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We’re witnessing an unprecedented explosion in creative capability. Voice interfaces are removing barriers for billions who found keyboards cumbersome. AI image generators can mock up virtually any creative direction instantly. The technical constraints that once defined creative work are dissolving. Yet this abundance creates a new challenge: when everything becomes possible, the possibilities overwhelm us. What then becomes most valuable is knowing what’s worth making. I predict that in 2026, the question “should we build this?” will matter more than “can we build this?” The capability surplus The AI conversation is all about capabilities. What you can make. How fast you can make it. What’s now possible. But there’s a gap emerging between what we can create and what we should create. McKinsey’s November 2025 State of AI report reveals a telling paradox: 88% of organizations now use AI in at least one business function, yet only 39% report enterprise-level financial impact. They’re capturing value in isolated use cases but struggling to translate that into long-term growth or improved profit margins. The gap is knowing where to apply it and how to create a framework so that it can actually make an impact. The skills everyone can hone in 2026 This shift creates genuine opportunity for every creator, professional, and anyone who cares about honing their craft while scaling their impact. When creative execution becomes universally available, three things become differentiators: Starting with better questions: “How can we have the greatest impact? Which decisions should stay human? Where does automation create fragility?” These aren’t constraints. They’re the frameworks that prevent cognitive overload when everything is technically possible. Developing taste through iteration: Just as calculators didn’t eliminate the need for mathematical understanding, AI doesn’t eliminate the need for creative foundations. But here’s what changes: the ability to rapidly iterate with AI actually accelerates taste development. You get more attempts, tighter feedback cycles, and faster learning. You build judgment by making more decisions, not fewer. Knowing when to publish: When AI can generate countless variations instantly, pressing the button to share something with someone becomes the defining creative act. What you send, when you send it, who receives it. These decisions shape identity and message in ways that generation alone cannot. What tools and platforms can enable now If knowing what to make is the new skill, the tools that help us develop that skill won’t be just an obsequious yes-man. The most valuable AI tools won’t be those that simply execute your vision, but those that act as creative partners. I predict that tools will emerge that provide the right amount of friction to push your creative ideas. The role of creative platforms will shift from providing capability to providing capability plus judgment scaffolding built into the product. This means: Tools that challenge ideas rather than just execute them Interfaces that know when to stay silent rather than interrupt constantly (fewer notifications, fewer decisions, fewer interruptions) Features that help users understand why a choice works, not just that it does The new creative spectrum We’re moving toward multiple valid modes of creation: human-only, AI-only, AI + human (sometimes openly disclosed, sometimes invisible). Rather than one approach dominating, this spectrum will generate different types of work and different conversations about craft. We will see “not made with AI” declarations coexist with behind-the-scenes AI integration as standard practice. This reflects an expansion of possibilities. More people will have access to creative tools than ever before. The question is whether they’ll develop the judgment to use them well. What success looks like now The optimistic case for 2026 isn’t that AI makes creativity effortless. It’s that AI makes creativity accessible, then rewards those who develop judgment within that access. Billions of people now have access to professional-grade creative tools. Will we drown in celebrity deepfakes, or will we see an emerging class of contemporary artists? This depends on how well we build “judgment frameworks” into the AI tools we use and our ways of working. We need to use AI tools with discernment, but we also need to hold each other accountable to think deeply and think before we publish. The most in-demand professionals will be those who can reframe messy questions, challenge false assumptions, and decide what not to optimize. Why? Because when everyone has access to the same generation tools, the baseline quality of output rises, but so does the volume of mediocre work that looks professional but lacks strategic intent. We’re already seeing the consequences of capability without discernment: marketing campaigns that are technically polished but strategically incoherent, designs that follow trends without serving user needs, code that runs but creates technical debt. Coca-Cola’s 2024 AI-generated holiday campaign was technically polished but felt “soulless” to audiences who expected the brand’s traditional warmth, while McDonald’s’ Netherlands’ AI holiday ad was pulled after just three days following intense backlash. And in code, GitClear’s 2024 analysis of 211 million lines found that copy-pasted code blocks increased eightfold, generating code that runs but creates the kind of technical debt that compounds into future headaches. The winners in this new landscape—both creators and platforms—will be those who can cut through the noise. Who develop the human skill to know which problems are worth solving. Who understand that unlimited possibility doesn’t mean every possibility is valuable. The competitive advantage shifts from “I can make this” to “I know this is worth making.” View the full article

Search today looks very different from what it did even a few years ago. Users are no longer browsing through SERPs to make up their own minds; instead, they are asking AI tools for conclusions, summaries, and recommendations. This shift changes how visibility is earned, how trust is formed, and how brands are evaluated during discovery. In AI-driven search, large language models interpret information, decide what matters, and present a narrative on behalf of the user. Table of contents The rise of conversational AI as a discovery layer Not all LLMs interpret brands the same way The challenge: LLM visibility is hard to measure How does Yoast AI Brand Insights help? From rankings to representation in AI-driven search Key takeaways Search has evolved; users now rely on AI for conclusions instead of traditional SERPs Conversational AI serves as a new discovery layer, users expect quick answers and insights Brands must navigate varied interpretations of their presence across different LLMs Yoast AI Brand Insights helps track brand mentions and identify gaps in AI visibility across models Understanding LLM brand visibility is crucial for modern brand strategy and perception The rise of conversational AI as a discovery layer “Assistant engines and wider LLMs are the new gatekeepers between our content and the person discovering that content – our potential new audience.” — Alex Moss Search is no longer confined to typing queries into a search engine and scanning a list of links. Today’s discovery journey frequently begins with a conversation, whether that’s a typed question in a chatbot, a voice prompt to an AI assistant, or an embedded AI feature inside a platform people use every day. This shift has made conversational AI a new layer of discovery, where users expect direct answers, recommendations, and curated insights that help them make decisions and build brand perception more quickly and confidently. Discovery is happening everywhere Users are now encountering AI-powered discovery across a range of interfaces: AI chat interfaces Tools like ChatGPT allow users to ask open-ended questions and follow up in a conversational manner. These interfaces interpret intent and tailor responses in a way that feels natural, making them a go-to for exploratory search. Also read: What is search intent and why is it important for SEO? Answer engines Platforms such as Perplexity synthesize information from multiple sources and often cite them. They act as research helpers, offering concise summaries or explanations to complex queries. Embedded AI experiences AI is increasingly built directly into search and discovery environments that people already use. Examples include AI-assisted summaries within search results, such as Google’s AI Overviews, as well as AI features embedded in browsers, operating systems, and apps. In these moments, users may not even think of themselves as “using AI,” yet AI is already influencing what information is surfaced first and how it is interpreted. This broad distribution of AI discovery surfaces means users now expect accessibility of information regardless of where they are, whether in a chat, an app, or embedded in the places they work, shop, and explore online. How people are using AI in their day-to-day discovery Users interact with conversational AI for a wide range of purposes beyond traditional search. These models increasingly guide decisions, comparisons, and exploration, often earlier in the journey than classic search engines. Here are some prominent ways people use LLMs today: Product comparisons Rather than visiting multiple sites and aggregating reviews, there are 54% users who ask AI to compare products or services directly, for example, “How does Brand A compare to Brand B?” and “What are the pros and cons of X vs Y?” AI synthesizes information into a concise summary that often feels more efficient than browsing search results. “Best tools for…” queries Did you know 47% of consumers have used AI to help make a purchase decision? AI users frequently ask for ranked suggestions or curated lists such as “best SEO tools for small businesses” or “top content optimization software.” These queries serve as discovery moments, where brands can be suggested alongside context and reasoning. Trust and validation checks Many users prompt AI models to validate decisions or confirm perceptions, for example, “Is Brand X reputable?” or “What do people say about Service Y?” AI responses blend sentiment, context, and summarization into one narrative, affecting how trust is formed. Also read: Why is summarizing essential for modern content? Idea generation and research exploration In a study by Yext, it was found that 42% users employ AI for early-stage exploration, such as brainstorming topics, gathering potential search intents, or understanding broad categories before narrowing down specifics. AI user archetypes range from creators who use AI for ideation to explorers seeking deeper discovery. Local discovery and service search AI is also used for local searches. For example, many users turn to AI tools to research local products or services, such as finding nearby businesses, comparing local options, or understanding community reputations. In a recent AI usage study by Yext, 68% of consumers reported using tools like ChatGPT to research local products or services, even as trust in AI for local information remains lower than traditional search. In each of these moments, conversational AI doesn’t just surface brands; it frames them by summarizing strengths, weaknesses, use cases, and comparisons in a single response. These narratives become part of how users interpret relevance, trust, and fit far earlier in the decision-making process than in traditional search. Not all LLMs interpret brands the same way As conversational AI becomes a discovery layer, one assumption often sneaks in quietly: if your brand shows up well in one AI model, it must be showing up everywhere. In reality, that’s rarely the case. Large language models interpret, retrieve, and present brand information differently, which means relying on a single AI platform can give a very incomplete picture of your brand’s visibility. To understand why, it helps to look at how some of the most widely used models approach answers and brand mentions. How ChatGPT interprets brands ChatGPT is often used as a general-purpose assistant. People turn to it for explanations, comparisons, brainstorming, and decision support. When it mentions brands, it tends to focus on contextual understanding rather than explicit sourcing. Brand mentions are frequently woven into explanations, recommendations, or summaries, sometimes without clear attribution. From a visibility perspective, this means brands may appear: As examples in broader explanations As recommendations in “best tools” or comparison-style prompts As part of a narrative rather than a cited source The challenge is that brand mentions can feel correct and authoritative, while still being outdated, incomplete, or inconsistent, depending on how the prompt is phrased. How Gemini interprets brands Gemini is deeply connected to Google’s ecosystem, which influences how it understands and surfaces brand information. It leans more heavily on entities, structured data, and authoritative sources, and its outputs often reflect signals familiar to traditional SEO teams. For brands, this means: Visibility is closely tied to how well the brand is understood as an entity Clear, consistent information across the web plays a bigger role Mentions often align more closely with established sources Gemini can feel more predictable in some cases, but that predictability depends on strong foundational signals and accurate brand representation across trusted platforms. How Perplexity interprets brands Perplexity positions itself as an answer engine rather than a general assistant. It emphasizes citations and source-backed responses, which makes it popular for research and comparison queries. When brands appear in Perplexity answers, they are often tied directly to cited articles, reviews, or documentation. This creates a different visibility dynamic: Brands may be surfaced only if they are referenced in cited sources Freshness and topical relevance matter more Competitors with stronger editorial or PR coverage may appear more often Here, brand presence is tightly coupled with external content and how frequently that content is used as a reference. How these models differ at a glance AI ModelHow brands are surfacedWhat influences the visibilityChatGPTContextual mentions within explanations and recommendationsPrompt phrasing, training data, general relevanceGeminiEntity-driven, aligned with authoritative sourcesStructured data, brand consistency, trusted signalsPerplexityCitation-based mentions tied to sourcesContent coverage, freshness, external references Why brands need insights across multiple LLMs? Once you see how differently large language models interpret brands, one thing becomes clear: looking at just one AI model gives you an incomplete picture. AI-driven discovery does not produce a single, consistent version of your brand. It produces multiple interpretations, shaped by the model, its data sources, and users’ interactions with it. Must read: When AI gets your brand wrong: Real examples and how to fix it Therefore, tracking across your brand across multiple brands is essential because: Brand visibility is fragmented by default Across different LLMs, the same brand can show up in very different ways: Correctly represented in one model, where information is accurate and well-contextualized Completely missing in another, even for relevant queries Partially outdated or misrepresented in a third, depending on the sources being used This fragmentation happens because each model processes and prioritizes information differently. Without visibility across models, it’s easy to assume your brand is ‘covered’ when, in reality, it may only be visible in one corner of the AI ecosystem. Different audiences use different AI tools AI usage is not concentrated in a single platform. People choose tools based on intent: Some use conversational assistants for exploration and ideation Others rely on citation-led answer engines for research Many encounter AI passively through search or embedded experiences If your brand appears in only one environment, you are effectively visible only to a subset of your audience. This mirrors challenges SEO teams already recognize from traditional search, where performance varies by device, location, and search feature. The difference is that with AI, these variations are less obvious and more challenging to track without dedicated insights. Blind spots create real business risks Limited visibility across LLMs doesn’t just affect awareness; it also impairs learning. Over time, it can lead to: Inconsistent brand narratives, where AI tools describe your brand differently depending on where users ask Missed demand, especially for comparison or “best tools for” queries Competitors are being recommended instead, simply because they are more visible or better understood by a specific model These outcomes are rarely intentional, but they can quietly influence brand perception and decision-making long before users reach your website. So all these points point to one thing: a broader, multi-model view helps build a more complete understanding of brand visibility. The challenge: LLM visibility is hard to measure As brands start paying attention to how they appear in AI-generated content, a new problem becomes obvious: LLM visibility doesn’t behave like traditional search visibility. The signals are fragmented, opaque, and constantly changing, which makes tracking and understanding brand presence across AI models far more complex than tracking rankings or traffic. Below are some key challenges brand marketers might face when trying to understand how their brand appears to large language models. 1. Lack of visibility across AI platforms Different LLMs, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, rely on various data sources, retrieval methods, and citation logic. As a result, the same brand may be mentioned prominently in one model, inconsistently in another, or not at all elsewhere. Without a unified view, it’s difficult to answer basic questions like where your brand shows up, which AI tools mention it, and where the gaps are. This fragmentation makes it easy to overestimate visibility based on a single platform. 2. No clear insight into how AI describes your brand AI models often mention brands as part of explanations, comparisons, or recommendations, but traditional analytics tools don’t capture how those brands are described. Teams lack visibility into tone, context, sentiment, or whether mentions are positive, neutral, or misleading. This makes it hard to understand whether AI is reinforcing your intended brand positioning or subtly reshaping it in ways you can’t see. 3. No structured way to measure change over time AI-generated answers are inherently dynamic. Small changes in prompts, updates to models, or shifts in underlying data can all influence how brands appear. Without consistent, longitudinal tracking, it’s nearly impossible to tell whether visibility is improving, declining, or simply fluctuating. One-off checks may offer snapshots, but they don’t reveal trends or patterns that matter for long-term strategy. 4. Limited ability to benchmark against competitors Seeing your brand mentioned in AI answers is a start, but it doesn’t tell you the whole story. The real question is what’s happening around it: which competitors appear more often, how they’re described, and who AI recommends when users are ready to decide. Without comparative insights, teams struggle to understand whether AI visibility represents a competitive advantage or a missed opportunity. 5. Missing attribution and source clarity Some AI models summarize or paraphrase information without clearly attributing sources. When brands are mentioned, it’s not always obvious which pages, articles, or properties influenced the response. This lack of source visibility makes it difficult to connect AI mentions back to specific content efforts, PR coverage, or SEO work, leaving teams guessing what is actually driving brand representation. 6. Existing tools weren’t built for AI visibility Traditional SEO and analytics platforms are designed around clicks, impressions, and rankings. They don’t capture AI-powered mentions, sentiment, or visibility trends because AI platforms don’t expose those signals in a structured way. As a result, teams are left without reliable reporting for one of the fastest-growing discovery channels. Together, these challenges point to a clear gap: brands need a new way to understand visibility that reflects how AI models surface and interpret information. This is where tools explicitly designed for AI-driven discovery, such as Yoast AI Brand Insights, come into play. How does Yoast AI Brand Insights help? It won’t be wrong to say that the AI-driven brand discovery can be fragmented and opaque; therefore, leading us to our next practical question: how do brand marketing teams actually make sense of it? Traditional SEO tools weren’t built to answer that, which is where Yoast AI Brand Insights comes in. It’s designed to help users understand how brands appear in AI-generated answers and is available as part of Yoast SEO AI+. Rather than focusing on rankings or clicks, Yoast AI Brand Insights focuses on visibility and interpretation across large language models. Track brand mentions across multiple AI models One of the biggest gaps in AI visibility is fragmentation. Brands may appear in one AI model but not in another, without any obvious signal to explain why. Yoast AI Brand Insights addresses this by tracking brand mentions across multiple AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. This gives teams a clearer view of where their brand appears, rather than relying on isolated checks or assumptions based on a single model. Identify gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities AI-generated answers don’t just mention brands; they frame them. Yoast AI Brand Insights helps surface patterns in how a brand is described, making it easier to spot: Where mentions are missing altogether Where descriptions feel outdated or incomplete Where competitors appear more frequently or more favorably These insights turn AI visibility into something teams can actually act on, rather than a black box. Shared insights for SEO, PR, and content teams AI-driven discovery sits at the intersection of SEO, content, and brand communication. One of the strengths of Yoast AI Brand Insights is that it provides a shared view of AI visibility that multiple teams can use. SEO teams can connect AI mentions back to site signals, content teams can understand how messaging is interpreted, and PR or brand teams can see how external coverage influences AI narratives. Instead of working in silos, teams get a common reference point for how the brand appears across AI-driven search experiences. A natural extension of Yoast’s SEO philosophy Yoast AI Brand Insights builds on principles Yoast has long emphasized: clarity, consistency, and understanding how search systems interpret content. As AI becomes part of how people discover brands, those same principles now apply beyond traditional search results and into AI-generated answers. In that sense, Yoast AI Brand Insights isn’t about chasing AI trends. It’s about giving teams a more straightforward way to understand how their brand is represented, where discovery is increasingly happening. From rankings to representation in AI-driven search AI-driven discovery is no longer an edge case. It’s becoming a regular part of how people explore options, validate decisions, and form opinions about brands. As large language models continue to evolve, the question for brands is not whether they appear in AI-generated answers, but whether they understand how they appear, where they appear, and what story is being told on their behalf. Gaining visibility into that layer is quickly becoming a foundational part of modern brand and search strategy. The post Why does having insights across multiple LLMs matter for brand visibility? appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

Businesses are acting fast to adopt agentic AI—artificial intelligence systems that work without human guidance—but have been much slower to put governance in place to oversee them, a new survey shows. That mismatch is a major source of risk in AI adoption. In my view, it’s also a business opportunity. I’m a professor of management information systems at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, which recently surveyed more than 500 data professionals through its Center for Applied AI and Business Analytics. We found that 41% of organizations are using agentic AI in their daily operations. These aren’t just pilot projects or one-off tests. They’re part of regular workflows. At the same time, governance is lagging. Only 27% of organizations say their governance frameworks are mature enough to monitor and manage these systems effectively. In this context, governance is not about regulation or unnecessary rules. It means having policies and practices that let people clearly influence how autonomous systems work, including who is responsible for decisions, how behavior is checked, and when humans should get involved. This mismatch can become a problem when autonomous systems act in real situations before anyone can intervene. For example, during a recent power outage in San Francisco, autonomous robotaxis got stuck at intersections, blocking emergency vehicles and confusing other drivers. The situation showed that even when autonomous systems behave “as designed,” unexpected conditions can lead to undesirable outcomes. This raises a big question: When something goes wrong with AI, who is responsible—and who can intervene? Why governance matters When AI systems act on their own, responsibility no longer lies where organizations expect it. Decisions still happen, but ownership is harder to trace. For instance, in financial services, fraud detection systems increasingly act in real time to block suspicious activity before a human ever reviews the case. Customers often only find out when their card is declined. So, what if your card is mistakenly declined by an AI system? In that situation, the problem isn’t with the technology itself—it’s working as it was designed—but with accountability. Research on human-AI governance shows that problems happen when organizations don’t clearly define how people and autonomous systems should work together. This lack of clarity makes it hard to know who is responsible and when they should step in. Without governance designed for autonomy, small issues can quietly snowball. Oversight becomes sporadic and trust weakens, not because systems fail outright, but because people struggle to explain or stand behind what the systems do. When humans enter the loop too late In many organizations, humans are technically “in the loop,” but only after autonomous systems have already acted. People tend to get involved once a problem becomes visible—when a price looks wrong, a transaction is flagged, or a customer complains. By that point, the system has already been decided, and human review becomes corrective rather than supervisory. Late intervention can limit the fallout from individual decisions, but it rarely clarifies who is accountable. Outcomes may be corrected, yet responsibility remains unclear. Recent guidance shows that when authority is unclear, human oversight becomes informal and inconsistent. The problem is not human involvement, but timing. Without governance designed upfront, people act as a safety valve rather than as accountable decision-makers. How governance determines who moves ahead Agentic AI often brings fast, early results, especially when tasks are first automated. Our survey found that many companies see these early benefits. But as autonomous systems grow, organizations often add manual checks and approval steps to manage risk. Over time, what was once simple slowly becomes more complicated. Decision-making slows down, work-arounds increase, and the benefits of automation fade. This happens not because the technology stops working, but because people never fully trust autonomous systems. This slowdown doesn’t have to happen. Our survey shows a clear difference: Many organizations see early gains from autonomous AI, but those with stronger governance are much more likely to turn those gains into long-term results, such as greater efficiency and revenue growth. The key difference isn’t ambition or technical skills, but being prepared. Good governance does not limit autonomy. It makes it workable by clarifying who owns decisions, how systems function is monitored, and when people should intervene. International guidance from the OECD—the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development—emphasizes this point: Accountability and human oversight need to be designed into AI systems from the start, not added later. Rather than slowing innovation, governance creates the confidence organizations need to extend autonomy instead of quietly pulling it back. The next advantage is smarter governance The next competitive advantage in AI will not come from faster adoption, but from smarter governance. As autonomous systems take on more responsibility, success will belong to organizations that clearly define ownership, oversight, and intervention from the start. In the era of agentic AI, confidence will accrue to the organizations that govern best, not simply those that adopt first. Murugan Anandarajan is a professor of decision sciences and management information systems at Drexel University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Let me set a scene for you: A manager at a tech company pings his team at 6:01 p.m., asking for a “quick favor before morning?” The millennial responds instantly with “Sure, give me a sec” while texting their partner to warn they will be late for their kids’ game. The Gen X employee gives a thumbs-up emoji and plans to do the work after the kids are asleep. The Gen Z parent has a different vibe altogether, responding, “I’m offline for day care pickup and will handle in the morning,” then logging off. It’s a move that likely stuns most millennial and Gen X colleagues, but this is what happens when boundary-setting appears in a workplace built around people sacrificing their personal lives for the bottom line. As Gen Zers become parents, they are shifting workplace expectations. Why the Old Playbook Isn’t Working For generations, we have struggled in a culture that requires both intensive parenting and the always-available ideal worker. Is it any wonder that burnout has become a status symbol? Millennials and Gen X have tried to “lean in,” then had kids, and then hit a wall—hard. The pandemic provided some relief by normalizing flexibility and paying more attention to the mental health crisis in this country. All of this had given rise to the first generation of truly anti-burnout parents. They were raised on mantras like “Do what you love” and “Find your passion,” but student loan debt and massive layoffs killed that dream for most. So the pressure to find a dream job was replaced with landing a job with boundaries that enables them to have friends, hobbies, and relationships. Work is just part of a full life, as opposed to a defining characteristic. What they do has nothing to do with who they are. It’s a stark contrast to Gen X, whose careers symbolized how hard they worked or how important they were in the cultural ecosystem. While hustle culture turned exhaustion into a statement of how dedicated you are, Gen Z saw it as outright exploitation. Being busy is no longer a bragging right, and all-nighters aren’t a badge of honor. They don’t buy into the notion that being overloaded signifies ambition. This doesn’t mean that Gen Z lacks ambition. They just reject the idea that ambition requires the erasure of self-care. They want promotions, not burnout. They want leadership, not a cutthroat or desperate ladder-climbing personality. They want financial stability, not status for appearances. The bottom line is Gen Z wants power; they just don’t want to bleed for it. What Gen Z Is Teaching the Rest of Us It’s a hard pill to swallow for boomers and Gen X, who have that “we paid our dues” energy. These boundaries can come off like entitlement, demanding, and unrealistic. But those older generations came of age when housing was cheaper, childcare was cheaper, college cost less, and a family could survive on a single income. That world doesn’t exist anymore. A shift could be good for everyone. Gen Z parents I have spoken with demand infrastructure changes, like paid leave, mental health coverage, flexibility, and pay transparency. They are proving that you don’t have to white-knuckle your way to a promotion for it to count, and mental well-being is just as important as the bottom line. They are also rejecting the idea that parenting should not interfere with work. When childcare falls through, it impacts work, and they are not hiding it. Family life is a priority rather than a source of guilt. Instead of asking, “How do I survive this?” they’re asking, “Why is the system built this way?” That shift in mindset could potentially change everything. The Future of Work It’s a profound rebellion: closing laptops at 6, taking time away without apology, refusing to live perpetually exhausted. So what happens when these workers start running departments, companies, or entire industries? Leadership styles soften and reviews focus less on face time and more on output. The ideal worker stops being the person who never logs off. And these changes won’t just benefit new parents. Everyone wins when the culture stops worshipping burnout. Perhaps the most ambitious thing we can do going forward isn’t to work ourselves into the ground but rather to build a life worth protecting. View the full article

Master lead management in 2026 and uncover strategies to ensure leads do not go cold in your sales process. The post The Way Your Agency Handles Leads Will Define Success in 2026 [Webinar] appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

South Korea’s Samsung and SK Hynix post record earnings but say capacity expansion will be limited this year and nextView the full article

Uncover the secrets of optimizing your WordPress site for speed and improve your SEO and AI visibility effortlessly. The post The Hidden SEO Cost Of A Slow WordPress Site & How It Affects AI Visibility appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

It was mid-morning when Nadine Jones got the daycare call every working mother dreads—her son spiked a fever and needed to be picked up. Jones, a senior associate at a big D.C. law firm, newly divorced with full custody of her 14-month-old son, knew what that call meant: her day was about to unravel. At the daycare, another single mother pulled Jones aside. “Don’t you have to work?” she asked. Yes, Jones replied. “Okay, this is what you do,” the woman said, “Tomorrow, just before you drop him off, you’re gonna give him children’s Tylenol. That’s gonna bring his fever down and give you two or three hours at work. Then you’ll have another hour or two before they confirm it’s back up. Don’t you need those five hours?” Jones did. Working parents often scramble to stay employed while caring for their families. Cold and flu season can be especially brutal for caregivers, and this season we’ve had the highest number of cases in 30 years. But cold and flu season isn’t just making us sick—it’s disproportionately pushing working mothers to make impossible choices: either compromise their child’s care or face lasting career consequences, such as stalled advancement and burnout. Or, in Jones’s case, send her sick child to daycare, and risk infecting everyone else—all for the sake of a partial day at work. The double load: breadwinner and on-call nurse Working mothers are facing a twofold problem. First, sexism is deeply entrenched in society so they end up doing most of the caregiving. Second, many companies don’t take kindly to employees using PTO, or don’t provide enough for caregivers with children. The result is a double whammy that forces mothers like Jones to make impossible choices. To the first point, women are doing the bulk of childcare. A study of 2,217 mothers by BabyCenter.com, a website with resources for parents, found that 82% handle the majority of childcare logistics. They are also twice as likely as fathers to take time off to care for a sick child. Similarly, a Pew Research Center survey of 5,152 U.S. adults found even when a heterosexual woman earns as much or more than her husband, she does more at home. On average, these women spend two hours a week more on caregiving and 2.5 hours more on housework, while their husbands have 3.5 more hours a week for leisure activities. Pew’s research also found that the majority of Americans say society “values men’s contributions at work more than their contributions at home,” showing how gender bias is still a deeply entrenched part of our culture. Stephanie Steele-Wren is a licensed psychologist who runs her own practice. Even though she and her husband make roughly the same income, his work schedule is less flexible, so she does most of the sick-day caretaking for their one-year-old daughter. With a six-month waitlist for her practice, she does everything possible to avoid canceling patients, including once taking a client call from her car outside the hospital where her child was in surgery. “The biggest emotional piece for me is feeling like I have to maintain my professionalism while I’m just feeling so scattered and overwhelmed and overstimulated,” she shares. Caregiving vs. career growth Many mothers also feel that caretaking responsibilities directly affects their career progression, with two out of three in the BabyCenter.com survey fearing they appear unprofessional and unreliable. The survey also found that 70% of moms pass up additional opportunities at work to avoid possible conflicts. Steele-Wren knows this feeling well. Since having a child, Steele-Wren has scaled back her business. “There are no days off with being a business owner and self-employed. And there are absolutely no days off with being a mom.” As a small business owner, taking time off to care for a sick child means lost income. But even caregivers with generous PTO banks often feel they can’t actually use it. Companies may offer “unlimited paid time off” and “family-friendly policies,” but often working mothers are penalized for using these benefits. This includes receiving poor reviews on their annual evaluations, not receiving promotions, or feeling pressure not to be perceived as a burden, shares Lacey Kaelani, CEO of Metaintro, a job search engine that runs on open-source data processing over 600 million jobs in near real time. You can have policies on paper, adds employee-law attorney Pam Howland, but if the culture rewards attendance and productivity above all else, it doesn’t really matter what the policy says. In fact, in 2025, a record number of working mothers quit their jobs. Joe Mull, a consultant who specializes in increasing employee commitment, points out that the paradigm of mothers like Nadine Jones worrying about taking time off points to a bad system. “If your team can’t absorb someone stepping away for a day without that person having to work overtime to recover, your staffing model is broken,” he says. Managers are the first line of defense Interpreting company policy often comes down to managers, who can be the difference between staying or leaving for moms with kids. “Your entire corporate experience hinges on who your boss is, period. That’s it, especially for working mothers,” says Nadine Jones. Jones shares how in some of her most challenging years as a parent, she had a boss who created a safe environment “to be vulnerable and to have a family that didn’t always, you know, fall into line.” She says the psychological safety and scheduling accommodations allowed her to do her best work for the organization while being present for her son. Having an understanding boss can mean everything to a caregiver. Research even shows that a manager has more influence on an employee’s mental health than a therapist and that a compassionate manager creates more loyal employees. However, few managers are getting this right. One study of over 3,700 parents (97% of whom were women) found that fewer than 4% of moms feel comfortable asking managers for what they need. Flexibility ranked among their top desires. Many managers are promoted for performance, not people skills, notes Howland. That’s why it’s essential to train them to understand discretion, flexibility, and the human side of policy enforcement. Turnover is expensive. Howland cautions—do you really want to lose talent because managers were too stringent on PTO or sick-care policies? The companies who get it right There are a few companies who are managing to create a culture that allows working mothers to take time off for caregiving or designing systems that create less discrimination. For example, Vanguard, one of the world’s largest investment companies with more than 20,000 employees and at least 9,000 caregivers has an attrition rate of roughly 8%, about half the industry standard. Kathryn Larkin, Vanguard’s Head of Global Benefits, says employees actually take advantage of their time-off benefits because “they’ve seen those who have gone before them continue with great careers. And so when you see that in practice, you have the confidence that if that is me, I can take the leave and I won’t be punished . . . it’s culturally appropriate, it’s accepted, it’s encouraged.” Meanwhile, Workforce platform Deputy, which designs scheduling tools for shift-based workers, says sick season forces companies to rethink flexibility for roles that require coverage. Internally, Deputy emphasizes proactive manager planning and allows their workforce of around 400 global employees to take care of their loved ones, such as sick children. Those insights have informed product features like real-time shift swaps and instant time-off requests intended to reduce worker stress, Deputy’s CEO Silvija Martincevic, tells Fast Company. In their recent engagement survey, 94% of Deputy’s employees agreed with the statement, “I’m able to work in a way that works for me,” citing flexible work hours and supportive management. What working mothers can do However, for mothers who aren’t at forward-thinking companies or don’t have understanding managers, Mel Goodman, a career strategist for working moms and founder of WorkMom, a collective for working mothers, offers the following advice: At work, she notes, many high-achieving moms tend to protect their team’s outcomes at the expense of their personal boundaries. It’s better to understand that sick days are not normal work days and should not be treated as such. She informs caregivers that it’s better to communicate their availability windows rather than apologize for interruptions, to be upfront about slower response times, and to choose one or two meaningful outputs instead of tackling a full to-do list. On the home front, clear communication also helps. It’s best when parenting is “framed as a shared responsibility, not as ‘helping mom,’” Goodman says. Instead of blaming partners for not helping enough, focus on making the invisible work visible, advises Goodman. Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play cards are a helpful tool for dividing household responsibilities. Often, caretaking isn’t a true 50/50 split, as one partner’s job may carry more economic or professional risk. Focus on equity instead. “What matters is that the arrangement is intentional, agreed upon, and revisited over time,” says Goodman. At the end of the day, company policy can only go so far if a woman is in an unbalanced relationship. “If one partner consistently resists stepping up, the issue is rarely logistics. It is usually a values conversation about respect, fairness, and whether both people truly believe that both careers and both well-being matter,” adds Goodman. Finally, she advises, on high-demand days, try to carve out moments for personal care too—10 minutes of walking, exercising, or meditating—that can reset the nervous system. And don’t be afraid to cancel or simplify weekend plans as a recovery strategy, she says. Even the most prepared caregivers can end up overwhelmed and exhausted this time of year—evidence that sick-child policies and flexible work practices are essential for real-life employees. View the full article

For a generation, the smartest people I knew dreamed of moving to America. They took uninspiring jobs, learned to wait through endless paperwork, and believed that one visa stamp could change their lives. That belief built an empire of talent that powered some of the world’s most iconic companies. And now, that same empire is dying, or at the very least, dreaming of moving elsewhere. Talent is now voting with its feet. As someone born in the USSR, a few years before its collapse, who grew up in Kazakhstan and Russia and later lived in several different countries, I remember friends who spent five or six years working for EPAM, an outsourcing firm that became a bridge to something better. EPAM’s real perk wasn’t salary or prestige. What drew people to it was the promise of relocation. If you endured the dull projects long enough, you’d earn your way to a U.S. office. That quiet deal between ambition and patience fueled a whole ecosystem. People didn’t work for EPAM. They worked for the dream of getting out. The same pattern was evident elsewhere. From Warsaw, Poland to Bangalore, India young engineers took mediocre jobs for one simple reason: making it to the United States. If you could make it there, your life would change. And if you were lucky, you could even stay forever. For decades, this desire was America’s greatest competitive advantage. I moved to the U.S. in 2015 with my first startup. Our goal was to use the U.S. as a launchpad for global expansion. At the time, the prevailing view was that a company’s HQ had to be in the United States. You would relocate your key employees there (highest salaries, best talent, and, for the U.S., the highest taxes) from your offices around the world. And the employees wanted this too, because it represented the “American Dream”. That dream doesn’t work anymore. The price of the American dream Today, I’m witnessing with horror how the current administration is aiming to charge up to $100,000 for new petitions for H-1B visas. Consider that Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sundar Pichai of Google, Eric Yuan of Zoom, and even Elon Musk of X and SpaceX were at some point on an H-1B. These rising figures will make it prohibitive for many startups to hire global talent. And even for those who manage to get through the system, the path keeps getting narrower. The waiting lists for permanent residency stretch on for years, and there are no guarantees anymore. I know brilliant graduates from India who studied at Harvard and work for peanuts just to keep a sponsor. They call it “the treadmill.” When the visa expires, so does the dream. It used to be that a company’s success was measured by how many jobs it created. A visa approved represented a job created, too. That job brought tax revenue, talent, and loyalty to the country. But now, that social contract is broken, and the message to global talent has changed from “come build with us” to “prove you deserve to stay.” And the rest of the world has noticed. Where talent is going instead Countries like the UAE are now offering “golden visas” for founders, investors, and skilled professionals. Saudi Arabia is rolling out special residency programs for tech and creative workers. Singapore’s Tech.Pass makes it possible to relocate in weeks, not years. And for those who travel, Spain, Norway, and many others now have digital nomad visas. At the top of the list is China’s new K visa, which is aimed specifically at foreign scientists and innovators. It is a bold signal from Beijing that the country is now open to talented individuals from around the globe. This has had an impact on my circle. I’ve watched talented colleagues move to Dubai, UAE; Shenzhen, China; or Singapore and never look back. When you remove barriers, talent flows like water. America used to be the open floodgate. Now, it looks like a dam. The U.K. is making the same mistake The same story is beginning to unfold in the U.K. London could be the global capital of flexible work and innovation, but as the anti-immigration sentiment keeps rising, and the government keeps aiming to appease the hardliners, it could be repeating America’s mistake. Every time a government adds friction to who can stay or build there, the message to founders is simple: Take your innovation somewhere else. Talented individuals who move fast won’t wait for paperwork, they will move wherever opportunity is easiest. The real story is an innovation story The irony is that this goes beyond immigration. In reality, it is an innovation story. When you lock out ambitious people, you export your own future. The next unicorns, the next breakthroughs, the next Silicon Valley won’t emerge from a single place. They’ll emerge from a network, composed of founders in Dubai; engineers in Tbilisi, Georgia; designers in Bali, Indonesia; and investors on flights between Singapore and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The future of innovation is borderless because the best people already are. Can talented individuals still believe in America? I say this as someone who once believed deeply in the American Dream. It was the North Star for millions of us. You didn’t have to be born into privilege because you could earn your way into it. But somewhere along the way, the belief that held it all together cracked. It applies to Americans, too. Many of my U.S.-born friends are now leaving the country in search of the same freedom they once symbolized. The political division has made it even uncomfortable to live there, and as they search for new horizons, they amplify a talent drain that, when we least expect it, could leave the country in dire straits. The truth is that America’s greatest strength was never an economic indicator despite its prominent standing. It was belief. The shared idea that if you worked hard enough, you could belong and have a good life. That belief built companies, cities, and entire industries. But this belief is now breaking down under the pressure of two trends. The U.S. economy itself is going through a difficult period (marked by rising uncertainty, higher taxes, and tariffs) which naturally makes life harder for businesses. At the same time, other countries have begun to compete with the U.S. on very concrete dimensions: the UAE as a place to live for high-net-worth individuals; China as a source of technological innovation (and a place where businesses can grow by orders of magnitude); Portugal as a competitor to Florida, targeting retirees with savings; Spain as a digital nomad hub for those who value a calmer lifestyle; and the U.K., especially London, as a digital-nomad hub for those who thrive on intensity and movement. The world’s best talent is no longer asking, “how do I get to America?” Instead, they’re looking at all of their options—countries who are actively trying to woo them and will welcome their contributions with open arms. View the full article

When managing payroll, using the right apps can simplify tasks considerably. Options like Rippling, Workful, and Zoho Payroll offer features such as in-app communication and location-based access control. Meanwhile, Gusto and ADP RUN improve user experience with mobile access, allowing you to manage your payroll on the go. As you explore the variety of payroll solutions available, you’ll find tools that not just streamline processes but additionally improve transparency and employee engagement. Key Takeaways Rippling offers a user-friendly mobile app for employees to access payroll details, tax filings, and compliance updates easily. Gusto automates tax calculations, providing dedicated support for payroll inquiries and enhancing employee satisfaction through comprehensive benefits. ADP RUN enables employees to access pay statements and tax forms via a secure mobile platform, enhancing transparency. Homebase allows employees to view pay stubs and schedules, promoting transparency and engagement in payroll management. Zoho Payroll enhances employee engagement with in-app communication features, facilitating better interaction regarding payroll matters. Rippling Rippling stands out as a thorough payroll solution that simplifies the intricacies of employee compensation and compliance. With a high rating of 4.9, it offers built-in compliance features and labor cost management, starting at just $35 per month plus $8 per person. You’ll appreciate how it automates payroll processing, syncing team hours, paid time off, and holidays to streamline your operations. The user-friendly employee mobile app, available on both Android and iOS, gives you easy access to pay statements, tax information, and benefits management. Furthermore, Rippling improves employee engagement by providing tools for automatic tax filing, compliance assistance, and identifying potential tax credits for savings. If you’re looking for employee scheduling software free of charge, Rippling’s integrated features help guarantee that your business stays updated on labor laws, boosting payroll accuracy and efficiency, making it an excellent choice for your payroll app needs. Remote When you work remotely, managing expenses and accessing payroll information becomes essential. Many payroll apps offer mobile accessibility, letting you track your expenses and view pay statements directly from your device. With features like smart image capture for expense reporting, these apps streamline the reimbursement process, ensuring you stay on top of your finances. Expense Management Features Expense management features in remote payroll apps play a crucial role in streamlining the reimbursement process for employees. These payroll apps for employees improve expense reporting by integrating smart image capture, allowing you to submit receipts directly from your device. With tools for easy tracking of employee spending, you’ll guarantee all expenses are documented accurately, minimizing manual entry errors. Some apps, like Workful, include location-based access control, making certain you can only clock in or out from specified addresses, which improves expense tracking accuracy. Moreover, platforms like Rippling offer built-in compliance features to verify expenses align with company policies and local labor laws. Mobile App Accessibility Mobile app accessibility is essential for remote employees who need to manage their payroll tasks efficiently during their travels. Most payroll apps, like Rippling and Workful, are available on both Android and iOS platforms, ensuring you can access your payroll time anytime. For instance, the ADP Mobile Solutions app allows you to view pay statements and tax information directly from your device. Remote payroll apps, such as Workful, offer location-based access control, letting you clock in and out using an online employee time clock based on your location. Furthermore, apps like Zoho Payroll feature in-app communication tools for instant notifications. The integration of mobile expense reporting in Remote also simplifies capturing receipts and submitting expenses directly through your device. Workful Workful stands out with its location-based access control, which guarantees remote workers can only clock in or out from designated addresses or Wi-Fi networks, boosting security and accountability. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks, making payroll processing simpler for those already using that accounting software. With a competitive pricing structure, starting at $45 plus $7 per person, Workful is a solid option for small to medium-sized businesses. Location-Based Access Control As remote work continues to rise, implementing effective attendance tracking methods becomes vital for businesses. Workful’s location-based access control guarantees remote employees can only clock in and out when they’re at the designated worksite. This feature allows you to specify particular addresses or Wi-Fi networks, guaranteeing accurate recording of hours worked. By using this employee time clock software, you can greatly reduce time theft and improve attendance tracking, which is important for maintaining productivity. Starting at $45 monthly plus $7 per person, Workful offers a cost-effective solution for any time card app for small business. This way, you’ll make sure your workforce remains accountable, during streamlining the payroll process for your organization. QuickBooks Integration Features Integrating payroll systems with accounting software is crucial for guaranteeing accuracy and efficiency in managing employee compensation. Workful’s integration with QuickBooks offers seamless synchronization of payroll data, allowing you to automate updates for employee hours, PTO, and holidays without manual entry. With the employee timeclock feature, you can specify locations or Wi-Fi networks for remote workers to clock in and out, which QuickBooks reflects for streamlined payroll management. The integration supports real-time data flow, reducing discrepancies and enhancing efficiency. This means that payroll services have auto autopilot payroll features, minimizing the time spent on payroll tasks so you can focus on growing your business. Feature Benefit Auto Autopilot Payroll Saves time and reduces errors Employee Timeclock Accurate tracking of work hours Real-Time Data Flow Guarantees synchronization with QuickBooks Zoho Payroll Zoho Payroll stands out as a robust solution for small to medium-sized businesses looking to streamline their payroll processes. With a competitive starting price of $39 plus $6 per person, it provides valuable payroll services that have autopilot payroll features. This means you can automate many payroll tasks, saving you time and reducing errors. In-app communication features improve employee engagement. Users receive instant notifications about payroll updates. It helps maintain compliance with labor laws and regulations. Employees can access payroll information directly through the app. The app integrates with employee scheduling software for small business needs. While Zoho Payroll doesn’t support contractor payments or third-party integrations, it offers an all-encompassing way to manage your workplace time clock and payroll operations effectively. This makes it a solid choice for businesses aiming to simplify payroll and improve transparency within their teams. QuickBooks Payroll QuickBooks Payroll is a strong tool designed to meet the needs of small to medium-sized businesses looking to simplify their payroll management. With a starting monthly price of $50 plus $6 per person, it’s a competitive app for employees. The platform integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks accounting software, allowing you to sync financial data effortlessly. You’ll appreciate the automatic tax filing and compliance assistance, keeping you updated with changing regulations. QuickBooks Payroll also supports various payment methods, including printed checks and direct deposits, offering flexibility to your staff. Moreover, it functions well alongside employee scheduling software and staff scheduling programs, enhancing your overall management capabilities. With a solid rating of 4.4, users have expressed positive sentiments regarding its features and usability, making it a reliable choice for managing payroll efficiently. This all-encompassing tool can streamline your payroll process, saving you time and reducing errors. Gusto Gusto simplifies payroll processing with its user-friendly platform, allowing you to manage payroll with just a few clicks. You can additionally access thorough employee benefits, including affordable health insurance, making it a well-rounded solution for businesses. With an average time savings of 152 hours per year on tax and compliance tasks, Gusto stands out as an efficient choice for managing your payroll and HR needs. Streamlined Payroll Processing Regarding payroll processing, efficiency is key, and utilizing an automated platform can make a significant difference. Gusto streamlines your payroll tasks, allowing you to manage everything with just a few clicks. Here are some benefits of using Gusto: Automates calculations and tax deductions Syncs team hours, PTO, and holidays accurately Cuts payroll process time by up to 90% Helps identify potential tax credits Provides dedicated support for payroll inquiries With Gusto’s auto autopilot payroll system, you can easily manage payroll alongside your employee scheduling software. Furthermore, its paycheck stub app empowers you to track your earnings seamlessly. This level of automation not only saves time but also reduces errors, ensuring a smoother payroll experience. Comprehensive Employee Benefits In relation to employee benefits, having a thorough and accessible package can greatly influence job satisfaction and retention. Gusto offers affordable health insurance administration at no extra cost, giving you access to various health coverage options. Licensed advisors help you choose the best coverage for your needs, ensuring team well-being. The platform integrates existing health plans effortlessly, facilitating smooth shifts for businesses without disrupting employee benefits. Furthermore, Gusto provides extensive benefits management, allowing employers to offer retirement plans and flexible spending accounts. ADP RUN ADP RUN is a robust payroll app designed to simplify the management of employee payroll and HR tasks. With a high rating of 4.7 stars on the Apple App Store, it’s clear that users appreciate its functionality and reliability. Here’s what you can expect from the ADP RUN app: Access pay statements, W2 forms, and tax information directly from your mobile device. Utilize the hourly time clock to punch in and out, making time tracking straightforward. Request vacation time and manage attendance seamlessly. Benefit from employee scheduling software for improved team coordination. Enjoy secure logins, whether through passwords or fingerprint access. TriNet TriNet stands out as a comprehensive payroll management solution that streamlines the intricacies of employee compensation and benefits administration. With its auto autopilot payroll features, TriNet guarantees your payments are accurate and timely, while additionally handling automatic tax filing and compliance assistance. The platform simplifies employee benefits administration, offering health insurance options and wellness programs that boost overall satisfaction. You’ll appreciate the user-friendly tools for time tracking, including staff time clock software, which lets you easily request time off and manage schedules. Furthermore, TriNet’s employee scheduling software freeware accommodates businesses of all sizes, providing scalable solutions customized to your needs. Its commitment to compliance helps you navigate labor laws and tax regulations, minimizing risks associated with payroll management. Homebase When managing payroll for hourly teams, Homebase provides a robust all-in-one solution that integrates vital scheduling and time tracking features. This platform simplifies payroll management, ensuring you can focus on your business. Automated payroll calculations for accurate wage, tax, and deduction processing Employee access to pay stubs, schedules, and tax forms for transparency Time clocks software for tracking employee hours and attendance Easy management of time-off requests to streamline attendance Affordable pricing starting at $39 per month plus $6 per employee As an employee scheduling app for small business, Homebase improves communication within teams as it reduces administrative burdens. With its intuitive design, you can easily navigate payroll services and keep everything organized in one place. This efficiency can lead to enhanced productivity, allowing you to devote more time to growing your business. Homebase is designed to meet the specific needs of hourly teams, making payroll management straightforward and efficient. BambooHR BambooHR serves as an integrated platform that combines HR and payroll management, particularly customized for small and medium-sized businesses. This solution streamlines your HR processes with features like employee self-service, time-off tracking, and performance management, enhancing user engagement. You can access your payroll information on-the-go thanks to its mobile capabilities. BambooHR also offers auto autopilot payroll, making payroll processing efficient and reliable. To help you manage your workforce better, it includes employee work schedule software, which simplifies scheduling tasks. You’ll find that its free employee scheduling app can keep your team organized and informed. Even though BambooHR’s pricing model isn’t publicly listed, it emphasizes an extensive set of tools for effective employee management and payroll. Moreover, the platform improves hiring and onboarding processes with job tracking and custom onboarding checklists, ensuring a smooth changeover for new employees into your organization. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best App to Use for Payroll? When deciding on the best app for payroll, consider features like compliance, cost management, and expense reporting. Rippling stands out for its robust compliance features, whereas Remote offers excellent expense management tools. Workful provides location-based access control, and Zoho Payroll includes in-app communication but lacks contractor payment support. For smaller teams, free options like Payroll4Free can be sufficient. In the end, your choice should align with your specific business needs and budget constraints. Who Is Adp’s Biggest Competitor? ADP’s biggest competitor is Paychex, which specializes in payroll and HR solutions for small to medium-sized businesses. Paychex emphasizes customer service and compliance support, making it a strong alternative for businesses needing reliable payroll processing. Other notable competitors include Gusto, Intuit QuickBooks Payroll, TriNet, and BambooHR, each offering unique features aimed at enhancing payroll and HR management. Depending on your specific needs, these alternatives can provide valuable options for effective business operations. Can I Do My Own Payroll Without Software? Yes, you can handle your own payroll without software by manually calculating wages and taxes. This involves tracking hours worked, determining gross pay, and deducting necessary withholdings. Although it’s possible, this method can be time-consuming and may lead to errors, especially without the latest tax updates. You’ll need to stay informed about labor laws to avoid penalties. Many choose free templates to simplify the process, but software often improves efficiency as your business grows. Is Excel Payroll Free? Yes, ExcelPayroll is free to use. It offers a template that helps you manage payroll calculations manually, making it accessible for small businesses. Nevertheless, you’ll need to input data yourself, as it doesn’t automate processes like tax filing or direct deposits. Although it’s suitable for those with fewer employees, you must additionally stay informed about tax regulations and compliance since the template doesn’t provide automated guidance in these areas. Conclusion In summary, choosing the right payroll app can greatly improve your payroll management experience. Each app, from Rippling to BambooHR, offers unique features customized to different business needs, providing functionalities like access control, in-app communication, and transparency in pay information. By comprehending the specific advantages of each option, you can make an informed decision that best suits your organizational requirements, eventually streamlining payroll processes and enhancing employee satisfaction. Consider exploring these apps to find the best fit for your team. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Payroll Apps for Employees" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When managing payroll, using the right apps can simplify tasks considerably. Options like Rippling, Workful, and Zoho Payroll offer features such as in-app communication and location-based access control. Meanwhile, Gusto and ADP RUN improve user experience with mobile access, allowing you to manage your payroll on the go. As you explore the variety of payroll solutions available, you’ll find tools that not just streamline processes but additionally improve transparency and employee engagement. Key Takeaways Rippling offers a user-friendly mobile app for employees to access payroll details, tax filings, and compliance updates easily. Gusto automates tax calculations, providing dedicated support for payroll inquiries and enhancing employee satisfaction through comprehensive benefits. ADP RUN enables employees to access pay statements and tax forms via a secure mobile platform, enhancing transparency. Homebase allows employees to view pay stubs and schedules, promoting transparency and engagement in payroll management. Zoho Payroll enhances employee engagement with in-app communication features, facilitating better interaction regarding payroll matters. Rippling Rippling stands out as a thorough payroll solution that simplifies the intricacies of employee compensation and compliance. With a high rating of 4.9, it offers built-in compliance features and labor cost management, starting at just $35 per month plus $8 per person. You’ll appreciate how it automates payroll processing, syncing team hours, paid time off, and holidays to streamline your operations. The user-friendly employee mobile app, available on both Android and iOS, gives you easy access to pay statements, tax information, and benefits management. Furthermore, Rippling improves employee engagement by providing tools for automatic tax filing, compliance assistance, and identifying potential tax credits for savings. If you’re looking for employee scheduling software free of charge, Rippling’s integrated features help guarantee that your business stays updated on labor laws, boosting payroll accuracy and efficiency, making it an excellent choice for your payroll app needs. Remote When you work remotely, managing expenses and accessing payroll information becomes essential. Many payroll apps offer mobile accessibility, letting you track your expenses and view pay statements directly from your device. With features like smart image capture for expense reporting, these apps streamline the reimbursement process, ensuring you stay on top of your finances. Expense Management Features Expense management features in remote payroll apps play a crucial role in streamlining the reimbursement process for employees. These payroll apps for employees improve expense reporting by integrating smart image capture, allowing you to submit receipts directly from your device. With tools for easy tracking of employee spending, you’ll guarantee all expenses are documented accurately, minimizing manual entry errors. Some apps, like Workful, include location-based access control, making certain you can only clock in or out from specified addresses, which improves expense tracking accuracy. Moreover, platforms like Rippling offer built-in compliance features to verify expenses align with company policies and local labor laws. Mobile App Accessibility Mobile app accessibility is essential for remote employees who need to manage their payroll tasks efficiently during their travels. Most payroll apps, like Rippling and Workful, are available on both Android and iOS platforms, ensuring you can access your payroll time anytime. For instance, the ADP Mobile Solutions app allows you to view pay statements and tax information directly from your device. Remote payroll apps, such as Workful, offer location-based access control, letting you clock in and out using an online employee time clock based on your location. Furthermore, apps like Zoho Payroll feature in-app communication tools for instant notifications. The integration of mobile expense reporting in Remote also simplifies capturing receipts and submitting expenses directly through your device. Workful Workful stands out with its location-based access control, which guarantees remote workers can only clock in or out from designated addresses or Wi-Fi networks, boosting security and accountability. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks, making payroll processing simpler for those already using that accounting software. With a competitive pricing structure, starting at $45 plus $7 per person, Workful is a solid option for small to medium-sized businesses. Location-Based Access Control As remote work continues to rise, implementing effective attendance tracking methods becomes vital for businesses. Workful’s location-based access control guarantees remote employees can only clock in and out when they’re at the designated worksite. This feature allows you to specify particular addresses or Wi-Fi networks, guaranteeing accurate recording of hours worked. By using this employee time clock software, you can greatly reduce time theft and improve attendance tracking, which is important for maintaining productivity. Starting at $45 monthly plus $7 per person, Workful offers a cost-effective solution for any time card app for small business. This way, you’ll make sure your workforce remains accountable, during streamlining the payroll process for your organization. QuickBooks Integration Features Integrating payroll systems with accounting software is crucial for guaranteeing accuracy and efficiency in managing employee compensation. Workful’s integration with QuickBooks offers seamless synchronization of payroll data, allowing you to automate updates for employee hours, PTO, and holidays without manual entry. With the employee timeclock feature, you can specify locations or Wi-Fi networks for remote workers to clock in and out, which QuickBooks reflects for streamlined payroll management. The integration supports real-time data flow, reducing discrepancies and enhancing efficiency. This means that payroll services have auto autopilot payroll features, minimizing the time spent on payroll tasks so you can focus on growing your business. Feature Benefit Auto Autopilot Payroll Saves time and reduces errors Employee Timeclock Accurate tracking of work hours Real-Time Data Flow Guarantees synchronization with QuickBooks Zoho Payroll Zoho Payroll stands out as a robust solution for small to medium-sized businesses looking to streamline their payroll processes. With a competitive starting price of $39 plus $6 per person, it provides valuable payroll services that have autopilot payroll features. This means you can automate many payroll tasks, saving you time and reducing errors. In-app communication features improve employee engagement. Users receive instant notifications about payroll updates. It helps maintain compliance with labor laws and regulations. Employees can access payroll information directly through the app. The app integrates with employee scheduling software for small business needs. While Zoho Payroll doesn’t support contractor payments or third-party integrations, it offers an all-encompassing way to manage your workplace time clock and payroll operations effectively. This makes it a solid choice for businesses aiming to simplify payroll and improve transparency within their teams. QuickBooks Payroll QuickBooks Payroll is a strong tool designed to meet the needs of small to medium-sized businesses looking to simplify their payroll management. With a starting monthly price of $50 plus $6 per person, it’s a competitive app for employees. The platform integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks accounting software, allowing you to sync financial data effortlessly. You’ll appreciate the automatic tax filing and compliance assistance, keeping you updated with changing regulations. QuickBooks Payroll also supports various payment methods, including printed checks and direct deposits, offering flexibility to your staff. Moreover, it functions well alongside employee scheduling software and staff scheduling programs, enhancing your overall management capabilities. With a solid rating of 4.4, users have expressed positive sentiments regarding its features and usability, making it a reliable choice for managing payroll efficiently. This all-encompassing tool can streamline your payroll process, saving you time and reducing errors. Gusto Gusto simplifies payroll processing with its user-friendly platform, allowing you to manage payroll with just a few clicks. You can additionally access thorough employee benefits, including affordable health insurance, making it a well-rounded solution for businesses. With an average time savings of 152 hours per year on tax and compliance tasks, Gusto stands out as an efficient choice for managing your payroll and HR needs. Streamlined Payroll Processing Regarding payroll processing, efficiency is key, and utilizing an automated platform can make a significant difference. Gusto streamlines your payroll tasks, allowing you to manage everything with just a few clicks. Here are some benefits of using Gusto: Automates calculations and tax deductions Syncs team hours, PTO, and holidays accurately Cuts payroll process time by up to 90% Helps identify potential tax credits Provides dedicated support for payroll inquiries With Gusto’s auto autopilot payroll system, you can easily manage payroll alongside your employee scheduling software. Furthermore, its paycheck stub app empowers you to track your earnings seamlessly. This level of automation not only saves time but also reduces errors, ensuring a smoother payroll experience. Comprehensive Employee Benefits In relation to employee benefits, having a thorough and accessible package can greatly influence job satisfaction and retention. Gusto offers affordable health insurance administration at no extra cost, giving you access to various health coverage options. Licensed advisors help you choose the best coverage for your needs, ensuring team well-being. The platform integrates existing health plans effortlessly, facilitating smooth shifts for businesses without disrupting employee benefits. Furthermore, Gusto provides extensive benefits management, allowing employers to offer retirement plans and flexible spending accounts. ADP RUN ADP RUN is a robust payroll app designed to simplify the management of employee payroll and HR tasks. With a high rating of 4.7 stars on the Apple App Store, it’s clear that users appreciate its functionality and reliability. Here’s what you can expect from the ADP RUN app: Access pay statements, W2 forms, and tax information directly from your mobile device. Utilize the hourly time clock to punch in and out, making time tracking straightforward. Request vacation time and manage attendance seamlessly. Benefit from employee scheduling software for improved team coordination. Enjoy secure logins, whether through passwords or fingerprint access. TriNet TriNet stands out as a comprehensive payroll management solution that streamlines the intricacies of employee compensation and benefits administration. With its auto autopilot payroll features, TriNet guarantees your payments are accurate and timely, while additionally handling automatic tax filing and compliance assistance. The platform simplifies employee benefits administration, offering health insurance options and wellness programs that boost overall satisfaction. You’ll appreciate the user-friendly tools for time tracking, including staff time clock software, which lets you easily request time off and manage schedules. Furthermore, TriNet’s employee scheduling software freeware accommodates businesses of all sizes, providing scalable solutions customized to your needs. Its commitment to compliance helps you navigate labor laws and tax regulations, minimizing risks associated with payroll management. Homebase When managing payroll for hourly teams, Homebase provides a robust all-in-one solution that integrates vital scheduling and time tracking features. This platform simplifies payroll management, ensuring you can focus on your business. Automated payroll calculations for accurate wage, tax, and deduction processing Employee access to pay stubs, schedules, and tax forms for transparency Time clocks software for tracking employee hours and attendance Easy management of time-off requests to streamline attendance Affordable pricing starting at $39 per month plus $6 per employee As an employee scheduling app for small business, Homebase improves communication within teams as it reduces administrative burdens. With its intuitive design, you can easily navigate payroll services and keep everything organized in one place. This efficiency can lead to enhanced productivity, allowing you to devote more time to growing your business. Homebase is designed to meet the specific needs of hourly teams, making payroll management straightforward and efficient. BambooHR BambooHR serves as an integrated platform that combines HR and payroll management, particularly customized for small and medium-sized businesses. This solution streamlines your HR processes with features like employee self-service, time-off tracking, and performance management, enhancing user engagement. You can access your payroll information on-the-go thanks to its mobile capabilities. BambooHR also offers auto autopilot payroll, making payroll processing efficient and reliable. To help you manage your workforce better, it includes employee work schedule software, which simplifies scheduling tasks. You’ll find that its free employee scheduling app can keep your team organized and informed. Even though BambooHR’s pricing model isn’t publicly listed, it emphasizes an extensive set of tools for effective employee management and payroll. Moreover, the platform improves hiring and onboarding processes with job tracking and custom onboarding checklists, ensuring a smooth changeover for new employees into your organization. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best App to Use for Payroll? When deciding on the best app for payroll, consider features like compliance, cost management, and expense reporting. Rippling stands out for its robust compliance features, whereas Remote offers excellent expense management tools. Workful provides location-based access control, and Zoho Payroll includes in-app communication but lacks contractor payment support. For smaller teams, free options like Payroll4Free can be sufficient. In the end, your choice should align with your specific business needs and budget constraints. Who Is Adp’s Biggest Competitor? ADP’s biggest competitor is Paychex, which specializes in payroll and HR solutions for small to medium-sized businesses. Paychex emphasizes customer service and compliance support, making it a strong alternative for businesses needing reliable payroll processing. Other notable competitors include Gusto, Intuit QuickBooks Payroll, TriNet, and BambooHR, each offering unique features aimed at enhancing payroll and HR management. Depending on your specific needs, these alternatives can provide valuable options for effective business operations. Can I Do My Own Payroll Without Software? Yes, you can handle your own payroll without software by manually calculating wages and taxes. This involves tracking hours worked, determining gross pay, and deducting necessary withholdings. Although it’s possible, this method can be time-consuming and may lead to errors, especially without the latest tax updates. You’ll need to stay informed about labor laws to avoid penalties. Many choose free templates to simplify the process, but software often improves efficiency as your business grows. Is Excel Payroll Free? Yes, ExcelPayroll is free to use. It offers a template that helps you manage payroll calculations manually, making it accessible for small businesses. Nevertheless, you’ll need to input data yourself, as it doesn’t automate processes like tax filing or direct deposits. Although it’s suitable for those with fewer employees, you must additionally stay informed about tax regulations and compliance since the template doesn’t provide automated guidance in these areas. Conclusion In summary, choosing the right payroll app can greatly improve your payroll management experience. Each app, from Rippling to BambooHR, offers unique features customized to different business needs, providing functionalities like access control, in-app communication, and transparency in pay information. By comprehending the specific advantages of each option, you can make an informed decision that best suits your organizational requirements, eventually streamlining payroll processes and enhancing employee satisfaction. Consider exploring these apps to find the best fit for your team. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Payroll Apps for Employees" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. The etiquette of “participation noises” in meetings I was very recently diagnosed as neurodivergent, and exploring my actions through that lens has thrown up some questions for me about whether I am missing a few cues. I work for a grant-making foundation as the grants and funding manager,, and my role partially involves traveling around our state visiting our grant applicants and grantee partners. My state is very rural and very low in the national education rankings, and most of these meetings aren’t exactly adhering to corporate norms. One of the things that often happens is what I could term “audience participation,” where the other people present often make noises of agreement, support, surprise, anger, etc., as the speaker talks. This is very common, and I think it arises out of the church/religious culture that is very prevalent in those communities. I’m a bit of a conversational magpie, so I quickly picked up the same mannerisms in the grantee meetings I attend, and they definitely help me build stronger relationships with our partners. But I’m noticing now I also do it in the office with my colleagues and in Zoom calls with national partners. I’m a fairly chirpy person, and I like making other participants feel respected, seen, and included. I often feel that these verbal cues signal engagement in the conversation, and I do have a hard time if I am talking and I’m getting only silence back. However, with my recent diagnosis, I wonder if I’m not picking up on social cues from the different environments. My colleagues don’t do this; they just sit in silence watching the person speaking. Should I be more conscious of my verbal acknowledgements in corporate meetings and conversations? Oh, this is such an interesting question, and I think it ultimately comes down to the culture where it’s happening (or not happening). In any meeting, I think a little of it is fine and can be welcome for all the reasons you say — it can signal engagement in the conversation and help people feel like they’re not talking to a sea of blank faces. But in a meeting where no one else is doing it, if you’re doing it a lot it can distract people and come across as out of sync. (That’s especially true on video calls if it means the screen will flash to you every time you do it.) On the other hand, who knows — maybe a bunch of your colleagues appreciate this about you. But since you’re asking, I’d calibrate it closer to the level of what other people in that particular meeting are doing. 2. Someone is leaving religious notes in the bathroom I work in a corporate office with multi-stall restrooms on each floor. Over time, it’s become a norm for employees to place small items like hand lotion or soap in the bathrooms. I have worked on several floors and recently moved to a new to me floor. On this floor, someone has begun placing these items in the restroom with handwritten notes on the bottles warning that the item is to not be removed (perfectly okay) but it includes religious language with an aggressive and admonishing tone. We are a conservative industry but not religiously affiliated. (I am not going to quote the phrase as it’d give me away.) This restroom is also used by clients and visitors when they’re on-site, which adds to my discomfort. I do not object to the presence of communal items or a warning that items should remain in the bathroom. I object to the religious and scolding tone of the warning. It makes me personally uncomfortable and could see where a client on vendor may take offense and risk our company’s reputation. I am not in HR or facilitates and I do not know who has placed these items. How would you recommend I address this? Personally, I’d throw them out. If you don’t want your stuff thrown out, don’t label them with religious threats. Simple solution, done. But if you don’t want to do that, it’s entirely reasonable to give HR and/or facilitates a heads-up about the issue and say employees shouldn’t be exposed to religious proselytizing while they’re washing their hands. 3. Should I ask my coworker if he’s secretly assessing my work? A coworker in the role above me asked to shadow me tomorrow. The reason he gave was that his manager wants him to get more in touch with what I do and that I’m working on a technically interesting project. This seems entirely possible to me, given the roles largely do distinct and separate work, but part of me is wondering if he’s actually just going to be observing my performance in my role. We don’t have any direct oversight while we work, and my direct manager is in a different office so doesn’t work with me often. My annual review is next week and I’m in-line to move up to the same position as my coworker in a couple months. I don’t think it matters whether he’s observing me or not, I guess I just want transparency. Should I ask my coworker if he’s assessing my work? We have a friendly relationship, but I don’t want to come off as self-centered or paranoid. I wouldn’t. It doesn’t really change anything, and it risks creating an awkward situation where there doesn’t need to be one — especially if the reason they gave you is the entirety of it. (But really, if he’s assessing your work because they’re considering promoting you and they want his input, that’s reasonable. And if he’s assessing your work because they have concerns about it and he’s the best equipped to evaluate what’s happening, that’s reasonable too.) But at the start of the shadowing, you could say something like, “There are lots of pieces to what I do, and some will be less useful to shadow than others. Can you tell me a little about what you’re most interested in seeing and what you’re hoping to come away with, and I’ll focus there?” 4. HR is giving conflicting info about whether you can be rehired after damaging a work vehicle A few months ago, my young adult daughter took a paid internship with a local government department. She caused minor cosmetic damage to a work vehicle which required automatic termination, per policy. She talked to HR afterwards to understand when she might qualify for rehire and was told there was no policy on that, it was just up to the hiring manager. Four months later, a permanent position opened up and her manager called HR and confirmed that she was eligible for rehire, so the manager put her hire paperwork through. Surprisingly, HR blocked it and said she is not eligible for rehire. What’s reasonable to do here? Can she ask HR to confirm what policy applies? Ask when or if she’ll ever be eligible for rehire? She’s frustrated that HR seems to have some secret expectations on rehire and no one, not even the hiring manager, knows what they are. Why do we care so much? Because in four months she’s put in 100+ applications, most met with automatic email denials and not a single call back, but that’s a separate frustration. Yeah, if they told her it was up to the hiring manager and then HR blocked it anyway, I can see why you and she are frustrated. It’s possible that the initial info she was given was wrong. It’s also possible that the later block shouldn’t have happened. The person best positioned to find out is the hiring manager since it sounds like they wanted to hire her. Any chance they like your daughter enough that they’d be willing to push a little on this? Otherwise, she can try calling HR and asking, explaining that she’s been told two different things and is just trying to get clarity. They may or may not give her a satisfying answer, though. The hiring manager is more likely to be able to get real info. 5. How to thank my references after getting a job I just got a new job, thanks in part to your fantastic advice (the hiring manager told me my cover letter was the best one she received, and I was also able to negotiate a pay bump and additional time off using your scripts)! I’m now wondering how I can express my gratitude to my wonderful references. I’ve already sent thank-you texts to all three of them, but it doesn’t feel like enough. I considered sending physical thank-you cards, but I don’t know two of their home addresses (though I suppose I could mail the cards to their current employers). A small gift/gift card feels a bit weird, like a payoff. What say you? How effusive were those thank-you texts? If they were just a single line like “thanks so much for the reference, I got the job!” you can write a more effusive email to each of them now, telling them how much you appreciate their time and support. If the texts already did that, though, then your job is done. You shouldn’t send anything more than that, because it would imply that they were doing you a special favor and/or will make it feel more transactional than it should. They gave you great references because they think you do great work and they’re happy to connect another employer with you. A thoughtful, personal email letting them know you got the job and how excited you are about it, and maybe something about how much you appreciated working with them is all that’s needed. (But bonus points if you can mention something you learned from them that has helped you in your career.) The post “participation noises” in meetings, someone is leaving religious notes in the bathroom, and more appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

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Team building activities are crucial for promoting collaboration in any workplace. They improve communication, trust, and problem-solving skills among team members. Engaging in effective activities can lead to improved interpersonal relationships and a stronger team culture. From icebreakers to creative challenges, there are various options to contemplate. Each type serves a unique purpose, contributing to a more cohesive work environment. Let’s explore these seven activities that can transform your team’s dynamics and boost overall productivity. Key Takeaways Engage in activities like “Marshmallow Tower” to enhance critical thinking and foster collaboration among team members. Utilize icebreakers such as “Two Truths and a Lie” to improve communication and strengthen personal connections within the team. Organize mini hackathons to tackle real company challenges, promoting inter-team collaboration and innovative thinking. Incorporate shared online whiteboards for visual brainstorming, stimulating creativity and collective contributions among team members. Conduct regular trust-building exercises that require vulnerability, enhancing interpersonal relationships and fostering a collaborative work environment. Importance of Team Building Activities Team building activities play a vital role in improving workplace dynamics and overall performance. Engaging in these culture-building activities leads to stronger communication among team members. According to an MIT study, successful teams communicate face-to-face or via videoconferencing 12 times more than less successful ones. Moreover, teams that participate in great team building activities show a 21% increase in profitability, as noted in a Gallup report. These activities not only boost morale but also make employees feel valued, which in turn increases productivity and innovation. Companies promoting collaboration through team-building initiatives are five times more likely to achieve high performance, as highlighted by Deloitte. Effective Communication Activities Effective communication activities focus on enhancing your active listening techniques and nonverbal communication skills, both of which are essential for successful teamwork. By practicing these techniques, you create an environment where team members feel heard and understood, encouraging trust and collaboration. Incorporating these activities into your routine can greatly improve your team’s overall performance and workplace culture. Active Listening Techniques Active listening techniques play a vital role in enhancing communication within groups, ensuring that all members not just hear but truly understand each other’s perspectives. When you practice active listening, you engage more deeply with your team’s ideas, which leads to better collaboration and problem-solving. Studies show that teams using these techniques are 30% more effective in reaching their goals because of improved clarity and fewer misunderstandings. Techniques like paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions, and summarizing help build trust and cohesion, making everyone feel valued. Incorporating active listening exercises in team-building activities can greatly boost morale, as employees feel more connected. Regular practice can result in a 25% increase in overall team productivity, aligning everyone toward shared objectives. Nonverbal Communication Skills Comprehending nonverbal communication skills is vital for improving teamwork and collaboration. Studies show that up to 93% of communication effectiveness relies on nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. Engaging in team-building activities like charades or blind drawing amplifies your ability to interpret these cues, nurturing a better comprehension among team members. Research indicates that teams proficient in nonverbal communication report higher levels of trust and openness, which improves overall dynamics and performance. Furthermore, participating in nonverbal exercises helps you become more aware of your own body language and its effects on others. This awareness can markedly reduce misunderstandings, as 55% of our perception comes from body language, making effective communication fundamental for collaboration. Creative Problem-Solving Activities Creative problem-solving activities play a crucial role in improving team dynamics and nurturing innovation within the workplace. Engaging in challenges like the Marshmallow Tower allows you and your team to work together, constructing the tallest structure with limited materials. This encourages critical thinking and collaboration. Another effective exercise is the “Grab Bag of Creativity,” where teams brainstorm innovative uses for random items, promoting out-of-the-box thinking fundamental for diverse work environments. Participating in these activities encourages team members to leverage their individual strengths, which can lead to a productivity boost of 12.5%. Mini Hackathons are particularly beneficial; they tackle real company problems as they reinforce inter-team collaboration. Microsoft is one of the companies that promote teamwork and are five times more likely to excel. Trust-Building Activities Trust-building activities are essential for creating a cohesive team environment, as they nurture reliance among teammates and promote a sense of safety that encourages risk-taking and collaboration. Engaging in these exercises can greatly improve team cohesion, leading to a 50% increase in performance, since members feel more comfortable sharing ideas and giving feedback. Activities that require vulnerability, like trust falls or blindfolded navigation, strengthen interpersonal relationships and result in higher levels of trust and communication. Research shows that teams with robust trust levels are 12 times more likely to work collaboratively in pursuit of common goals, underscoring trust’s importance for success. Furthermore, trust-building initiatives can enhance problem-solving capabilities by 25%, as team members become more willing to share insights and tackle challenges together. By investing time in trust-building activities, you cultivate a more effective and united team, ultimately driving better results in your collaborative efforts. Engaging Icebreaker Activities Building on the foundation of trust created through earlier activities, engaging icebreaker activities serve as a strong way to improve communication and cultivate connections among team members. These activities promote interaction and set a positive tone for collaboration from the outset. Engaging games like “Two Truths and a Lie” or “Human Bingo” effectively break down initial barriers, encouraging team members to share personal interests and experiences. This sharing promotes greater connection and boosts team morale, which studies show correlates with improved performance and productivity. Icebreakers are particularly valuable in remote or hybrid settings, helping to bridge physical distances and encourage a sense of belonging among dispersed teams. Incorporating these activities regularly can lead to more effective communication; teams that engage in face-to-face interactions are 12 times more likely to succeed than those that do not. Consequently, icebreakers are crucial for strengthening team dynamics. Collaborative Outdoor Activities When teams participate in collaborative outdoor activities, they often find that the combination of fresh air and physical engagement improves their ability to work together. Activities like scavenger hunts require you to solve clues and complete challenges as a group, promoting vital skills such as communication and cooperation. Engaging in physical activities like group jump rope or relay races encourages camaraderie, as shared experiences build stronger team bonds. Outdoor exercises, including obstacle courses, not only improve physical fitness but also necessitate strategic planning and collaboration to achieve common goals. Trust-building activities, like trust falls or blindfolded navigation, help develop trust among team members, which is fundamental for effective collaboration back in the workplace. Research shows that teams that participate in outdoor activities report higher morale and stronger relationships, eventually leading to improved performance and productivity in their work environment. These experiences can greatly improve your team’s overall dynamics. Virtual Team Building Options As remote work continues to shape modern workplaces, virtual team building options have become fundamental for promoting collaboration and maintaining team dynamics. Activities like online escape rooms encourage your team to work together, solving puzzles that improve communication and problem-solving skills. Engaging in virtual coffee breaks or casual video calls helps maintain personal connections, which are important for building trust among team members. Collaborative drawing on shared online whiteboards stimulates creativity and teamwork, allowing each participant to contribute to a collective piece. Remote team scattergories challenge you to brainstorm words within a set category, promoting quick thinking under time constraints. In addition, virtual talent shows offer a platform for team members to showcase their unique skills, encouraging self-expression and connection. These activities not just strengthen collaborative skills but also create a cohesive remote team culture, which is critical for long-term success. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Measure the Success of Team Building Activities? To measure the success of team building activities, you should assess several factors. First, gather feedback from participants through surveys or discussions, focusing on their engagement levels and perceived value. Second, observe changes in team dynamics, such as improved communication and collaboration. Third, analyze productivity metrics before and after the activities. Finally, set specific goals for the activities, and evaluate whether those goals were achieved to determine overall effectiveness. What Are the Costs Associated With Team Building Activities? When considering the costs associated with team building activities, you’ll need to account for various factors. These can include venue rental, materials, transportation, catering, and facilitator fees. Depending on the complexity and duration of the activities, expenses can vary considerably. Furthermore, consider potential lost productivity during the event, in addition to the long-term benefits that successful activities may yield. It’s crucial to balance upfront costs with expected outcomes for effective planning. How Often Should We Conduct Team Building Activities? You should conduct team building activities regularly to maintain engagement and collaboration among team members. Aim for quarterly events, as this frequency allows time for employees to build relationships without overwhelming their schedules. Furthermore, consider shorter, informal activities monthly to reinforce connections. The key is to balance these activities with work responsibilities, ensuring they remain effective and promote a positive team environment without becoming a burden or distraction. Can Team Building Activities Be Done Remotely? Yes, you can conduct team building activities remotely. Virtual platforms allow teams to engage in various activities, such as online games, collaborative projects, or virtual escape rooms. These activities can improve communication and cultivate connections among team members, even from a distance. To guarantee effectiveness, it’s important to choose activities that promote interaction and require participation. Regularly scheduled remote team building can help maintain a sense of camaraderie and collaboration in a virtual work environment. What if Team Members Are Resistant to Participation? If team members resist participation, first identify their concerns. Open a dialogue to understand their reasons—be it time, relevance, or discomfort. Address these issues directly; adapt activities to suit their preferences or suggest alternatives that feel less forced. Encouraging voluntary participation can create a more positive atmosphere. Furthermore, emphasizing the benefits of collaboration, such as improved communication and teamwork, may motivate them to engage more willingly in the future. Conclusion Incorporating team-building activities is crucial for nurturing collaboration among team members. These activities, whether focused on communication, creativity, or trust-building, improve interpersonal relationships and strengthen team culture. By engaging in various structured activities, teams can enhance productivity and create a supportive work environment. Regardless of whether you choose icebreakers, problem-solving challenges, or virtual options, each activity serves to unite team members and promote a collaborative spirit, in the end leading to greater success in achieving shared goals. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Great Team Building Activities That Boost Collaboration" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Team building activities are crucial for promoting collaboration in any workplace. They improve communication, trust, and problem-solving skills among team members. Engaging in effective activities can lead to improved interpersonal relationships and a stronger team culture. From icebreakers to creative challenges, there are various options to contemplate. Each type serves a unique purpose, contributing to a more cohesive work environment. Let’s explore these seven activities that can transform your team’s dynamics and boost overall productivity. Key Takeaways Engage in activities like “Marshmallow Tower” to enhance critical thinking and foster collaboration among team members. Utilize icebreakers such as “Two Truths and a Lie” to improve communication and strengthen personal connections within the team. Organize mini hackathons to tackle real company challenges, promoting inter-team collaboration and innovative thinking. Incorporate shared online whiteboards for visual brainstorming, stimulating creativity and collective contributions among team members. Conduct regular trust-building exercises that require vulnerability, enhancing interpersonal relationships and fostering a collaborative work environment. Importance of Team Building Activities Team building activities play a vital role in improving workplace dynamics and overall performance. Engaging in these culture-building activities leads to stronger communication among team members. According to an MIT study, successful teams communicate face-to-face or via videoconferencing 12 times more than less successful ones. Moreover, teams that participate in great team building activities show a 21% increase in profitability, as noted in a Gallup report. These activities not only boost morale but also make employees feel valued, which in turn increases productivity and innovation. Companies promoting collaboration through team-building initiatives are five times more likely to achieve high performance, as highlighted by Deloitte. Effective Communication Activities Effective communication activities focus on enhancing your active listening techniques and nonverbal communication skills, both of which are essential for successful teamwork. By practicing these techniques, you create an environment where team members feel heard and understood, encouraging trust and collaboration. Incorporating these activities into your routine can greatly improve your team’s overall performance and workplace culture. Active Listening Techniques Active listening techniques play a vital role in enhancing communication within groups, ensuring that all members not just hear but truly understand each other’s perspectives. When you practice active listening, you engage more deeply with your team’s ideas, which leads to better collaboration and problem-solving. Studies show that teams using these techniques are 30% more effective in reaching their goals because of improved clarity and fewer misunderstandings. Techniques like paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions, and summarizing help build trust and cohesion, making everyone feel valued. Incorporating active listening exercises in team-building activities can greatly boost morale, as employees feel more connected. Regular practice can result in a 25% increase in overall team productivity, aligning everyone toward shared objectives. Nonverbal Communication Skills Comprehending nonverbal communication skills is vital for improving teamwork and collaboration. Studies show that up to 93% of communication effectiveness relies on nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. Engaging in team-building activities like charades or blind drawing amplifies your ability to interpret these cues, nurturing a better comprehension among team members. Research indicates that teams proficient in nonverbal communication report higher levels of trust and openness, which improves overall dynamics and performance. Furthermore, participating in nonverbal exercises helps you become more aware of your own body language and its effects on others. This awareness can markedly reduce misunderstandings, as 55% of our perception comes from body language, making effective communication fundamental for collaboration. Creative Problem-Solving Activities Creative problem-solving activities play a crucial role in improving team dynamics and nurturing innovation within the workplace. Engaging in challenges like the Marshmallow Tower allows you and your team to work together, constructing the tallest structure with limited materials. This encourages critical thinking and collaboration. Another effective exercise is the “Grab Bag of Creativity,” where teams brainstorm innovative uses for random items, promoting out-of-the-box thinking fundamental for diverse work environments. Participating in these activities encourages team members to leverage their individual strengths, which can lead to a productivity boost of 12.5%. Mini Hackathons are particularly beneficial; they tackle real company problems as they reinforce inter-team collaboration. Microsoft is one of the companies that promote teamwork and are five times more likely to excel. Trust-Building Activities Trust-building activities are essential for creating a cohesive team environment, as they nurture reliance among teammates and promote a sense of safety that encourages risk-taking and collaboration. Engaging in these exercises can greatly improve team cohesion, leading to a 50% increase in performance, since members feel more comfortable sharing ideas and giving feedback. Activities that require vulnerability, like trust falls or blindfolded navigation, strengthen interpersonal relationships and result in higher levels of trust and communication. Research shows that teams with robust trust levels are 12 times more likely to work collaboratively in pursuit of common goals, underscoring trust’s importance for success. Furthermore, trust-building initiatives can enhance problem-solving capabilities by 25%, as team members become more willing to share insights and tackle challenges together. By investing time in trust-building activities, you cultivate a more effective and united team, ultimately driving better results in your collaborative efforts. Engaging Icebreaker Activities Building on the foundation of trust created through earlier activities, engaging icebreaker activities serve as a strong way to improve communication and cultivate connections among team members. These activities promote interaction and set a positive tone for collaboration from the outset. Engaging games like “Two Truths and a Lie” or “Human Bingo” effectively break down initial barriers, encouraging team members to share personal interests and experiences. This sharing promotes greater connection and boosts team morale, which studies show correlates with improved performance and productivity. Icebreakers are particularly valuable in remote or hybrid settings, helping to bridge physical distances and encourage a sense of belonging among dispersed teams. Incorporating these activities regularly can lead to more effective communication; teams that engage in face-to-face interactions are 12 times more likely to succeed than those that do not. Consequently, icebreakers are crucial for strengthening team dynamics. Collaborative Outdoor Activities When teams participate in collaborative outdoor activities, they often find that the combination of fresh air and physical engagement improves their ability to work together. Activities like scavenger hunts require you to solve clues and complete challenges as a group, promoting vital skills such as communication and cooperation. Engaging in physical activities like group jump rope or relay races encourages camaraderie, as shared experiences build stronger team bonds. Outdoor exercises, including obstacle courses, not only improve physical fitness but also necessitate strategic planning and collaboration to achieve common goals. Trust-building activities, like trust falls or blindfolded navigation, help develop trust among team members, which is fundamental for effective collaboration back in the workplace. Research shows that teams that participate in outdoor activities report higher morale and stronger relationships, eventually leading to improved performance and productivity in their work environment. These experiences can greatly improve your team’s overall dynamics. Virtual Team Building Options As remote work continues to shape modern workplaces, virtual team building options have become fundamental for promoting collaboration and maintaining team dynamics. Activities like online escape rooms encourage your team to work together, solving puzzles that improve communication and problem-solving skills. Engaging in virtual coffee breaks or casual video calls helps maintain personal connections, which are important for building trust among team members. Collaborative drawing on shared online whiteboards stimulates creativity and teamwork, allowing each participant to contribute to a collective piece. Remote team scattergories challenge you to brainstorm words within a set category, promoting quick thinking under time constraints. In addition, virtual talent shows offer a platform for team members to showcase their unique skills, encouraging self-expression and connection. These activities not just strengthen collaborative skills but also create a cohesive remote team culture, which is critical for long-term success. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Measure the Success of Team Building Activities? To measure the success of team building activities, you should assess several factors. First, gather feedback from participants through surveys or discussions, focusing on their engagement levels and perceived value. Second, observe changes in team dynamics, such as improved communication and collaboration. Third, analyze productivity metrics before and after the activities. Finally, set specific goals for the activities, and evaluate whether those goals were achieved to determine overall effectiveness. What Are the Costs Associated With Team Building Activities? When considering the costs associated with team building activities, you’ll need to account for various factors. These can include venue rental, materials, transportation, catering, and facilitator fees. Depending on the complexity and duration of the activities, expenses can vary considerably. Furthermore, consider potential lost productivity during the event, in addition to the long-term benefits that successful activities may yield. It’s crucial to balance upfront costs with expected outcomes for effective planning. How Often Should We Conduct Team Building Activities? You should conduct team building activities regularly to maintain engagement and collaboration among team members. Aim for quarterly events, as this frequency allows time for employees to build relationships without overwhelming their schedules. Furthermore, consider shorter, informal activities monthly to reinforce connections. The key is to balance these activities with work responsibilities, ensuring they remain effective and promote a positive team environment without becoming a burden or distraction. Can Team Building Activities Be Done Remotely? Yes, you can conduct team building activities remotely. Virtual platforms allow teams to engage in various activities, such as online games, collaborative projects, or virtual escape rooms. These activities can improve communication and cultivate connections among team members, even from a distance. To guarantee effectiveness, it’s important to choose activities that promote interaction and require participation. Regularly scheduled remote team building can help maintain a sense of camaraderie and collaboration in a virtual work environment. What if Team Members Are Resistant to Participation? If team members resist participation, first identify their concerns. Open a dialogue to understand their reasons—be it time, relevance, or discomfort. Address these issues directly; adapt activities to suit their preferences or suggest alternatives that feel less forced. Encouraging voluntary participation can create a more positive atmosphere. Furthermore, emphasizing the benefits of collaboration, such as improved communication and teamwork, may motivate them to engage more willingly in the future. Conclusion Incorporating team-building activities is crucial for nurturing collaboration among team members. These activities, whether focused on communication, creativity, or trust-building, improve interpersonal relationships and strengthen team culture. By engaging in various structured activities, teams can enhance productivity and create a supportive work environment. Regardless of whether you choose icebreakers, problem-solving challenges, or virtual options, each activity serves to unite team members and promote a collaborative spirit, in the end leading to greater success in achieving shared goals. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Great Team Building Activities That Boost Collaboration" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

On the morning of January 24 in downtown Minneapolis, an ICE agent shot and killed protester Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a local Veterans Affairs hospital. Just 2 miles away, on January 7, another ICE agent had shot and killed Nicole Renee Good, a mother. The deaths mark the first times during Donald The President’s second term that ICE agents have fired in anger and killed publicly verified U.S. citizens. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have so far said nothing on the matter. X CEO Elon Musk earlier tweeted that Renee Good had “almost killed” ICE agent Jonathan Ross before Ross shot and killed her on January 7. On the same day as Pretti’s fatal shooting on Saturday, January 24, Apple CEO Tim Cook attended a VIP screening of the new (Amazon-funded) Melania The President documentary at the White House. Cook was silent about the shooting until Tuesday evening, when he reportedly sent a memo to Apple employees calling for “de-escalation” and saying that he’d talked to The President about the issue. It’s become clear to many that The President’s ICE strategy is at least as much about intimidating citizens of blue cities as it is about removing illegal immigrants. The question is, and has always been: At what point will The President’s authoritarian urges become too much for the tech industry to stomach? UC San Diego political scientist and civil war expert Barbara F. Walter writes that historically, it is the business community that often heads off civil conflict by demanding a more stable and secure business environment. Indeed, tech leaders are credited with having persuaded the The President administration to cancel plans to move ICE agents into San Francisco last October. AI leaders speak first Among tech leaders, it’s the heads of the leading artificial intelligence companies that have said the most about Minneapolis. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who has been influential among members of Congress and people within the The President administration, says he spoke to the president about Minneapolis on Monday, following Pretti’s death on Saturday. He wrote a Slack message to employees saying he believes the ICE shootings have “gone too far.” He didn’t make these comments publicly, however. The memo, in which Altman called The President a “very strong leader,” was leaked (intentionally or otherwise) to The New York Times, which published it. (OpenAI president and cofounder Greg Brockman has become a major The President donor as well.) Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei did speak out publicly. “We need to defend our own democratic values at home, and some of the things I’ve seen during the last few days concern me about that,” he said in a Monday night interview with Tom Llamas on NBC Nightly News. He added that Anthropic doesn’t currently have contracts with ICE and that the shootings don’t make him “more enthusiastic” about working with the agency. In his Slack memo, Altman spoke directly (if unclearly) to the issue of when OpenAI will, and will not, speak out on social and political issues. The company will “not get blown around by changing fashions” and will not “make a lot of performative statements now about safety or politics,” he wrote, but rather will “engage with leaders and push for our values, and speak up clearly about it as needed.” Amodei and Altman may have spoken out before leaders of bigger tech companies did for any of several reasons. The research culture within AI companies has closer ties to the academic community, so researchers are perhaps more apt to speak out on moral or political issues. The competition for talent in AI is also fierce, so AI company leaders may be quick to respond, fearing the loss of valuable employees. Also, AI companies are eager to project an image of social responsibility, which might reinforce the idea that they’ll be careful stewards of the technology they’re developing. They also may have less to lose. OpenAI and Anthropic are not public companies, so they don’t have to consider stockholder consensus when their leaders speak out about political issues. They are also smaller than firms like Google or Apple, and they don’t rely as much on federal government contracts for revenue—not yet, anyway. Listening to tech workers The backlash against the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti started not with tech executives, but with employees. Several big-name researchers within AI companies denounced the ICE killings on X. Google DeepMind chief scientist Jeff Dean, Anthropic cofounder Chris Olah, former Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun, and Microsoft chief scientific officer Eric Horvitz were among those who spoke out. Other researchers, including OpenAI’s Michael Schade and theoretical computer scientist Boaz Barak, a member of OpenAI’s technical staff, endorsed or shared the tweets. Tech super-investors Reid Hoffman, Vinod Khosla, and Paul Graham also condemned the murders and demanded accountability. (Business Insider has a fuller list.) They join a small number of tech workers who have gone public to pressure tech leaders. More than 800 of them signed an open letter, organized by a group called ICEOut.tech, that called for tech CEOs to demand that the The President administration remove ICE agents from U.S. cities and to cancel their companies’ contracts with the agency. The signatories include names from some of the biggest tech and AI companies, including Apple, Google, Salesforce, Uber, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Big Tech’s alliance with The President is paying dividends Only a half decade ago, during the first The President term, tech companies spoke out loudly against the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, and then introduced broad new diversity policies and programs. Now that many of tech’s most influential leaders—people like Musk and venture capitalists David Sacks and Marc Andreessen—have turned so enthusiastically pro-The President, the tech industry has taken the approach of flattering, appeasing, and bankrolling The President in his second term. A unified response to the recent events in Minnesota seems impossible. What changed? I doubt that the majority of tech industry has radically changed its political stripes on social issues like race and policing. What’s changed is AI. After the appearance of ChatGPT in 2022, tech leaders could very likely see the broad transition that AI might bring, and the massive and expensive infrastructure build-out that would be needed to support it. (Big Tech, AI, and cloud companies are now betting hundreds of billions of dollars on building new data centers to run AI models.) So tech leaders decided to get behind the candidate most likely to enable it rather than regulate it. That was The President, and they did so knowing that a lot of odious social policy would likely come with the deal. Big Tech leaders funded The President’s inauguration and his new White House ballroom. They visited him at Mar-a-Lago and at the White House to advise him on trade and tech policy. Some vigorously defended his policies on social media. And some took roles in his administration (Sacks became The President’s “AI and crypto czar” and Musk led DOGE, for example). And The President has delivered. His administration—under the influence of people like Sacks, Musk, and Andreessen—has made it a top priority to keep the federal government out of the way of the AI infrastructure build-out. The The President administration has stifled any chance of any meaningful AI regulation (which most Americans favor) in Congress and has even attempted to preempt states from doing so. It has canceled federal investigations into tech companies and attempted to clear away red tape at the state and local levels that might slow data center builds. But the tech industry’s alliance with the MAGA crowd has never faced a threat as serious as the one emerging from Minneapolis. “Wondering how the eager tech enablers of this regime, including some of my former VC friends and partners, are rationalizing this atrocity,” former Andreessen Horowitz partner John O’Farrell posted on X. “Just the latest in a year of horrors. Is all the crypto and AI money in the world really worth this?” Rank-and-file tech workers may not be as ready to swallow their moral scruples as top management is. They’re becoming more sensitized to The President’s ICE strategy and its consequences on the ground across the country. Every additional act of violence by ICE against American citizens could agitate workers exponentially more and further pressure company leaders to respond in meaningful ways. If The President persists, tech companies may eventually have to choose between their alliance with The President and the loyalty of their own employees. View the full article

Sharp drop in production caused by fall-off in exports prompts carmakers to contemplate diversifyingView the full article

Walking is an easy way to get some exercise in your day, and it delivers mental health benefits as well. I’m one of the many people who added daily walks to my routine during the pandemic, and they improved my life so much I don’t intend to stop. But does walking do enough for your body that you can count it as cardio exercise? The answer is complicated. Walking counts as cardio in some respects: it can burn calories, it gets your heart rate up, and it counts toward the exercise we should all be getting every week. But on the other hand, it’s not going to increase your cardio fitness in the same way as a run or an intense aerobics class would. If you want to improve your endurance, you’ll have to do more than just walk. How walking’s calorie burn compares to runningRunning burns more calories than walking per unit time, but both are similar when you consider distance. A rule of thumb is that you burn about 100 calories per mile whether you run it or walk it, but in truth calorie burn varies according to the size of your body (you burn more calories if you are larger) and how fast you run or walk. The calories per mile are slightly lower when you walk. This calculator estimates that a 150-pound person will burn 108 calories by walking a mile at 3 miles per hour, or 104 calories by running it at 6 miles per hour. Some calculators give a lower estimate for walking, The bigger difference is in calories per hour (rather than calories per mile): for the same 150-pound person, walking burns 324 calories per hour, and running burns 627. The faster you go, the higher the calorie burn. So if you’re walking or running to burn calories, running will burn about double the calories in a given time. But if you prefer walking and you have the time to spare, both will do the job. Walking can’t replace “vigorous” cardioEach intensity level of exercise offers its own benefits. Walking is what I’d consider very easy cardio, jogging is more of a medium exercise, and high-intensity cardio would be something like sprinting or racing. All of these are good for you, although depending on your goals, you may not need to do all of them. If you want to be a fast runner, for example, you’ll need plenty of medium cardio (slow running) and some higher intensity stuff (speedwork); if you want to improve your endurance, as measured by metrics like VO2max, you’ll definitely need to put in some work at these intensities. On the other hand, if you’re just trying to get some movement in your life and you don’t care about getting better at it, lower intensity exercise like walking may be enough. According to major health organizations (including the CDC, the WHO, and the AHA), we should all be getting at least 150 minutes per week of “moderate” exercise, or 75 minutes of “vigorous” exercise. You can mix and match, with the idea that each minute of vigorous exercise counts double. So where does walking fall in that recommendation? Walking is moderate, and I have more here on how that's defined. But if you want a rule of thumb to compare it to heart rate, the American Heart Association defines moderate exercise as that in which your heart rate is between 50-70% of your max, and vigorous exercise as between 70-85% of your max. (That does assume you know your true max.) Walking will generally be in the moderate range, so you’ll have to do twice as much of it—counting in minutes—as if you chose to do more vigorous cardio. That matches up with our calorie calculations. Walking doesn’t have to mean an easy strollThe distinction between walking and running is a mechanical one: if you always have at least one foot on the ground, you’re walking. If instead your gait has a little hop as you move from foot to foot, you’re running. (Jogging is simply a slow run.) It’s often easier to keep up a higher intensity (and a higher heart rate) by running than by walking, but that’s not always true. If you’re hiking up a mountain, your heart rate can easily get into the “vigorous” zone. And if you’re an efficient enough runner, you may be able to go for a slow jog while you keep your heart rate down in the “moderate” realm. As you’re planning your workouts, think about the intensity: Measure your heart rate if you aren’t sure where you fall; you can use a tracker like a Fitbit or an Apple Watch to do this, but you can also just put two fingers on the side of your neck and count the beats of your pulse. If your max is 200 and you count 150 beats per minute, you’re at 75% of your max heart rate. Maybe walking gets you a higher heart rate than you thought—not impossible if you’re a beginner or if your walks take you over hilly terrain. If you want a tougher cardio workout, you can walk faster, or you can choose a different type of exercise like cycling or dancing that gets your heart rate up higher. But it’s fine to go for an easy walk if that’s all you’re aiming for. View the full article

An inclusive economy is no longer a moral aspiration or a side project. Business leaders must understand that without inclusion, we cannot create a resilient, growing economy that delivers sustainable returns for all. In places where inclusion is part of the infrastructure of their economy—supply chains, procurement processes, capital access, or business ownership—people thrive. Inclusive economies create more resilience by expanding the base of potential business owners who can build, own, innovate, and hire. They allow more opportunities for homeownership and investing in the longevity of communities. As our economy becomes increasingly stratified and volatile, we need as much resiliency as we can get. At Living Cities, our work with mayors, financial institutions, philanthropy, and community partners shows that places and companies that prioritize inclusion and equity reduce long-term risk, deepen trust, and create or identify new economic opportunities. Those that ignore the benefits of economic inclusion have capital, talent, and residents move elsewhere. INCLUSION PROOF POINTS IN CITIES Consider Memphis, where Black residents are a majority of the population but historically own only a fraction of local businesses. City and local partners supported the creation of Contractor’s University, a cohort model that equips small firms—many led by entrepreneurs of color—to bid on and win city contracts. Within months, participating firms converted training into new contracts and rising revenues. Contractor’s University was able to take one of the largest barriers to business success—accessing procurement dollars—and turned it into a growth platform. In Miami, inclusive capital has become part of the city’s resilience strategy. Local leaders were able to preserve affordable space for dozens of small, often new American immigrant-owned businesses through partnerships with community organizations and investors to acquire commercial property in a cultural district. By partnering with local civic leaders, the City of Miami preserves both a burgeoning commercial corridor and future revenue streams. In Austin, cultural incubators and entrepreneurial training programs are translating modest seed grants into new firms, jobs, and community wealth—because they have been able to offer the targeted support that entrepreneurs have been missing for generations to unlock growth opportunities and sustainable businesses. WHAT BUSINESS LEADERS CAN DO DIFFERENTLY IN 2026 The question for business leaders and investors is no longer whether to support an inclusive economy, but how quickly to align their own practices and policies with what is already working. Three shifts can help leaders tap into the benefits of an inclusive economy: Redesign how capital moves. Replace audit underwriting and investment criteria with “bias-adjusted” frameworks that recognize the positive records of entrepreneurs and neighborhoods long labeled high-risk. Coupled with innovative credit products—such as first-loss capital, guarantees, and flexible lines of credit—changing the preconception of what makes a “risky” investment can lead to an expanded deal pipeline and more opportunities. Treat procurement as a growth engine. Moving beyond diversity pledges toward codified inclusive procurement standards that make it easier for local and small firms to become ongoing vendors. This means simplifying contracting processes, offering technical assistance, and publishing clear inclusion metrics tied to executive performance and cost savings from more resilient local supply chains. Invest in ownership, not just access. Support models that keep wealth rooted locally—cooperatives, employee ownership transitions, and community land trusts—by aligning corporate philanthropy, impact investing, and civic partnerships around shared-ownership pathways. In St. Paul, for example, a down-payment assistance program has invested in families who lost homes through the execution of the Federal Highway Act, stabilizing neighborhoods and the local economy. A MANDATE FOR THE NEXT ECONOMY The past year has been turbulent, from federal shutdowns to rising costs to contracting labor markets that strain both households and balance sheets. Yet we know the path forward: Cities are proving that local economies which expand the concept of who can be full participants are more productive, predictable, and investable. In 2026, neutrality is not a safe middle ground. Choosing not to prioritize inclusivity and resilience is, in effect, choosing to operate inside an outdated standard for risk, talent, and growth. Business leaders who want to bring about the next era of American prosperity should spend 2026 re-committing to inclusion as a core economic strategy. Joe Scantlebury is the CEO at Living Cities. View the full article

If you’re looking to improve team spirit in your workplace, engaging games can be quite effective. These activities range from icebreakers that cultivate instant connections to collaborative challenges that build problem-solving skills. Competitive events can energize the team, whereas creative tasks encourage expression. Moreover, virtual games guarantee remote employees feel included. Exploring these options can lead to improved collaboration, but comprehending the specific benefits of each type is crucial for making the right choice. Key Takeaways Two Truths and a Lie: A fun icebreaker that encourages personal storytelling and fosters connections among team members. Office Olympics: Promote friendly rivalry through engaging competitions that enhance teamwork and boost productivity by 14% to 30%. Escape Room Challenges: Foster communication and problem-solving skills while working together to solve puzzles in a time-sensitive environment. Creative Group Painting: Encourage artistic expression and collaboration, serving as an effective icebreaker that cultivates a relaxed atmosphere. Virtual Trivia Games: Engage remote teams with online trivia that strengthens relationships and boosts morale by up to 30%. Icebreaker Games for Instant Connections Icebreaker games play a crucial role in nurturing immediate connections among team members, especially when teams are newly formed or when new members join. These activities serve as engagement games for work, breaking down barriers and promoting a collaborative atmosphere. By participating in icebreaker activities, you improve comfort and encourage open communication, leading to a relaxed environment. Games like “Two Truths and a Lie” or “Have You Ever?” encourage personal storytelling, revealing common interests and building rapport among colleagues. Research indicates that icebreakers can greatly improve group dynamics, with 79% of employees reporting strengthened workplace relationships. Incorporating these workplace games into meetings or events not merely sets a positive tone but also energizes participants, boosting overall engagement. When team members feel connected, they’re more likely to collaborate effectively, making icebreakers a valuable tool for improving workplace culture and productivity. Collaborative Team-Building Activities When teams engage in collaborative team-building activities, they not just improve their relationships but furthermore greatly boost their overall performance. Research shows that participation in these activities can increase workplace performance by up to 25%. Engaging in escape room challenges or bridge building exercises improves communication and problem-solving skills, which are vital for a cohesive team dynamic. Moreover, structured collaborative exercises lead to a 36% higher retention rate, reflecting a stronger emotional connection to the company culture. Activities like human knot untangling or marshmallow tower engineering emphasize clear communication and adaptability, fundamental traits for effective teamwork. Regularly scheduled collaborative events nurture a positive workplace culture, reducing stress and improving overall employee satisfaction. By incorporating these activities into your routine, you create an environment where employees feel valued and connected, ultimately benefiting both the individuals and the organization as a whole. Fun Competitive Challenges to Energize Fun competitive challenges serve as an effective way to energize your workplace, encouraging employees to engage actively during cultivating a sense of camaraderie. These activities can boost productivity by 14% to 30%, creating a more dynamic environment. Options like Office Olympics and Minute to Win It games promote friendly rivalry, which improves teamwork, reduces stress, and raises morale. Engaging in these challenges strengthens interpersonal relationships, with 79% of employees reporting that such activities improve workplace connections. Incorporating scavenger hunts or team-based trivia can likewise break down silos between departments, promoting collaboration across the organization. Moreover, competitive games not only boost team spirit but also lead to improved employee retention, with organizations experiencing 36% higher retention rates when fun activities are part of their culture. Creative and Crafty Engagement Games Creative and crafty engagement games offer a unique way to cultivate artistic expression within teams, creating an environment that improves collaboration and bonding. Activities like group painting sessions or crafting challenges encourage employees to showcase their individual creativity as they work together. These hands-on projects not only promote teamwork but also improve problem-solving skills and innovative thinking. As team members engage in craft-based games, they often find that the relaxed atmosphere helps break down barriers, establishing connections in a fun and interactive manner. Furthermore, these activities serve as effective icebreakers, helping participants feel more comfortable with one another. The joy and sense of accomplishment that arise from shared creative endeavors contribute greatly to a positive workplace culture. Unique Games for Remote Teams Many remote teams face the challenge of maintaining strong connections and morale during working apart. To address this, consider engaging in virtual team-building games like online trivia or digital escape rooms. These activities can improve engagement and create camaraderie among employees, promoting connection in spite of physical distance. Utilizing platforms like Zoom or Slack, you can start with icebreakers like “Two Truths and a Lie,” encouraging personal storytelling and helping team members learn surprising facts about each other. Scheduling regular virtual game sessions can greatly reduce feelings of isolation, potentially increasing team morale and productivity by 30%. Incorporating creative collaboration activities, such as virtual brainstorming sessions or shared art projects, likewise boosts team creativity and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, competitive challenges like online scavenger hunts or fitness competitions can encourage friendly competition, strengthening relationships and increasing motivation within your remote team. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Some Games That Encourage Teamwork? To encourage teamwork, consider games like the Human Knot, which requires participants to communicate and collaborate to untangle themselves. The Egg Drop challenge promotes creativity as teams design protective holders for eggs, improving problem-solving skills. Scavenger Hunts can involve company history, nurturing teamwork through exploration. Office Olympics feature friendly competition, whereas problem-solving games like bridge building engage teams in resource management, promoting flexibility and communication. Each game effectively improves teamwork and collaboration among participants. Which Activity Is Best for Developing Team Spirit? To develop team spirit effectively, consider activities that encourage collaboration and communication. The Human Knot, for instance, challenges you to work together to untangle without letting go of each other’s hands. On the other hand, Two Truths and a Lie cultivates personal connections, allowing team members to learn about each other. These activities not only improve relationships but likewise create a more cohesive team environment, in the end leading to improved morale and productivity in the workplace. Which Game Needs Team Spirit? Games like the “Human Knot” and “Escape Room Challenges” require strong team spirit. They emphasize communication and collaboration, as participants must work together to solve problems and untangle themselves. In these scenarios, trust and reliance on each other’s strengths become essential. Furthermore, “Office Olympics” and “Bridge Building” encourage friendly competition and simulate workplace challenges, nurturing unity and clear communication. These activities promote a sense of belonging and improve overall team dynamics. What Can You Do to Promote Team Spirit? To promote team spirit, you can implement regular team-building activities, encourage open communication, and recognize individual contributions. Organizing brainstorming sessions nurtures collaboration among team members, whereas feedback mechanisms improve transparency. Establishing common goals helps align efforts, creating a sense of shared purpose. Moreover, celebrating team successes, no matter how small, reinforces camaraderie. Conclusion Incorporating engaging workplace games can greatly improve team spirit and collaboration. By utilizing icebreakers, collaborative activities, competitive challenges, creative projects, and unique remote games, you create an environment that encourages communication and connection among team members. These activities not just improve morale but additionally develop crucial skills such as problem-solving and teamwork. Implementing a variety of these games can lead to a more cohesive and motivated workforce, in the end benefiting the overall productivity of your organization. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "5 Engaging Workplace Games to Boost Team Spirit" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article