ResidentialBusiness

It might take longer than you expect, but it’s so worthwhile. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

It might take longer than you expect, but it’s so worthwhile. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

Technology is moving quickly. Are you keeping up? By Alan Anderson, CPA Transforming Audit for the Future Go PRO for members-only access to more Alan Anderson. View the full article

Technology is moving quickly. Are you keeping up? By Alan Anderson, CPA Transforming Audit for the Future Go PRO for members-only access to more Alan Anderson. View the full article

Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. I’m off for the holiday, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2018. A reader writes: My company has a ridiculous late fine policy: you will be fined $2 for every minute, starting from 9:01 a.m. So if you come in at 9:05 a.m., that’s $10 you gotta pay up in cash. (This is not somewhere where down-to-the-minute coverage would be essential. It’s just typical deskbound, back-end work. I can see why the receptionist who gets the calls will need to be there smack on the dot, but the rest of us — not really.) I’ve been here for over a year, and have been fined maybe three times. They were for 9:01 a.m., 9:02 a.m. and 9:08 a.m. I was intensely annoyed and embarrassed, but okay, I can still absorb the $2-$16 financial pinch. I hate this policy because it nickel and dimes employees down to the first minute, and at a very high rate. I hate this policy because coming in at 9:01 a.m. does not makes you any less productive than the dude who came in at 9:00 a.m., whose bloody computer is still starting up. A few days ago, I overslept for the first time. I somehow slept through my usual TWO alarms and woke up with a start at 8:30 a.m. — an hour late. I immediately texted my manager that I had overslept and asked if it was possible to get an emergency, UNPAID, half-day leave. I had calculated that coming in an hour late would result in a $120 fine, which is painfully difficult for me to absorb. I’m a junior employee. My manager said no. She wanted me to come in anyway because “it’s the right thing to do.” I cried some tears of frustration, but told her okay and rushed like hell down, but not before racking up 45 minutes worth of late fine — $90. Alison, I understand that she wants me to be punished accordingly. I accept that sleeping through two alarms was all on me. At the same time — and I don’t know if this matters — I’m a relatively high performer at work. I truly enjoy what I do and do a decent job at it. I just received a glowing annual appraisal and got publicly commended by the director, in spite of my young age (this is my first job out of college) and junior position. Furthermore, I work overtime every day because my workload is high, even though we don’t get any overtime pay. And I’m not chronically late — this was my first time oversleeping. And yet, my manager rejected my request for an UNPAID, half-day leave. Technically, she is right and I deserved it. But I don’t think being rigidly strict here was warranted. Am I just entitled for feeling this way? If you divide my monthly salary by 30 days, $90 is what I earn in one day. I will have to cough up an entire day’s salary (worth three weeks of lunch expenses!) for this, and my manager was cool with that? I’m fuming, yet I don’t know if I have the right to be. Part of me wants to talk about this with my manager to see if it could’ve been handled differently — if I could’ve been given the unpaid, half-day leave. Is this worth revisiting with her about, and if so, how should I approach it? This is utter bullshit. I am IRATE over this. If you’re not in a job where coverage matters (like one where you need to answer phones or meet with clients starting at a precise time), then it really, really doesn’t matter if you’re two minutes late. I would think it was ridiculous for a manager even just to have a stern talk with someone for being two minutes late in a job where it doesn’t have any practical impact — but fining you? No. You are a professional adult holding down a professional job. The entire concept of fining you is offensive and ridiculous. If your manager has a problem with your time of arrival, she can do what a decent manager would do and talk to you about it. If it continues after that, she can decide what the consequences are. But they need to be normal work consequences (up to and including firing you if it’s that big of a deal, although I’m skeptical that it should be) — it can’t be digging through your wallet and taking whatever cash she finds there, or insisting you cut off two inches of your hair, or that you change your name to Xavier Sebastian Pumpernickel. And it can’t be making you turn over your own money for the privilege of working there. Or at least it shouldn’t be. Legally, though, in a lot of cases it would be allowed. I talked with employment lawyer Donna Ballman, author of the excellent book Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired, who agreed that federal law does allow this, as long the fine doesn’t take your pay for that period below minimum wage. But she noted that you might live in a state that prohibits it, and it’s worth checking into that. Also, if you’re non-exempt, they can dock your pay for the actual time you were late … although if you’re exempt, that docking could negate your exempt status, make you effectively non-exempt, and mean that you’d be entitled to overtime pay when you work over 40 hours in a week. (There’s an explanation about exempt and non-exempt here, but the gist is that “exempt” is a government classification meaning that the nature of the work you do makes you exempt from receiving overtime pay. If you’re exempt, they can’t dock your pay when you work fewer hours. If they do that anyway, they can end up owing you overtime pay, including retroactively.) Donna also pointed out: “The other thing I’d say you’d have to look at is the reason the employee was late. If it was to care for a sick child, spouse or parent, then punishing them might violate FMLA. If it related to a disability, then they might be violating the Americans With Disabilities Act. If it’s applied unevenly, then other discrimination laws could kick in. I’d say an employer doing this is, number one, a terrible employer, and, number two, taking a huge risk that they are violating some law.” As for what you can do here … First, it’s worth looking into the potential legal issues Donna raises. If there’s a legal violation here, your employers deserves to have someone pursue it. Second, look into whether you’re correctly classified as exempt. You said you don’t get overtime pay even when you work overtime, which means they’re treating you as exempt. I would bet good money that they’ve misclassified you (which many employers do), especially considering that this is your first job out of school and first jobs often don’t meet the bar to be exempt. And if that’s the case, they owe you a ton of overtime back pay. Even if you ultimately choose not to pursue that, it would be really handy leverage to have in any discussions about the fining. Third, recalibrate your expectations. Because this is your first job after college, you might be thinking this is more acceptable than it actually is. But it’s not normal to treated salaried professionals this way. It’s not something you should expect to find at future jobs. It’s not something you should be okay with now. And you have every right to be fuming about that $90 fine. You are not being entitled. You are being absolutely, entirely reasonable. So fourth, go back and talk to your manager. Say something like this: “I’m asking you to waive this $90 fine. $90 is what I earn in a day. I can’t afford to pay back an entire day’s salary. I work overtime every day, and it makes no sense for me to work long hours when I’m not given even a minute of leeway on the other end. I’m not chronically late, and I do excellent work. I don’t think I should be subject to a financial hardship for a one-time occurrence.” Fifth, consider pushing back on this entire abhorrent policy with a group of your coworkers. People have unionized over less. * I make a commission if you use that Amazon link. Read an update to this letter here. View the full article

Your data's probably already exposed. Quick Tech Talk With Steve Yoss CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Stephen Yoss. View the full article

Your data's probably already exposed. Quick Tech Talk With Steve Yoss CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Stephen Yoss. View the full article

January 20, 2025 Hey folks, I wanted to share a little trick I've been loving lately: it's called brown noise. Unlike white noise, it's deeper and more soothing, helping me stay locked in when writing, brainstorming, or clearing out my inbox; plus, it helps me with anxiety. Pair it with noise-canceling headphones, and it's productivity gold. If you want to try it, I recommend ​this 12-hour track​ with no loops or fades. Vic Our Favorite Articles 💯Remote Jobs Paying $100,000 Or More Are Making a Comeback (CNBC)Six-figure remote jobs are back on the rise, and here’s the kicker—they’re popping up in more industries than ever before. ​Check it out​. Remote Work Is a Game-Changer For Addressing Burnout In Workers (The Conversation)Remote work is burnout’s kryptonite—flexibility, balance, and no soul-crushing commutes (as long as you know when to shut the laptop). ​Read on​. In Maine, Remote Work Gives Prisoners a Lifeline (Boston Globe)At Maine’s Mountain View prison, remote jobs are helping inmates build skills, earn money, and prepare for a better life after release. ​Read more​. Why ‘Work-From-Anywhere’ Isn’t Going Anywhere In 2025 (Forbes)The office is out, and work from anywhere is in. ​Keep reading​. This Week's Sponsor 🙌Too many emails? Declutter your inbox with Meco, your home for reading newsletters. Try it for free Remotive Jobs 💼Is this job for you? 👉 ​Customer Support Specialist at Clipboard Health​ (LATAM, EMEA, UK, Canada) 👉 ​Migrations Engineer at Discourse​ (EMEA, Americas) 👉 ​System Administrator at Discourse​ (Americas) 👉 ​Software Engineer - Customer Projects - Americas at Discourse​ (Americas) 👉 ​Senior Backend Developer at Mimo GmbH​ (EMEA, UK) 👉 ​​​​Backend Engineer at Clerkie​ (USA) 👉 ​iOS Developer at nooro​ (USA) 👉 ​​Senior Sharepoint Developer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior Business Intelligence Engineer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior Next.js Developer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior DevOps Engineer (AWS) at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) Free Guides & Tools​Public Job Board​We curate 2,000 remote jobs so you don't have to! ​Find your remote job →​ ​Exclusive Webinar​3 Mistakes to Avoid When Looking For A Remote Startup Job (And What To Do Instead) ​Register for free →​ ​Job Search Tips​Looking for a remote job? Here are our tips to help you work remotely ​Check it out → View the full article

The first rule of the Instagram algorithm means understanding that there is no single algorithm. In fact, according to a blog post shared by the Meta-owned platform, “a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose,” ensure that IG users see the content that most interests them. “We want to make the most of people’s time, and we believe that using technology to personalize everyone’s experience is the best way to do that,” Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri wrote in the update. Now, a “variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes” may sound a little confusing, but fear not — it’s not quite as intimidating as it sounds. In this article, I’ll break down exactly how the platform ranks content and share tips for increasing your chances of getting your Instagram content in front of more people. In short: Everything you need to know about the Instagram algorithm/s. ⚡Need Instagram help? Buffer helps you grow your following and boost engagement with planning, scheduling, and analytics tools. Get started for free →Different parts of Instagram are ranked by different algorithmsYou’ll find a lot of opinions about how certain types of content are ranked higher on the platform than others. A popular one: “Instagram Reels perform better than feed posts.” While that may be true in some cases (I’ll unpack why down below), statements like that give the impression that new posts and reels are weighed against each other by a single algorithm, and reels are given a leg-up — which is not true. Instead, reels and the feed (and Instagram Stories and Explore) are all controlled by a different algorithm. Why? People’s behavior tends to differ in different areas of the app. “People tend to look for their closest friends in Stories, use Explore to discover new content and creators, and be entertained in reels,” Mosseri explains. With that in mind: here’s how it works. Instagram Feed algorithmWhen people talk about how the Instagram algorithm works, it’s usually this area of the app they’re referring to: it’s the first feed most people will see when they open the app. The Feed is a combination of videos, photos, and carousels (multi-photo posts) posted by anyone you follow, peppered with posts by other accounts Instagram users may be interested in, and sponsored posts tailored to them. Instagram takes a staggering number of ranking factors into account when organizing feeds. “We call these ‘signals,’ and there are thousands of them,” Mosseri says. Here is a breakdown of the most important signals, in order of importance. Activity. Posts the user has liked, shared, saved, or commented on.Information about the post. How popular a post is (how many people have liked it and how quickly people are liking, commenting, sharing, and saving a post) and more information about the content itself (when it was posted, and what location, if any, was attached to it).Information about the person who posted. “This helps us get a sense for how interesting the person might be to [the user], and includes signals like how many times people have interacted with that person in the past few weeks,” Mosseri says.The user’s history of interacting with someone. This is pretty straightforward, and ties in with some of the above points — whether or not the user has engaged with this poster before, and how.With all that information, Instagram makes a series of “educated guesses” about how likely a user is to interact with a post, Mosseri says. “In Feed, the five interactions we look at most closely are how likely you are to spend a few seconds on a post, comment on it, like it, share it, and tap on the profile photo. The more likely you are to take an action, and the more heavily we weigh that action, the higher up in Feed you’ll see the post.” 💡It’s pretty common knowledge that Instagram will remove content that goes against its Community Guidelines, but did you know that it also down ranks content that seems “likely” to go against them, even if that hasn’t yet been confirmed? You’ll find more info on that here.Instagram Stories algorithmInstagram Stories — photos and videos that disappear 24 hours after posting — offer creators and businesses a way to appear on top of followers’ feeds as soon as they open the app. As soon as you post a story, your account profile picture will appear right at the top of the app in what IG calls a ‘Stories Tray.’ Arguably, however, it may be even harder for brands to appear in this section of the app, given how IG views this as an area where “people tend to look for their closest friends.” Here are the signals the platform takes into account for the Instagram Stories algorithm to show users the most relevant content: Viewing history. How often a user has viewed an account’s Stories (the more often they view a certain account’s Stories, the more likely they are to appear first).Engagement history. How often a user engages with that account’s stories, such as sending a reaction or a response.Closeness. The user’s relationship with the author overall and how likely they are to be friends or family.Again, these signals will be used to “make a series of predictions about stories you’ll find more relevant and valuable,” Mosseri says, “including how likely you are to tap into a story, reply to a story in DMs or move on to the next story — to determine which stories will be shown higher in your Stories Tray.” Instagram Explore page algorithmThis is where things get interesting for creators and brands users don’t already follow. Explore (accessed by tapping the explore tab magnifying glass at the bottom of the app) was designed to help users find new accounts. If you’re a brand or creator, read: help new audiences find you. This grid-style feed is made up of photos and videos a user is likely to be interested in based on past activity: posts they’ve liked, saved, shared, and commented on. Here are the signals that play into the Instagram Explore page algorithm. Information about the post. Like with Feed, Instagram looks at how popular a post seems to be. “These signals matter much more in Explore than they do in Feed or in Stories,” Mosseri says.A user’s activity in Explore. Posts a user has liked, saved, shared, or commented on and how they’ve interacted with posts in Explore in the past. If users have engaged with a specific post found via Explore previously, the algorithm will show them more like that.A user's interaction history with the poster. It’s likely the post was shared by someone they don’t know, but if a user has interacted with them previously, it tells IG they’re pretty interested in their content.Information about the person who posted. Here IG takes into account how many times people have interacted with you recently across all your content, “to help find compelling content from a wide array of people”.Here’s an example Instagram uses here, which I found really helpful in making sense of all of the above: “Let’s say you’ve recently liked a number of photos from San Francisco’s dumpling chef Cathay Bi (@dumplingclubsf). We then look at who else likes Cathay’s photos, and then what other accounts those people are interested in. Maybe people who like Cathay are also into the SF dim sum spot @dragonbeaux. In that case, the next time you open Explore, we might show you a photo or video from @dragonbeaux.” 💡The Explore page is also where you’ll find Instagram’s search function — which can be an important tool in your Instagram marketing kit. Here’s our comprehensive guide to Instagram SEO.Instagram Reels algorithmThe Instagram Reels algorithm works similarly to the Explore page. The reels feed (accessed by tapping the video icon at the bottom of the app) is designed to help users find new brands and creators. The signals IG takes into account here are: A user’s activity. Things like which reels they’ve liked, saved, reshared, commented on, and engaged with recently.A user's interaction history with the poster. As with Explore, it’s likely the reel was shared by someone they don’t know, but if a user has interacted with them previously, it tells IG they’re pretty interested in their videos.Information about the reel. These are signals about the content within the video such as the audio track or visuals in the video, as well as popularity.Information about the person who posted the reel. “We consider popularity signals such as number of followers or level of engagement to help find compelling content from a wide array of people and give everyone a chance to find their audience,” Mosseri says.On that first point above: let’s come back to Adam Mosseri’s comments on Colin and Samir. The reels feed is a particularly important area if you’re looking to grow your audience — since it’s all recommended content rather than exclusively people you follow. (Buffer has the data to back this up, too – we found that reels tended to get more reach than other content types in this study.) But, of all the engagement activities listed above, shares via DMs are the one that carries the most weight. The more your post is shared in this way, the better it will perform. “Short-form video is so symbiotic with connecting people with their friends,” Adam told Colin and Samir. “Part of our [Instagram’s] reason to be is to connect people with friends.” In other words — optimize your content to start conversations. What entices your Instagram followers to share your reel with someone they care about? Is it something relatable? Helpful? Funny? Thought-provoking? No audiences are the same, and it will take some experimenting to figure out what works. Recommendation Guidelines on Explore and reels Instagram wants to minimize the chances they’ll recommend content to someone that they may find offensive. To that end, they’ve published detailed Recommendation Guidelines. Posts that go against these guidelines may not violate their Community Guidelines and are technically allowed on the platform, but won’t appear on the Explore page. Some examples of things that go against IG’s Recommendation Guidelines are anything that depicts/discusses self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, or violence; is sexually explicit or suggestive; promotes the use of certain regulated products, like tobacco; or could be considered misinformation. Why the Instagram algorithms are a good thingRather than sharing Instagram algorithm hacks that don’t help you in the long term, let’s talk about why Instagram’s algorithms are actually great for users, creators, and businesses alike. When social media platforms move away from a chronological feed, there’s always a public outcry. But showing recent posts in chronological order isn’t all that great. The Instagram Creators account reports that since switching to the new feed, “the average post is now seen by 50 percent more followers than it did with the chronological model.” The Instagram algorithm change to a ranked feed is a win-win. With the help of machine learning, the algorithm ensures that users see content they’re most likely to be interested in, and that means business accounts are more likely to find their target audience (with the right social media marketing strategy). As long as you are creating engaging, relevant, and timely content, the Instagram algorithm is actually an advantage to you. It helps to get your great content in front of more people than when posts were arranged reverse-chronologically. Instagram algorithm FAQsSome frequently asked questions about how to work with the Instagram algorithm and things that might affect your content performance: Are photos or videos preferred by Instagram’s algorithms?Technically, no. Instagram doesn’t give extra weight to either videos or photos. However, if the data shows that a certain user prefers to engage with videos over photos, then that specific user may see more video content in their feed. Another big caveat here: while Instagram doesn’t prioritize video by default, Buffer data shows that videos tend to get more engagement on Instagram than other content types. In our analysis of more than 5 million Instagram posts, video came out tops, followed by carousels, then images. Does posting too frequently impact ranking?Instagram accounts aren’t down-ranked for posting content frequently. Though Christina d’Avignon, a product designer for Instagram feed, did tell The Verge: “We do make sure your feed feels diverse so we may break up posts.” Are business and personal accounts treated differently by the algorithm?As reported by TechCrunch: “Instagram doesn’t give extra feed presence to personal accounts or business accounts, so switching won’t help your reach.” Will posting Instagram Stories or Lives videos affect ranking?Creating Instagram Stories or live broadcasting with Instagram won’t affect how your content ranks within the feed, but experimenting with a wide variety of content — as I’ll dig into below — means it's far more likely that your content will appear in more places on the app. 5 ways to make the Instagram algorithms work for youInstead of telling you how to ‘beat’ them, below here’s how to lean into it and use Instagram’s algorithms to your advantage in your social media marketing. 1. Embrace the latest featuresDriving the adoption of new features is important for Instagram, so it makes newer features more prominent in the app. It’s important to note that this does not mean that the Instagram algorithms automatically favor any specific post type. It does, however, give new features a prime location, such as putting Instagram Stories at the very top of the screen or moving the Instagram Reels icon to the center of your menu bar. 2. Vary your post typesUsing a variety of post types — single images, carousel posts, reels, stories, and lives — is key to successfully navigating Instagram algorithms. Sharing your content in different forms helps you reach a wider range of people. Plus, it’s a great way to repurpose your content. Not everyone watches a video, so you can turn your video content into a carousel post. Or you can appeal to Instagram Story lovers by re-sharing feed posts in your Stories. Below you can see how we've been making an effort to diversify the post types we use on Buffer's Instagram account: At Buffer, we’re really leaning into content repurposing not just within Instagram, but across social platforms as well. For example, most of our reels can be used on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, too. Here is how our Social Media Manager, Mitra, does it. 3. Post at the best times for youOur analysis of more than 5 million Instagram posts showed that content shared at certain times tends to perform best. It’s definitely worth testing out these best times to post on Instagram if you’re new to the platform. If you’ve been posting regularly to Instagram for some time, Instagram Insights will have some data on the best times for you. Check out your Instagram Insights (found by navigating to your profile, tapping the hamburger menu on the top right, then ‘Insights’, then ‘Total Followers’) to see your audience’s most active times. ⚡Buffer’s analytics tools take the guesswork of figuring this out by crunching the numbers and recommending specific dates, times, and frequency for your posts. Learn more →4. Create a hashtag strategyBecause users can search for and even follow hashtags, adding them to Instagram captions increases your chances of reaching a wider audience. Plus, studies show that posts with hashtags receive higher engagement than those without. Save time with Buffer Hashtag Manager, which allows you to save groups of hashtags to easily add to posts later with the Instagram first comment feature. With our Hashtag Manager, you can create unique groups of hashtags for themes you use often. For instance, a shoe company like Luna Sneakers might have separate hashtag groups for their running shoes versus their fashion sneakers. Buffer’s Hashtag Manager allows you to create and save groups of hashtags to add to Instagram posts.Branded hashtags — like #lovemylunas and #lunarunning — are a great way to keep your company on people’s minds. Branded hashtags not only help with brand awareness, but they also make it easy for you to find customer-produced content. 4. Focus on authentic engagementInstagram’s algorithms reward engagement. So, instead of wasting energy on Instagram algorithm hacks that only give you short-term results, focus on the connections you build with your audience. Make sure you reply to direct messages and comments on your posts. The more you interact with your fans, the better. But it’s really easy to miss new comments among the likes, follows, and mention notifications on Instagram. Don’t be afraid to use emojis, either! To help, Buffer has engagement features that surface any unanswered comments on your Instagram posts and help you to reply to as many comments as quickly as possible. Another simple way to encourage engagement is to use interactive stickers, such as polls, questions, and sliding scale rankings, on your Instagram Stories. And don’t forget about user-generated content. People love seeing their own photos or videos shared on brand pages. Snack company Pipcorn lets customers sing their praises by re-sharing customer content in their Instagram Stories. 5. Use analytics to see what's workingOne of the best ways to understand what your audience enjoys seeing and is interested in is to dig into your Instagram analytics data. Using Instagram Insights you can check out which of your posts have had the most interactions. You can also sort posts by most comments, likes and saves too if you'd like to dig into more specific engagement metrics. Buffer's analytics will also help you uncover your best posts (those with the highest engagement) in just a few clicks: Recent Instagram posts sorted by Engagement Rate in Buffer Once you have a list of your most engaging Instagram posts you can start to identify what commonalities they might have. For example: What types of posts are they?What's the style of the creative?How is the caption structured?With this data, you can begin to reverse engineer what your audience is most likely to engage with and build a strategy to help get the most out of Instagram's algorithm. Instagram’s algorithms prioritize providing the best experienceIf you focus on building connections with your audience and producing engaging content, you don’t need to worry about Instagram updates and Instagram algorithm changes. “Authenticity and transparency are key to building sustainable engagement on Instagram,” says the Instagram Creators account. “Trying to game the system may provide a short-term benefit, but it is not a recipe for success long-term. Make sure that you are creating content that is keeping your followers and community engaged and constantly coming back for more! View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I have warned an intern about a bad manager? I am a middle manager in a large organization and I am second-guessing how I handled a situation with an employee whom I used to supervise. From 2020 to 2021, I had the pleasure of supervising an outstanding intern, Anna. Anna was the kind of employee that any employer would be lucky to have. During her internship, Anna expressed interest in staying on with us after her graduation. It can be difficult to secure full-time permanent employment with our organization, and the hiring process is lengthy and onerous for managers and candidates alike. However, there is a “shortcut” for qualified former interns to transition to a permanent position upon graduation. Anna was eventually offered such a position by one of my peers, and she asked my advice on whether she should accept the offer. My dilemma: The hiring manager was known to have terrible people management skills (not at the level of abuse or harassment, but that’s a pretty low bar). However, I chose not to share this with Anna. I didn’t want to “poison the well” or unduly influence her, and thought she was mature enough to make her own decision. I also thought that a well-paid permanent position with great benefits isn’t something that comes along every day for new grads, and the internal mobility opportunities would mean that even if this particular job wasn’t a good fit, Anna wouldn’t be stuck there for long. So, I took more of a coaching role in our conversation rather than an advice-giving one (though I did suggest she speak with current employees on the team). In the end, Anna accepted the manager’s offer. Anna’s team has ended up being just as, if not more, toxic as I had feared and Anna’s mental health has taken a beating. Anna eventually found other opportunities within the organization but I feel terrible that I didn’t warn her to run far away from the bad manager in the first place. What, if anything, could I have done differently? I’m a fan of letting people know when a lot of other people have found a manager tough to work with. You don’t need to come out and say “she’s a nightmare” if you don’t feel comfortable being that candid, but you can say, “I do want to warn you some people have found her to be a difficult boss. I don’t have firsthand experience, but I’d definitely suggest talking to people who have worked for her and asking about their experiences so that you’re not going in blind.” If you know specifics — or specific themes — ideally you’d find a way to share those. “Well-paid positions with great benefits don’t come along every day and she wouldn’t be stuck there for long” is a legitimate thing for Anna to decide, but it shouldn’t be something you decide on her behalf. 2. Former colleague is running a scam My partner, Chris, has recently gotten an advanced degree in a newer and very niche field which has documented ROI for businesses, but tends to get cut as non-essential when businesses are doing their yearly budgeting. Since it’s so niche, Chris has worked collaboratively with many people in the industry in our country (non-U.S.). Since it’s a growing industry, he’s also been tapped to teach, including for the university where he got his masters. The problem is that last year one of his colleagues, Hank, ran a master’s program at the local university and asked Chris to teach a course, throughout which Chris came to understand the program almost didn’t happen due to enrollment being too low to justify the cost. Hank also has a small consulting business for this field. About 50% of the students in the course (all the most recent enrollees) were brand new employees of Hank’s business. Turns out, Hank had employed these new consultants on the condition that they enroll in the year-long master’s program. Chris has been made aware from one of his former students that none of Hank’s employees have earned enough as consultants to recoup their tuition fees in the year since they graduated, and most of these employees have returned to their former industries. And still, Hank is asking Chris to teach another course for the same program as he has a fresh new crop of bright-eyed consultants to pay the high tuition fees. Chris has turned down the opportunity, citing low bandwidth, but I think he has a greater responsibility to communicate with his contacts higher up in this small university to make them aware of the ethical issue at hand. Chris is more concerned this will hurt him in the long run if Hank finds out he went above his head. How do you think he should handle this situation? Yes, Chris has a moral and ethical responsibility to tell his contacts there what’s going on. Hank is exploiting his employees to pressure them to enroll in the program that justifies his job; it’s an abuse of power, and it’s something that the university wouldn’t want to be associated with if they knew. You should encourage Chris to think through exactly how this could hurt him if Hank finds out about it. If his fears are warranted, he can ask his contacts to investigate without naming him as the person who provided the initial tip-off. 3. Can I befriend my future coworker’s daughter? I moved cities six months ago and am working on transferring to the site closer to home. In preparation for my new role, I’ve been meeting with people I will be working with, to start establishing my new working relationships. Recently I met with “Beth,” who I will be working with closely. Beth seems friendly and competent and we hit it off well. I’m excited to work with her! After our initial meeting, we did some small talk and she told me a bit about her daughter. It sounds like her daughter is around my age and we have some common interests. Also, her daughter’s job is close to where I live and she is considering moving to my suburb. Can I try to befriend the daughter somehow? Would it be weird or inappropriate to try? Do I need to wait until I’ve been at the new site for a while and have more of a relationship with Beth? Can I just ask for a number or is there a more roundabout way to approach it? You don’t have a lot to go on here, so I think it would be too much to come out with, “I’d like to have lunch with Jane. Can you connect us?” But you could certainly say, “If Jane is looking for people to talk with about llama grooming (or whatever the mutual interest is), feel free to give her my contact info. I’m still pretty new to the area and would love to meet people who are into llama combing techniques!” Then Beth can decide, based on her knowledge of her daughter (and potentially her feelings about meshing work and family worlds in that way), whether to connect you. 4. Network separately or stick together at conferences? I recently attended a conference with a majority of my colleagues on a topic marginally applicable to my position (and theirs). I was going to sit with a coworker, but someone I met on the field tour the day before asked me to sit with him and I moved tables. We had good discussions on his projects, and I met four folks I had not met previously. My question has to do with perception or best practice. The other 16 coworkers stayed in “our” group and sat together, but did mingle during the breaks and the after-hours event. I always think it is better to spread out and meet someone new and learn about how the subject impacts them, so I generally will sit with new people at conferences. My boss said someone asked if I was mad at my colleagues since I didn’t sit with them. Personally, I think my colleagues looked less approachable since they were together. Not everyone is comfortable sitting with strangers (and I am exhausted at the end of my day), so I understand. Professionally, which should happen? What should I do at the next conference (in three months)? It’s really up to each individual attendee, but a big part of the benefit of conferences is networking so your approach is generally the more useful one. It’s a little odd that your colleagues interpreted that as you being “mad at them,” but if traditionally they’ve all stuck together at conferences, they may see it more as team bonding time than networking time. Maybe before the next one you can mention to them that you see conferences as an opportunity to meet new people in your field, which has been useful in X and Y ways, and so you try to break off from the group and talk to other attendees. 5. Who owns a work journal? I know that work products created in the course of most regular employment belong to the organization — but what about materials that have to do with work but are entirely individual? I’m thinking of notes or reflections on one’s own performance, written in a paper notebook bought with personal funds but on the subject of work, e.g. self-determined goals, how to improve job performance or satisfaction, and so on. Stuff that feels really personal (like, wouldn’t pass it on to my hypothetical successor, wouldn’t want it to be read by colleagues or boss without redaction) but is created during the work day, related to work experiences but not work products. Basically, I feel that my work output and experience could both be improved through more reflection and intentional goal- and priority-setting on a more granular level than I get from my boss, but I would be afraid of what I write getting into the wrong hands (though it’s unlikely, as I’d keep my notebook in my bag and we don’t have a snoopy office). But bringing a personal journal to work sounds like a terrible idea! And I would want to keep a record, not write on TP and burn it immediately after. I feel on a basic moral/logical level that everyone is entitled to an inner world and room for errors, honest unpolished reflection, and at least a tiny bit of privacy, but I don’t think that’s totally true in reality. In practice, I don’t think it’s super likely that my notebook would be intercepted (one reason to stick to paper), but I’m still curious. Technically under the law, your employer could argue that it belonged to them — because products relating to your work created at work belong to your employer. But in practice, they’d be very unlikely try; it’s not the sort of thing most managers would have any interest in laying claim to. The worst scenario would be more likely to be someone misunderstanding what was in the notebook, thinking you had notes on clients or projects that someone else could benefit from, and insisting you turn it over when leaving. But you could easily avoid that by taking it home with you before you quit. Other than that, as long as you kept it in your bag, it’s very unlikely to be claimed by your company. View the full article

The Bbox WiFi 7 is a tri-band 'native XGS-PON' device delivering up to 7 Gbps of symmetric data rate. The post Bouygues Telecom becomes fifth major European telco to introduce a Wi-Fi 7 gateway & service appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

The Bbox WiFi 7 is a tri-band 'native XGS-PON' device delivering up to 7 Gbps of symmetric data rate. The post Bouygues Telecom becomes fifth major European telco to introduce a Wi-Fi 7 gateway & service appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Machu Picchu is one of those bucket-list activities people dream about. While most people visit on a day trip, you can also visit via the Inca Trail, a challenging multi-day hike through the jungles of Peru. In this guest post, my friend Gillian divulges the details of her trek while sharing some tips and suggestions to help you plan your trip to Machu Picchu. Hiking to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail in Peru remains the highlight of my year traveling. Looking out over the peaks of the Andes, and knowing that I hiked to get there filled me with joy and awe. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I won’t lie, though — it took some work. A lot of work, in fact. But it was totally worth it. Sitting some 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level, Machu Picchu was an Inca citadel built in the 15th century. The citadel was built as a royal estate, though it was used for less than 100 years before being abandoned due to the arrival of the Spanish, who were set on conquest. It wasn’t until 1911 that the ruins were re-discovered by archeologist Hiram Bingham III. While the locals were familiar with the ruins, it wasn’t until Hiram trekked up the mountain for himself that he realized just how spectacular his (re)discovery was. To slow the damage caused by tourism, the entrance of Machu Picchu is “limited” to 4,500 people per day heading into 2024, divided into 3 time slots of early morning tickets (6-8am), morning tickets (9-11am), and afternoon tickets (12-2pm). While that seems like a lot, tickets often sell out months in advance (especially for the hike). There are now 4 main different circuits, and you must be accompanied by a guide. For that reason, you’ll want to make sure you plan ahead, do your research, and book early! Hiking the Inca Trail: Itinerary To start things off, here is a detailed overview of what the actual hike is actually like: Day 1 They broke us in easy on the first day with a gentle start along a wide path that passed through the Sacred Valley. Described as “Inca Flat,” the trail starts alongside the Urubamba River and meanders through the trees and scrub brush, slowly gaining altitude. Our guide, Marco, stopped us at various points along the way to tell us the history of the trail, the ruins along the trail, and also the Incan people and their struggle to survive. Marco was passionate about his ancestors’ story, and as time went on, we realized that he was not just telling us stories that come from guidebooks but that his knowledge was much deeper. He had spent time at university studying and also in the mountains with the Incan descendants and so had a unique perspective on the area. Day 2 We woke up at 5am to the sounds of hustle and bustle outside. As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, a porter appeared with hot tea and another brought a bowl of hot water and soap for me to wash up with. I drank my tea, washed up, and packed up the few things I was responsible for (the porters dismantle and carry everything except your personal belongings). It was cold as we set out on the day’s hike; frost clung to the sides of the trail and I could see my breath with every labored exhalation. We were already feeling the altitude and still had more than a thousand meters ahead of us. We quickly climbed above the tree line and were rewarded with the stunning views of mountains and valleys that would be our companions for the rest of the day. The climb to Dead Woman’s Pass was relentless. Up and up and up and up along the ancient Inca pathway made up of enormous stone steps. My heart was beating wildly, my lungs were tight and seemed too small for the task, and my legs felt like cement as I tried to lift them over and over again up onto the next step. Then it was down the other side, a 600-meter (almost 2,000-foot) drop along a beautiful stone pathway cutting down into the valley below. If I thought this was going to be the easy part, I was wrong. Controlling those floppy, leaden legs was an exercise in concentration. The afternoon saw us climb another 400 meters (1,300 feet) before dropping into another valley that was more jungle than scrub. We crossed the valley to find our campsite overlooking a set of astrological ruins. Fog set in just as the light faded, lending an eerie feel to the landscape but also providing some insulating warmth. After 16 kilometers (10 miles) of hiking through two passes, it didn’t take much of the special “rum tea” to send us all off to a restful night’s sleep. Day 3 As much as Day 2 was about climbing, Day 3 was about descent — overall we dropped almost 800 meters (2624 feet). I’m not sure which is more difficult, but I know that my legs were sorer after a day of going down than they were after Day 2. This is where the walking stick I had been carrying all along really proved its worth! We dropped back down through the tree line, entering into jungle-like scenery, where we could start to understand how Machu Picchu was hidden by jungle for so many years. We shared camp that night as other groups joined up at the campsite before entering the site. We enjoyed much-needed showers and beer before a late dinner and early bedtime. Tomorrow would take us to the Sun Gate and our first glimpses of the lost city. Day 4 Reaching the Sun Gate was amazing. Looking through it to the sight of Machu Picchu below made all the difficulties of the trek disappear. Sitting on a plateau below, the site looked just as beautiful and mysterious as I had expected. Wandering around Machu Picchu for the rest of the day, I was left in awe as to how the ancient Incans could have built such a formidable city with no modern machinery. The ingenuity and precision were astounding and the level of detail was amazing. The buildings and stonework are stunning displays of form, function, and astounding astronomical and geographic knowledge. Stones are placed or carved, to match exactly with the sun’s winter and summer solstice positions or to line up along the ordinal geographic lines. Seeing a rock carved into the shape of the Incan Cross and then being shown how the points match up with a compass, I was amazed at the knowledge that the Incans must have had. The whole city and the mountain backdrop took my breath away. Planning a trip to South America? Get all my best travel tips along with these guides: My Favorite Companies to Use61 Savvy Travel Tips16 Steps for Planning a TripHow to Get Free Flights Just fill in your details below and I'll send everything to you right now: Add me Tips for Hiking the Inca Trail Here are some tips to help you make the most of your trip and avoid some of the more common pitfalls: Arrive early – Try to get to Cusco 3-5 days before your hike so you can acclimatize to the altitude before hiking. It will make your hike much easier! Leave your hiking stick behind – Hiking poles or sticks are no longer allowed in Machu Picchu, except for elderly or disabled visitors. Chew coca leaves – If the altitude is giving you trouble, chew coca leaves. It’s the local remedy and is what many of the guides and porters use. You can chew the leaves or buy coca gum. (You can also get altitude medicine from your doctor before you go. Just keep in mind that it will make you have to pee a lot!). Break in your boots – Make sure you buy and break in your footwear at least 1-2 months before your trip. That will help you avoid blisters. Bring sunscreen and bug spray – The last thing you want is a sunburn when you’re hiking up a mountain. And the mosquitoes here are plentiful (and their bites are super itchy!) so prepare accordingly and apply both each day. Bring Band-Aids/Blister kits – Your feet are going to take a beating. Having some minor first aid supplies will help. Carry extra snacks – You’ll get plenty of food on the trail, but bringing along some of your favorite snacks is a great morale booster for those challenging sections. Go the extra mile – For an amazing view of Machu Picchu, hike the extra hour to Huayna Picchu. It’s a bit of a scramble and the path is quite narrow but the views are worth it! Train before you go – This is a challenging hike. You don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to finish it but the more you train the easier your hike will be. Don’t expect to shower – Showers are available partway into the hike but the water is painfully cold. Skip the showers and just embrace your well-earned BO. Have extra batteries – Bring an external charger for your phone and extra batteries for your camera. It would be tragic to arrive at Machu Picchu and not be able to snap a photo or two! Bring earplugs – The Inca Trail can get busy and there will be dozens and dozens of hikers at each camp. Bring earplugs for the noisy nights. Consider the Salkantay – For a less-busy route, consider hiking the Salkantay. It has views just as epic and sees a third of the tourists that the Inca Trail does. Plus, it’s a fraction of the price! Bring money for the bathroom – Make sure you have some money for the bathroom. There is only one bathroom at Machu Picchu and it will cost a couple of soles. Get stamped – You can get your passport stamped with a unique Machu Picchu stamp to commemorate the journey. It makes for a fun souvenir if you have some space in your passport. Check your bag – You can only bring a day bag under 20L into Machu Picchu. If your bag is larger than that you’ll need to pay to check it at the gate. How to Get to Machu Picchu: Prices, Tours, and Logistics If you don’t plan on hiking the Inca Trail, the easiest way to get from Cusco to Machu Picchu is to take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. Tickets range from 225–1,800 PEN depending on how luxurious of a ride you want. The Expedition (which is the cheapest option) is perfectly fine. You go on the same tracks and see the same sights. You just have to buy your own drinks or snacks. Tickets can be booked at Peru Rail. The government has been making an effort to better conserve the site, introducing three circuits to spread out the influx of visitors. That means you’ll have to follow a certain route during your visit and you will have a timed entry. In order to visit the site, you need to book tickets in advance and be with a licensed guide. (Though in practice sometimes they let you in without a guide but since there is absolutely no signage, it’s better to have a guide so you can learn about what you are seeing.) In order to hike the Inca Trail, you MUST go with a licensed guide and the company you are with will arrange the permits you need for the trail as well as to visit the ruins. Make sure the company you choose pays their porters well and treats them fairly. Porters have an incredibly challenging job so you want to make sure the company you choose is an ethical one. With that in mind, remember you’ll also need some cash to tip your porters. Most estimates range from 25 PEN per person per day for each porter, and then 50 PEN per person per day for the guides, though your company will likely provide additional tipping guidelines. Tips are paid in the local currency. Prices for the multi-day treks start at $700 USD. If you want to find a cheaper tour, head to Cusco and wait for a last-minute spot to open. People cancel for various reasons and there’s usually a spot that opens up. You may have to wait a few days but you’ll get a spot much cheaper than if you pre-book your tour. Since permits sell out months in advance, if you are on a strict timetable, I’d advise pre-booking your tour. *** While hiking the Inca Trail is no easy feat, it is definitely worth the effort. The well-earned views you take in as you hike combined with the incredible vistas and history of Machu Picchu itself make this a once in a lifetime experience worthy of any bucket list. No visit to Peru is complete without seeing Machu Picchu, and the best way to do that is via the Inca Trail — one step at a time! Plan your trip to South America Get all my best travel tips as well as FREE planning guides sent straight to you and see more of the region for less! Send me free travel tips Book Your Trip to Peru: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. If you’re looking for hostels in nearby Cusco, here is a list of my favorites. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: Safety Wing (best for everyone) Insure My Trip (for those over 70) Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage) Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too. Want More Information on Peru? Be sure to visit my robust destination guide on Peru for even more planning tips! The post How to Hike the Inca Trail appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. View the full article

Seven areas of focus for every firm. By Susan Bryant The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Go PRO for members-only access to more Rory Henry. View the full article

Seven areas of focus for every firm. By Susan Bryant The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Go PRO for members-only access to more Rory Henry. View the full article

Peru is one of the most popular destinations in South America, owing to the fact that it’s home to the bucket-list favorite and Wonder of the World Machu Picchu. Around 500,000 people visit the ancient Incan citadel each year — a number that would be much higher if it wasn’t for the mandates put in place to prevent overcrowding. But there’s more to Peru than just Machu Picchu. And there’s more to the Andes than the Inca Trail. Peru is very geographically and culturally diverse (it’s the third-largest country on the continent) so there’s a lot more on offer here than most travelers expect. From the great dining destination of Lima to the floating islands off the Uros to the Peruvian Amazon to the pyramids and tombs of Batán Grande to the desert oasis of Huacachina, there is so much to see in this South American nation that limiting yourself to the Sacred Valley would be a missed opportunity. For the intrepid traveler with plenty of time, many of these destinations can be explored solo. However, getting around Peru can be challenging and budget travelers with limited time should consider opting for an organized tour. And there are plenty of reputable and affordable tour companies in Peru that can make your journey smoother, allowing you to focus your attention and energy on the sites, people, culture, and history of the place. To help you save money and make the most of your time, I’ve put together a list of the best tour companies in Peru. From walking tours to multi-day excursions to adventure-laden guided tours, these tours might not be as cheap as traveling solo but they will absorb the headaches that often come with traveling in a foreign country (especially one as large and slow to navigate as Peru). Here are the best tour companies in Peru: 1. Intrepid Travel Intrepid runs tours in every corner of the planet and they’re always a solid choice thanks to their focus on sustainability and responsible travel. I’ve been on a few of their tours over the years and they never disappoint. And while Intrepid offers tours of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, they also emphasize the other parts of this beautiful country too. Their Classic Peru tour ($2,057 USD), for example, spans 9 days and circles the country, covering many of the major highlights, including Machu Picchu, Cusco, and Lake Titicaca. Intrepid is one of my go-to companies for multiday tours. Whenever I book a multi-day trip I go with them. You should to. I can’t recommend them enough! Book Intrepid Travel here! 2. Alpaca Expeditions This Cusco-based company is owned and operated by local Peruvians. Calling themselves the “Green Machine,” Alpaca Expeditions is committed to being a totally sustainable tour company. The trekking tours are heavy on Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail—because Alpaca is highly rated for them—but they also offer “alternative tours” to some off-the-radar places like trekking the Salkantay. You can spend five days there, hiking around the Humantay Blue Lagoon, for example, or if you don’t want the commitment, they even offer a one-day hike. There are also trekking tours to the seven lakes of Ausangate, and other spots around the Sacred Valley. Their classic four-day Inca Trail hike is $795 USD per person while their five-day Choquequirao trek is $700 USD. Book Alpaca Expeditions here! 3. Choquequirao Trek The Lost Incan City of Choquequirao can be reached via a two-day trek from Cusco. And this local tour company specializes in hiking to the ruins of the 15th-century city that is a great alternative to the highly trafficked Machu Picchu site (less than 10,000 people visit each year, compared to the 2,500 people who visit Machu Picchu each day). You can do the classic four-day trek to Choquequirao for $520 USD or you can mix things up and do a longer eight-day hike that goes from Choquequirao to Machu Picchu for $1,250 USD, or you can combine it with a jaunt on the Incan Trail. There are tons of affordable options! Book Choquequirao Trek here! 4. Colca Tours Based in the city of Arequipa, Colca Tours specializes in trekking and bus tours to Colca Canyon, a deep and dramatic ravine that is dotted with ancient villages. One of the deepest canyons in the world, it’s home to the Andean condor and boasts incredible (and challenging) trekking and views. In addition to hiking tours, they also run bike and horse tours. Most of the tours last one to four days and some tours include more adventurous elements such as rafting and rock climbing. Their standard four-day hike is just $150 USD. Book Colca Tours here! 5. Amazonas Explorer Amazonas Explorer is a private tour company that operates in the Sacred Valley as well as in the Amazon. They arrange private group tours and will not only take you to Machu Picchu but to a lot of off the beaten path treks around the region. They also do non-trek activities like ebikes and white water rafting. Their guides are really good, speak fluent English, and are so knowledgeable you feel like you’re learning from a professor. (They were featured in the book Turn Right at Machu Picchu.) They are a great option if you want to do something on your own, get more off the beaten path, or are a big group of people who want a tour tailored to your own needs. Book Amazonas Explorer here! *** Peru is such a geographically and culturally diverse place, it would take a lot of time, energy, and money to see it all on one trip — especially if you plan on hiking. If you’re short on time, consider a tour for some or all of your trip. After all, money returns; time does not. Book Your Trip to Peru: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: Safety Wing (best for everyone) Insure My Trip (for those over 70) Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage) Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too. Want More Information on Peru? Be sure to visit my robust destination guide on Peru for even more planning tips! The post The 5 Best Tour Companies in Peru appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. View the full article

HOW do you start your day? Is it hitting snooze 4 times before you reluctantly crawl out of bed, accepting your fate of another day? Or, are you on the other side of the spectrum, waking up at 4 am in order to ‘win the day,’ hitting the gym and grabbing a quick post workout bite before most people are even awake? Maybe you are a night owl work late and take your coffee black at 2 pm. Whatever your daily routine, it may be time to look at it with a fresh pair of eyes and an intention to change something. Most people make the mistake of going big where change is concerned. The quintessential example of this is the night owl, with trouble waking up before 8 am, setting a goal to wake up early, maybe at 6:30 am every day, hoping it will help them become the person they always wanted to be. Assuming they’re like most, they might succeed in this endeavor for a few days, maybe even a week or two, but as is the way with most resolutions, they will eventually revert back to old habits. Soon, one day will turn into two, and before they know it, months have gone by and they are making the same promise all over again. Unfortunately, continually repeating the same failing scenario produces a negative feedback loop that permits people to talk disparagingly to themselves, e.g. you suck; you really should get out of bed on time and quit being a bum. The negative feedback becomes a detriment to self-image, and as studies show, a negative self-image can affect everything from how much you earn, to the quality of friends you keep, to what you eat, and to what you allow into your body. In short, your negative self-talk creates a negative self-image, which potentially creates harmful self-sabotage. Change is Coming Whether it’s to start the year on a positive footing, or choose to make changes when the time is right, here are 3 tips on how to move forward based on who you already are and who you hope to become. Tip #1: Start small Rather than being the night owl who suddenly aims to wake up at 6 am, essentially trying for a 180 degree turn in lifestyle and schedule, aim lower. Your resolution could be to go to bed 1 hour earlier, stop watching TV 2 hours before bed, or maybe sleep-in late one day a week. So often we pick solutions based on the equivalent of “cheat codes” in video games. Rather than putting in the time to become a person who constantly gets a great night of sleep, we foolishly plug in a habit (code) that some guru swears will make us successful. Instead, let your changes be small, incremental improvements based on where you are now. Waking up at 6 am can still be your long term goal, but by setting an initial target to go to bed an hour earlier in month 1, then once you have this down adding 10 minutes of stretching in month 2, and so on, you’ll not only find it easier to eventually wake up at 6 am, you’ll find that by making small incremental adjustments along the way, you secretly architected a new lifestyle, making the big goal much easier to achieve. Tip 2: View your habits as investments in yourself, not as a checklist you will be graded on One year, I made a resolution to quit drinking. Still in my late 20s, and coming out of a recent divorce, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you it didn’t last long. Eventually, I got there (3 years later), but it wasn’t easy. Part of the trouble was allowing one lapse in behavior to fuel another. When a buddy would ask, “you want a beer?” it was so much easier to say yes when I already had a drink the night before, my excuse usually being, “sure, I drank yesterday, it’s not like I can go back and undo that.” Part of my underlying logic was based on keeping score. Losing yesterday meant I had already blown getting a perfect record, so there was no real harm doing it again. It wasn’t until I read the 5 am Club, by Robin Sharma, and started viewing my habits as investments in myself and my life, that I really started to make progress. Saying no to a beer wasn’t about some arbitrary checklist on which I was keeping score for and with myself. Rather, it was a decision to invest in myself; saying “no” meant I’d have more energy the next morning to do the things I cared most for. Tip 3: When in doubt, start your day doing the thing you love for at least 30 minutes I love to read and I love to learn new things. Therefore, I start every day by brewing my favorite mushroom coffee, sitting down with a book on the subject I currently want to learn more about, and then losing myself in both the coffee and the book for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes, I read about business and investing. Other times, I learn about color in art and the history of pigments. Recently, I’ve been mixing in books on flying, since I’m currently working on getting my pilots’ license. By starting my day with my favorite things, this daily habit helps me get out of bed and also stay focused on what I want, instead of getting sucked into social media or other form of distraction. Maybe you love yoga or weight lifting. Or maybe you don’t yet know what you love. If that’s the case, start by taking 30 minutes a day to explore things you might be interested in. Eventually, you’ll find something that brings you joy, improves your opinion of yourself, and helps you get out of bed, eager to learn more about it. Sean McMann was recruited right out of college to work at one of the largest data firms, and then embarked on an eight-year journey from new grad to consulting director. Privileged to see behind the curtain of some of the largest corporations today, he recognized the system was broken and quit at the height of his career, when working the least but making the most money he ever had, betting everything, including his money, reputation, and time, on trying to fix the problem of the corporate jungle. He shares his insights in his new book, Hacking the Corporate Jungle: How to Work Less, Make More and Actually Like Your Life. When he's not writing, researching, and speaking, McMann spends his time riding his bike, visiting art museums, snowboarding, and playing with his two young sons. Learn more at seanmcmann.com. View the full article

Azure DevOps was designed by software teams for software teams to support development projects from ideation to deployment. It’s particularly useful for continuous integration. While Azure Boards gives you a full suite of agile project management capabilities, those features need a little time and tinkering to get used to. But don’t worry! We have you covered on the basics with our introductory guide to agile methods in Azure DevOps. And here, we’ll be diving a little deeper into our recommended best practices on how to manage projects in Azure DevOps in 2025. Unique features of Azure DevOps for project management Cross-functional teams will find the Azure DevOps well-suited to their development process. Azure Boards has you covered with customizable tools for every software delivery need. Source: Microsoft Built-in templates Azure Boards comes with four process templates – basic, Agile, Scrum, and CMMI. You can use these out-of-the-box, or customize them as you like. Did you know you can do more? Azure DevOps has tons of embedded tools that help you get more done. Get the list Tracking and modifications Every change that a user makes to an Azure DevOps work item is recorded. You or the user’s team can pull up the history of those changes at any time to see how and why the work item came to be where it is. You can also link larger resources, drag and drop images, alter the rich text, add up to 100 attachments, and the list goes on. ADO Work tracking is fully customizable with a range of configurations and options. Source: Microsoft Progress review tools With Azure Boards, you get a bird’s eye view of what’s happening across features as well as the option to dig deeper. The three tools that help you with this are: Kanban board – This is a board with columns that you can customize to represent deliverable statuses. Delivery plans – These are interactive boards that display schedules for features that multiple teams are planning to deliver. Rollup – If you want a quick visual representation of what’s pending at the feature level, the rollup tool gives you a progress bar with the percentage of work items completed for each feature. Source: Microsoft Azure DevOps security best practices While streamlining your development process and regularly reviewing your sprint backlogs is essential for using Azure DevOps more efficiently, so is security. Security breaches can seriously affect your projects and the broader organization. That’s why these best practices are essential. Be diligent about removing users Whether a user leaves the team, moves to a different project, or parts ways with the organization, removing their access to Azure DevOps promptly is essential. Any user account that isn’t regularly used is a potential way in for a malicious actor, especially if they aren’t kept up to date as you change security requirements over time. Use Microsoft Entra ID and multifactor authentication (MFA) Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is a single-sign-on solution for many Microsoft apps, from Azure DevOps to Microsoft Office. It allows your security team to centrally manage credentials. This gives them greater control over user permissions, allows early detection of security issues, and streamlines logging in for multiple apps without creating any security risks. Use event auditing You can enable auditing in ADO to track events like actions individual users take, permissions changes, and more. This gives the security team a paper trail for easy investigation in case of an incident and early-detection to prevent incidents. Audit your processes for security vulnerabilities In the same way you regularly review your workflows to make them better, you should regularly review your security protocols to keep your organization’s essential data safe. If you don’t have the expertise to do so internally, consider hiring external consultants to review these protocols. Challenges of project management in Azure DevOps (and how to overcome them with best practices) Managing projects in Azure DevOps has its challenges, but there are ways to work around most of those! Let’s break down some of those. Complex user interface If your development team hasn’t worked on the Azure infrastructure before, picking up Azure DevOps best practices can take a while. Azure Boards, especially, can be a bit overwhelming for those used to simpler interfaces. Solution: Have a training period with adequate coaching and access to learning resources so that everyone on the team feels comfortable with Boards. Plus, encourage them to start with the built-in process templates – they’re robust enough for most software delivery applications, and team members don’t need to be confused by non-essential features. Source: Microsoft Too many tags Tags are great for filtering boards, backlogs, queries, and work items. Too many of them, however, and you have chaos. At the same time, each team might want to name tags and sort items their own way, and not being able to do so might feel constraining to them. Solution: Set up an agreed-upon naming system in advance, with input from each of your teams. Then, document those rules in the project Wiki where everyone can access them. Source: Microsoft Expensive for small teams The free version of Azure DevOps lets you add up to five users, while the Basic Plan costs $30 per month for up to 10 users. Beyond that, though, costs rack up quickly, which makes Azure DevOps project management a costly affair for smaller companies. Solution: Add stakeholders instead of users! Stakeholders get access to a select number of Azure DevOps features, including dashboard viewing, adding/modifying work items, checking project status, and approving pipelines. There’s no limit on how many stakeholders you can add – so if you’re smart about how you structure your projects, you can get a lot done with a combination of stakeholders and users! Additional Azure DevOps best practices to maximize efficiency Keep iterations short The Scrum methodology advocates working in short iterations (known as Sprints) of one to four weeks long. Keeping the cycle short allows your teams to focus on a small subset of tasks and do them well, and then use what they’ve learned to execute the next round of tasks even better. Source: Microsoft Revisit your definitions from time to time The more data you gather from completed iterations and projects, the better you’ll be able to gauge how well your project management systems fit actual needs. For instance, what are the criteria for a work item to be marked as “done”? Have you observed, perhaps, that a certain type of work item keeps getting reopened in the next iteration? In which case, might it be better to mark it as “done” after an additional round of checks? Read more about build and release definitions in AzureDevOps. Have regular retrospectives with your team This is one of those Azure DevOps best practices that seem obvious, but are all the more crucial for that. Retrospectives are when you and the team collectively answer questions like Do you have shared goals and a shared vision for the project? What could you be doing better individually and as a team? What are the tools and resources you need to do better? Source: Microsoft And remember, you won’t find definitive answers to these right away! That’s what continuous improvement is about – experimenting, analyzing, iterating, and experimenting again. How Unito lets you go beyond Azure DevOps (without ever leaving) It’s likely you’re using other tools to enhance Azure Boards’ built-in features. Maybe you’re even looking to collaborate with other software development teams — except that they use a different agile project management platform from Azure DevOps. Here’s an example of an Azure DevOps work item synced to a Jira ticket (or issue) with a set of field mappings in Unito to link them together. It might feel like the only way you can work together is if one of you migrates platforms. But there’s another way. Unito’s no-code workflow management platform lets you sync Azure DevOps with any other platform – seamlessly. Two-way syncs allow both teams to view work items and statuses in the platforms and nomenclatures that they’re used to and then work on them together in real time. Browse our Azure DevOps integrations: Asana + DevOps integration Azure DevOps and HubSpot integration ServiceNow Azure DevOps integration Our ServiceNow integration in particular is useful for ITSM operations optimization. Learn more about ADO integrations Find out what you should integrate and how it's done. Get the guide View the full article

Peru, the third-largest country in South America, was receiving over four million visitors each year before the pandemic. Whether it’s to visit Machu Picchu, the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, the Nazca Lines, or the vibrant capital city of Lima and its blossoming food scene, Peru has a ton to see and do. And it lives up to the hype. I absolutely loved my visit here. It was everything I thought it would be! However, I also often hear and read about tourists getting mugged or their things being stolen. I get worried emails from travelers wondering if Peru is safe to visit due to recent political unrest. Today, I want to answer their questions: Is it safe to visit Peru? What do you need to look out for? What precautions do you need to take? In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know to safely visit Peru. Table of Contents 10 Safety Tips for Peru Is Machu Picchu Safe? Is Peru Safe to Travel Alone? Is it Safe to Travel to Peru with Kids? Is Peru Safe for Female Travelers? Can You Drink the Tap Water in Peru? Are Taxis Safe in Peru? 10 Safety Tips for Peru In general, Peru is a safe place to visit. You’re not going to get kidnapped or murdered there so don’t worry about any violent crime as a traveler. But Peru does require you to be a bit more vigilant than other destinations because there is a lot of petty crime. Here are some tips to help you plan and prepare for a safe visit to Peru: 1. Avoid displaying any expensive belongings – Keep your jewelry out of sight (or even leave it at home). Don’t flaunt valuables. Be especially aware of taking out your phone, as phone theft is rampant (over 4,000 phones are reported stolen every day). Don’t even wear AirPods on the street. In short: always keep an eye on your stuff. Minimizing the target on your back that says, “I’m carrying a lot of valuable stuff” is very important. This is especially try in major cities like Lima and Cusco where petty theft is more common. If you’re out in the day and you see people with phones and such out, it’s probably safe but if you’re alone, be careful. Thieves will come by on scooters and take stuff from your hands and drive off. 2. Be aware of thieves or muggers working in pairs or small groups – The trick of distracting you (for example, someone “accidentally” bumping into you, or a group of kids playing or fighting near you) is often used so that an accomplice can rob you while you’re not paying attention to your belongings. Don’t fall for distractions and keep your guard up. 3. Keep an eye on your belongings at all times – In crowded places or on public transit, be aware that thieves could be looking to literally pick your pocket or slash your bag. Keep some small bills in a separate pocket, so that when you’re paying for things, you don’t need to put your whole wallet or purse on display. 4. Keep your valuables separate – When you’re going out for the day, leave some credit cards and cash locked in your accommodation. That way, if you lose your wallet, you’ll still have cash and cards back at your hostel. In general, it’s a good idea to make photocopies of your passport to take with you and lock up your passport in your hostel locker. Keep digital copies of your passport in your email inbox too just in case. 5. Download the Prey app to your phone and laptop – If either device gets stolen, you’ll be able to track it and remotely turn on your camera to photograph the thief (you can also wipe the data and message the thief too). It costs just $1.10/month. 6. Avoid traveling alone at night – There have been incidents of people being mugged as they leave a taxi at night in the cities, and repeated reports of bandit activity after dark in some areas, such as Tingo María, northwest of Lima, at the entrance to the Tingo María National Park. Try to travel with friends or other travelers at night as there is safety in numbers. And this is especially true in cities at night too. In some areas of Lima like Miraflores and Barranco, there’s a lot of people out at night so it’s less of a problem but this also the two nicest and most touristy areas of Lima so it’s a hot bed for thieves. 7. Choose a reputable bus operator – Sometimes the cheapest option isn’t the best one. Some of the cheap bus companies have the most reckless drivers and lots of breakdowns, and since Peru has some of the world’s worst traffic accident rates, you’re usually safer using a slightly pricier bus company. Some of the most reputable bus operators include Cruz del Sur, Oltursa, Civa, and Movil Tours. Additionally, consider PeruHop, which is a hop on/hop off bus tour operator catering to travels (and sometimes locals) that is very safe, uses incredible drivers, and has no theft problem. 8. Don’t use drugs – Since Peru produces a lot of cocaine, tourists (especially young backpackers) tend to do a lot of it here. It’s not worth the risk, however, since if authorities even suspect you of using drugs, you can be detained for up to 15 days. Buying drugs here supports organized crime, so be smart and skip the drugs. 9. Learn some Spanish – Being able to speak some basic Spanish will help you in many situations, but if you get in trouble and need help, then you’ll really appreciate it. Start with an app like Duolingo to master some basic vocabulary. Google Translate app is also a must-have app (download the Spanish language to your phone so you can translate offline). 10. Buy travel insurance – Things can go wrong on the road. That’s why I never go anywhere without travel insurance. From theft to injuries to delayed flights, travel insurance is there to ensure you don’t go broke. It’s just a couple bucks a day (often less) and provides peace of mind. Don’t travel here without it! I recommend SafetyWing for travelers under 70, while Insure My Trip is the best choice for travelers over 70. You can use this widget to get a quote for SafetyWing: For more information on travel insurance, check out these posts: What Does Travel Insurance ACTUALLY Cover? The Best Travel Insurance Companies How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance Planning a trip to South America? Get all my best travel tips along with these guides: My Favorite Companies to Use61 Savvy Travel Tips16 Steps for Planning a TripHow to Get Free Flights Just fill in your details below and I'll send everything to you right now: Add me With these travel tips, you’ll be able to stay safe while you visit or backpack around Peru! Furthermore, here are answers to some frequently asked questions we get. Is Machu Picchu safe? Machu Picchu is such a common tourist destination that you’ll most likely be safer here than any other part of Peru. Chances are you’ll be hiking with a group or in a crowd, so pickpockets and other petty thieves are unlikely to be around. It’s much more important to be vigilant in cities like Lima or Cusco. The more important safety issue if you are hiking to Machu Picchu is to take care of your health. Make sure you have plenty of water, and use sunscreen and hats to deal with the heat. If you’re not acclimatized to the altitude, then altitude sickness can be a problem; you need to take it seriously if you start to feel sick. Avoid this by staying in Cusco for at least a couple of days before visiting Machu Picchu. Finally, if you use a guide, which is recommended when hiking, make sure they are a licensed operator, as you sometimes hear of unlicensed guides taking you the wrong route and keeping your hiking permit payment for themselves. Is Peru safe to travel alone? Solo travel is pretty common in Peru, and you’ll often find plenty of other solo backpackers to spend time with, so it’s unlikely you’ll be alone that much. Bus travel and being out after dark anywhere is safer in a group, but in general, solo travel in Peru is no more dangerous than traveling with friends or a partner. Just remember to avoid standing out and looking like a tourist. Don’t dress in fancy clothes, don’t wave your expensive gadgets around, and if you get lost, don’t stand there staring at a map. Basically, avoid sticking out like a sore thumb, and you’ll reduce the chance of a petty thief deciding you’re their next victim. Is it safe to travel to Peru with kids? On the whole, it’s not especially unsafe to take your kids to Peru. Family and children are very important in the Peruvian culture, so you and your kids will be made to feel very welcome. Be careful with particularly small children, though, because they’re more susceptible to getting sick from unfiltered water, for example. It’s also not recommended to take kids under three to high altitudes such as Machu Picchu. Is Peru safe for female travelers? It’s not unsafe to be a solo female traveler in Peru, though you might be the victim of some unwanted attention, mostly in the form of catcalling. Local women in Peru rarely go out to bars without men, so if you are a women-only group in a bar, you might get some extra attention. But there’s a lot of solo female travelers in the country so you’ll meet others to hang out with. Peru doesn’t require any more precautions than you would take anywhere else. Can you drink the tap water in Peru? No, don’t drink the tap water in Peru (though it’s fine to brush your teeth with). Use a Lifestraw, which not only ensures that your water is always safe to drink as it has a built in water filter in the bottle but helps you avoid single-use plastic. Are taxis safe in Peru? Taxis are relatively safe, but make sure you only use authorized taxis and that you know the rate in advance. If you need a taxi, have your hostel or hotel call one for you and find out what the rate is in advance. Make sure you agree on the fare with the driver in advance, as taxis don’t use meters so it’s easy to get overcharged if you’re not paying attention. That said, Uber is everywhere in the country now and you can call an Uber if you don’t want to flag a random taxi down. **** Peru is an amazing destination no matter what your interests, with a rich culture, welcoming people, beautiful landscapes, and fascinating historical sights. You do need to be cautious about your personal safety, however. The most common issues travelers face there are petty theft and pickpocketing, but by exercising a bit of extra vigilance and common sense, you can minimize your risk. Be sure to make sure that you’re not carrying valuables in an obvious way and don’t have large sums of cash in one place. Don’t let the stories put you off. The amazing attractions will definitely make your trip worthwhile! Peru is an amazing place and with some common sense you won’t have any issues! I didn’t. Book Your Trip to Peru: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned! Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: Safety Wing (for everyone below 70) Insure My Trip (for those over 70) Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage) Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too. Want More Information on Peru? Be sure to visit my robust destination guide on Peru for even more planning tips! The post Is Peru Safe to Visit? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. View the full article

Even faster dealmaking to come in 2025. By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

Even faster dealmaking to come in 2025. By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Rental House, by Weike Wang. After the daughter of Chinese immigrants and the son of a white, working class family marry, they grapple with their relationship with each other and both sets of parents over the course of a summer vacation. (Amazon, Bookshop) * I earn a commission if you use those links. View the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Joel Kurtzman on leadership: “The leader is not separate from the group he or she leads. Rather, the leader is the organization’s glue—the force that binds it together, sets its direction, and makes certain that the group functions as one. Good leaders are not outsiders who cheer on a group. They are part of that group, integrated deeply into its fabric and emotional life. Connecting with the group you lead means demonstrating you are part of the group, understand its challenges, can do its jobs, and can stand the pressure and the heat.” Source: Common Purpose: How Great Leaders Get Organizations to Achieve the Extraordinary II. Greg Satell on identifying a keystone change: “To create real change, change that sticks and won’t be soon reversed, you need to identify a fundamental issue that encapsulates the value of the mission—a keystone change that is concrete and tangible, unites the efforts of multiple stakeholders, and paves the way for greater change. Revolutions don’t begin with a slogan—they begin with a cause. “It is never enough to merely state grievances to challenge the status quo. To create meaningful change, you must put forward an affirmative vision for what you want the future to look like. You have to define an alternative that is actually better, not just for those who agree with you, but for the vast majority of those who will be affected by the change you seek.” Source: Cascades: How to Create a Movement that Drives Transformational Change * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article