All posts by John Hall

If you’re an investor or a business owner running a public company, then being aware of an earnings calendar is absolutely essential. The main reason for this? Whenever a company is traded publicly, it has to play by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). You will likely need to know about stocks and an earnings calendar at some point in your business career.

As explained by Investopedia, this means releasing “earnings reports after the end of their first three quarters, and both quarterly and annual reports after their fiscal year ends.” The main reason is that current and potential investors use this information to remain up-to-date on the company’s performance.

With that in mind, let’s define what an earnings calendar is, as well as the basics of earnings reports.

What is an Earnings Calendar?

An earnings calendar, as defined by Farlex Financial Dictionary, is the “schedule according to which various publicly-traded companies announce their earnings for a certain period.” The earnings are usually announced by quarter-end — and end-of-year. “The earnings calendar organizes these announcements by date and company.”

For example, an earnings calendar “may provide an alphabetical listing of all companies making earnings announcements on a certain date in October, also indicating the time and manner of the announcement.” And, as noted above, earnings calendars are used for investor convenience.

More specifically, wallmine adds that an “Earnings date is the date of the next release of a company’s financial report.”

Furthermore, an earnings report date “is the date of an official announcement about a company’s profitability for a specific period.” Additionally, in the private sector, “a quarterly finance report is a financial report that covers three months of the year, which is required by numbers of stock exchanges around the world to provide information to investors on the state of a company.”

Here are some examples of leading earnings calendars:

• Nasdaq
• Yahoo Finance
• Zacks Investment Research
• Kiplinger
• Bloomberg
• Business Insider
• Markets Insider
• Fidelity
• CNBC
• Morningstar

The Timing of Quarterly and Annually Reports

An earnings calendar is essential for analysts, investors, and traders if they want to be kept up-to-speed throughout the earnings season. This season typically starts one or two weeks after the end of each quarter. Although this can vary, it’s usually a couple of weeks after March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 and lasts for roughly six weeks.

Moreso, as noted on InvestingAnswers, a company’s fiscal year always “reflects the date of the calendar year in which it ends. As an example, “the financial operations of the federal government are carried out in a fiscal year that begins on October 1 and ends on September 30.”

In the past, the “standard required companies to file earnings reports no later than 45 days after the end of their first three quarters, and both quarterly and annual reports no more than 90 days after their fiscal year ends,” explains Investopedia.

The SEC in 2002, however, made the decision “to make information available to the public in a more timely manner.” These “new rules tightened these 45- and 90-day requirements to 35 and 60 days, respectively.”

It should also be noted that the faster filing deadlines are only required for public entities “that have a public float of at least $75 million and have been subject to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934” for a minimum of 12 months. “The public float is the value of all shares that are in the hands of outside investors.”

FINRA.org adds that it’s common for companies’ quarters to sync with the calendar year. “But some have their own fiscal calendar, and their earnings report release schedules follow accordingly.”

What to expect during the earnings season.

When is the unofficial “kick-off” of earnings season? Traditionally, it occurs “when aluminum giant Alcoa Inc. reports its earnings.” Because Alcoa was one of the first companies to release earnings following each quarter, it was often “seen as a predictor for the quarter overall.” However, while Alcoa “still starts earnings season, it’s no longer in the Dow, and is considered less of a bellwether.”

During an earnings season, a company issues a press release that contains information like sales and earnings. The SEC doesn’t require a press release, but, if a business does issue a statement, it must file a Form 8-K with the SEC.

“Companies typically issue their press releases before the market opens or after the market closes,” Howard Silverblatt, senior industry analyst, index investment strategy for S&P Dow Jones Indices told FINRA.org.

On top of press releases, companies will also schedule earnings conference calls. “During these calls, management might give more color on the quarter and also guide the company’s future performance.”

While it is “customary for companies to issue quarterly earnings press releases,” it’s not mandatory. So, why do they make this information public? While, when a company is thriving, they want “to disseminate the numbers as soon as possible.” On the flip side, if the results are negative, “it allows companies to prepare their investors before they file their mandatory quarterly earnings disclosures with the SEC.”

Understanding the Quarterly Earnings Report

The contents of a quarterly earnings report contain a quarterly update of all three financial statements, state Investopedia. These include the income statement, the balance sheet, and the cash flow statement. These reports also share with investors important information like sales, expenses, and the net income for the most recent quarter.

Also included may be a comparison to the previous year, or possibly to the previous quarter. Some quarterly earnings reports may also include a brief summary and analysis from the CEO or company spokesman. It’s also the norm to throw in a review of previous quarterly earnings results.

Quarterly earnings reports are often “backed up by the company’s Form 10Q. Form 10Q is a legal document that has to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission every quarter. “The 10Q is more comprehensive in nature and provides additional details behind the quarterly earnings report,” such as the essential changes the company experienced since the last quarter.

Want to know the exact date and time of the quarterly earnings report announcement for a specific business? Then you’ll need to contact the company’s investor relations department. As a general rule of thumb, “the 10Q is usually published a few weeks after the quarterly earnings report.”

How Earnings Reports Impact Stock Prices

As the good folks over on Investopedia explain, reporting requirements for the SEC “effectively rule the calendar year of the stock market.” Everyone from analysts, investors, and traders eagerly anticipate company quarterly reports, which are also subject to massive speculation. Suffice to say; when earnings reports are released, it can be an incredibly busy time of year.

“The reports arrive on schedule and in an avalanche, and each is followed by a wave of expert analysis and trader re-positioning.” Public conference calls proceed with the release of earnings reports. Participants on these calls often include “top corporate executives and active investors in which the prospects for the next quarterly report are discussed.” The discussion, in turn, builds towards the anticipation for the company.

Before the release of earnings, analysts share their estimates on the health of a company. If the company does better then estimate, then it “beat” the forecast. Providing an estimate can lead to a jump in the company’s stock or even ramp-up production or revenue.

However, if the ratings are off and the company “missed,” it’s an estimate stock prices may drop. A price drop isn’t always a bad thing since this could motivate traders to sell their stock.

While these estimates don’t always dictate stock prices, it does provide an insight into how the company will fare in the next quarter or year. What’s more, some investors chose not to partake in earnings seasons because there are simply too many human factors influencing prices.

Preparing a Quarterly Financial Report

As a business owner or investor, you’re most likely relying on a financial expert. They can either prepare the summary for you or advise you on financial reports. But, you should at least be familiar with the basics of these reports. It not only guides you in playing the stock market more wisely, but it will also give you the chance to improve your business.

This way, creditors, suppliers, and stockholders have the data needed to track the performance of your company. More specifically, these reports allow you and key stakeholders to:

• Track the revenue, expenses, and profitability of a company.
• Make predictions on where the company is going.
• Map out a more accurate budget.
• Improve business processes and procedues.
• Generate more customizable reports.

Every financial report must consist of a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.

Balance sheet.

A balance sheet displays the financial status of a business during a specific timeframe. In this case, it would be over three months. As Paul Cole-Ingait writes on Chron.com, this “compares your business assets against the owner’s equity and liabilities.” The following accounting equation: Assets = Capital + Liabilities is needed to come up with these figures.

Usually, a spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets works just fine to create a balance sheet. The balance sheet summarizes a company’s assets (what it owns) and liabilities (what it owes). By subtracting these figures, you’ll be able to determine the owner’s equity.

Income statement.

Your income statement shows the profits and losses of a business over a specific time. It provides a bigger picture of the financial performance of a company. By subtracting total revenue from total expenses, you’ll get a net profit or loss for the quarter. Without an income statement, a balance sheet would be incomplete.

Cash flow statement.

By examining operational activities, investing activities, and financing activities, you can tell how much money a company brought in or lost during an exact period. Perhaps most importantly, this allows you to identify and resolve any cash flow problems.

Depending on the size of the business, these reports may not be too challenging to create. However, there are pre-made templates on Vertex 42 and Template.net that can be used instead.

When Must Financial Reports Be Prepared?

Well, that depends on the public float of the business. In case you’re curious, this is just the portion of shares that are owned by public investors.

Non-Accelerated Filers and Smaller Reporting Companies

“A company with a public float less than $75 million is classified as a non-accelerated filer by the SEC, while a public company that has no public float or has revenue less than $50 million is considered a smaller reporting company,” writes Teresa Nguyen on Chron.com.

These businesses “have the most generous timelines to prepare their financial statements.” They have within “45 days of each quarter-end and 90 days of each year-end” to file financial statements with the SEC. Also, they must prepare these statements four times annually.

Large Accelerated Filers

Companies having a public float of $700 million or more are considered large accelerated filers. As such, they “must file its quarterly financial statements with the SEC within 40 days of quarter-end. And, “its annual financial statements within 60 days of year-end.”

These may seem like short time frames. But, believe it or not, companies like Amazon and Microsoft “prepare and file their financial statements well ahead of the deadlines.”

Accelerated Filers

Finally, there are accelerated filers. These types of companies possess “public float greater than or equal to $75 million, but less than $700 million.” They’re “required to file its quarterly financials within 40 days of quarter-end and its annual financials within 75 days of year-end.”

However, they “have 15 extra days to prepare their year-end financial statements. But, these statements must “adhere to the same 40-day deadline for the first three quarters of the year.”

The filing statements information may sound straightforward, but there may be changes in filing status. Filing status changes, generally, is when stock prices or notable increases or decreases. “

The SEC requires that a public company determine its filing status as of the last business day of its second-quarter for the prior year,” adds Nguyen. “Therefore, financial statement deadlines for the fifth year would be based on the public float at the end of the second quarter in year four.”

You’ve done your due diligence and hired an amazing team. But, are there days when you think that they’re not living up to their full potential? You’re not alone. According to Gallup Research, organizations make use of less than 20 percent of their employee’s potential.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways for you to change that around. And, here are 10 of the best ways for you to unleash your employees’ full potential.

1. Work on yourself so that you won’t make mistakes.

If you want to get the most out of your team, then you need first to improve your leadership game. After all, your employees are relying on you for guidance and support. And, if you spend a majority of your barking out orders, and not listening, then how can you indeed find out what your team is made of?

The first place to start would be to strengthen your soft skills and emotional intelligence. This way, you can effectively communicate with your employees and become empathetic. As a result, this builds trust since you’re listening to what your people are saying — it also allows you to pick up on nonverbal cues. Work on building an unstoppable team with your leadership skills.

Another area to focus on would be avoiding common leadership mistakes. Frequently this includes:

• Publicly criticizing or bullying people.
• Micromanaging and not delegating tasks.
• Failing to provide and receive feedback.
• Discouraging creativity and innovation.
• Constantly redoing your employee’s work.
• Putting a band-aid on pressing problems.
• Resisting change.
• Failing to set goals.

2. Schedule frequent one-on-ones.

I understand that you’re calendar is already packed. But, meeting with your team individually needs to become a priority. It’s hands down the best way for you to learn more about your employees, such as what motivates them and if they possess any hidden talents. It also allows you to provide constructive feedback or exchange ideas in a less formal setting.

Most importantly, one-on-ones allow you to assign the right goals, incentives, and tasks to specific people. This way, you can properly motivate them and handoff the specific responsibilities to the right individuals.

3. Encourage a supportive work culture.

In other words, foster a culture where flexibility and vocalizing ideas aren’t just the norm. They’re encouraged. Additionally, they provide opportunities for employees to show off their strengths or unique talents. You can do this either by having them take the lead on a project that suits them or doing something more lighthearted like hosting a talent show.

4. Stretch their boundaries.

Perhaps one of the most effective ways to get more of your employees is to push them outside of their comfort zones. Pushing someone outside of their comfort zone doesn’t mean setting them up for failure by asking them to work on a task that they can’t accomplish.

Instead, it’s challenging them to work on something where they’re experts, but still have some of the skills to get the job done. It may even by helping them get over a fear. For example, if someone dreads public speaking, suggest that they join an organization like Toastmasters and then have them lead a future meeting.

5. Make it easier to turn ideas into action.

“It’s no good to get lots of maybe-great ideas, and then just have them sit there,” writes Meghan M. Biro, founder, and CEO of TalentCulture, in Forbes. “It’s all about action. You must have a mechanism in place (and this means allocating resources) that allows your intrapreneurs to model, prototype and test their ideas.” Remember that sometimes the best ideas will make the least sense.

If not, “your credibility is damaged and, more importantly, you’ll never know if the idea is good, great, or not viable,” adds Biro. “Never ever belittle or dismiss an idea out of hand.” And, always grant it “a respectful hearing even if you feel it’s not viable.”

6. Help them improve their time management.

Because the rules of time management are different between leaders and employees, you may not realize that this is a daily struggle for your team. But, what does time management have to do with helping them unleash their full potential?

If they’re overestimating how long a task takes to complete or wasting time on unproductive activities, then when will they be able to be coached? When will they receive training or learn new skills? And, when can they work on a side project that they’re passionate about?

While you can’t control exactly how your team spends their time, there a couple of ways that you can guide them in improving their time management. For example, suggest that they track their time for a couple of weeks so that they can see where their time goes. It may even help them find out when they’re most productive so that that’s when they’ll schedule their most important tasks.

On your end, you may want to ask what their capacity is before loading them up with more work. And, resist the temptation to interrupt a person when they’re engaged in deep work or during off-hours.

7. Allow employees to be themselves.

When you encourage your employees to be themselves, they’re aware of their strengths and weaknesses. And, they have autonomy so that they can work however they like.

Not only does that make them happier. It also makes employees’ goals clear. And, it encourages them to learn more so that they can improve their weaknesses and enhance their strengths. In turn, this will push their limitations.

8. Let them know how they fit into the bigger picture.

Do your employees know how important they are to your business? If not, take the time to let them know this. Show them exactly how they’re affecting your business.

Showing graphs, analytics, and explaining in detail how an employees work builds the business will keep them more engaged, which will boost productivity. The team may not see the big picture if you don’t show them. But, as an added perk, because they have a purpose, they’ll push themselves so that they’ll give 110 percent.

9. Connect them with the right people.

According to Liz Wiseman, author of Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work, leaders who bring out the best in others are called “multipliers.” Multipliers, as she writes in an article for Harvard Business Review, “pull people into their orbit with the explicit understanding that accelerated development is part of the deal.”

They also “look for talent everywhere” and “recognize that deep smarts are manifested in many different ways in a company, and so they pay little attention to org charts.” And, they “take the time to understand the capabilities of each individual so that they can connect employees with the right people and the right opportunities—thereby building a virtuous cycle of attraction, growth, and opportunity,” adds Wiseman.

10. Reward and incentive.

When you notice a team member who has exceeded expectations, then definitely recognize and acknowledge their hard work. Identifying a great job doesn’t have to be extensive — it can be as something as simple as saying “thank you” or promoting them to a higher position.

Other ways to reward your employees for going above and beyond could also be by offering free food, sabbaticals, presents, or unique options like debt repayment or VIP access to concerts or sporting events. The key is to match the reward or incentive with the employee. For example, rewarding a team member with NFL tickets sounds excellent on paper. But, what if they have zero interest in the sport? That’s not going to encourage them to continue to unleash their full potential.

We spend a good chunk of time worrying about how we’ll be the most productive at work. But, we rarely think about how we’ll get the most out of our time-off — whether if it’s a vacation when you’re home for the night, or during a break at work.

However, the most successful people aren’t just diligent about their work schedules. They’re only as serious about their downtime as well. This way, they’re not wasting any valuable time and are still able to squeeze the most out of every day will still growing, learning, and getting that much-needed break from work.

If you need some inspiration on where to start, then are 12 productive ways to spend your free time.

1. Volunteer and serve.

Spending your free time helping others or improving your community isn’t just noble. It’s also beneficial for others and yourself. For instance, improving the environment, giving a voice to the less fortunate, and makes you feel like a member of a team. What’s more, volunteering can give you a self-esteem boost, develop new skills, and expand your network.

There are about five ways that volunteering helps you to do well — while you’re doing good. In other words, volunteering can bolster your portfolio, reputation, and get you a little good publicity. And, it’s one of the best ways to get your mind off of work since you’re focusing on others and not your business.

2. Learn something new.

Whether if it’s taking a class, learning a new skill on your own, or exploring your neck of the woods, there are plenty of excellent reasons why you should learn something new every day, such as:

• Enhancing your quality of life.
• Reducing stress and improving your mental health.
• Socializing with others.
• Gaining confidence.
• Discovering, or rediscovering, something that we’re passionate about it.
• Having fun or unwinding.
• Gaining new perspectives and knowledge that you can apply at home or work.

3. Cultivate social connections.

“Time spent connecting with others tends to be the happiest part of most people’s day, and experiences that are shared produce greater happiness than those experienced alone,” writes Ashley Whillans, Michael I. Norton, and Cassie Mogilner Holmes for Quartz. “High-quality social relationships are essential for mental and physical health.” Meta-Analyses even “suggest that the health benefits of social connection are comparable to those of exercising regularly and not smoking.”

While you can’t go wrong with spending quality time with friends, family, and business connections, don’t rule out fleeting social interaction. For example, having a chat “with one’s Starbucks barista or a fellow commuter on a bus can make people feel connected and therefore bolster happiness.”

4. Take care of your health and wellbeing.

At this point, I don’t think you need to be reminded of the benefits of exercising. You’ve heard it all a million times before. However, physical activity does more than prevent health concerns like obesity and heart disease. It can also alleviate stress, ward off depression, and even increases your productivity — mainly because it improves alertness and energy.

The thing is, you don’t need to hit the gym for a couple of hours each day to reap these benefits. After all, any type of activity that gets you moving is better than nothing. So, maybe every afternoon during a break or after dinner, you go outside for a walk. Do some yoga or have more walking meetings.

And don’t forget to take care of your mental health as well. Doing things like meditating, talking to a friend on the phone, or treating yourself to a spa day fights back against stress and ensures that you’re addressing your needs.

5. Read — a lot.

I always carry a book with me. In this way — when I have some free time, like waiting for an appointment, I can read. In case you weren’t aware, reading is perhaps one of the most productive ways to spend your time. That’s because reading can:

• Boost your brainpower.
• Increase your vocabulary.
• Improve your memory, concentration, and imagination.
• Reduces stress.
• It helps you become a better writer.
• Makes your more empathetic.

Would you like to know how you can read about 300 books a year? How many books have you read this year? You don’t get down on yourself if you haven’t been reading. Just start now and see how many you can read before the end of the year.

6. Journal.

According to the University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker, regular journaling has been found to strengthen immune cells. Other research shows that it can also be used as an effective stress management tool and decrease the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

Moreover, journaling also allows you to clarify your thoughts and feelings. It also helps you get to know yourself better, solve problems more effectively, and help you resolve conflicts. And, through journaling, you’re able to track patterns, trends and improvement, and growth.

7. Have a hobby.

Every successful person spends their downtime on something that they enjoy that’s outside of work. For example, Bill Gates loves to play bridge, Warren Buffett plays a mean ukulele, and Steve Wozniak plays Segway polo.

Whatever leisure activity you choose, it’s often associated with many benefits like a stress reliever, encouraging you to take a break and enrich your perspective. They can also promote mindfulness, strengthen relationships, and can even provide an additional revenue stream. Not enough? Depending on the exact hobby, they can also assist you in developing skills like leadership, innovation, communication, and can improve the executive function on the brain.

8. Find an additional stream of income.

Cash flow is a serious concern for entrepreneurs — especially when attempting to get your startup up and running. As such, it wouldn’t hurt to use a little bit of your free time to bring in a little extra cash. Ideally, this should be a passive income so that you’re pretty much-making money while you sleep. But, getting a part-time gig gives you the chance to sharpen your skills, make new connections, or gain feedback from potential customers.

9. Reflect on your accomplishments.

Benjamin Franklin had an impressive daily routine. Every morning he asked, “What good shall I do today?” At night, he would ask, “What good have I done today?” Answering these ensured that Franklin had a productive schedule, it also allowed him to end the day reflecting on his accomplishments.

Celebrating your accomplishments releases endorphins. As a result, you feel excellent, both mentally and physically. It also tightens the relationships you have with your team, business partner, family, or friends. And, it makes you feel like a winner, which in turn, attracts even more success.

10. Get your house and office in order.

To get your house and office in order — sounds ominous. What I mean is that you should spend your free time keeping your home and workspace clean and organized. Take the time now to set up your office properly. You don’t necessarily have to be a neat freak. But, besides the sanitary advantages, you’ll eventually get more things done. You won’t waste time looking for misplaced items, and your mind won’t get distracted by the clutter.

On top of cleaning and organizing, you could also get your home or office in order by doing all those little tasks you’ve been putting off. I’m talking about getting your inbox in-check, returning phone calls, updating contact or finance information, or making doctor’s appointments.

11. Recharge your brain.

Your brain needs to rest. I know some successful individuals like Elon Musk boast about the number of hours they put into their business. But, the fact is that taking a breather can lower your risk of diseases, increase your happiness, boost your energy, and help prevent burn out.

Whether if it’s meditating daily, going camping for the weekend, or closing your eyes and listening to some relaxing music, you need to make this a priority. You’ll thank me later.

12. Focus on your goals.

“Take 10 minutes to think about your goals, personal and professional,” suggests Leo Babauta, founder of Zen Habits. “If you don’t have a list of goals, start on one. If you’ve got a list of goals, review them,” he adds.

Additionally, jot down “a list of action steps you can take over the next couple of weeks to make these goals a reality.” And, determine the “action step can you do today,” continues Babauta. “The more you focus on these goals, and review them, the more likely they will come true.”

Even if you enjoy going to work, it can take a toll on your overall health. For example, working in an office, your entire career can literally kill you. Between sitting all-day, unhealthy eating habits, and stress, it’s easy to see why this isn’t an exaggeration. Throw in financial insecurity, work-life conflicts, and problems that exist outside of work, and you also have a team who may be struggling with their mental health as well. Leaders can improve mental health in the workplace.

Your first instinct may be, well, that’s not my problem. But, consider the fact that according to a report from the Mental Health in the Workplace Summit found for that for U.S. adults between the ages of 15 to 44 that mental illness is the leading cause of disability. Additionally, mental health is the leading cause of absenteeism — even ahead of sickness or injury. As a consequence, that negatively impacts your bottom line.

Why you should care about your employee’s well-being.

When employees are absent, that means they could miss deadlines because they’re playing catch-up with their work. Or, it could mean asking other team members to pick up the slack. Pulling these individuals puts additional stress on them because now they have a heavier workload and are busting their tails to get everything completed on time.

Even when employees are at work, they’re not always 100% present. Their minds are not focused on what work needs to get done. But, it’s somewhere else — like worrying about how they’re going to pay for a bill or manage conflict at home.

As if that weren’t enough, when not addressed mental can also affect a person’s physical health, or change their behavior. More problematic is that they may turn to unhealthy habits like drinking, smoking, or drug use to cope.

Ultimately, mental health brings productivity to a screeching halt. Employees with depression report their productivity at 70% of their peak performance. Furthermore, the World Health Organization states that depression and anxiety have cost the global economy a staggering $1 trillion annually because of lost productivity.

So, yeah. The mental health of your employees should be a priority. It’s not just because it impacts your business. But, also because you’re an emotionally intelligent leader who genuinely cares for his or her peeps.

And you also can improve their mental health. Want to know how? Start by using the following five tactics to improve mental health within your organization.

1. Frequently check-in with your team members.

The most comfortable place to start is to get to know your staff and check-in with them. When they’re taking a break, stop by their desk and ask how everything’s going. For your remote team, you can shoot them an email asking the same question. It’s a proven way to show them that you actually care about them as people and value them as employees.

More importantly, it builds trust. When you work with the same people every day, you can begin to notice when something’s off. Don’t just brush this aside. Take this as an opportunity to be supportive. You don’t want to pry. But, if they trust you, they may open up and let you know what’s wrong. From there, you could share suggestions or inquire about how you can help. Sometimes, however, they need someone to listen to them.

I’ve also found that it’s useful to be transparent about your own mental health. I know entrepreneurs think that they’re flawless. But, we’ve all been through our own struggles. Opening up about your own mental health illustrates to others that this is a safe environment where one’s well-being isn’t swept under the carpet.

2. Foster a positive work environment.

Positive work environments are more productive. They can also reduce turnover and improve employee happiness and satisfaction. Best of all? They’re not too difficult to construct if you do the following:

• Develop a core set of values and priorities, so everyone is aligned towards a common goal and has meaning to their work.
• Establish appropriate organizational policies, such as strict policies again, bullying and sexual harassment.
• Greet your team every morning when they arrive to work.
• Enhance your own emotional intelligence so that you can be empathetic and aware of how others are feeling.
• Show gratitude and appreciation for all the hard work your team does.
• Create a more comfortable and productive workplace, such as providing your team with ergonomic furniture. Also, let your employees personalize their own workspaces and place lots of plants throughout the office.
• Never use fear as a tactic to motivate your team.
• Have some fun by celebrating milestones and playing games like team building activities.

3. Have clarity, while granting autonomy.

I used to get so frustrated when working with my dad either around the house or at his business. He wasn’t always the best at giving directions. There were definitely times when he said, “Pick that up and put it over there,” as he pointed to several different areas.

Just imagine how your team would feel if you weren’t clearly explaining what their responsibilities are and what you expect from them. I’m sure they would be stressed and just as irked as I was with my dad.

At the same time, you don’t want to micromanage employees. Once they know what needs to be done, let them take the ball and run with it. Granting them ownership shows that you trust them to work however and wherever they see fit. In turn, this motivates them to be more productive.

Additionally, those battling mental health often feel powerless. So, when a struggling individual more control over their work, they feel empowered and free to make their own decisions.

And, if you allow your employees to have more flexible schedules, then they won’t be afraid to take a mental health day when they need it. The reason is that if need a break today, it’s not the end of the world. They’ll take the day off and get back to work tomorrow feeling refreshed.

4. Promote work/life balance.

We all want our team members to put in a good day’s work. But, that doesn’t mean we expect them to arrive early, stay late, and answer your emails as soon as it’s sent. Doing so will only make them more stressed and anxious. And, eventually, they’ll get burned out.

Encourage everyone, even yourself, to take frequent breaks throughout the day. Suggest that employees take a vacation. And, do not bother your team when they’re off-the-work. That means no midnight texts or emails during the weekend. They need this time to disconnect and attend to their own lives outside of work.

5. Invest in your employee’s well-being.

Finally, make your team’s well-being a top priority. You can start by offering EAP benefits. You can also provide gym memberships, mental health screenings, healthy snacks, and meditation rooms. And, you could host in-service events that focus on areas like stress management or have more meetings outside.

And, as I already mentioned, don’t punish your employees if they need to take a mental health day or leave work early to speak with a counselor. I mean you wouldn’t give them any grief if they had a dentist appointment, right?

Do you have a love/hate relationship with deadlines? I do; for starters having a deadline hovering over me can be stressful. I already have so much on my plate that the last thing I need is to have a nagging deadline to occupy my thoughts. And, things will only get worse if you miss any deadline because you’re under the weather, putting out a fire, or if you fall victim to planning-fallacy. But, here’s how to never miss a deadline again.

Deadlines are essential for entrepreneurs.

After the many reasons people spout-off about keeping deadlines, the main issues with deadlines is that they hold us accountable and help us prioritize. Deadlines prevent us from making promises that we can’t keep and they motivate us to keep pushing the needle toward our goals. To state the purpose more simply — deadlines are often the only reason people ever get anything done.

Missed deadlines will harm your reputation.

Even though deadlines are adding a little grey to my hair, we all need deadlines. More importantly, we want the parameters we set for ourselves to make sure that we never miss another target. Besides feeling pretty crummy, missing a deadline will harm your reputation, waste other people’s time, and even leads to repercussions like losing customers or being penalized.

With that in mind, if you never want to miss a deadline again, are here the best places to start.

Ask when — not what.

“Don’t say ‘this is what we want to achieve, now let’s put a time-tag on it,’ advises Daria Shualy on the monday.com blog. ”Instead, say ‘this is when we want to achieve something, now let’s see what can fit into this time frame.’”

It’s a little awkward when you first take this approach. But, Shualy suggests that it’s all about knowing your timeframe. For example, you could either build an app in 12 or months or finish the app in just two months. “And, indeed, they won’t be the same mobile app,” you first need to decide when you need the app to launch. If you need to start generating an income, then you don’t have a year to launch your app. If this is the case, then you know you need to have the app ready in two months.

Understand that you can’t do everything at once.

A serious blow to the ego of all entrepreneurs is the fact that we can’t do everything. And, it’s a reality check for most entrepreneurs. After all, we pride ourselves on juggling multiple responsibilities at the same time.

The truth is that multitasking is a myth. Now that science has proven the fact that the human brain isn’t capable of multitasking — the smarter entrepreneurs may give it a rest. Some may even accept that the results — when attempting to do more than one thing at a time are costing yourself time and efficiency.

The better solution is to identify your priorities and knock them out first. Once completed, move on to your next item that has a timestamp on it.

Being real is what’s important.

If there is one reason why you aren’t able to meet a deadline, it’s because you’ve underestimated how long it will take to complete a task or project. The best way around this would be to conduct a time audit to see how you’re spending your time. Once you know how long it actually takes to finish something, you can block out the appropriate amount of time.

Also, stop sweating the small stuff, such as trying to be perfect. Do the best you can and move on to your next order of business.

What’s more, you should stop setting unrealistic goals that you’ll never achieve. Instead, they should be SMART. But, if they’re too large, then you can always break them down into more manageable bits.

And don’t forget to track your progress by using a time tracking app. It’s an easy way for you to see how far along you genuinely are and determine if you’re falling behind. You should also use this tool when collaborating with others to make sure everyone is on target.

Have a Plan B (and C).

“Surprises, setbacks, and roadblocks are inevitable,” writes Stephen Key in a previous Entrepreneur article. “You may not know where they’re coming from, but trust me: Things will go wrong — they always do.”

“So think about alternatives and backups before you even get started,” suggests Key. “If you create options for yourself, you will have less stress.” Of course, trying to think of every worst-case scenario is also exhausting and time-consuming. You could save yourself some trouble by asking a mentor or coach what could possibly go wrong?

Stop overcommitting — just stop it.

The most effective way to meet a deadline? Stop spreading yourself too thin. That means not taking on any additional responsibilities when you’re already at full capacity. It’s about not saying “yes” to each time request.

If you want to meet that deadline, then establish boundaries. And, make sure that you follow through with them.

Lean on your calendar.

I think that everyone has access to a calendar these days. I mean there’s one installed in every smartphone. So, there’s honestly no excuse for not living by your calendar.

At the very least, you should use your calendar in the following way:

• Whenever you have a new deadline, immediately add it to your calendar.
• Set reminders for as often as you need. For example, if a project is due on at the end of the month, you could set weekly reminders.
• Review your calendar daily to make sure that your schedule is still intact. For example, if your business partner scheduled a last-minute emergency meeting and you weren’t aware of this, it could prevent you from meeting your deadline.
• If you’re working with others, don’t forget to check-in with them and send them reminders as well.
• Always plan the night before, such as writing your to-do-list and adding your most important priorities to your schedule.

Front-load your days and weeks.

“Every week, plan to tackle the most difficult and pressing tasks first, early-on,” recommends Rose Leadem in an article for Calendar. “Try to front-load your weeks by getting started on these tasks early in the mornings and early in the work weeks on Mondays or Tuesdays. That way, you’ll avoid any stress that comes with racing to meet a specific deadline later in the week.”

“Also, if something comes up with another client or at your 9-to-5 job later in the week, requiring your full attention, you won’t have the extra stress of this project because you’ve already completed its toughest aspects.”

Ask for help.

Entrepreneurs have a tendency to believe that they can do everything on their own. I’ve definitely been guilty of this in the past. But, despite my most valiant efforts, I eventually realized that I needed a little help from my friends — or family and colleagues.

The main reason is that I have way too much going on — like all entrepreneurs. As a consequence, I was working almost non-stop and still missing deadlines. Clients were getting ticked off, and I was all sorts of stressed out.

To counter this, I learned how to delegate and outsource. For example, if I needed to have content for my website, I would assign someone to do the research and find links that benefit my readership. That way, I could focus on time-sensitive activities. Even though I know how to code, I’m not an expert. So, instead of trying to fix a bug on my site or app, I turn to a pro who can figure and repair issues much faster than I can.

Hack your deadlines.

Finally, you can trick yourself into an earlier deadline — or plan that all big deadlines will be done a few days or weeks ahead. For instance, if a deadline is on the twentieth, you would set the deadline for the 17th. Now you have a buffer in case the project takes longer than anticipated or you have to attend to an emergency. The worst-case scenario is that you’re ahead of all your deadlines.

Another way to hack your deadlines is to make a public deadline. One example was author Evelyn Waugh while writing “Brideshead Revisited.” He actually sent a letter to his superiors that said, “I have now formed the plan of a new novel which will take approximately three months to write.”

Although Waugh didn’t meet this goal, it still motivated him to write more quickly to meet this publically announced and self-imposed deadline.

Teamwork makes the dream work. You’ve probably heard that phrase before. And, even though it’s honestly cliched and a bit corny, it’s 100% true. After all, teamwork promotes workplace synergy, unity, communication, trust, and innovation. It also fosters a positive culture where everyone can speak-up and learn from each other.

Additionally, teamwork increases efficiency and productivity. That’s because teamwork boosts morale and balances out workloads. It also provides more opportunities for cross-training, brainstorming sessions, and co-worker support.

But, how can you improve teamwork within your organization? Well, you obviously want to cover the basics like establishing a clear vision, reporting infrastructure, and hiring the right people. You should also equip them with the right tools, offering perks like healthy snacks, and strengthening relationships outside of work.

You can also bring your team together by partaking in the following 20 team-building activities.

1. Creative Introductions

If you’re working with a team for the first time, then this is an easy-to-setup game that breaks the ice. On top of creatively allowing everyone to introduce themselves to the group, it’s also a great way to enhance problem-solving and creative thinking skills.

So, here’s how it works. Give everyone a sheet of paper and ask them to write down what celebrity, historical figure, fictional character, or animal they would be. If you prefer, you could also use inanimate objects like office equipment or kitchen utensils. After everyone has written their answer, count to three and ask them to reveal what they’ve written down.

2. Team Building Kits

Team building kits are another great option to use as an ice breaker. But, they can also be used for culture building, mergers, retreats, and orientation. Best of all? They only require between 60-60 minutes and do not require any preplanning thanks to subscription sites like Team Building Kits.

Everything you need to play is in the box. You just need to set aside the time to do the activity in the box. After everyone has solved a puzzle or a mystery, discuss what participants learned and how it can be applied to future projects.

3. Two Truths and One Lie

Here is another quick and easy activity you can do if you want your team to get to know each other better. And, because it only takes 15 to 30 minutes, it will consume too much time.

To get started, gather the group together and have each of them share two truths and one lie about themselves — they don’t have to be personal or embarrassing. Each person goes one at a time and the group guesses which statements are true and which are a lie.

4. What’s the Best/Worst…?

A perfect activity for smaller to medium-sized that can be used for introductions. It can also be used to gain insights on people’s preferences and work styles — which could come in handy down the road.

What I like most about this game is this it’s incredibly simple and versatile. For example, you could ask what’s the worst movie you saw, the best book you read, the worst job you had, or the best vacation you took. The possibilities are truly endless.

5. Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct is a simple activity that shouldn’t take more than half an hour to go through. It’s an excellent choice to kick-off an event or workshop since it can be used to build trust and respect.

To play, write down on a whiteboard “Meaningful” and “Pleasant.” Ask the members of the group to share how this event could realistically be meaningful and pleasant. When everyone understands and agrees on how to follow through with their suggestions you can then create a code of conduct for this specific group to respect for the duration of the event.

6. Scavenger Hunt

Hopefully, you’re all familiar with scavenger hunts. If not, this is an activity where a group of people have a list of objects to find and must work together to locate them all without purchasing them.

Not only are scavenger hunts fun, but they encourage people to work together as a unit. They can also help new employees explore your workplace or city. And, they’re also perfect for giving employees a much-needed break during the day — which can ultimately make them more productive.

7. Game of Possibilities

Assign everyone in the group an object. Each person must then demonstrate how to use their specific object without speaking — kind of like charades. The rest of the group guesses what it is in the time allotted. When the time is up, or someone has guessed what the object is, move on to the next player.

What’s great about this activity is that you can move it along or slow it down as much as you like. For example, you could give the group 30 seconds to guess the object if crunched for time. Furthermore, it’s a fun game to encourage participants to be creative and innovative.

8. Shark Tank

You don’t have to build a set like the popular TV series. But, you can take the idea of having people pitch a business idea to a group of investors.

To play, divide your employees into groups of 2-6 people. Next, have them develop an imaginary product. Make sure that come up with a name, slogan, business and marketing plans, and financial data. After that, have them present their idea to 3-4 “Sharks.” The team with the most investments wins.

What I like most about this is that it encourages teamwork and strengthens their public speaking skills. Most importantly, it forces your team to think like entrepreneurs and business owners. And, who knows? Their ideas may be so amazing that you implement them into your existing business.

9. Build the Tallest Tower

Take whatever items you have in the office, such as tape, paper towels, or marshmallows, and have teams construct the tallest freestanding structure in five to ten minutes. It’s a great way to improve decision-making, communication skills, team bonding, and time management.

10. Human Knot

Here’s another classic activity that can easily use for ice breaking or team building. Simply have your team gather in a circle and ask them to put their right hands in the air. Here’s what it gets tricky, they also have to grab onto someone else’s hand across from them in the circle.

Next, instruct them to take their left hands and link with someone else across the circle. Finally, see if the group is able to untangle themselves without letting go of anyone’s hand.

11. The Egg Drop

Although this may require a couple of hours to play, and it can get messy, this is a popular team-building exercise for improving problem-solving, communication, and bringing people together toward a common goal.

Start by splitting everyone into two large groups and assigning them the task of constructing an egg package. The catch? It must be to protect the eggs from an eight-foot drop.

Ask everyone to present their package and describe why they believe it will protect the eggs. Afterward, let everyone drop their eggs to see if they were correct or not.

12. Barter Puzzle

After breaking everyone into different groups, have them put together jigsaw puzzles that they were assigned. Here’s the twist, however. Some of the pieces to the puzzles have been mixed around into other puzzles. In order for groups to put together the puzzles, they need to find creative and unique ways to get those pieces back like trading pieces or exchanging team member.

13. Office Trivia

You could play an existing trivia game, like Trivial Pursuit, or create your own — such as a version Jeopardy for your specific workplace. You could even design a version for remote teams where they share pictures of their workspaces and even guesses who the office belongs to.

Regardless of the trivia, you chose to play, these activities are perfect as ice breakers and letting team members discover more information about their colleagues.

14. Team-based Video Games

Search online to find video games that encourage people to work together as one to complete a mission. Your team can then play during breaks or even online when they’re home. As a result, it strengthens communication, cooperation, and group strategy. Moreover, it’s a great way to blow off some steam. And, it shows your team the importance of working together towards a common goal

15. Human Bingo

Hand out bingo cards to each team member that has information about their co-workers, such as has a chocolate lab or has two sons. After that, everyone should mingle and strike up conversations with one another to find out who matches these descriptions. When they find the right person, the write the person’s name in the correct box. And, because this is bingo, the first person who has full line wins.

16. Mad Lib Mission Statement

Get a copy of your organization’s mission statement. Next, visit a site like Word Blanks and have teams come up with own interruptions of your mission statement. Except some to be hysterical, while others may actually be a more honest or updated version.

17. Team Emblem

After providing teams with the items and tools needed to create an emblem, flag or shield, think markers, cardboard, and tape, have them design their own emblem that represents who they are and their values. Have each time then present their emblems and explain the meaning behind their emblem.

Sounds simple and even a bit childish. But, it encourages creative thinking and cultivates team identity.

18. Escape Rooms

Either visit a local escape room in your area or build your own in the office. Either way, the idea is to have teams work together to figure out how to get out of the locked room using the clues provided within a specific timeframe.

19. Volunteering

Poll your employees and agree on a deserving cause. Then, schedule a time for everyone to volunteer for this cause. Ideally, this should be during the workweek so that your team isn’t forced to do something work-related during their time-off — even though it is giving back to the community.

20. Classic Night Out

Finally, don’t rule the classic night out. It may not sound exciting as some of the other activities on this list. But, they’re still one of the best ways for team members to get to know each other better, bring them closer together, and have a little fun.

Ideas could be happy hours, bowling nights, go-kart racing, tasking a class together, or an award banquet. It really depends on your budget and what you believe your team would enjoy.

If they’re not into camping, then they’re going to be miserable if they must attend weekend camping trip. But, if they’re fans of your local sports teams, then getting tickets would be a better option.

“The home office is the worst of both worlds,” says productivity and organization expert Lisa Zaslow, CEO and founder of Gotham Organizers.

“You’re not at home just watching TV, and you don’t have the excellent office resources and environment of being in the office.”

Still, it’s a reality for 3.9 million U.S. employees or 2.9 percent of the total U.S. workforce. And, because there’s been a 115 percent increase since 2005, working remotely is nothing to scoff at.

But, how can you overcome the worst of both worlds and work at peak productivity?

1. Get dressed.

Your pajamas, while comfortable, aren’t precisely professional attire. I know. You’re at home. So why’s that matter? According to a study from Northwestern University found that professionals perform specific tasks better when wearing clothes that have “symbolic meaning.”

“Wearing a lab coat described as a doctor’s coat increased sustained attention compared to wearing a lab coat described as a painter’s coat. Compared to simply seeing or even identifying with a lab coat described as a doctor’s coat,” wrote researchers Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky. “The influence of clothes thus depends on wearing them and their symbolic meaning.”

Workplace expert Mason Donovan, author of “The Golden Apple: Redefining Work-Life Balance for a Diverse Workforce,” agrees. He adds that wearing work clothes at home can boost productivity. “We feel more present, and we have a higher level of commitment and engagement,” says Donovan.

2. Work somewhere else besides your home.

As Choncé Maddox explains in an article for Calendar, working from home can get boring. Sometimes working from home can create more stress, and it much easier to lose momentum and slack off when you don’t feel motivated to work.” That’s not to say that you have to leave your home for eight hours a day Monday through Friday.

It does mean that you have to take the time to get out of the house occasionally. Coffee shops and even hotel lobbies have long been a popular alternative to working from home. However, co-working spaces come equipped with the perks of a traditional office, such as conference rooms and equipment like copy machines. Co-working spaces also offer additional services like headshots and networking events, where you can meet like-minded people.

3. Set a schedule and stick to it.

A schedule keeps you in-check and helps you develop healthy work habits. More importantly, it allows you to work during your “golden hours” and when you have the house to yourself.

For example, if you have children, you don’t want to schedule your most important work or virtual meetings right when they come home from school. You should plan those activities when the house is quiet and free of distractions.

4. Motivate yourself with rewards.

“As silly as this sounds, I have always been motivated by rewards,” says Leah Shoup, a location independent freelance translator. Leah sets mini-goals throughout the day. “For example, if you get 1,000 words translated by noon, you can go have a pumpkin spice latte.

“If you pick up an extra translation, you can buy those shoes you really want. The rewards can be from anything as small as buying a cupcake to something big like booking a cheap flight you came across,” adds Leah.

5. Create a dedicated workspace.

Warning: a dedicated workspace does not mean your couch or bedroom.

Make your dedicated spot a quiet space where you’re not only comfortable but also feel you’re a professional heading to work. If you have space, then this would be converting a spare bedroom into a home office where you have a desk and all the equipment and resources to do your job.

If you don’t have a spare room, the kitchen table will suffice. Just make sure it’s free of clutter like your plate from lunch.

For more tips, check out 5 Ways to Improve Your Workspace.

6. Set boundaries.

Just because you work from home and set your own hours doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t set boundaries. Setting appropriate boundaries for yours means not responding to a text, email, or Facebook notification the instant you receive it. It also means not wasting time with your best friend cause they played hooky from work when you’re swamped.

When you’re in the zone, eliminate distractions by turning off your phone — or least putting it on airplane mode. If a friend wants to grab lunch, only have one day a week that you schedule these types of activities for. When you are on a roll — always plan another day or ask them if they can schedule dinner with you, instead.

Remember, work comes first. Then you can play.

Bonus Tip: If you have family, then make it known what you’re “working hours” are so that they won’t disrupt you during this time. If you have your own home office, don’t be afraid to use a “Do Not Disturb” sign when you’re busy.

7. Find a technique that works best for you.

There is no shortage of productivity techniques out there for you to try, like the aforementioned Pomodoro Technique or the similar Rule of 52 and 17. If that’s not to your liking, here’s a couple of other techniques you can try out:

• The Kanban System. If you’re extremely detail-oriented, this is a technique where split your to-do-lists into things you need to do, things you’re working on, and what you’ve finished. As items go through each category, you review your workflow and processes to identify any problems.
• Don’t break the chain. Created by Jerry Seinfeld, this is where you “spend some amount of time doing a desired activity every day and, when you do, cross off that day on a calendar. Having the X’s to cross off, creates a chain of Xs showing your progress. If you don’t do your specified task on one day, you don’t get an X, and that chain is broken.”
• The Get Things Done method. Popularized by David Allen, this is where you simply set daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals by organizing all of your to-dos, priorities, and schedule in a way that is manageable.
• The Eisenhower Box. This strategy was created by President Dwight Eisenhower, where you separate your actions based on four possibilities. Urgent and vital, important, but not critical, Urgent, but not essential, and Neither urgent nor important.
• Do it first. In Zen To Done Leo Babauta suggests that you select your 3 Most Important Tasks (MITs) and get them done first thing in the morning.

8. Block off time to evaluate your progress.

As Christy Schultz perfectly explains, “Improving your productivity and effectiveness is not a ‘one and done’ prospect.”

As such, Christy suggests that once a month you block out some time in your calendar “to evaluate any changes you’ve made, if those changes are garnering the impact you were hoping for or if you should test a different method.”

Working the 9-to-5 Grind? Here’s 6 Ways to Maintain Productivity in the Workplace.

What if you work in an environment like Dunder Mifflin?

You can use some of the numerous hacks listed above, like the Pomodoro Technique, turning off notifications, and creating a schedule based around your personal life and when you’re most productive.

You can also add these productivity hacks for students to your toolkit.

1. Embrace technology.

While you should avoid getting sucked into email and social media notifications, you shouldn’t resist all technology.

Project management and communication tools like Trello and Slack can keep an entire organization on the same-page without back-and-forth conversations and lengthy status meetings.

There also tools like Hootsuite, MailChimp, IFTTT, Zapier, and Salesforce can automate your social media campaigns, email communications, marketing, and sales. In other words, these tools eliminate those tedious and repetitive tasks that chip away at your day.

What’s more, Stayfocused blocks distracting websites, while Focus@Will can increase your productivity by listening to music that puts your brain into a “flow state.”

2. Invest in a pair of headphones.

There’s a lot of background noise in an office — which is extremely distracting. One of the best ways to drown out this noise out is by listening to music suggested by Focus@Will or a little white noise through an app like Noisil. Besides blocking out distracting background noise, headphones are a decent deterrent.

Typically when someone sees you at your workstation with a pair of headphones on, they’ll leave you alone. Design the office for maximum productivity.

If you’re not in a Michael Scott position and don’t have this authority, then make the following suggestions to a higher-up:

• Use the right colors in the office. Blue can increase productivity if you do mind-work all day, while yellow is perfect for designers since it stimulates creativity. Find the right color for your industry and incorporate through your office.
• Purchase standing desks. Sitting all day isn’t good for your health. Standing desks won’t wholly reverse this, but it’s better than nothing. Standing desks can also break-up the monotony and help maintain focus.
• Have a quiet place. In The Best Place to Work, psychologist Ron Friedman states that 20-30 minute naps improve productivity, increase alertness, stimulate creativity, raise accuracy, bolster memory, and boost decision-making. No wonder Ben & Jerry’s, Nike, and Zappos have quiet rooms where employees can nap or meditate.
• Keep the office clean and orderly. “Cleanliness and order are essential factors for an office that feels good to work in,” notes Richard Andrews, Managing Director of Inspiration Office. “A disorganized office deprives workers of the enthusiasm and sends a message that sloppiness is OK.” Additionally, make sure that all office materials and equipment have designated spots so that they can be accessed quickly when needed.

3. Bring your pet to work.

Google, Amazon, Ben & Jerry’s, and Etsy allow employees to bring their pets to work. The reason? It relieves stress, promotes positive interactions, and employees tend to stay longer at work, and have fewer absences.

4. Rethink meetings.

With technology, like Slack and Trello, you may be able to reduce the number of meetings you have in your organization. You may even be able to get rid of them completely.

If you must have a meeting, keep it as short as possible and only invite key members — follow Jeff Bezos ‘2 pizza rule.’

Additionally, research from WhenIsGood.net has found that the most productive time to have meetings is at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays. Knowing the same time will be scheduled gives teams enough time to meet deadlines after the workweek. The team will also avoid conflicting deadlines from the previous week that they might have missed.

5. Use gamification.

If you’ve ever played video games, then the concept of gamification shouldn’t be foreign to you. For those who aren’t into video games, the idea is this; the harder you work, the more you’ll be rewarded. So whenever you complete a task, you may earn points to be placed in the top spot of the leaderboard to receive incentives like a vacation.

6. Provide a sense of belonging.

Finally, employees don’t want raises or incentives. They want to have a sense of belonging.

Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, and Wharton professor has found that when “employees feel and know that they are making a difference in the world through the work they do — whether they’re designing apps or laying down asphalt — it increases their motivation to perform.”

If you’re a leader, then tap into your team’s intrinsic motivation by sharing information, discussing strategy, and tying daily activities to the future.

We all strive for striking a balance between work and home. It may seem like an impossible feat. But, it is possible if you’re organized and have established clear boundaries. The best way to achieve these goals may be to separate your personal calendar from your business calendar.

Use the right calendar.

The first step you need to take is to find the right calendar that meets your specific needs. Ultimately, this comes down to deciding if you want to go paper or electronic — or both.

Although it may seem outdated, going old school does have its benefits. For starters, it gives you a quick visual reminder of what needs to get done since it can be placed on your wall, fridge, or desk. It also limits electronic notifications from distracting you, helps you better remember essential information, and allows you to record additional detail. Best of all, you can keep your business calendar at the office and your personal calendar at home. That may not sound like a big deal, but’s a simple way to establish boundaries between your personal and professional lives.

There are also some drawbacks to relying on a paper calendar. Most notably, they’re not as accessible as online calendars. As a consequence, you aren’t able to view or manage your calendars whenever and wherever you want. That can lead to forgetting to add important dates or events or creating some scheduling conflicts. You may respond to a social invite even though you’ve already committed to a work obligation.

Additionally, it’s much more convenient to share an online calendar with others. Most calendar apps allow you to share your calendar through email or an embedded link. Unless your colleagues, friends, or family are in the same location as your paper calendar, they can’t see when you’re available and when you’re not.

Choosing the right online calendar.

If you decide to use an online calendar, pay close attention to the following areas:

• User interface. Your calendar should be easy to use and a tool that you’ll want to use.
• Integrations and sharing. Can the calendar be shared with others? And, if so, can it be shared with seamlessly? Does it integrate with apps that you frequently use?
• Features and recommendations. Make sure that it has the features you specifically need to keep your life organized and productive. And, what online calendars do those closet to you use?

Determine what to include and leave off your calendar.

Once you’ve found the right calendar tool, you now have to determine what information you want to add. The reason is that if you add too much information, your calendar will become cluttered and unmanageable. As such, here are the items that you should place in your calendar:

• Downtime like work breaks and vacations.
• Date-specific appointments. These could include meetings, doctor’s appointments, social engagements, birthdays, and due dates for a work assignment.
• Tasks that you frequently struggle with, such as exercising, challenging projects, and administrative tasks.
• Learning new information and skills.
• Networking opportunities inside and outside of the workplace.
• Monthly themes that align with larger goals and projects.

On the flip side, here are the things that you should not put onto your calendar.

• Meetings that serve no purpose or that do not have an agenda.
• Standing or back-to-back appointments.
• To-do-lists items that are automatic, mundane, or vague. There’s no reason that you should add “brush my teeth” to your calendar.
• Excessive notes. There’s nothing wrong with adding important information, like the names of meeting participants for example. But, if you want a bio on each attendee, you’re better off putting that data in a separate document.
• Other people’s priorities that prevent you from achieving your own.

Use color-coding.

One of the most potent and effective ways to organize your calendar is by assigning a specific color to a particular task or event. This way you can quickly glance at your schedule to see how your time is divided.

You can use any colors you like to represent all of your appointments, meetings, events, or tasks, but I’m a fan of chakra color-coding.

There are seven “chakras” that represent the wheels of energy following through the body. By assigning the appropriate colors that match specific energies, you’ll have a more balanced and stress-free day. So, you would color-code your calendar as follows:

• Red represents all of your work-related tasks.
• Orange would be used for creative or passion projects.
• Yellow for anything that improves your life like exercise or learning.
• Green is reserved for personal activities like going out with your friends.
• Blue indicates activities that give you a chance to express yourself, such as writing or social media updates.
• Indigo would be for anything that deserves your complete attention and focus, like your most important task of the day.
• Violet, or white, is an additional color that you can use however you like.

Create multiple calendars.

Some people prefer to only create one master calendar. This strategy is more convenient than switching between several different calendars and more accurate with fewer errors. It also avoids scheduling conflicts which means less rescheduling and disappointed people. It’s much easier to stay organized with your plans.

At the same time, putting too much information could mean that your calendar becomes cluttered and more difficult to manage. It also helps avoid back-to-back appointments and tasks. And, perhaps most importantly, it doesn’t allow colleagues and clients to see what you have planned outside of work since you’re not sharing your personal calendar with them. Or, let everyone see your information and quit worrying what anyone thinks about what you’re doing.

The good news is that pretty much every leading calendar app allows you to create more than one calendar easily. It should be noted, however, that you’ll only be able to create new calendars through your web browser and not the app.

• Creating multiple Google Calendars
• Developing more than one Apple Calendar
• Building multiple Office 365 Calendars
• Creating different Yahoo Calendars

Keep your personal and professional lives separate.

Finally, if you truly want to separate your personal life from your professional, it’s vital that you establish boundaries. Secure perimeters mean keeping your private life private — and work life stays at work. For example, you don’t want to schedule personal responsibilities when you’re supposed to be working. Sometimes this is unavoidable when there’s an emergency. But you aren’t supposed to pay your bills, make personal phone calls, or run errands while on the clock.

Additionally, to enrich your personal life, create and stick to “office hours” so that work isn’t cutting into your personal life. For instance, if you’ve already made dinner plans with your best friend or committed to going to your child’s rehearsal, then you shouldn’t plan to attend a work event at the same date and time or respond immediately to work-related messages.

According to the report, “The State of the Remote Job Marketplace” from FlexJobs, 3.9 million Americans — or 2.9 percent of the total US workforce — now work from home at least half the time. FlexJobs is also predicting that one-third of employees will work remotely within the next decade. But, not everyone is built for remote work; find people who are.

Technology made the freelancing and remote employee possible. The arrangement is beneficial for both employees and employers.

Those with flexible work options are more productive and healthier both mentally and physically. Additionally, remote work reduces employee turnover, saves businesses an average of $10,000 per year in real estate costs (employees save around $5,240 in expenses), and it’s more eco-friendly.

At my company Calendar, most of my team works remotely. While we’ve all enjoyed the benefits listed above, I’ve also noticed that I have access to a deeper talent pool, while my team enjoys a healthier work-life balance.

While there are still challenges — it’s not the easiest of tasks to manage a remote team — having a remote team is an ideal solution for me. But, that’s also because I surrounded myself with a team that is cut out for remote work.

How can you tell if a potential employee can handle working virtually? Here’s how you can find out.

Look in the right places.

There are hundreds of websites and job boards where you can find remote workers. But, not all job boards are equal.

For example, Fiverr is a great place if you’re on a tight budget and need work as a voiceover for your podcast. But, if you need a developer or social media manager, you need to look at more quality websites. These sites typically only showcase talented workers who have unique skills.

I would suggest trying out UpWork, WeWorkRemotely, Toptal, and Flexjobs to start your search.

Don’t forget to tap into your network. I’ve found some of my best team members just by asking for referrals from people that I trust.

Create job posts that attract quality, remote workers.

Let’s say that you want to post a job opening on a site like Toptal. You want to compose a job posting that not only excites potential candidates but also separates the top remote workers from the rest.

For example, I’ve seen new businesses looking for freelance writers on a site like Freelancer.com. They simply want to get lots of content on their new website. Because they don’t have a ton of money, they’ll hire writers who aren’t the greatest because they don’t charge much money per hour. If they were looking for full-time content writers, this definitely wouldn’t fly.

So when creating your job post make sure that you clearly state how much the worker will be paid, what your expectations are, and the minimum requirements and qualifications you want.

Also don’t forget to include links to your website, articles that mention your business, and any other relevant information about your company, such as what you do and who the founders are. This is a simple way to prove that you’re a legit business only looking for the best-of-the-best.

Screen your remote worker candidates.

Now that you’ve got some applicant showing interest in joining your business, it’s time to screen the potential employees. This not only ensures that you hire people who can successfully work remotely, but it also guarantees that you’ll find people who will fit in with your company’s culture.

• Consider the characteristics you want in an employee. For remote workers, keep a lookout for those who are self-motivated, disciplined, highly responsive, and possess strong communication skills. It also doesn’t hurt that they have previous experience working remotely.
• Use several different interview methods. When I interview potential employees I start with an email and then schedule a brief 10-minute call on Skype or Zoom. The email is testing their responsiveness and written communication skills, while the Skype call gives me a better understanding of their personality.
• Ask the right questions. This will provide you with the right information you need to determine if the candidate can work virtually. Skillcrush has a list of 18 questions you should ask during a remote job interview, such as “How do you schedule your day?” “How do you prioritize tasks?” and  “How do you use technology throughout the day?”
• Check out their social profiles. LinkedIn is a great resource to learn more about the candidate’s past work experience or identify references. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram provide insights into the individual’s personality.
• Assign a task. As someone who has freelanced previously, you never want to work for free. However, if someone is applying for a top-notch gig, they won’t mind a little homework since they understand that this showcases their skills, as well as proves that they can meet a deadline and work independently.

Review samples and references.

Even if you’ve assigned a little task for a potential employee to complete, you still want to look over samples of their work — which could simply be a link to their online portfolio. This way you can be certain that their specific work will meet the needs of your business. You should always ask for a couple of samples when they apply for a job.

On top of samples, ask for at least two references. You can then ask these references if the person was able to meet deadlines, understand directions, and submit high-quality work. You could also inquire about their communication skills and if they were willing to attend virtual meetings.

If you’re nervous don’t make a full-time commitment.

If you’re still on the fence about hiring remote employees, you can always hire someone to complete a one-off task. It’s perfectly acceptable on services like UpWork to do this. I would say freelancers and other virtual employees wouldn’t be opposed to this either since it gives everyone a chance to see how the assignment goes before committing to a long-term relationship.

Remember, you’re looking for someone who isn’t only skilled, but who can also meet a deadline, work independently, and gels with the culture of your business. For the remote worker, they want to be sure that they can work with someone they get along with as well.