The Leaderboard

What's the secret of your success? Do you even know?
Before leaders can help their employees, they must discover and embrace their own inner genius, says Bob Rothman, co-chief operating officer at Gap International. The truth is that everyone is truly great at something, Rothman says, and acknowledging their gift in one area can help them improve in others. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (2/13)
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Sales Strategies

How to make your mentoring program more effective
If your company uses a mentoring program to help new representatives learn the ropes, you should take certain steps to make it as effective as possible, writes Janet Spirer of Sales Horizons. You should establish clear expectations for the program and plan carefully, she writes, adding that mentoring should not be used to replace coaching. SalesTrainingConnection.com (2/13)
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How to have productive meetings with younger employees
Younger employees may not see the value in traditional one-on-one meetings with sales managers, writes Steve Loftness. Managers can overcome this problem by helping younger sales representatives work on their careers and their personal brands, Loftness writes. "Millennials want a clear career path and a boss that helps them navigate it," he writes. Sales Benchmark Index/Sales & Marketing Effectiveness Blog (2/14)
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Daily Data Points

U.S. jobless claims decline
Fewer Americans than expected applied for initial jobless benefits last week. However, the decline to 341,000 claims -- from 368,000 a week before -- may have been due in part to severe winter weather in the Northeast and Illinois. CNNMoney (2/14)
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Other News

On the Road

Staying productive while coping with jet lag
Road warriors who frequently crisscross time zones tend to suffer "decreases in mental capacity, increased stress levels and decreased productivity," according to a study by AirPlus International and Business Travel Market. So, what's the best way to shrug off the ravages of jet lag? It seems to depend on the individual. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (2/11)
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App Update

3 ways your smartphone can help you find a job
CareerBuilder and other job sites offer mobile applications, so you don't need to sit at a computer to conduct job research, Debra Auerbach writes. Smartphones also make networking much easier with the use of apps to help you save people's business cards and update your online profiles while on the go, she writes. The Work Buzz (2/14)
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Making Small Talk

Want a virtual girlfriend? That'll be $5
Some Facebook users are paying attractive people a few dollars to pose as their virtual paramours. The service is limited to a change in relationship status and comments intended to impress, annoy or confuse users' real friends. "It's mostly guys trying to make someone else jealous ... or to make their profile look like they've got girls all over them," says one girlfriend-for-hire identified only as Sophia. BBC (2/13)
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SmartQuote

If some basic structure and planning are provided, mentoring can be a valuable part of a company's developmental efforts." -- Janet Spirer, co-founder of Sales Horizons, writing at SalesTrainingConnection.com Share: