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Your clients will be happier ... and so will your staff. By Jody Padar Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Jody Padar. View the full article

Don’t take them for granted. By Ed Mendlowitz Tax Season Opportunity Guide We have many resources and need to recognize that. And we need to treat each with its own importance. Even if you did everything yourself, you’d still need … Continued Go PRO for members-only access to more Edward Mendlowitz. View the full article

Don’t take them for granted. By Ed Mendlowitz Tax Season Opportunity Guide We have many resources and need to recognize that. And we need to treat each with its own importance. Even if you did everything yourself, you’d still need … Continued Go PRO for members-only access to more Edward Mendlowitz. View the full article

Featuring Danielle Guizio, Owner and Designer, Guizio; Kat Hantas, Cofounder, 21Seeds Infused Tequila and Stacey Tank, CEO, Bespoke Beauty Brands (owner of KimChi Chic Beauty and Jason Wu Beauty). Moderated by Yasmin Gagne, Staff Editor, Fast Company What separates companies that scale from those that stall? These founders and CEOs may have the answer. In this panel, you’ll gain insight into the strategies, decisions, and challenges behind building high-growth businesses, from knowing when an acquisition or retail expansion is the right move to capitalizing on buzzy products. View the full article

The president is likely to nominate Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman to be the central bank's next vice chair for supervision, a post vacated by Michael Barr. View the full article

Google’s AI-powered match type Search Max is rolling out to more accounts, bringing automated ad optimization to Search campaigns. How it works: Expanded search term matching. Google extends beyond existing keywords and match types, using landing pages, headlines, and descriptions to surface new, relevant searches. Text & URL optimization. Google dynamically selects the most relevant landing pages and pairs them with optimized headlines and descriptions. Automatically created assets. Search Max now incorporates AI-generated ad components, further streamlining ad creation. Why we care. Search Max aims to increase conversions by dynamically tailoring ads based on user searches, ad assets, and landing pages – going beyond traditional keyword targeting. By expanding search term matching beyond traditional keywords, dynamically optimizing ad components, and leveraging AI-generated assets, it could help reach new audiences with minimal manual effort. However, with greater automation comes less control, meaning advertisers will need to closely monitor performance and adapt strategies as Google continues refining the feature. First seen. We discovered this update via PPC News Feed, citing search marketing consultant Jerome Fleck: View the full article

This is a sweeping generalisation, but it’s a useful one. You probably deserve a promotion, but on its own, that’s rarely enough to actually get you promoted. There are forces working against you: the cold, hard unit economics of your…Read more ›View the full article

U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a four-year low, even as widespread tariffs threaten to send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The core figure is the lowest since April 2021. The declines were larger than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet. Yet they remain higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. And most economists still expect inflation will remain elevated this year as Trump’s tariffs kick in. “Today’s cooler-than-expected reading was a breath of fresh air,” Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, said. Yet she cautioned that the Fed is likely to keep its key rate unchanged for now until it sees further evidence of how the White House’s trade and immigration policies affect the economy. On a monthly basis, inflation also came in much lower than expected. Consumer prices rose 0.2% in February from the previous month, down from a big 0.5% jump in January. And core prices rose just 0.2%, below the 0.4% increase in January. Economists watch core prices because they are typically a better guide to inflation’s future path. A sharp drop in air fares, which fell 4% just in February from the previous month, helped bring down overall inflation. Rental price increases also slowed. And the price of new cars fell last month compared with January. Grocery prices were unchanged last month from January, bringing some relief to consumers grappling with a 25% jump in grocery prices from four years ago. The cost of eggs, however, jumped 10.4% in February from the previous month and are nearly 60% more expensive than a year ago. Avian flu has forced farmers to slaughter more than 160 million birds, including 30 million in January. Average egg prices hit $5.90 a dozen nationwide in February, a record high. The price had consistently been below $2 a dozen for decades before the disease struck. And with Trump imposing—or threatening to impose—a wide range of tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, China, Europe, and India, most economists forecast price growth will likely remain elevated this year. The duties have roiled financial markets and could sharply slow the economy, with some analysts raising the odds of a recession. Many economists expect inflation would fall this year without the import taxes, but with tariffs imposed, they forecast inflation will stay elevated through the end of this year. Trump has pledged to impose reciprocal tariffs on any country with duties on U.S. exports on April 2. Economists at the Yale Budget Lab calculate that those duties, by themselves, could boost the average U.S. tariff rate to its highest level since 1937, and cost the average household as much as $3,400. Wednesday’s update is likely to encourage the inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in January that rate cuts were on hold and another reduction is highly unlikely at the Fed’s meeting next week. The biggest wild card for the Fed—and the economy as a whole—are the tariffs and Trump’s threats to impose more. Since his inauguration in January, Trump has imposed 20% taxes on all imports from China, and 25% duties on imports from Canada and Mexico, though most of those tariffs have been suspended for a month. On Wednesday, the administration increased tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25%, promising that the taxes would help create U.S. factory jobs at a time when Trump’s seesawing tariff threats are jolting the stock market and raising fears of an economic slowdown. The European Union responded in kind almost immediately announcing retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products. Trump has promised reciprocal duties on countries that tariff exports from the United States, including Europe, India, and South Korea on April 2. AP Writers Josh Boak and Paul Wiseman in Washington, and Lorne Cook and David McHugh in Europe, contributed to this report. —Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer View the full article

Study reveals top AI models for text, image, and video generation, highlighting adoption trends and emerging industry leaders. The post AI Model Showdown: Top Choices For Text, Image, & Video Generation appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

When Apple's AirTags first launched, I thought that the devices would prove to be useless once the novelty wore off, but after using them for about a year, my assumption has proved to be wrong. AirTags have quite a few useful hidden features that make the product worth checking out even if you're someone who doesn't lose things often. Here are the best hidden features of your Apple AirTags. Rename your AirTagsIt sounds obvious, but you really should rename your AirTags to make it easy to identify each item they're attached to. Instead of having them named "Pranay's AirTags #1," you can change it to something like "Pranay's Blue Backpack." To do this, go to the Find My app on your iPhone and navigate to Items > AirTag > Rename Item. Once you've chosen names that are specific and easy to pronounce, you can try the next tip. Use Siri to locate your AirTagsWhen you're looking for a lost item with an Airtag on it, the fastest way to find it is via Siri. You can ask Siri to locate the item by using a voice command like, "Hey Siri, find Pranay's Luggage." Just use whatever name you've given the AirTag and Siri will quickly locate the item and you'll hear a sound that will allow you to find it quickly. This is much faster than going to the Find My app on your iPhone and tapping through to Items > AirTags > Play Sound. Share your AirTag's location with a loved oneIf you trust your loved ones to keep an eye out for you, then consider sharing your AirTag's location with them. This can be useful for those who work night shifts or have long drives to work, as it allows loved ones to know where they are in case there's an emergency. As long as the AirTag is in your car or attached to an item you always carry (house keys, your phone, etc.), this feature will work just fine. Enable it by opening the Find My app on your iPhone and going to Items > AirTags > Share AirTag > Add Person. Put your AirTags in Lost ModeYour AirTags have two useful features that let others locate your lost items. One allows you to share contact information with anyone who finds your lost AirTag, and the other lets you share your AirTag's location with trusted people such as airline employees who are trying to locate your luggage. You can set both of these up by going to the Find My app on your iPhone and navigating to Items > AirTag > Lost AirTag. Tap Show Contact Info or Share Item Location and follow the on-screen instructions to set up these features. You can find the owner of lost AirTagsIn case you come across someone else's AirTags, you can use your iPhone to try to identify their owner and contact them. If someone has added their contact information to their AirTags, as described in the previous tip, you can locate it quickly via the Find My app on your iPhone. Go to the Items tab and select Identify Found Item. Follow the on-screen prompts to identify the lost AirTag and hopefully reunite it with its owner. Turn off left behind notifications for your homeIf your home is marked incorrectly in your AirTags, you'll get annoying "This item is left behind" alerts every time you step out. I ordered my AirTags right before a month-long stay at a friend's place, and their house was automatically marked as my "home." When I returned to my own house, three of my four AirTags would keep scaring me by telling me that I left behind my suitcase or other items. You can fix this by going to Find My > Items > AirTags > Notify When Left Behind. Tap New Location and mark your home as an exception. This should take care of unwanted alerts. Check your AirTag's battery levelYour AirTag's battery should last for a year, but there's no way to determine the current battery level. If the battery is really low, your iPhone will send you a notification. You can also see the AirTag in the Find My app, which will show a battery low indicator if your AirTag needs a new battery. Find your AirTag easilyThis is the most popular use for AirTags. Go to the Find My app and open the Items tab. Tap the name of your AirTag and select Find. The iPhone will take a few moments and direct you towards your AirTag. Look up an AirTag's serial numberYou can also view the serial number and the firmware version of your AirTag in your iPhone's Find My app. To do that, go to the Items tab in the app, select your AirTag, and tap the name of the AirTag. You'll now see its serial number and firmware version. This information can be useful if your AirTags are in warranty and to see if the latest software features are available for them. Creative uses for AirTagsWhile you'd think AirTags would be best for tracking luggage, keys, or other items that you might lose more often than most, there's much more that you can use AirTags for. My personal favorite is tracking pets. If you have a cat that often goes outdoors, putting an AirTag on their harness could save you a lot of trouble if the pet ever goes missing. Similarly, people on Reddit have highlighted many creative uses of the product. This includes training your dog to return to you when you play a sound on an AirTag attached to their collar, using it to track people who have dementia (and often get lost as a result), and even tracking a child's backpack. You should never use AirTags to stalk people, but the product can help you keep an eye on loved ones who can't protect themselves. View the full article

Resources are limited, but your ability to manage them to fulfill the needs of your project isn’t. One of the many challenges that face project managers is how to guide their project to a successful end without enough resources. The good news: there are ways you can take the resources you have and make them work in your project. The better news: we’ll tell you how to overcome a perceived lack of resources. Project Management Challenges: Lack of Project Resources The first thing to do when you notice your resources aren’t covering what you planned for in your project is to identify the context. Resources can be anything from materials to personnel, and the situation that brought you to stretch your resources to the breaking point can have many causes. New Technology: You might be working on a software program that is more advanced than your ability to support or your team hasn’t yet developed the skill set to use it properly. Higher Priority Projects: There might be another project that ends up combined with yours and some of your resources are pulled from your work to another. Unforeseen Events: You can prepare for risks and plan for uncertainty, but people get sick, take unplanned time off, and non-human resources can suddenly have supply issues. Poor Planning: Sometimes it’s as simple as a lack of planning, which is why planning thoroughly before executing a project is so important. When the issue is minor, you can apply a quick fix by looking at your project plan and task lists and seeing if there is any moving around that will open more time. But here we’re talking about more major shortages of resources. Related: Best Resource Management Software Assessing Your Resource Shortage What do you do to overcome a lack of project resources? We suggest a two-step process to help your resource management. 1. Identify the Situation and its Impact Some of the possible causes for the lack of resources. Once you’ve determined why then the next part is to figure out what the impact on the project is. Without that knowledge, it’s impossible to resolve the issue. 2. Leverage Your Change Control Board While it might seem like this is a problem you alone should address, it’s not. You want to employ the help of the change control board. First, relay the situation and the impact to your cost, time, scope and quality. Then provide several options you have to resolve it, and listen to their recommendations. After a course of action has been decided upon, help facilitate that decision, and over the course of resolving it adjust as needed. Even with the help of the change control board, you might not be able to adjust to meet the need for more resources. At that point, it’s their decision to allocate more resources and allow you to re-baseline the project. Resource Management Techniques to Combat a Lack of Resources One way to keep an eye on project resources when they are scarce is through effective resource management. There are several techniques to optimize resource allocation, utilization and tracking. Capacity Planning to Meet Changing Demands This is the process of determining the production capacity that an organization needs to meet changing demands for its products or services. It analyzes current and future workloads, assessing available resources and identifying any imbalances. It takes a proactive approach to resource management to ensure an organization can meet its obligations. Capacity planning is ideal to use when there’s a significant fluctuation in demand or when a company is introducing new products or services. It’s also commonly used during seasonal variations or when planning for long-term strategic goals. Resource Smoothing for Efficient Resource Usage Resource smoothing aims to optimize resource utilization within a project without changing the project’s critical path or overall completion date. It strives to create a more consistent and efficient workflow by evenly distributing resource demand over the project’s duration. It does this by adjusting the start and finish dates of non-critical tasks to level out resource demand. Use this resource management technique when resources are limited or there are significant fluctuations in resource demand. This is also an ideal way to reduce stress on the project team. Workload Reallocation to Keep Resources Balanced This is a way to manage project resources by redistributing tasks and responsibilities to team members to optimize resource utilization and balance workloads. Tasks are shifted from overworked individuals to those with the available capacity or relevant skills. This is the ideal technique to use when team members are experiencing uneven workloads or when facing resource constraints or skill imbalances. The result is increased productivity and a reduced risk of project delays. Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) to Identify Resource Relationships The resource breakdown structure is a resource management technique that provides a hierarchical overview of the resources that will be needed in a project. The resources are organized by category to make it easy to spot inefficiencies. This can help prevent a lack of resources in the first place. Use this technique in situations where detailed resource planning, allocation and tracking are critical to project success. Large, complex projects often benefit from using an RBS in addition to projects where resources are limited. Resource Leveling to Address Overallocation The purpose of resource leveling is to prevent situations where resources are overbooked or unavailable. It’s a project resource technique that helps resolve overallocation or underallocation to create a smoother and more balanced distribution of resource demand over the project’s duration. This is ideal to use when resources are limited or if there are significant fluctuations in resource demand. It’s also used when cost control is a primary concern. Monitoring Project Resources When There Are Constraints In order to avoid a resource shortage, it’s essential that you monitor your project resources throughout the project. There are several ways to do this in your project management or resource tracking software. You can: Track resource availability Manage workload allocation to track hour-by-hour availability View project schedules to monitor task progress Monitor resource productivity on your project dashboards. You’ll be better off if your project management software has all these resource monitoring capabilities. That way, you’re not burdened by data transfers between two systems, and you can track availability and performance in real time. ProjectManager, for instance, has real-time dashboards that show you exactly how your resources are performing at a high level. Plus, you can track other key metrics at the same time. Want to dig deeper? Create one-click workload reports or check our workload chart. No project management software does more for resource management than ProjectManager. Try it free today. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dashboard_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150-CTA.jpgTrack your resources, tasks, costs and more in real time with ProjectManager. Learn more Make a Good Resource Plan The best way to reduce the risk of not having enough resources to finish the project is by making sure your resource planning is as thorough as possible. To start, you want to thoroughly list the resources you’ll need, estimate how many of each you’ll need and schedule them to meet your deadline. That means all the people, equipment and materials that are necessary to complete the project. Related:Resource Planning Template Following that list is a schedule. This is the timeframe in which the resources are needed to get the project done. You’ll want to figure out the duration you’ll need each of your resources to understand their impact on the schedule. Your need for a particular resource can change dramatically from day to day; therefore, you want to address the quantity issue. For example, how many times a day or week or month do you need that resource? This will help you squeeze every bit of use out of those limited resources. Finally, you need to identify the assumptions and constraints related to your resources. An assumption if what you believe to be true, and constraints are the schedule, cost and cost of the project. A strong resource management plan won’t change the amount of your resources, but it will extend their use to fulfill the requirements of the project. How ProjectManager Helps with Resource Management Having a resource management plan is important, but so is having a project management software that has all the features you’ll need to implement it. You schedule is only as good as your ability to track it. ProjectManager is cloud-based project management software that gives you the real-time data to accurately track the progress of your project and resource use. For the resource of your team, you can track their hourly and daily availability. Holidays and vacation days are also noted, whether they’re local or international, which is a great feature for projects with distributed teams. You can use our resource management tool to monitor and manage your team’s workload as well. This way if one of your team is overtasked and others are not working, you can quickly adjust the workload. This not only is fair and prevents burnout, but it is a more efficient and effective way to manage your resources. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Workload_Wide_Zoom-175.jpgProjectManager’s resource management tool makes resource tracking simple Learn more Learn More About Overcoming a Lack of Project Resources You can never know enough about managing your resources. Good project managers don’t allow themselves to fall into complacency. Watch Jennifer Bridges, PMP, who taps her expertise in project management to guide you through a short training video that helps you extend your resources and meet project expectations. Here’s a shot of the whiteboard for your reference! Transcription: Welcome to the PM Challenges Series. Today, we’re specifically talking about overcoming a lack of project resources. But first of all, some people ask, or they wonder how did I even get here? What situation am I in that I am even have a lack of resources? Well, I think it’s really important to identify the situation you’re in, because there are different reasons of how you got there, and approaches of how you overcome it based on the situation. So first of all, let’s consider that with new, specifically, emerging technologies, sometimes it’s hard to find resources who know how to program, or support that technology. So sometimes it’s hard to find them, and even if you do, they come at a premium cost. Another situation could be that in your organization, a higher priority project comes on board, and then all of a sudden, some of your key resources are pulled off the project. Also, unforeseen events. So sometimes, we think of maybe natural disasters. Sometimes people have projects where maybe they have union labor, so if there’s a strike that may impact the resources. Also, I know one instance that I had once, there was a guy on my team who was an organ donor for his sister. So they had been waiting years for this to happen, and then all of a sudden in the middle and critical moment of a project, he was called up for the donor process. So he was pulled out for significant amount of time, so we had to fill his position. And then also, there’s just the flat out poor for lack of planning. So when these situations happen, of course, there’s an impact to the project. So you know, projects are, the components of the project are the cost, the time, the scope, and the quality. So you have to assess how this situation impacts your project. So let’s look at a few ways that you can overcome these situations. So first of all, if it’s a minor lack of resources, you can look at your project plan, and your task and see is there someone maybe who has some slight time that maybe could fill in for another? Or maybe, you know, there’s something that you can rearrange that’s minor. But these, I believe, are more specific lack of resources that we’re talking about here on this whiteboard session. So first of all, identify the situation you’re in, and the impact. And then, leverage your change control board. Sometimes, some project managers try to fix this problem on their own, and it’s really the decision of the change control board of how to handle. So how do we do this? You present your case. So once you find this situation and the impact, you wanna specifically identify the situation and how it impacts your cost, the time, the scope, and the quality of your project. And then identify our position several options for the change control board to consider. And then make your own recommendation, doesn’t mean that they have to take it, but it does let them know that you’ve done your homework, and your research of the situation so that you can give them an idea of which path that you recommend. And then facilitate the decision with the change control board. And when they get guidance, they may have you, for instance if it’s an emerging technology, they may have you go procure or find additional resources for the team that may add more cost so they can approve it. If not , they may decide, “Well, you know, we’re having a hard time finding those resources,” so they will be the ones to maybe approve an extension or delay in your timeline. Or maybe they may decide, well, they may take out some of the scope of the project. So they are the ones who can ultimately make those decisions and give you the approvals so that you can re-baseline your project. And then, so you go back, and once the decision has been made, you adjust accordingly. So for sure, if you need a tool that can help you overcome your lack of resources, then sign up for our software now at ProjectManager. The post Overcoming a Lack of Project Resources: Techniques and Tips appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Now more than ever, I rely on my silly little podcasts to disassociate through my days, and yesterday, that got a little easier. Pocket Casts—Lifehacker's pick for the most full-featured and user-friendly podcast app on the scene, and my own auditory lifeline for the last half-decade or so—has made its web streaming and desktop apps free for all users. Previously, these were paid subscriber-only benefits that would cost you around $40/year to access. In a statement, the company said it made the change in support of "the open podcasting ecosystem," noting the audio format "was built on an open, decentralized standard, RSS, which means that anyone can create, share, and listen to content freely, without needing a specific platform’s approval. But today, major platforms are shifting away from open standards, moving creators into proprietary systems that limit distribution and control discovery through algorithms." This is a clear shot at competitors like Spotify that have invested big money into the medium while locking some of their shows (and app features) behind a paywall. In particular, Pocket Casts points out that its podcast discovery tools are not algorithmically driven, echoing the ethos of open-source social networks like Bluesky that stand in opposition to the engagement-at-any-cost likes of X and Meta. The David vs. Goliath stance is slightly disingenuous—though the indie-developed app celebrates the open source ethos and was previously owned by a group of nonprofit public radio stations, it was sold to WordPress owner Automattic in 2021. Still, it's nice to have an alternative web-based podcast platform that at least nods to an earlier, better era of the internet. Free access to the Pocket Casts app and web playerThe decision to remove the Pocket Casts web and desktop apps from behind the paywall gives users a lot more flexibility with how they listen. Anyone can use either without an account, but a free login will grant access to features like synching across devices. As long as you're logged in on both, you can start a podcast on your phone and seamlessly pick it up on desktop without a hitch. (It's worth noting that while Spotify offers similar functionality with Spotify Connect, it requires a Spotify Premium account to access.) In my testing (I was formerly a free member, despite loving the app), I found all of my subscriptions, listening history, and preferences matched up 1:1 across all my devices. The desktop app is available for both Mac and Windows. Pocket Casts Plus still offers paid featuresPocket Casts hasn't gone completely free—you can still pay for Pocket Casts Plus ($39.99/year) to gain access to features like folders, bookmarking, and smartwatch apps. You can also pay $99/year to become a Pocket Casts Patron, which also nets you more cloud storage, early access to new features, and "the undying gratitude of everyone at Pocket Casts." View the full article

If you’re spending time and money adding keyword-rich content to your website, hoping to improve your Google Maps rankings, you’re wasting resources. Website content does not influence your visibility in Google Maps – but there are proven strategies that do. The SEO myth: Blogging and Google Maps rankings When Google Maps first launched, it appeared to pull keywords from local business websites to help match businesses with local searches. Because of this perceived influence, local SEO experts have long advocated for blogging and content marketing. However, this belief is based on incorrect correlations. Adding content to your website – if it is not part of your Google Business Profile (GBP) – does not impact Google Maps rankings. This misconception is significant because it has led to widespread misinformation about local SEO. As a result, businesses may invest resources in efforts that will not produce the expected results. Testing the theory: A keyword experiment To test this idea, I conducted an experiment over the past year. I created a page optimized for a completely fabricated keyword phrase, “hypnerotomachia enhancement.” “Hypnerotomachia” comes from Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a book published in 1499 by early printer Aldus Manutius. The phrase itself sounds like a niche service a marketing agency might offer, but in reality, no business or website has ever used it before. By selecting a phrase that did not exist on any business profile or website, the experiment aimed to determine whether Google Maps absorbs new content added to a website and associates its keywords with the corresponding business profile. To test this, we: Created a dedicated page for “hypnerotomachia enhancement” on my agency’s website. Linked it in the sitewide top navigation. Submitted it to Google Search Console for indexing. Given that Google Maps may take time to process content from business websites, we left the page live for several months. The results: Organic search vs. Google Maps Despite all this, our business listing never appeared in Google Maps searches for “hypnerotomachia enhancement.” In contrast, the page ranked at the top of Google’s organic search results for the exact phrase. This demonstrates that while the content was recognized in organic search rankings, it had no influence on Google Maps results. The takeaway: Your keyword-rich website content has little impact on Google Maps visibility Although this may seem like a minor distinction, local SEO experts have long advised that optimizing website content with keywords could improve Google Maps rankings. This claim may have been true before Google introduced GBP listings. However, over time, this guidance has evolved from “could affect rankings” to the widely accepted but incorrect belief that it “definitely does affect rankings.” As a result, this misunderstanding continues to spread through blog posts, social media discussions, and industry conversations. In reality, website content now appears to have little to no direct impact on keyword relevance in Google Maps. If you are investing significant resources into blogging and creating new pages with the expectation that this will help your business rank in Google Maps – or improve your visibility for keyword phrases beyond those in your Google Business Profile – you are wasting your budget. This also applies to another common misconception. Creating location-based pages (often called “city pages,” “city area pages,” or “geo pages”) will not help your Google Business Profile appear more frequently in searches from those locations. Website content does not influence keyword relevance in Google Maps or Google Local searches. Additionally, these types of pages may violate Google’s spam policies, as they can be considered doorway pages, which have long been against the rules. Dig deeper: How to use location-specific authority content for SEO But keywords still matter for local search Adding keyword-rich content to your website does not create keyword relevance for your Google Business Profile or improve Google Maps rankings. That said, it can help your pages appear in regular search results outside the map pack. Depending on the query, these listings can drive traffic to your business, particularly for unique or low-competition keyword combinations. However, creating geographic pages is unlikely to make your Google Business Profile appear in search results for users searching from local areas – unless your business is physically near them or your profile settings include that location. Many users do not include a geographic name in their searches, as they expect Google to automatically provide locally relevant results. For some local search queries, appearing in Google Maps is crucial, especially as mobile searches continue to outpace desktop searches. Consumers often rely on Google Maps more than standard search results when looking for local businesses. This is why some businesses prioritize Google Maps optimization – and why it’s important to understand the differences between ranking in regular search results and ranking in Google Maps. Dig deeper: Top SEO tips for location-specific websites Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. Where should I focus efforts to rank for keywords in Maps? What should you do if optimizing website content does not help your keyword relevancy? Google’s guidance is not vague about this, as it turns out. You need to optimize your Google Business Profile. On its help page for “How to improve your local ranking on Google,” Google states: “Relevance refers to how well a local Business Profile matches what someone is searching for. Add complete and detailed business information to help Google better understand your business and match your profile to relevant searches.” Nearly 20 years ago, I wrote “Anatomy & Optimization of a Local Business Profile,” which is still worth reading – though some aspects are outdated. For example: GBP business names must now strictly follow Google’s guidelines. DMOZ is no longer relevant. Mail store addresses should be avoided. Some rating sites prohibit soliciting reviews. However, most core principles remain applicable and provide a strong foundation for optimizing your GBP. Write a strong business description Your description should clearly highlight your main products, services, and unique differentiators. Keep it concise and compelling – avoid AI-generated text, as it often lacks the nuance and authenticity needed for effective local SEO. Maximize your business categories Each category you add increases your potential visibility. While Google’s official guidance suggests using only your primary business category, this approach can be limiting. Businesses often operate in multiple relevant categories, and Google’s category list is not always comprehensive. For example, some niche specializations may not have a perfect category match. To maximize exposure, add all directly relevant and valid business categories to your profile. Dig deeper: How to pick the right Google Business Profile categories List your products and services This is one of the best ways to incorporate specialized keywords that don’t fit within Google’s predefined business categories. Google offers a set of standard service names based on your category, but you can also add custom services to target more specific searches. For example, if Google doesn’t include a precise service your business offers, you can manually enter it here – which is more effective than trying to influence Maps rankings through website content. When and how Google uses website content for Maps visibility Google Maps does use website content for certain aspects of search, such as: Link value (PageRank): Used as part of the prominence signal in rankings. NAP (name, address, phone number) consistency: Helps verify business details. Business hours: Cross-referenced with the GBP. Local business structured data: Used for verification and consistency. Product inventory content: Can be associated with GBP, though not directly tied to product pages. This is why there has been confusion about how website content factors into local search and the display of map pack results. As SEO myths go, the idea that adding keyword content to a local business website improves Google Maps rankings is relatively harmless since those pages can still appear in organic search results. However, this demonstrates why it’s important to reassess longstanding assumptions to better understand how everything fits together. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I recently started a new job where I manage two employees. One of them, “Carol,” is challenging to work with. I’ve learned that some candidates even withdrew from the role I now hold because they couldn’t see themselves working with her. While I generally get along with Carol, managing her is difficult. She can be loud, boastful (sometimes claiming credit for others’ work), and occasionally rude, making snarky comments to colleagues. She admits she’s not a morning person, but on some mornings, her mood is so sour I feel I need to walk on eggshells. She doesn’t hesitate to interrupt others with her own questions, which I appreciate in terms of initiative, but she often responds curtly to volunteers or colleagues who interrupt her. A manager training session shed more light on her personality. Her Emotional Control score on a personality assessment was zero, which the facilitator described as indicative of deep self-esteem issues. I was advised to praise her as much as possible, though it may never feel like enough. I’ve been trying, but it’s exhausting — it doesn’t come naturally to me, and I worry about sounding insincere. Carol has mentioned attending therapy for job-related stress and anxiety, which I’m glad she’s addressing. I agree that her struggles seem rooted in low self-esteem. Do you have any additional advice for managing someone like Carol? I want to support her growth, but being direct with her is tough due to how sensitive she is. I’d caution you against putting too much weight on personality assessments (which are generally pseudoscience, although they might be helping in giving you the words to articulate patterns you had already noticed on your own) and instead urge you to focus on giving Carol clear and concrete info about what you need her to do differently. Given the problems with Carol’s conduct, focusing on building up her self-esteem is not the right strategy, and it will steer you away from the type of feedback Carol urgently needs. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t make sure you’re giving sincere praise to employees. Of course you should — with all of them, and it’s worth being extra intentional about it when you know someone thrives on that form of recognition in particular. So when you write that praising Carol’s work doesn’t come naturally to you and feels insincere, I want to know more about that. Does it feel insincere because she’s not actually doing a good job, or because you’re uncomfortable praising employees in general? If it’s the former, that’s a sign that you really, really need to be tackling the performance issues … whereas if it’s an across-the-board issue you have with other employees too, that’s something you’ve got to work on to be a better manager (more on that here). But regardless of the answer to that, it definitely sounds like you’re not giving enough feedback in the other direction, because these issues with Carol are persisting and you said it’s tough to be direct with her because of how sensitive she is. As a manager, you cannot allow the fear of an employee’s reaction to get in the way of you delivering important feedback about their work (or conduct); that would be neglecting your own job in a pretty fundamental way, and it’s unfair to to the other people who have to work with Carol. Frankly, it’s also unfair to Carol herself, since it means that she won’t have the opportunity to hear what she’s doing that’s alienating people and harming her reputation and which could even get her fired someday. (You might not fire her over what you’ve seen, but that doesn’t mean her next manager won’t. It’s a kindness to be direct with her.) Moreover, being able to take work-related feedback is a job competency like any other. You (hopefully) wouldn’t throw up your hands about someone who was, say, bad at meeting deadlines or produced work littered with serious errors. You’d address those problems head-on, because they’re clearly connected to the person’s ability to perform the role you’ve hired them for. You can — and should — have the same sorts of expectations around taking work-related feedback professionally. You can’t not give it just because Carol is sensitive. So: it’s time to tell Carol very clearly that she cannot be rude or snarky, her mood cannot be so disruptive that people feel they need to walk on eggshells around her, and she cannot respond curly to people who interrupt her. If she responds poorly to hearing that, address it head-on, right then in the moment: “What’s happening right now is part of what concerns me. I need to be able to give you feedback without you becoming upset. Being able to take feedback professionally is part of everyone’s job here, and being able to do it is crucial to your success in your role.” From there, you need to manage her much more closely. If she’s rude or making people feel they need to walk on eggshells around her, pull her in for a conversation right then and there (“This is what we were talking about — what’s going on?”) and hold her accountable to behaving appropriately. Don’t excuse it just because it’s apparently been excused in the past, or because you worry about how she’s react if you call her on it. You’re her manager, which means you’ve got to manage her. If you’re not praising her for things she genuinely does well, that’s something you’ve got to change on your side too. But it sounds like there are much more pressing issues to deal with first. View the full article

The morning after President Donald Trump addressed corporate America in Washington, one of the nation's top chief executives called on him for more policy certainty. View the full article

Apple has successfully blocked its opponents in India, Tinder-owner Match and a group of startups, from accessing its commercially sensitive information which was part of antitrust findings against the U.S. firm, a confidential order shows. An investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) last year found Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system to the detriment of app developers, users and other payment processors. Apple has denied wrongdoing and said it is a small player in India where phones using Google’s operating system are dominant. The investigation process has concluded but CCI’s senior members are yet to review the findings and pass a final ruling, which could force Apple to pay fines and even change its practices if the company is confirmed to have indulged in wrongdoing. Apple’s opposing parties in the case — Match and startup group Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) — asked the CCI to allow access to certain confidential information which include developer payouts and details of total billings, but were redacted when investigation reports were shared with parties. Match argued Apple had been “claiming excessive and unwarranted redactions in its submissions” across the world “to hinder effective scrutiny of its practices”, but the CCI did not agree and ruled in favour of Apple, according to a 13-page confidential order issued on March 3 and seen by Reuters. The order noted Apple’s comments, saying “the very fact that Match is involved in similar antitrust proceedings” with the company elsewhere will cause Apple harm if its commercially sensitive information is provided to Match. “The Commission notes that disclosure of such redacted information at this stage to ADIF and Match is neither necessary nor expedient … and disclosure of the same could potentially cause harm to the interests of Apple and other third parties,” the CCI noted. The CCI, Apple, Match and ADIF did not respond to Reuters queries. The Indian case was first filed by a little-known, non-profit group called “Together We Fight Society” which argued Apple’s in-app fee of up to 30% hurts competition by raising costs for app developers and customers. Apple’s iOS powered about 4% of 712 million smartphones in India as of 2024 end, with the rest using Google’s Android, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple’s smartphone base in the country has grown five times in the last five years. Apple can still oppose findings of the CCI investigation and watchdog’s senior members are expected to issue a final ruling in coming weeks. In 2022, the CCI imposed a $113 million fine on Google and said it must allow the use of third-party billing and stop forcing developers to use its in-app payment system that charges commission of 15%-30%. Google has denied wrongdoing. —Aditya Kalra, Reuters View the full article

Ex-Barclays boss is challenging regulator’s verdict that he downplayed his connection to late paedophileView the full article

Project management is a unique field. It exists in many industries because a “project” applies to almost anything that achieves a goal or produces a deliverable. This can include anything from software development to construction. Nearly every industry has projects of varying lengths and complexities—prompting a diverse list of project manager titles. However, project managers are not a monolithic group. They have a wide variety of skills, which include technical know-how, business acumen and leadership skills. Additionally, within the field of project management, there’s a range of project manager titles and roles, which we will explain further. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/construction-gantt-resources-costs-150-CTA-BUTTON-1.jpgAnyone with a project management title can use ProjectManager’s Gantt chart. Learn more Different Types of Project Managers by Industry Across industries, if there’s a venture with a beginning, middle and end that results in a good or service, there’s a project manager who is overseeing its progress and making sure that it meets a set of budgetary and scheduling goals. There are roles of a project manager that are more structured and others that are not. These are some of the more common industries that have established project manager titles. Construction Project Manager: Requires management knowledge paired with an understanding of the design and construction process. Construction project managers also plan construction timelines, manage contractors and track materials. Architectural Project Manager: Like a construction project manager (and they often work closely with construction project managers) this PM coordinates with the design team, communicates with clients and ensures quality control. Insurance Claim Project Manager: Manages and oversees the restoration of a client’s property or belongings after an event, including demolition and construction if necessary. This role requires a lot of document management and adherence to protocol. Engineering Project Manager: Sees a product or device through its stages of research, development, design and manufacturing, from concept to finished product. Engineering project managers also coordinate with various parties to ensure satisfaction upon project completion, from stakeholders to suppliers to contractors. Software/IT Project Manager: Beyond the common project management skills, these managers typically have a background in software development, computer science, information technology, management of information systems and other related fields. Common IT project management responsibilities include managing sprints, tracking bugs, and planning hardware rollouts. Marketing Project Manager: Bridges the gap between marketing strategy and execution. This role helps define the scope and objectives in collaboration with marketing teams and stakeholders. Systems Project Manager: Oversees projects related to IT systems of varying complexity. In addition to defining the project scope, this role helps oversee the implementation of IT systems and coordinates with technical teams and vendors. Agile Project Manager: Also called a scrum master, this role guides agile teams in collaboration, adaptability and continuous improvement. They focus on interactive development to help teams work efficiently within agile frameworks. Electrical Project Manager: Plans, executes and completes electrical construction or engineering projects. They ensure projects are delivered safely and oversee the installation, testing and commissioning of electrical systems. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gantt-Chart-Template-Excel-image.png Get your free Gantt Chart Template Use this free Gantt Chart Template for Excel to manage your projects better. Download Excel File 5 Tiers of Project Manager Titles Many different project manager titles can exist in any industry. It can get a bit daunting. However, there is a hierarchy as people work their way up the professional ladder, which can be separated into five major categories. Project Coordinator: This entry-level position is administrative. Project coordinators generate and distribute reports to the project team, stakeholders and others, as well as function as general assistants to the management team. Project Scheduler: This position is usually employed for larger projects. Schedulers use scheduling software and other tools to input data and update files. It’s a technical job that requires a great deal of familiarity with computers, but little actual management. /wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Gantt-Chart-Screenshot-600x243.jpgGantt chart template Free download Assistant Project Manager: The title can be somewhat misleading in that the assistant project manager doesn’t always directly assist the project manager. However, they are assigned specific tasks to manage and meet regularly with the project manager to report on progress and issues. Project Manager: A project manager runs the project by themselves or leads a management team. They often delegate tasks to assistants, report to stakeholders, oversee budgets and schedules, and are responsible for bringing projects to successful conclusions. Senior Project Manager: In larger organizations, senior project managers are responsible for running multiple projects at the same time and determining which should take priority. Entry-Level and Senior Project Manager Titles Of course, there are many more job titles than those listed above, which can make posting a job listing and filling a position difficult. What does the title mean? Let’s look at some of the titles that are commonly used when searching for someone to join the project management team and discern what they mean. Entry-Level Positions Project Administrator: A project administrator is considered an entry-level position, working as support for a single project. They handle logistical, administrative and organizational tasks so project managers can focus on strategic planning and execution. Project Support Officer: Assists project manager, from administrative to more managerial tasks. They assist with project documentation, tracking, risk management and more. Project Planner: Develops, maintains and communicates project schedules and related plans to ensure a clear roadmap for project execution. They also help with resource planning, dependency mapping and critical path analysis. Project Controller: Mostly regulated to industries such as construction and engineering, helps with administration and other support duties. They identify schedule variances, develop budgets and track resource utilization. Document Controller: Responsible for controlling the numbering, filing, sorting and retrieval of electronic or hard copy produced by project teams. This role helps ensure documents are accessible to authorized personnel and manages revisions to ensure only the latest files are used. These positions are not so different than other supporting roles in project management and resumes or job listings can align closely to them. Then there are more managerial positions. Some of them have been already listed in the section on the tiers of project managers. Here are a few that didn’t fall into that category. Senior-Level Positions Project Leader: Just a different title for the project manager, with the same duties and responsibilities. Program Manager: Program managers are responsible for overseeing the planning and execution of programs. Program/Project Director: A senior position, a project director manages a project portfolio and often is the head of the department. Head of Program/Project: Manages entirety of project organization, a senior, C-level executive. Manager of Project Managers: A senior position, in larger organizations they might be referred to as VP of project management, responsible for overall direction and management of projects. Chief Project Officer: Leads group and provides organization, prioritization, resource supply, support and internal consulting. Project Portfolio Manager: Like a program manager, but oversees a larger collection of projects, programs, sub-portfolios and operations to achieve strategic objectives. Project Portfolio Office Executive: Develops and leads a strategically oriented project portfolio management office. Program Management Office (PMO) Executive: Leads the program management office, with the objective of greater value from the program. Certifications for Project Manager Titles To secure a formal project manager title and advance your career, it’s important to earn recognized project management certifications. Here are some widely recognized and respected certifications. Project Management Professional (PMP): Issued by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the PMP showcases expertise in leading and directing projects. In addition to significant project management experience, it requires passing a rigorous exam. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): Also issued by the PMI, this is an entry-level project manager title for those with less project management experience. It requires passing an exam, testing fundamental project management knowledge. PRINCE2 (PRoject IN Controlled Environments): AXELOS is the issuing body for this certification. It focuses on a process-based methodology for effective project management and is widely recognized in the UK and Europe, especially in the IT and government sectors. Learn more. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM): The Scum Alliance is the issuing body for this certification. It demonstrates an understanding of scrum framework and the ability to facilitate scrum teams. It’s highly relevant in agile project environments and requires passing a training course and online exam. Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP): Issued by the PMI, this certification showcases knowledge of agile principles and practices across agile methodologies. It requires agile project experience and passing an exam. Project manager positions aren’t always so clear-cut. The lines between them are often fuzzy and many of the positions that organizations are looking to fill are more like a hybrid of two or more of the formal distinctions. The needs of your company and your clients will dictate how you parse the duties of project management and spread them over a team and organization. This overview of project manager titles should help you prioritize which project management positions you need to fill at your company. ProjectManager Has Features for Every Project Manager Title ProjectManager is online project management software that can manage a project from initiation to close and helps every kind of project manager fulfill their duties. Project managers, regardless of their field, plan and schedule projects. ProjectManager has online Gantt charts that facilitate this task. With our Gantt you can link dependencies, set milestones and assign work to team members—planning and scheduling has never been easier. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gantt_Marketing_Wide_Zoom-175_WBS.jpg Project managers need to monitor the progress of the project, and ProjectManager has more than one way for them to get all the project data they need. Because the software is cloud-based, status updates are instantly reflected on the easy-to-read dashboard. These provide a high-level view of progress across six project metrics. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dashboard_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150.jpg One-click reporting allows project managers to filter data for a deep dive or a more broad strokes picture. Teams might need to get in the weeds, but stakeholders will only want the big picture. Project managers can quickly filter the reports to show just the information they need when they need it. ProjectManager is online project management software that has useful tools regardless of where you land on the chain of project command. From planning to monitoring progress in real-time to making a report with merely a keystroke, ProjectManager has the features you need to work more effectively. Try it today by taking this free 30-day trial. The post Project Manager Titles: Entry-Level Titles, Senior Titles & More appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Is leadership something you’re born with or can it be taught? It’s an interesting question, but one that you shouldn’t spend too much time stressing over. Even if you are full of charisma and people naturally line up to follow you anywhere, you could always hone your leadership skills with leadership training. Or, if you’re like the rest of us, who aren’t natural-born leaders, but find themselves in a position of leadership, you’ll want to study the techniques that rally teams to success. Leadership isn’t rocket science, but like rocket science, it can be taught. There’s a wealth of leadership courses available, online and in the real world. Some are free and others are not. We’ve done the footwork for you. Below is a list of 15 leadership programs, seminars, online courses and degrees you can take to help yourself become the best leader you can be. 1. Chicago Booth Leadership Training The University of Chicago Booth School of Business developed one of the first experiential leadership programs for full-time students in 1989 and launched its Effective Leadership program in 2009, tailored for evening and weekend Booth MBA students. The program’s guiding principles are self-awareness and acting your way into thinking, as opposed to thinking your way into action. 2. Pryor Learning Solutions The Management and Leadership program at Pryor, which includes live and online learning options, offers a wide variety of management seminars that focus on leadership training, motivating yourself and your employees, budgeting skills and effective communications, such as how to effectively deliver criticism and discipline for employee growth. The lessons provide practical tips for transforming a workgroup into a cohesive and coordinated team. 3. Bell Leadership Institute Bell Leadership Institute has been helping organizations build leadership mastery since 1972 with programs focused on practical, take-home actions designed for your specific needs and culture. They offer keynote speeches, a Leader’s Roundtable, open-enrollment seminars, custom programs, annual meetings, executive retreats, licensed programs, assessment tools and coaching for individuals, businesses and organizations, as well as families and communities. /wp-content/uploads/2017/06/london-school-of-business.png 4. London Business School Executive Education Program The London Business School has an Executive Education program that is globally recognized and highly regarded. In addition to in-person programs in London and Dubai, they offer online and blended leadership training programs for more flexibility. They employ a faculty of experts throughout various business and leadership disciplines and teach practical applications that participants can apply to their work. 5. Harvard Leadership and Management Courses Leadership and Management Courses at Harvard University help maximize team productivity, drive breakthrough innovation and secure a competitive edge. Through hands-on exercises and discussion, management theories and leadership best practices, you’re taught to master complex challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Courses include building good judgment, building more effective teams, influence and persuasion in leadership, leadership coaching strategies, conflict resolution, strategic leadership and management skills for emerging leaders. 6. American Management Association: Leadership Training Courses The American Management Association’s Leadership Training Courses and Seminars offer courses in general leadership study, such as its “5 Day MBA Workshop,” as well as more specific courses in strategic leadership. Its mission is to shore up students’ capabilities in management, including communication and collaboration skills, critical thinking, finance and project management skills. They promise to provide the competitive tools you’ll need to differentiate yourself in a challenging marketplace. /wp-content/uploads/2017/06/korn-ferry-vector-logo-2022-600x333.png 7. Korn Ferry Leadership Development Program The Korn Ferry Leadership Development Program focuses its leadership training on both professional and leadership development. Participants will get personalized guidance for growth that combines tailored insights from professional development assessments and an AI-driven feedback tool. This is a well-known leadership training company that has a global reach, working with leaders in over 50 countries. /wp-content/uploads/2017/06/edx_logo_icon_248968.png 8. edX edX is an online learning platform that provides courses from organizations and universities around the globe. “Becoming a Resilient Leader” from the University of California, Berkeley is a leadership course that focuses on building resilience in leadership. Another example that edX offers is called “Leadership Communication for Maximum Impact: Storytelling and Presence” from the University of Washington. Beyond courses, edX has programs, certificates and forums to explore. /wp-content/uploads/2017/06/yale-school-of-management.png 9. Yale School of Management Executive Education The Yale School of Management Executive Education program includes a robust suite of programs aimed at developing leaders who have both a business background and those who have a strong sense of social responsibility. While this isn’t a free leadership training option, those who participate will leave with a global perspective on mission-driven leadership. /wp-content/uploads/2017/06/TED-Logo-600x375.png 10. TED Talks If you’re looking for a free and accessible place to access leadership training, TED Talks are a great place to start. These video talks provide a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for leaders at all levels. They cover everything from vulnerability to the power of passion to how great leaders inspire action. There are even TEDx events that occur throughout the world to help inspire thought and foster dialogue. 11. Alison.com Leadership Classes Alison.com is an online company that offers free leadership skills in business. They’re geared to the entrepreneur and provide a course of study on the essential leadership skills an entrepreneur or business person will need. Among the skills taught are how to organize your business, select and manage your team, and how maintain proper professional behavior. Four different types of organizations and four stages of organizational growth are taught, as well as recruitment methods to build your team, helping you understand corporate responsibility and business ethics. While the courses are free, if you score well enough to earn certification, that documentation will come at a fee. 12. Coursera Leadership & Management Coursera is an online learning center, which collates courses from universities and educational institutions around the globe. These classes include video lectures, auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments and community discussion forums. Courses are priced from $29-$99, usually run between four-to-six weeks, and when completed supply a certification. The leadership and management courses include leading people and teams, inspired leadership, organizational leadership, conflict management, inspirational leadership and culture-driven team building. /wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2022-PM-Logo-04-600x170.jpg 13. ProjectManager Leadership Blog ProjectManager is a project management software company and its website also acts as a training platform and hub of knowledge for the project management community. It publishes several training articles and a new leadership and project management training video every week. Subjects range from leadership development, project management, team building, productivity and even technical templates and guides for seasoned professionals. Best of all, the tutorials are all free. 14. SPARK Entrepreneurial Boot Camp Program SPARK Entrepreneurial Boot Camp Program teaches an efficient and proven method to validate business concepts. It has been designed specifically with entrepreneurs in mind to help them conceptualize and build a business model and find beta customers. They get hands-on assistance to test their ideas over the multi-week program, interacting with mentors and early stage investors. The boot camp takes place in Ann Arbor, Mich., and costs $1,500, so it’s not for everyone. But if you have the time and money for an intensive crash course in leadership, there’s much you can gain from it. 15. Mindtools.com Mindtools.com is a learning platform that was established in 1996. The site will prompt you to join, for a fee. It does offer many free lessons on skills and techniques to improve leadership abilities through ideas such as being an authentic leader, using emotional intelligence and knowing what the right leadership approach is for the situation. If you do join, there is more content, such as books and interviews with experts to further your leadership education. Leadership is about having the right tools to exercise that leadership and build highly functioning teams. ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software that gives leaders real-time views of their projects and teams and does the busywork so you can focus on leading. Start a free 30-day trial today. The post 15 Leadership Training Options: Courses, Programs and Blogs appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Each year, Samsung takes what Google has made with the annual Android update—the Android Open Source Project (or AOSP) to be precise—and builds a fresh version of One UI, its bespoke mobile operating system complete with all the extra Samsung bells and whistles. This year, we're getting One UI 7, which is based on Android 15. One UI 7 comes preinstalled on the new Galaxy S25 phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but the rest of us are still waiting for it to roll out at the time of writing. Here's everything new that's coming with the software update, and when you can expect it to make its way to your Galaxy handset. Best new features in One UI 7Perhaps the most significant new features in One UI 7 are the Now Bar and Now Brief. The Now Bar is Samsung's answer to Live Activities on iOS: It shows pertinent information, including sports scores, map directions, workout stats, media playback controls, and stopwatch timers right on the lockscreen. Then there's Now Brief, which gives you regularly updated summaries of information you need front and center as the day progresses. You might get alerts about upcoming meetings, for example, or the weather forecast for the rest of the day, or a summary of your stats from Samsung Health. The Now Bar is new in One UI 7. Credit: Lifehacker As you would expect, there's plenty of AI: The writing assist tools have been upgraded to make it more straightforward to rewrite, summarize, and compose text across any app, and using any Android keyboard. There are also AI-powered call transcriptions so you can get your spoken conversations on the phone written out for you as you talk, and enhanced AI search with natural queries in the Samsung Gallery app. A more minor change comes with tweaks to the adaptive charging options. With One UI 7, you can set a limit for charging, beyond the standard 80% and 100% options. if you want charging to stop at 85% or 90% instead, that's now possible if you dive into the battery settings. Sticking with device maintenance, One UI 7 follows Android 15 in making app archiving a system-level feature (previously it was inside the Play Store app). This means if you've got apps you don't use often, you can clear out most of the associated data to free up space, without doing a full reinstall—that saves you time if you need to get back to the app again (in terms of logging in and configuring it). One UI 7 will also recommend apps it thinks you should be archiving. There's more control over adaptive charging. Credit: Lifehacker One UI 7 also brings with it a pretty comprehensive visual overhaul. It looks cleaner and more modern than One UI 6, with icons, widgets, and menus that are a little more colorful and easier on the eye. The Quick Settings and notification panels have also been split up, so you need to swipe down from different sides of the screen to see them—though there is a setting to go back to the old combined panel if you prefer it. Finally, Samsung has also given the default Camera app a bit of a refresh, with a more intuitive approach to the interface that makes it easier to get to the pro-level photography tools (while also keeping them well hidden away if you never need them). Like the other visual changes, it makes the software feel fresher and easier to navigate. When is One UI 7 being released?Samsung has recently confirmed that One UI 7 will be rolling out to at least some older phones sometime in April, though it hasn't provided a full list of which devices will get it (perhaps because it's not sure). The Samsung Galaxy S24 range will certainly get the update, as the software has been available in beta for those phones since December. Since the launch of the beta program, it's been extended to cover the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6, with support for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy A55, and Galaxy Tab S10 tablet series coming soon. However, as these devices are all joining the beta at different times, it's not clear whether or not they'll get the finished One UI 7 by April. The update could go back as far as the Galaxy S21. Credit: Samsung Broadly speaking, Samsung tends to offer four years of Android upgrades to its flagship and mid-range devices, so handsets as far back as the Samsung Galaxy S21 (from 2021) may well be eligible—but that's just an estimated guess, not an official confirmation, and it's difficult to say how long it may take for the software to fully roll out. There also remains some confusion over which handsets will get which One UI 7 features—again, it's not something Samsung has been very specific about. There has been speculation that features such as Now Brief may remain as Galaxy S25 exclusives, most likely to push sales of the newer devices. View the full article

The words stakeholder and shareholder are often used loosely in business. The two words are commonly thought of as synonyms and are used interchangeably, but there are some key differences between them. These differences reveal how to appropriately manage stakeholders vs shareholders in your organization. For example, a shareholder is always a stakeholder in a corporation, but a stakeholder is not always a shareholder. The distinction lies in their relationship to the corporation and their priorities. Different priorities and levels of authority require different approaches in formality, communication and reporting. It’s important that these terms are well-defined to avoid confusion. Even if you think you the definition of a stakeholder versus the definition of a shareholder, take a moment to refresh yourself. What Is a Stakeholder? A Definition We’ve written about what a stakeholder is before, and the definition still stands. A stakeholder can be either an individual, a group or an organization impacted by the outcome of a project. Therefore, they have an interest in the success of a project. They are either from the project group or an outside sponsor. There are many people who can qualify as a stakeholder, such as: Senior management Project leaders Team members on the project Customers of the project Resource managers Line managers User group for the project Subcontractors on the project Consultant for the project Internal & External Stakeholders Therefore, stakeholders can be internal, such as employees, shareholders and managers—but stakeholders can also be external. They are parties that are not directly in a relationship with the organization itself, but still, the organization’s actions affect it, such as suppliers, vendors, creditors, the community and public groups. Basically, stakeholders are those who will be impacted by the project when in progress and those who will be impacted by the project when completed. It’s important to understand the unique requirements of each of your stakeholders. You can use a stakeholder map to better understand their impact and influence on the project. Stakeholders tend to have a long-term relationship with the organization. It’s not as easy to pull up stakes, so to speak, as it can be for shareholders. However, their relationship to the organization is tied up in ways that make the two reliant on one another. The success of the organization or project is just as critical, if not more so, for the stakeholder over the shareholder. Employees can lose their jobs, while suppliers could lose income. Stakeholder analysis is an important element of planning that must be done by project managers to identify and prioritize stakeholders before the project begins. Related: Stakeholder Analysis Template What Is a Shareholder? A Definition A shareholder is a person or an institution that owns shares or stock in a public or private operation. They are often referred to as members of a corporation, and they have a financial interest in the profitability of the organization or project. Depending on the applicable laws and rules of the corporation or shareholders’ agreement, shareholders have the right to do the following (and more): Sell their shares Vote on those nominated for the board Nominate directors Vote on mergers and changes to the corporate charter Receive dividends Gain information on publicly traded companies Sue for a violation of fiduciary duty Buy new shares Shareholders Are Vested Shareholders have a vested interest in the company or project. That interest is reflected in their desire to see an increase in share price and dividends if the company is public. If they’re shareholders in a project, then their interests are tied to the project’s success. The money that is invested in a company by shareholders can be withdrawn for a profit. It can even be invested in other organizations, some of which could be in competition with the other. Therefore, the shareholder is an owner of the company, but not necessarily with the company’s interests first. Differences Between Stakeholders vs Shareholders Before getting into the differences, there is a similarity between stakeholders and shareholders. That similarity is their importance: in recent years, corporations have begun to be answerable to their stakeholders and shareholders alike. Unlike in the past, when corporations were mostly interested in issues related to their shareholders. There has been a rise in something called corporate social responsibility (CSR), which encourages companies to take the interest of all stakeholders into consideration when making decisions, rather than just the interests of their shareholders. Differing Viewpoints CSR is important because in most cases, stakeholders and shareholders have different viewpoints. Stakeholders are more concerned with the longevity of their relationship with the organization and a better quality of service. That is, people working on a project or for an organization are likely more interested in salaries and benefits than profits. Shareholders, on the other hand, are more concerned with stock prices, dividends and results. They have a financial interest in the success of the organization, not the individuals who work there. Shareholders are more likely to advocate for growth, expansion, acquisitions, mergers and other acts that will increase the company’s profitability. How They’re Categorized Shareholders are a subset of the larger stakeholders’ grouping but don’t take part in the day-to-day operations of the company or project. Shareholders do have some rights as owners of the company, which are detailed in the company’s charter, such as the right to inspect financial records—especially if they’re concerned about how the company is being run by its top-tier executive suite. There are some organizations that don’t have shareholders, such as a public university, which has many stakeholders. These include students, families, professors, administrators, employers, state taxpayers, the local and state communities, custodians, suppliers and more. In Summary: Stakeholders vs Shareholders The shareholder, again, is a person who owns shares of the company. A stakeholder has a stake in the company. Therefore, shareholders are owners and stakeholders are interested parties. As stated earlier, shareholders are a subset of the superset, which are stakeholders. Shareholders include equity shareholders and preference shareholders in the company. Stakeholders can include everything from shareholders, creditors and debenture holders to employees, customers, suppliers, government, etc. The biggest difference between the two is that shareholders focus on a return of their investment. Stakeholders are more concerned about the performance of the company. Related: What Is Stakeholder Management? How to Manage a Stakeholder It’s clear that effective stakeholder management is directly linked to project success. The goal is to be open, honest and proactive to meet stakeholder expectations. Start by creating a stakeholder register that lists all individuals or groups with a vested interest in the project. Include their names, roles, contact information and level of influence. Then, develop a stakeholder engagement plan that defines the communication channels, frequency and activities that align with the stakeholders’ expectations. Engagement goals are also a great way to track progress and evaluate the effectiveness of the engagement plan. As the project progresses, monitor and make changes to stakeholder engagement to ensure all feedback and concerns are considered. Various techniques can help manage stakeholders. For example, a power/interested grid categorizes stakeholders based on their influence and interest in the project to help prioritize engagement efforts. Change management is another technique that helps manage stakeholder reactions to project changes. If there will be project changes, be sure to communicate them early and address concerns thoroughly. Even a simple stakeholder satisfaction survey can assess their satisfaction with the project and engagement efforts. How to Manage a Shareholder Similarly, shareholder management focuses on transparency and trust to help a company achieve long-term success. Always ensure communication is consistent and honest; provide accurate and timely information on reports, market conditions, strategic initiatives and performance. Strive to build trust and relationships with shareholders by actively listening to their feedback and concerns. One-on-one meetings are a great way to cultivate relationships and show appreciation for their investment and support. There are several techniques to improve shareholder management. For example, sharing data through regular financial reporting (typically quarterly or annually) can help them understand key financial metrics and performance drivers. Digital communication through social media, email and online portals is a great way to communicate and ensure there’s an open dialogue. Should You Focus on Shareholders or Stakeholders? That’s not so easy a question to answer, and one that has been debated forever by business analysts. Should businesses be solely focused on increasing profits or do they have an ethical responsibility to the environment? These two paths are called the shareholder theory and the stakeholder theory. Shareholder Theory vs. Stakeholder Theory Shareholder theory claims corporation managers have a duty to maximize shareholder returns. Economist Milton Friedman introduced this idea in the 1960s, which states a corporation is primarily responsible to its shareholders. Stakeholder theory, on the other hand, notes that it’s the business manager’s ethical duty to both corporate shareholders and the community at large that the activities that benefit the company don’t harm the community. This doesn’t mean that shareholder theory is an “anything goes” drive to lift profits. This process must be legal and done through non-deceptive practices. It doesn’t necessarily exclude charitable works, either. However, social responsibility is structured into the stakeholder theory, but the benefits must also meet the corporation’s bottom line. Therefore, the best theory for you and your company or project is dependent on what your main interests are. But it’s most likely that you’ll proceed with a hybrid, as both theories serve different aspects of the business. Free Templates for Help Managing Stakeholders and Shareholders Both stakeholder and shareholder management can go a long way in driving long-term business success. To ensure quality and streamline many of these processes, we recommend looking at our free project management templates for Excel and Word. We’ve highlighted a few that are relevant to keeping stakeholders and shareholders happy. Stakeholder Register Template Use this free stakeholder register template for Excel to identify who the project stakeholders are and understand how they can potentially impact the project. It enables project managers to develop a stakeholder communication strategy to build trust with stakeholders. Stakeholder Map Template Download this free stakeholder map template for Excel to visually understand the project’s stakeholders. It includes a list of the stakeholders as well as their perspectives and interest in the project. Use it to gauge the level of interest and influence of each stakeholder to improve project outcomes. Communication Plan Template All stakeholders and shareholders require effective communication. This free communication plan template for Word is a streamlined way to schedule project communications and establish a feedback loop so everyone is on the same page. It leads to better documentation, data and reports to cultivate stronger relationships. ProjectManager Satisfies Stakeholders and Shareholders Now that you know the difference, how about a bridge that connects the two? Whether you’re managing stakeholders or shareholders, ProjectManager has you covered. Our project management software helps leaders manage projects online with their team, and keeps stakeholders and shareholders informed along the way. The worst thing for either stakeholders or shareholders is to feel out of the loop. ProjectManager keeps stakeholders and shareholders a part of the project and aware of its progress with its real-time dashboard. The dashboard is a bird’s-eye view of the project’s progress represented in easy-to-read charts and graphs. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dashboard_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150.jpgShare the dashboard with your stakeholders and shareholders to keep them informed on what matters. Mostly, stakeholders and shareholders alike are more interested in the big picture. They just want to make sure that things are moving forward as planned. However, during a presentation, you might get some questions thrown at you that will demand a deeper look. ProjectManager has project reports for a variety of different project metrics, from variance to task progress. All these reports can be filtered instantly, so you’re always prepared to make that deep dive into the data when it’s requested. Stakeholders and shareholders will love the transparency ProjectManager gives them into the project. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Reports_Wide_Zoom-150_Project-Status-Report.jpgSlice and dice your project data to get the answers you need. Whether you’re working for a shareholder or a stockholder, in order to keep them informed, you’ll need a tool that can help you track progress and report back that their needs are being met. ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software that gives you real-time data to make the right decisions at the right time. See how it can help you by taking this free 30-day trial today! The post Stakeholder vs. Shareholder: How They’re Different & Why It Matters appeared first on ProjectManager. 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Refinance activity was up 16% from the end of February while purchase applications rose mildly, on the strength of fading rates amid larger economic woes. View the full article

Featuring Stan Adams, Public Policy Specialist, Wikimedia Foundation; Nicole Ozer, Technology and Civil Liberties Director, ACLU of Northern California and Alissa Starzak, Deputy Chief Legal Officer and Global Head of Policy, Cloudflare. Moderated by Max Ufberg, Senior Editor, Fast Company. In an era of mass surveillance, mounting attacks to cybersecurity, the death of net neutrality, and geopolitics fragmenting the internet, it’s never been a more important time to fully understand what’s at stake regarding your digital rights and freedom. Join this panel of leaders at the forefront of securing a better and more open digital space for all. View the full article

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant’s radiation levels have significantly dropped since the cataclysmic meltdown in Japan 14 years ago. Workers walk around in many areas wearing only surgical masks and regular clothes. It’s a different story for those who enter the reactor buildings, including the three damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. They must use maximum protection—full facemasks with filters, multi-layered gloves and socks, shoe covers, hooded hazmat coveralls and a waterproof jacket, and a helmet. As workers remove melted fuel debris from the reactors in a monumental nuclear cleanup effort that could take more than a century, they are facing both huge amounts of psychological stress and dangerous levels of radiation. The Associated Press, which recently visited the plant for a tour and interviews, takes a closer look. Cleaning 880 tons of melted fuel debris A remote-controlled extendable robot with a tong had several mishaps including equipment failures before returning in November with a tiny piece of melted fuel from inside the damaged No. 2 reactor. That first successful test run is a crucial step in what will be a daunting, decades-long decommissioning that must deal with at least 880 tons of melted nuclear fuel that has mixed with broken parts of internal structures and other debris inside the three ruined reactors. Akira Ono, chief decommissioning officer at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which manages the plant, says even the tiny sample gives officials a lot of information about the melted fuel. More samples are needed, however, to make the work smoother when bigger efforts to remove the debris begin in the 2030s. A second sample-retrieval mission at the No. 2 reactor is expected in coming weeks. Operators hope to send the extendable robot farther into the reactor to take samples closer to the center, where overheated nuclear fuel fell from the core, utility spokesperson Masakatsu Takata said. He pointed out the target area as he stood inside the inner structure of the No. 5 reactor, which is one of two reactors that survived the tsunami. It has an identical design as No. 2. Hard to see, breathe or move Radiation levels are still dangerously high inside the No. 2 reactor building, where the melted fuel debris is behind a thick concrete containment wall. Earlier decontamination work reduced those radiation levels to a fraction of what they used to be. In late August, small groups took turns doing their work helping the robot in 15- to 30-minute shifts to minimize radiation exposure. They have a remotely controlled robot, but it has to be manually pushed in and out. “Working under high levels of radiation (during a short) time limit made us feel nervous and rushed,” said Yasunobu Yokokawa, a team leader for the mission. “It was a difficult assignment.” Full-face masks reduced visibility and made breathing difficult, an extra waterproof jacket made it sweaty and hard to move, and triple-layered gloves made their fingers clumsy, Yokokawa said. To eliminate unnecessary exposure, they taped around gloves and socks and carried a personal dosimeter to measure radiation. Workers also rehearsed the tasks they’d perform to minimize exposure. The mission stalled early on when workers noticed that a set of five 1.5-meter (5-foot) pipes meant to push the robot into the reactor’s primary containment vessel had been arranged in the wrong order. A camera on the robot also failed because of high radioactivity and had to be replaced. The workers’ highest individual radiation dose was more than the overall average but still far below anything approaching a 100-millisievert five-year dose limit. Even so, a growing number of workers are concerned about safety and radiation at the plant, said Ono, the decommissioning chief, citing an annual survey of about 5,5,00 workers. In 2023, two workers splashed with contaminated sludge at a water treatment facility were hospitalized, though they had no health problems. Making sure it’s safe Yokokawa and a plant colleague, Hiroshi Ide, helped in the 2011 emergency and are team leaders today. They say they want to make the job safer as workers face high radiation in parts of the plant. On the top floor of the No. 2 reactor, workers are setting up equipment to remove spent fuel units from the cooling pool. That’s set to begin within two to three years. At the No. 1 reactor, workers are putting up a giant roof to contain radioactive dust from decontamination work on the top floor ahead of the removal of spent fuel. To minimize exposure and increase efficiency, workers use a remote-controlled crane to attach pre-assembled parts, according to TEPCO. The No. 1 reactor and its surroundings are among the most contaminated parts of the plant. What’s next? Workers are also removing treated radioactive wastewater. They recently started dismantling the emptied water tanks to make room to build facilities needed for the research and storage of melted fuel debris. After a series of small missions by robots to gather samples, experts will determine a larger-scale method for removing melted fuel, first at the No. 3 reactor. Experts say the hard work and huge challenges of decommissioning the plant are just beginning. There are estimations that the work could take more than a century. The government and TEPCO have an initial completion target of 2051, but the retrieval of melted fuel debris is already three years behind, and many big issues remain undecided. Ide, whose home in Namie town, northwest of the plant, is in a no-go zone because of nuclear contamination, still has to put on a hazmat suit, even for brief visits home. “As a Fukushima citizen, I would like to make sure the decommissioning work is done properly so that people can return home without worries,” he said. This story has been corrected to remove erroneous reference to burns in the 2023 incident. —Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press View the full article

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