NBCSNs coverage of the 2019-20 NHL season continues with Wednesdays matchup between the Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings. Coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.

Look, every sports team craves home-field (or in this case, ice) advantage. Even with that in mind, the Stars have plenty of incentive to wrestle away the Central Divisions second seed from the Colorado Avalanche.

The Kings dont serve as much of a threat on paper, but lets consider larger trends to see why the Stars should do what they can to take care of business on Wednesday.

Looking at the Stars and Avs recent records alone makes you realize that things could get tight.

Despite all of the turmoil that came from the surprise coaching change of Jim Montgomery being replaced by Rick Browess, the Stars settled down and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Theyve won four games in a row, with a nice chance to make that five tonight.

Youd think that the Avalanche would climb, not stumble, with several key players returning from injuries. Instead, the Avalanche lost their last game and are a mediocre 4-5-1 in their past 10.

Colorado is still ahead of Dallas for the second seed, but not by much.

Avalanche: 25-14-4 for 54 points in 43 games played Stars: 24-14-4 for 52 points in 42 GP

Indeed, if the Stars beat the Kings on Wednesday, then it would merely come down to tiebreakers. Kind of hard to believe, right?

[Five players the Kings might trade]

Again, the Stars have serious incentive to try to hop over at least the Avalanche. (The Stars havesome chance of leaping the Blues [59 points, 43 GP], but its unlikely.)

So far in 2019-20, the Stars boast a 15-6-2 home record, while theyre only 9-8-2 on the road. A stark home/road disparity extends beyond this season, too.

Those stats provide reasonably compelling evidence that the Stars really are a far more dangerous team in Dallas.

Now, I cant tell you exactlywhy the Stars have been that much better at home. Maybe opponents feel sluggish after eating all of that brisket and delicious Tex-Mex food? Perhaps a physical player like Jamie Benn takes it up a notch in front of a partisan crowd? The Stars morphed into a team that sometimes survives on a fairly slim margin of error lately, so maybe the sometimes-subtle home-ice advantages tip the scales?

Either way, with the door open a bit, the Stars should burst through it. Playing key home playoff games could end up making an, erp, Texas-sized difference.

James OBrienis a writer forPro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line atphtblog@nbcsports.comor follow him on Twitter@cyclelikesedins.

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Stars have extra motivation to grab at least one round of home-ice advantage - Yahoo Sports

Editors note: The NBA added the 3-point shot 40 years ago. Heres one in a series of stories that will appear this week on The Athletic explaining how the shot has impacted various players and teams across the league.

Later in Blake Griffins career, when the 3-pointer started falling with regularity and confidence in his shot was growing with each passing game, the six-time All-Star had a series of go-to sayings for opponents who were within earshot.

The corner 3 in front of the opponents bench is a situation that isnt really duplicatable in other sports. In some cases, mere inches separate the player shooting the ball from opponents who are shouting animalistic noises and trash talk from the sideline. Essentially, in a machismo sport filled with nothing but egos, players on the bench are exposing themselves to some humility if the player in the corner knocks down a shot right in front of them.

So, whenever Griffin tested his...

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Trash talk, staredowns and motivation: Tales from the corner 3 in front of the opponent's bench - The Athletic

Tech teams form the backbone of all the unseen infrastructure within a company. Despite this, most users and entrepreneurs overlook how vital their tech companies are to the success of their business. Keeping the tech team motivated and at the top of their game ensures the competitiveness of the business.

But what does a tech team need to remain motivated and happy in a corporate work environment? Below,13 members of Forbes Technology Council share their insights into what elements a highly motivated and happy tech team needs to remain that way.

1. Create A Tiered Reward System

Create a tiered system where employees are constantly rewarded for meeting certain goals and objectives. At the end of the period (quarter or year) add them up to determine their reward, such as cash or prizes. Many small goals and objectives versus one huge one will prove to be significantly more effective in helping the team achieve more. - Zaher El-Assi, Lightship

2. Show Them Their Impact

Enable the team to make the right connections and build a network so that the team is not insular. Ensure that they understand how the work they are doing is connected to the business outcome and priorities. This is more than just their leader explainingits hearing it from others who are impacted. Connect the team to resources within the company that can help them achieve their work, such as subject-matter experts. Connect them with people who understand and can personally articulate the value of their work, and connect them with resources that can help them achieve their professional goals or help them understand how other parts of the business work. - Suzanne Taylor, Unisys

3. Include Them In The Tech Reporting Process

They need ownership:Your team has to believe that they are making an impact on the scope and definition of what they are building. This also includes making them part of the reporting for the tech so that they can see how people are using the product and where improvements in the experience can be introduced. - Derrick Morton, FlowPlay

4. Rally Them Around A Meaningful Mission

The best way to keep your tech team motivated and happy is to have a meaningful company mission and rally the team around that mission. If someones job is to build a widget, thats not very motivating. But if they are working to make positive change in the world, thats meaningful. - Miron Lulic, SuperMoney

5. Provide Them With Challenging Work

Tech team motivation comes from a multitude of different factors. The core aspects involve being able to provide the tech team with technically challenging and interesting work, providing them with creative freedom in selecting technologies and methodologies used, and ensuring that communication regarding technical requirements is crisp and clear. Give the technology team the feeling that they are being listened to and heard when it comes to development languages, tools, practices and processes, as well as timelines for developments, and be honest. - Sampo Parkkinen, Revieve Inc.

6. Include Them

Include them in the overall strategic vision and plan. Collaborate with them to work on defined business outcomes and get them connected with the business leaders and users who will be part of the desired business outcomes. - John Wondolowski,Solutions II

7. Provide Perspective

Provide them with visibility into how what they're building will impact your retail clients or their customers. I've found that the more the tech team understands why they're building what they're building, the more fulfilling their work becomes. - Jeremy Neren,GrocerKey

8. Encourage Diversity Of Opinion

To keep your tech team (or in fact any team) motivated and happy, it is critical to provide a clear and common vision for the team that is directly aligned with the larger corporate vision. From there, there are three more essential elements to focus on to keep your team cranked up and psyched up: promote transparency, encourage diversity of opinion and a responsibility to participate, and require respect for those individual opinions. Focusing on these points while providing the necessary technical tools to succeed productively are a recipe for powerful engagement. - Dave Landa, Kintone Corporation

9. Find Problems They Are Good At

The happiest employees feel their work is meaningful and fulfilling. So, find problems that they are good at and help them understand how it helps the company. - Aaron Raddon,Lytics

10. Offer Education

Keep the team engaged and educated on new trends and technologies. This allows them to keep skills current as well as be independently innovative. - Cody Barnett,US Med-Equip, Inc.

11. Provide A Good Balance Of Projects

Our people love to be challenged and on a constant learning and improving path, as they like to explore new and old technologies and try new things out. We nurture this by letting them evolve and providing a good balance of must do projects with new and exciting ones. Additionally, we make sure they understand what they are working on, why is it important and the kind of values we provide our clients with. - Boaz Shunami, Komodo Cyber Security LTD.

12. Give Them Creative Freedom

Give them the freedom to build things in the best way the team sees fit. Guide the what, but not the how. Provide interesting projects to work on, a solution that solves a real problem and areas to grow and learn both inside and outside of the core job. - Steven Fitzsimmons, Freshpaint

13. Involve Them In Tactical Decision-Making

Give the tech team a sense of ownership of the software features they work on by empowering them accordingly. Nothing is more demotivating for developers than being considered as a coding factory that must deliver a solution that is already fully designed. Instead, collaborating closely with product managers, they should be fully involved in tactical decision-making, from discovering customers and users pain points, through experimenting with new solutions, to prioritizing features in the roadmap. They are key to finding the right means to execute against the vision, main objectives and budget set by top management. - Jean-Cyril Schtterl, Sidetrade

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Struggling to Keep Your Tech Team Motivated? Try These 13 Tips - Forbes

By Mary Dunleavy, WRAL sports anchor/reporter

Raleigh, N.C. Despite missing a few games at the beginning of the season due to a parking incident, DJ Funderburk as been a force for the NC State basketball team.

For the first time, Funderburk spoke candidly about how that incident off the court helped transformed him as a player.

"Just not to make dumb decisions," said Funderburk. "I'm young. Everybody makes mistakes, but I've learned from it, I've grown from it. I'm just ready to move forward."

Funderburk certainly has left it in the rearview mirror. The 6-foot-10 forward is averaging just shy of 13 points a game and five rebounds.

"I've just been trying to let my game speak for itself and help my teammates win as much as I can," Funderburk said.

"He's been very productive," NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts said. "He's been a bright spot. I've been able to play him at the '4' with Manny and not drop off a bit and I think that's the good part about it."

Now that the ACC is a wide open competition, at 2-3 in ACC play, Funderburk understands that anything is possible given the parity in college hoops.

"There is not really a crazy dominant team that's projected to win it all, so I feel like we're definitely right in the thick of it," Funderburk said.

Sometimes it's the hard lessons that make us reflect and understand what we are truly capable of.

"I'm definitely ready to play 35-plus minutes if I have to," Funderburk said with a smile.

"I like the way DJ is trending. He's certainly helping our team in a lot of positive ways," Keatts said.

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NCSU's Funderburk motivated by lesson learned off the court - WRALSportsFan.com

Thats according to Marcel Lukas, who is assistant professor of finance at Heriot-Watt University and has been analysing the habits of people who have set savings goals which last.

Data from the money management app, Money Dashboard, suggests New Year savings resolutions typically last only 12 weeks, with February being the peak month for squirrelling away cash.

Indeed, in the second month of the year, the average person sets aside just over 100 compared to 80 in April and 50 in November.

Why do savers fall off the wagon?

Money Dashboard recruited Lukas to analyse what successful savers do to ensure they dont veer from their goals and it would appear regularly checking finances was one crucial factor.

However, much depended on the time of life savers were at too. For example, people in their 30s were hugely influenced in their spending and savings habits by their family.

In September, analysis of the app revealed, back to school costs resulted in a dip in savings. Black Friday and the lead up to Christmas as well as summer holidays also had a similar effect.

But the ones who were most successful in achieving their goals not only checked their money situation regularly, they also set themselves budgets.

The analysis revealed people using Money Dashboards budget function spent less on the category they wanted more control over for example dining and drinking.

Lukas said: It sounds obvious but setting a budget really does make a significant and long-lasting difference.

He added: Secondly keep a regular eye on your finances. Another common money weak-spot Ive found from my analysis is the tendency to overspend just after pay day.

This often causes problems at the end of the month when people need to dip into overdrafts, or even pay day loans.

Indeed, his analysis revealed a strong correlation between people checking their accounts with high frequency and being less likely to over-spend when they get paid.

We also see that when people stop checking on their finances regularly, they fall back into old bad spending habits, Lukas added.

Successful savings techniques

If you are looking for some savings inspiration, there are lots of smart methods you can use to help you. These include the weekly savings challenge where people put aside 1 in week one of the year, 2 in week two and so on until, by week 52 the sum of 52 goes into the pot.

Savers who stick to this method will make 1,378 by the end of the year.

And there are several variations on this technique, including saving the sums in reverse starting with 52, and working your way back or saving 1p on day one of the year, 2p on day two and so on.

Confused.com has set up a website with a number of money saving challenges like this which allow people to get into a regular savings habit.

A spokesperson for the organisation explained there were features on banking apps such as Monzo which allowed savers to create pots which they could use to save this money into.

The app puts the money away for you which is handy for those challenges with larger amounts to save or those that ask you to put away money every day which you can easily forget, he added.

Some people set up a daily or weekly reminder on their phone to ensure they remember to save the required amount.

Meanwhile, others opt for an old fashioned pot or piggy bank which means they can enjoy seeing their cash build up.

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Money motivation: How to stick to your New Year's savings goals - The Money Pages

By: Dan Iosue | 909 Reads 6 Shares

Culture in organizations matters. It creates an attractive and supportive environment for top performers. We classify top performers as the upper echelon of employees who simply do not need much coaching or motivation from their managers. Typically, these people make up less than ten percent of people in any organization. Following the law of power dynamics, another ten percent of people in any given organization are predictably uninterested in performing better than they already are, and I'd guess these folks are already at the bottom of the performance barrel. So what about the rest, the eighty percent of people that make up most of your employees? What might you consider doing to help them become more productive, more competent, and ultimately more fulfilled in their career?

There are only three resources in almost any business; people, time, and money. One of my partners at The Rawls Group likes to point out the difference between an average performing business and a world-class business most often comes down to the quality of your people and how they are motivated to spend their time. You'll find that the highest producing teams within these organizations have motivated the right people to do the right things for the right reasons and the right amount of time. Highly satisfied employees are those who are motivated employees. They drive performance. If your top performers are highly motivated, you're driving top performance. It's ultimately a supportive, creative, ultra-productive culture and the word will spread...this is the place to be if you're at the top of your game. This is where you want to work.

How do you create highly satisfied and motivated employees? Some business owners think of this as the carrot or the stick? In fact, neither of them are correct. Motivators fall into two categories of rewards we're all familiar with: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards produce nonquantifiable personal satisfaction, such as a sense of accomplishment, personal control over one's work, and a feeling that one's work is appreciated. Extrinsic rewards are external, tangible forms of recognition such as pay hikes, promotions, bonuses, and sales prizes. Both types of rewards have a place in high performing organizations, and both motivate value-creating behavior, and can be effectively employed by managers. However, most business reward systems are built around extrinsic rewards, since money is the one tangible and highly malleable incentive that can be given. The problem, as research shows, is that extrinsic motivators are unlikely to increase job satisfaction. However, it's important to note that extrinsic motivators, like compensation, need to be competitive to other employers or they can demotivate people. On the other hand, the good news is that intrinsic motivators, like engaging in meaningful work, have been shown to significantly increase job satisfaction. Unlike the extrinsic motivators, these are relatively inexpensive, if not free, to implement.

Think about the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards in your business. Are they sufficient? Are they effective? Do they motivate the right people in the right way at the right time? Have you found the right balance between financial and psychological rewards? Do you communicate to your people to impart a highly motivating sense of personal accomplishment in what they do for your business? Simple actions like these can be highly motivating, cost nothing, and create a culture supportive of high performance!

Dan Iosue is a Partner of The Rawls Group, a business succession planning firm. Dan specializes in dealing with the issues that must be resolved by business owners to implement succession strategies geared towards building business value. For additional information, visit http://www.rawlsgroup.com or call 407-578-4455

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Creating Highly Satisfied And Motivated Employees - Franchising.com

A report from Wunderman Thompson Health found personalized and emotional messages are more effective to urge doctors to make better health decisions.

This years Health Inertia report analyzed how different messaging styles motivated doctors to order a routine test, a bone density screening for women at risk of osteoporosis. The researchers chose that particular test because it is recommended for all women over 65, but not all doctors send their patients for the test.

What we see in the pharmaceutical and medical device arena is a belief that healthcare is special in the sense that people respond to things more rationally, said Destry Sulkes, chief experience officer at Wunderman Thompson Health. I think people are starting to realize that we need to appeal to a doctors emotions just like we need to appeal to a Coke drinkers emotions to get them to switch from Pepsi.

Wunderman Thompson Health surveyed 500 doctors who treat patients at risk for osteoporosis to determine their motivation to order these tests. The team then identified four different motivations, from rational to emotional and personalized to generic, and created ads that matched those attitudes.

The team showed the doctors ads based on their preferences and surveyed them on their desire to order the bone density screening after.

More personalized and emotional creative significantly increased the percentage of doctors ordering the tests. Slightly more than half of doctors (56%) who saw the rational and non personalized ads ordered the tests, while 75% of doctors who saw the personalized and emotional ad ordered the test.

I dont think doctors are at all accustomed to being communicated with as people, said Mark Truss, chief research officer at Wunderman Thompson Health, A fair amount of the communication that happens in professional advertising today is very educational, very rational. It talks about the benefits and the data and the clinical trials. Of course, doctors need to understand the data and they need to understand the rational benefits of any therapeutic area, but its not the only thing that motivates them to action.

The other two categories, non personalized-emotional and personalized-rational also performed better among doctors, both resulting in about 70% of doctors to order the screening.

That was the most surprising finding from the study, Truss said, that the emotional ads resulted in that big of an increase among doctors.

The four ads each touched on a different motivation. One was entirely rational, asking doctors why not order the screening? Another played on a doctors pride, helping them feel good about the decision to order the screenings. The third played into the doctors concern for their patients, asking what could happen if the patient doesnt get the screening. The final ad was meant to make overconfident doctors think twice about following their decision over the industry guidelines.

Some marketers may argue that creating personalized content for every doctor isnt feasible, but Sulkes already thought of that. He debunked several challenges to this effective style of messaging in the report, from regulatory to brand issues. His solution: it can be done with a little planning and creativity.

Prominent consumer, tech and CPG brands can maintain their brand across different and personalized messaging styles, and healthcare should be able to, as well, he said. He noted that it will likely cost a little more to create more versions of ads, but not enough to eat into the whole budget.

Sulkes also suggested working more closely and creatively with the regulatory teams. Let them know early on whats coming for approval. Then theyre prepared and the different versions dont get held up in long approval processes.

Marketing is moving in this direction, whether marketers feel like they should be there or not, Truss said. It is happening and they need to start thinking about how they prepare their regulatory colleagues and their marketing tech colleagues. They need to start thinking, How would we go about doing this? My word to [marketers] is your competitors are doing this now and if youre not doing it yet, youre behind the game.

Originally posted here:
Report: Motivating doctors to make the best health decisions - News - MM&M - Medical Marketing and Media

Christopher Milo speaks with a group of juniors in the cafeteria. (Photo by Deanne Johnson)

SALINEVILLE On first glance, Christopher Milo may not appear to be a teacher in the power of forgiveness, kindness and love helping students to conquer the tough problems they are facing.

But throughout this school year, Southern Local students are finding they have an extra special friend in Milo.

Appearing earlier in the school year at an assembly, Milo began introducing his 13 Messages from Milo, positive ideas, character traits, which can impact the students and their lives at school as well as in their futures. However, unlike other motivational speakers, Milo did not stop with one visit to the school.

Instead he has been seeking to connect with the students in smaller groups, returning to speak with students and giving them a chance to interact with him.

He attends games, including making the long journey from his home near Cleveland to Glouster when the Southern Local football team played the Trimble Tomcats in the first round of the playoffs this fall.

Theyre worth it, Milo said of his decision to make the trip to support his friends, including the boys on the team, who had invited him. This is about showing them what it is that Im teaching them. If were not modeling to our young people what it is that were trying to teach them, then Im no better than anyone else.

With his tall Mohawk hairstyle, Milo fits right in on the Indians sideline and is recognized by students throughout the hallways at the school. They take the opportunities to walk over to greet him, offering a high five on the way by. He poses for selfies. He makes students smile.

But perhaps even more importantly, he becomes one more person they can ask about lifes tough questions.

Recently, school administrators from across the state have been emphasizing the importance of helping the mental health of students. From students claiming they are stressed to those admitting they have even considered suicide, the numbers of students reporting problems has been growing. An annual survey in Columbiana County schools through the Educational Service Center showed students are increasingly dealing with some tough issues, including suicide, eating disorders, depression, alcohol and drugs.

Besides the normal stress that goes along with growing up, Milo notes there are a lot of students who are in some way connected to the increases in drug use, opioid overdoses and crime in recent years. Grandparents, who may have struggled to provide their own children with the necessary tools to stay off drugs and out of trouble, in some cases may now trying to raise their grandchild.

Milo said he believes in working with everyone in the family children, parents and grandparents.

When we lead with love instead of fear, the results are much greater, Milo said this week.

Milo has had a few things happen in his life, things that have led him to want to be a service to others and help them overcome their problems.

Milo considers himself a walking miracle now two decades after he overcame paralysis, from which doctors told him he would never walk again. Never having surgery, Milo credits Jesus for his recovery.

Im so blessed, so incredibly blessed, Milo said. While he stresses his program is not a faith-based program in any way, teaching love and kindness in schools is still the basis, the building blocks for creating a community of better people.

A renowned concert pianist, Milo was at one point providing the entertainment on cruise ships, living the good life, but he came to realize he needed to help others.

The increase of self-harm and suicide and the drug epidemic and the opioid epidemic and what not just kept increasing, Milo said. I just couldnt justify being on my third free filet mignon knowing that that need was at home, Milo said.

Another moment that brought him down his current path came when Milo said a woman in Youngstown saw him performing music on TV. She contacted him to say her son needed a special friend at school. The young man had been diagnosed with cancer and had gained a lot of weight due to the drugs he needed to take. He was being bullied and Milo decided he would go to the school and meet the young student. He attended a couple classes and ate lunch with him.

Everywhere I went (in the school) I recognized him and I thanked him for inviting me and for being my special friend and it turned everything around, Milo said. And what happened that day was life changing, they said for him, but I think it was more life changing for me because 13 years later Im still doing the same thing that I was doing that day.

Milo said he first spends time with the schools teachers and staff learning about what that school and community are about, where the problems lie and where are the strengths. Then he spends a day at the school doing what he calls the interruption visit, noting with his hairstyle and his story, he automatically gets noticed.

After that initial visit, he returns often and takes the time to talk to the students frankly about some of the issues they may be facing bullying, suicide solutions, self-harm, teenage pregnancy, trafficking and rape crisis.

Our young people are going through an identity crisis, Milo said. Were trying to figure out who we are, and I do my best to lead them down the right path.

To Milo, the most important part is following up with the students throughout the next few months and next school year.

During a short talk with the Southern Local juniors this week, Milo covered several topics urging them to seek support and support each other. He told the students no matter how tough things may become or seem to be in their life, they cannot let that define them. Each of them can make a positive change to improve their own lives and the community.

While high school students may begin to believe they know everything, Milo let the students know there will come a time when they realize they need some help and they should ask for it, because no one has all the answers. He offers to be available if they want to talk to him or urges them to speak with another trusted adult at the school.

Milo rounded out his message by talking to the students about their futures and letting them know nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes, but what is important is what they learn from them. While apologizing may be difficult, its important to admit when you may have hurt someone, apologize and ask for forgiveness.

High school principal Jay Kiger said the most important thing Milo does is connect with the students, using his focus on them and his ability to reach them with personal experiences to be a positive influence.

Teachers want to have it, Kiger said of the ability to connect to students. Whatever it is, hes got it.

Milo plans to be in the school building about once every other week and Southern Local is not the only place he spends time spreading the message that all people are valuable. He takes his message on the road throughout Ohio, meeting with people in businesses, schools and churches, anywhere people are seeking guidance to improve their lives and those around them in both small towns and large cities.

People are people, and Ive learned that the building blocks for success begins with great people, but the truth of the matter is, not all people are great, Milo said. I feel very fortunate that I get to do what I get to do.

djohnson@mojonews.com

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Students have a friend in motivational speaker Milo | News, Sports, Jobs - The Review

Its a pressure cooker for the IT and security channel today a threat landscape that serves up constant surprises, tighter customer budgets, solution complexity requiring even more time, and then that thing called the margin.

Up against these hurdles, if youre running a managed services or managed security services business, the last thing you need is a drop in your teams morale, motivation, and performance or even worse, a sudden exit from your company.

The cybersecurity industry, digitization, and the evolving workplace can often serve as a motivator for some employees , while being too overwhelming for others. The reality is that engaged employees produce results.

Are you making the time to invest in your team and drive engagement? Do you know where to start? It could be easier than you think.

Your teams are a powerful resource for your business. These individuals are your companys ambassadors, ready to believe in your vision, build the brand, and contribute to growing a successful company.

And this is more critical than ever before. Staying relevant in the fast-paced digital era not only requires the technology skills and the right product portfolio, but a laser focus on customer service. Who better to deliver that than the people on your front lines?

Its not hard to see the correlation between investing and results. In fact, as Fortunes annual list of the best companies to work for shows, companies like Hilton, Safesforce, and Workday are just a few of the global brands that have made investments in their employees to build happy, productive workforces and increase recurring revenue.

Its time this same focus is applied to managed IT and security services.

Leadership often inspires engagement. For example, factors like how you choose to manage and reward your team and the culture that you create for your workplace are instrumental in laying a smart foundation that demonstrates your commitment to your team. And research supports this in fact, a recent human resources survey revealed that 74% of employees believe leadership style is the greatest influencer of employee engagement.

Truly investing in your team that is, taking an interest in your people, beyond sales results and bottom line numbers is worth the effort. Yet, only 28% of respondents in the HR survey viewed their leaders as highly skilled at fostering engagement. For an IT service provider or reseller, positive engagement can be the difference in driving a new customer win and continuously producing recurring revenue.

If youre running a small business, you may already have a good level of engagement 78% of employees at companies with less than 250 team members are highly engaged but the key is demonstrating a consistent and genuine investment in your team.

So the question becomes, how will you engage your employees, invest in their skills and unique talents, and build a powerful brand in the managed services and security space?

Methods differ depending on management style, team skills and characteristics, and business goals. But there are a few realistic steps you can take to kickstart the journey.

Establishing trust shows your team you are confident in their skills and potential and that motivates and inspires people. Demonstrating trust doesnt come overnight its hard work made even more challenging by the fast pace of daily business.

Building trust begins with being honest and supportive. Create a safe and supportive environment by communicating with team members. Make time for each team member, no matter how brief. Connect and communicate, even if its a quick coffee or lunch, or a 10-minute walk outside.

Be consistent and schedule time to connect on a regular basis, and use that time in smart ways. Ask about their week and current challenges. How are they feeling about where the business is going? How can you improve in terms of being a manager? How can you better support them? Share insights about the business.

The time and conversations you have will help you understand your team. In return they will be able to see your interest in their role and contributions.

Your team members are your ambassadors. How are you helping them get to the next level? How are you inspiring them to be better?

Delegating new projects with greater responsibilities is a great place to start. Assign a project with a goal and timeline, something key to the business goals. Assigning new tasks and projects motivates team members to excel and contribute. It also starts taking things from your plate so you can make progress as well.

Empowering teams is a win-win for everyone Google listed it among the top 10 characteristics of best managers.

Be strategic in terms of what you ask them to take on. Understand not only their current tasks and responsibilities, but also the challenges they face and how they view success. Where do they feel they shine? Are there areas where you can better support them?

Take a real interest, and be realistic and genuine about the path for them.

Fostering an environment where learning, improvement, and career advancement can happen is a smart investment and will lead to a stronger, more competitive business.

How is your team staying updated on industry best practices, sales techniques, and technologies? What training and continuing education courses do you have in place today? Are you investing in internal training programs? What things are you putting in place to challenge, motivate, and ensure continuous improvement?

If you currently have training programs in place, are they effective for every team member? Do they align with your business goals?

Investing in your people not only requires building trust and empowerment, but also making the right investments in sales and technical training. Get started by reflecting on the strengths of your business, where your service model really shines, the challenges, and the direction youre taking for this year, next year, and beyond. Then review the skill sets and responsibilities of team members. What does your team need and want to improve?

Is there training you would recommend? LinkedIns 2019 Workplace Learning Report shows 75% of employees would take a course suggested by their manager. The same study revealed that 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning.

Discuss training with team members and gather their feedback so your learning investment will be strategic and rewarding for everyone.

Feedback, recognition, and praise are powerful motivators that drive engagement. Continually showing your support through positive, constructive feedback and rewards may even boost productivity. One study showed that 40% of employees would put more energy into their work if they were recognized more often.

Acknowledging your teams contributions, big and small, on a regular basis can be as simple as a callout during a meeting, stopping by a team members desk, or scheduling a coffee or lunch. Rewards can take any shape whether its extra time off, catered lunches, occasional remote work, a bonus, even covering costs for training but ensure its thoughtful and relevant for your team.

You may soon see that investing in a consistent rewards effort can make a tremendous difference in morale, motivation, and engagement.

If you want to take your company to the next level and boost those security service revenue numbers, start investing in your people. Making time to invest in your team is a smart strategy for building an engaged, motivated skilled workforce that will take your brand and business to new heights.

The key is taking time each day to connect and communicate with team members. Build trust by showing your support and sharing your insights. Look for ways to delegate projects that will challenge and empower employees empowerment that builds strong employees and delivers business benefits. Ensure there is coaching and training in place to improve sales skills, learn new technologies, and stay current with best practices. And finally, recognize contributions on a regular basis.

Ready to start investing? For a limited time, Avast Business is offering FREE training modules (a regular cost of $700 per user) for current and new partners. Use this training and develop new sales skills, increase close rates, drive growth and demonstrate your continual investment in your team. Specifically designed for MSPs and IT solution providers, your team will benefit from the actionable insights, specific sales examples, and smart ways to build a higher-revenue business.

Continue reading here:
How To Keep Your IT Team Motivated | Avast - Security Boulevard

Mike Sonko poses with a gun (Photo | Courtesy) SUMMARY

The governor who started 2019 in a high was slowly diminished in events that lead the governor to lose access to his office.

The outspoken Governor found himself drowned in deep misuse of office allegations that followed his dramatic arrest.

Nairobi County Governor Mike Sonko towards the end of the last decade was indeed a troubled man when it came to governance of the capital.

The governor who started 2019 in a high tone was slowly diminished in events that lead the governor to lose access to his office.

The outspoken Governor found himself drowned in deep misuse of office allegations that followed his dramatic arrest.

Humbled and shaken, the governors mannerisms changed drastically after his release from lawful custody on bail.

The governor who once took to social media to harshly rebuke different entities, that is, County workers who did not heed to the offices they held/hold, the media, and others, has since been silent on such topics.

Instead, Sonko now uses his social media platforms to motivate his followers and fanatics with messages of encouragement.

The number of posts on motivation have increased while those on political agenda have drastically reduced.

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This has attracted the attention of a number of social media users and elicited mixed reactions.

Davie Evans - Politicians,very humble when weak. Wait till they regain the power they start abusing people.

Lee Makwiny - Governor, we have missed those matusi.

Sammy Mungai - Sonko, you have turned so religious of late after being barred from the office... I wish you wrote such inspirational quotes while posing on that golden dining room or while dancing in the office.

Kelvin Joey - Sonko is learning to live a life without sophisticated power. The governor of Kanamai kilifi doesn't know how he would handle this situation. He's in a shock.

Austin flipper - God really should be glorified He used that way to win your soul.

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Sonko The city untouchable turned online motivational speaker - The Standard