact, better knowledge about your work makes it easy for you to handle your work efficiently.

 15. Take Care of Yourself

It is always important to get some ‘me’ time to do the stuffs you enjoy. Make some time for your hobbies & passions when you can feel light and relaxed.

This helps you to unwind in between the tough sessions which eventually make you more focussed and driven.

16. Take Enough Breaks

Don’t make your schedules too tight so that you end up being unproductive at the end of the day. So make sure that you take enough breaks in between, sit back and relax, have a cup of coffee or have a talk with your colleague.

This makes you refreshed and relaxed which eventually makes you productive. Take some days off from your work and go for holidays with your loved ones which give the energy back to you.

17. Bring Home to Office

Similarly, organizations have to take proper measures to see that the employees have a healthy work life balance. Companies can help the employees to bring home to office to help them achieve this goal.

They can arrange a child care centre to take care of their kids during the office hours. Or they can arrange get together and events to celebrate milestones or special events when employees can bring their family too.

Conclusion

So don’t ever shy away from getting some personal time for you and take lots of relaxing breaks. At the same time make sure that you are not compromising the quality of work you deliver in your work space.

Make sure that you spend quality time with your loved ones but see that no important office meetings are missed. See that you follow your own passions and maintain good exercise, food and sleep habits.

However, you may not be successful always to correctly balance the work and personal life. There might be some rare situations when you should give some additional weightage to certain aspects in both personal and professional life.

However, these tips might surely help you to maintain an overall good work life balance.

Working as a team towards a goal is always exciting and at the same time very productive. However, the way you mould your team and how fast they connect with each other reflects on the team success.

The team might keep on changing for different projects and building a good bond among the team members is vital for the organizational success.

Read Also : 10 Competent Steps to Improve Employee Engagement

Games are always a good option to know each other, challenge each other and bring out the best in everyone. That is why successful organizations always invest some time in exciting team building games once in a while.

Each game is designed with different objectives each of which is essential for team success. Here let us have a look at some of the awesome team building games which can be tried at your office to build a strong, dedicated and exciting team.

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1. Talking in Circles

This game is designed to enhance the coordination and communication among team mates. First, the group stands in a circle in a long piece of string tied at the ends.

The task for the team is to create shapes like square, triangle, rectangle and figure 8 with these strings.  The difficulty level of the game can be increased by blindfolding the team mates. The level of trust and leadership within the team is tested through this game.

Read Also : Do We Need Employee Assistance Programs at the Workplace?

2. Spider Web

This activity is very effective to learn and experience cooperation, persistence, leadership, trust, and support within the team.

A web is formed with strings which are tied to fixed pillars or trees at both ends. Each team gets a point when their team member passes through holes of weaved web without touching them.

The best part is that each hole gets closed for entry once it is used. So this demands a lot of planning from the team to strategize team members suitably for different holes.

3. Blind Drawing

This is a simple but effective game which encourages and tests the listening and communication skills. The game is played in pairs where both of team mates sit back to back.

One team member will be given an object and the other one gets a piece of paper and pencil. The person with the object can describe it without giving clear hints of the object. The task for the other member is to draw the object according to the description and his own interpretation.

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4. Scavenger Hunt

The teams are encouraged to collaborate creatively with this team building activity. The judgement authority can make a list of items to be found or the actions to be completed. The team which does this in the minimum possible time are the winners.

This game can foster teamwork and creativity and team members are supposed to find tricks and techniques to complete it on time. The activity can be made more exciting by including clues, riddles, and twists.

5. Let Us Guess

A fun game which helps your team to relax in the middle of stressful work space. The team is divided into random groups of 4-5 persons.

An object will be given to a randomly called team member and he has to hide it from rest of team. He has to describe the object and the team has to guess it right. The activity is repeated for all teams and the team that guesses the object right in the minimal chances wins.

6. The Barter Puzzle

This is an interesting game that tests the skills of negotiation, cooperation and speed of decision making. Jigsaw puzzles with same level of complexity are distributed to teams. The team which can solve the puzzles in the least possible time wins

However, the challenge is that the pieces of puzzles will be mixed with other team’s puzzles. You have to trade, exchange team members and negotiate to get the pieces right.

7. Three Truths and a Lie

This is a simple game which needs no materials and can be played anywhere. Three of four members can sit in a circle and tell 4 facts about themselves. Three of them must be true and 1 should be a lie but your job is to present it like a truth.

Other team mates take their turn to figure out the lie in the list. It helps introverts to open up and get a chance to know better about their team mates.

8. Egg Drop

This is an exciting game that can change the floor into moments of fun and laughter. Each member of the team is given an egg and some office supplies like cardboard, cotton, tapes, balloons etc.

Their task is to wrap the egg with these supplies in the best possible way in the given time frame. The objective is to drop the egg from the specified height without breaking. For each egg that survives the break, your team earns a point.

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9. Team Birthday Line Up

This is a simple icebreaker team activity. The team is asked to form a line at first and their job is to rearrange themselves so that they stand in order of their birthdays.

The challenge of the game is that they cannot talk to each other during the game. They can use sign languages, nudges or some techniques to convey the birthdays and arrange themselves. This game in fact improves the communication, cooperation and problem solving skills among the team members.

10. What’s my name?

The instructor will give you a list of names who are celebrities in diverse fields like sports, cinema, politics etc. It will be written in post-it notes.

Each member gets a note placed on his forehead in such a way that he can’t see it. They can then ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to their team to identify the person. The individuals who complete the task within the specified time earn a point for their team.

11. Zoom

This is an interesting team activity that can be completed in half an hour. 30 pictures are distributed to 30 members of the team. Their task is to form a story out of it by arranging the pictures in a sequence.

The challenge is that one member is not allowed to see the picture of others. They have to describe the picture so that others identify it and thus form a sequence. The key to game success is intelligent communication with patience.

12. Human Shapes

This exciting game can be played by groups of 8 to 12 members each. The task is to form shapes of letters and words using their bodies. The level of the game can be made tougher step by step.

Firstly they can be asked to make letters and then small words, phrases, and sentences in the final phase. One of the members will stand out and guess the formations. This game fosters planning, creative thinking, support, and trust.

13. Grab Bag Skits

This is one of the best ways to let team mates come out of their comfort zones and perform together. Goodie bags containing random items are distributed to different teams.

The task is to perform a skit by making use of the objects in the bag creatively. This game demands good planning and collaboration, watching the skits can be entertaining, relaxing and fun.

14. Swift Swap

This is a really exciting activity for teams who have not interacted for so long. The team forms two lines in such a way that one member faces a member from the next line.

30 seconds will be given when both of them can glance at each other to observe everything about them like dress, jewellery, shoes etc.

After that, they go to some corner to make some changes in their appearance like an untied shoelace, a different hair style etc.

They come back to the same position and another 30 seconds will be granted. Their task is to figure out the changes they made during the interval.

15. Sneak a Peek

Utilizing the strength of individuals and communicating effectively is what matters for good team work and this is what the game is about. The instructor gives a structure of building block or Lego to the team for 30 seconds and then takes it back.

The task of the team is to rebuild the structure again. Each member of the team gets a chance again to take a glance on it for 10 seconds and describe it for 25 seconds.

16. Earth-ball

In order to create highly functional teams, the prime importance is for goal setting and this game is meant for that. This, in fact, is a group task and needs unity and strategies of togetherness to succeed.

The task is to keep the balloons or beach balls in the air without touching the ground. Each team can challenge a specified number of hits to keep it in the air and each member gets only one chance to hit.

Each person of a team might come with a different personality and games are the best way to connect them in the best possible way without losing the fun element.

As the objective of each game is different, take some time to choose the best game for your team and experience the assured success over the period.

Know the pulse of your team and throw in the most exciting games which they would love to crave for more. In fact, most of these games are not only educational but also enjoyable.

Even a well set team can have some exciting games once in a while to keep aside the stress, refresh themselves and have fun.