If there's one thing entrepreneurs and other professionals want to do, it's accomplish their goals while continuing to grow and improve.
We spoke with behavior science expert and Entrepreneur.com contributor James Clear about habit formation. In this video, he explains the one habit that can help us be just a little bit smart with all the things we want to do.

Visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/video/232824 to view the full article online.

 

Turn on the TV or flip through your favorite magazine and chances are you will come across some ad or article that promises massive success in your life or business if you just buy this particular product or do this one particular thing. It’s all a lie.
There is no secret to achieving massive success. As human beings, it’s not out of the ordinary at some point to look for a shortcut or seek ways to maximize results without maximizing the effort. This type of thinking is carried by the majority of the population.

Visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232733 to view the full article online.

 

We often think of creativity as something that’s difficult to harness -- that elusive "aha!" moment that strikes in the shower or when driving home from work. Companies have tried with mixed success to increase the chances of light bulb moments but creativity is still considered something you just have to "let happen."

Visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232808 to view the full article online.

 

Personality doesn't have to break down into complicated algorithms to understand how they play together. Here's how to work with everyone, based on five main types.

Visit http://www.fastcompany.com/3028806/work-smart/the-five-personality-types-youll-have-to-work-with to view the full article online.

 

Most decisions in organizations are made by escalating them up the management hierarchy — and it’s usually the highest paid person in the room’s opinion ("HIPPO") that prevails. The HIPPO model of decision-making will likely always be with us. But with the rise of digital technology, and with it the ability to get immediate feedback from customers and communities, crowdsourcing has become a powerful alternative for driving important decisions. The challenge is finding the right ways to introduce crowdsourcing into your management processes so that it opens up and democratizes decisions, harvesting the accumulated thoughts and perspectives from your customers and across your organization — but without bogging things down.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/04/improve-decision-making-with-help-from-the-crowd/ to view the full article online.

 

Calls to maximize the utility of older workers — by honoring experience, providing training opportunities, and offering flexible work and retirement options — began to sound at least a decade ago. HBR contributors have suggested we "retire retirement" and "adapt for an aging workforce."

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/04/four-ways-to-adapt-to-an-aging-workforce/ to view the full article online.

 

A year ago, when Lean In hit book stores and caused the firestorm that happens every time a prominent woman makes some sort of dramatic cultural intervention, Sheryl Sandberg wasn't my girl. I was in my final year of college, embroiled in the exhausting process of thinking radical thoughts and then self-righteously posting them to Facebook. I had no time for career advice, and I was not interested in a tech dynamo telling women to get in the damn driver's seat, already.

Visit http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/04/i-wasnt-a-fan-of-sheryl-sandbergs-until-i-couldnt-find-a-job/360343/ to view the full article online.

 

LinkedIn is a tremendous resource for recruiters. But for companies that want that just-right mix of experience and talent--and want it fast--the sprawling social network for professionals has some serious limitations.
"My biggest frustration as a CEO was finding and attracting great talent," says Matt Mickiewicz, whose new startup, Hired, is out to reinvent the job-placement process. "I got frustrated with a very limited means of finding people."

Visit http://www.fastcompany.com/3028764/hired-a-marketplace-for-job-searchers-launches-in-new-york to view the full article online.

 

While good old paper may seem passé in the digital age, LinkedIn hasn't completely replaced the old-fashioned résumé.
"Résumés are the heartbeat of a career search," says Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, a career and workplace adviser at Glassdoor. "If done well, your résumé will tell your story and sell you."
And that hasn't changed with the rise of high-tech options. "Even as technology has advanced and changed the way job seekers find open positions, the résumé remains an integral part of the hiring process," adds Matt Tarpey, a career adviser with CareerBuilder.

Visit http://www.fastcompany.com/3028790/work-smart/9-resume-mistakes-that-might-cost-you-a-job to view the full article online.

 

Study, work hard, and you will be successful.
This was the mantra repeated by educators throughout my youth. None of them added "be happy" to the success equation.
But a growing body of research in positive psychology and neuroscience is demonstrating that happiness is the secret ingredient to success. It turns out, our brains are more engaged, creative, productive, and resilient when in a positive state.

Visit http://www.fastcompany.com/3028826/what-the-happiest-people-know-about-work to view the full article online.

 

When you have teams that are diverse and are inclusive, you absolutely have a higher product, more quality, better financial results and, frankly, a better environment within to work.

Visit http://www.diversityinc.com/leadership/ey-global-ceo-mark-weinberger-high-performance-teams-diverse-inclusive/ to view the full article online.

 

Firms will have to put their remuneration policy to a binding shareholder vote if a European Commission proposal gets approval.
The proposal is part of a mooted commission package to boost shareholder power and control executive pay.
But there would be no EU-wide pay cap and the so-called "say on pay" policy would only apply to publicly traded firms in the 28-nation bloc.
The move is the latest by European lawmakers to control executive awards.

Visit http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26951115 to view the full article online.

 

Growth in many "pockets of the world" would be stronger if smarter economic policies were in place and the U.S. will push for action in those areas during this weekend's G-20 and International Monetary Fund-World Bank spring meetings, said Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on Wednesday. In an interview on CNBC, Lew said that Germany, and other countries in Europe in good fiscal shape, could do more to boost demand in the region. "We think the risk of low demand and the risk of deflation is something that they need to be very alert to," Lew said. China needs "to get back on the path of demonstrating that they are committed to a market-determined exchange rate," he said. "We need to see signs of progress," Lew said. Regarding Japan, Lew called for the government to complete work on long-term economic reforms.

Visit http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-has-lengthy-to-do-list-for-major-economies-2014-04-09 to view the full article online.

 

Trade between Africa and China surpassed $200 billion this year, strengthening China’s position as Africa’s biggest trade partner, a position it has now held since 2009. Less than 15 years ago, the corresponding value was a modest $10 billion. This statistic demonstrates the growing pulling power that Africa holds for foreign investors. Beyond trade relationships, investors increasingly look at African consumers and see immense opportunity to invest locally. For African companies, this presents a special chance to climb the food chain of global competitiveness.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/04/how-african-firms-can-make-the-most-of-outside-investment/ to view the full article online.

 

For the fifth straight year, the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business is No. 1 in Bloomberg Businessweek’s undergraduate business school rankings released today. The University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce ranked second, also for the fifth consecutive year, and Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management ranked third. Boston College’s Carroll School of Management and Olin Business School at Washington University, St. Louis rounded out the top five.

Visit http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-04/mendoza-students-really-really-love-their-school-notre-dame-best-undergrad-business-school-for-a-fifth-year#r=bus-ls to view the full article online.

 

It is college acceptance season, and letters with financial aid offers attached are dropping on doormats nationwide. Many students and an even greater number of parents are facing the sticker shock associated with tertiary education. As college prices rise—the average annual cost hit $18,497 in 2010-11, according to the National Center for Education Statistics—the question inevitably arises: Is it worth it? For the average student in the U.S. and worldwide, the answer is affirmative: Education remains a fantastic investment for individuals. The tougher question is whether education at all levels is such a great investment for societies as a whole.

Visit http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-07/why-education-spending-doesnt-lead-to-economic-growth#r=hpt-ls to view the full article online.

 

New research explores gender disparities in business school enrollment by the different ways men and women appear to process ethical compromise.

Visit http://www.npr.org/2014/04/09/300836825/why-men-outnumber-women-attending-business-schools to view the full article online.

 

Register for the the first of NBMBAA's 2014 Regional Symposiums: April 10 in Memphis
Every so often we find ourselves in all sorts of quandaries. It’s simply a part of life’s course. Join NBMBAA as we provide practical steps to reset, refocus and recalibrate your reality and navigate the everyday compromises, sacrifices and adjustments across the eco-system of life.
Space is Limited. Register Now.

 

It’s no marketing secret that social media has become big business. Companies have discovered that it can be more cost effective for marketing of their big brands than traditional advertising because of its ability to reach large audiences. But what about its use by companies in heavily regulated industries?

Visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232693 to view the full article online.

 

The most misunderstood axiom about technology among management is that building a successful digital product begins with the utility value. It doesn’t require impressive branding, exquisite design, or a polished user experience, so those things should be left for last. Start with utility value and proceed from there.

Visit http://www.fastcolabs.com/3028861/the-managers-one-minute-guide-to-brainstorming-apps to view the full article online.

 

There are a plethora of stories about former professional athletes who have squandered most or all the millions of dollars they’ve earned over their careers. Others have tried to do the right thing and put their money to work by investing in nightclubs, restaurants, or other high-risk businesses only to see these ventures fail.
In an effort to encourage entrepreneurship and teach sound business decision making to current and former players, the National Football League recently held a Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at the University of Notre Dame.

Visit http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/nfl-players-go-broke-summit-entrepreneurship/ to view the full article online.

 

Amanda North was thrown off her feet when the first bomb exploded 15 feet behind her. In an instant, the festive scene near the finish line of last year’s Boston Marathon became a surreal tableau of pain and panic. "All of a sudden, it went from this scene of cheering and flag-waving to total chaos," North says. "It was horrible beyond imagination." North, who had traveled from her home in Woodside, California, to watch her daughter, Lili, complete the race, had been soaking in the upbeat energy on the sidelines as spectators cheered for the runners and hugged each other.

Visit http://www.fastcompany.com/3028804/a-year-after-the-boston-marathon-bombing-one-victims-inspiring-startup-business-story to view the full article online.

 

"Inequality is bad." "Inequality is dangerous." "Our system is at risk due to increasing inequality."
Wealth inequality is on everyone’s minds these days: citizens, political leaders, economists, policymakers and yes, business leaders. Unfortunately, simpleminded thinking and insensitivity are often clouding the conversation. Deservedly vaunted venture capitalist Tom Perkins’ callous, arrogant and elitist recent comments should not serve as an expedient excuse to overlook an important "dirty little secret" about entrepreneurship, the acknowledged engine of economic growth: successful entrepreneurship always exacerbates local inequality, at least in the short run.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/03/entrepreneurship-always-leads-to-inequality/ to view the full article online.

 

Stop me if you've heard this one before. The economy is growing, but it's not growing fast enough for the millions of people who still can't find work.
That was the story in 2010 and 2011 and 2012 and 2013—and now in 2014, too. Indeed, the particulars of the March jobs report weren't all that different from any other month in our Groundhog Day recovery: We added 192,000 jobs, 37,000 more in revisions, and the unemployment rate stayed steady at 6.7 percent. It was enough to, finally, push private sector employment back above its pre-recession peak. But, at this pace, it won't be enough to get us back to full employment before ... 2019.

Visit http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/04/stop-worrying-about-inflation-the-recovery-is-still-as-slow-as-ever/360209/ to view the full article online.

 

FOR several months data-watchers have scratched their heads and attempted to peer through winter-storm distorted figures for a glimpse at the underlying labour-market trend in America. Some reckoned they saw signals of a tightening labour market, with further rapid declines in unemployment and wage growth taking off. Others feared a slowdown, pointing to plateaus in other indicators and the Fed's eagerness to scale back accommodative monetary policy.

Visit http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2014/04/americas-economy to view the full article online.

 

Tax season can pose a difficult choice: should you file jointly or separately? Here’s some information to help you decide.
When you choose married filing jointly, this means you and your spouse can file one tax return together. If your spouse died last year, you usually can still file a joint return for that year. Know that if you choose to file jointly, the IRS gives joint filers one of the largest standard deductions, which will allow you to deduct a significant amount of your income immediately.

Visit http://www.blackenterprise.com/money/love-and-money-should-you-file-a-joint-tax-return/ to view the full article online.

 

Solely relying on free or inexpensive online small-business accounting tools instead of investing the services of a trained professional accountant can be a costly mistake that entrepreneurs make all too often. Don’t be one of them.

Visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232841 to view the full article online.

 

Markets risk "disappointment" in an environment of rising interest rates unless equity valuations become better supported by rising earnings, capital investment, and aggregate demand, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday as part of its global financial stability report. The IMF said U.S. equity prices are in line with the long-term trend on price-to-equity ratio but looks stretched on the Shiller P/E ratio, which takes into account 10 years of earnings. The report more broadly said financial stability has improved in advanced economies, as the IMF continued to express concern on the impact the Federal Reserve's less-accommodative policies will have on emerging markets.

Visit http://www.marketwatch.com/story/markets-risk-disappointment-as-rates-rise-imf-says-2014-04-09 to view the full article online.

 

Banks will have to come up with more money to prove to regulators they're safe. Others may still not be convinced.
U.S. bank regulators on Tuesday officially upped the amount of excess assets the nation's eight largest banks must hold to cover potentially bad loans or soured investments. In a memo, the Federal Reserve estimated that the new rule would force the banks to raise $68 billion by the end of 2017, when the rule would go into place. The rule was jointly approved by the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Visit http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2014/04/08/federal-reserve-banks-capital-rules/?iid=SF_F_River to view the full article online.

 

When you are busy running a business, providing a culture of communication is often not as easy as you would think. Working long hours day to day with the same people can breed complacency, which takes away from an environment of great performance. In a fast-growing, fast-moving company, providing ongoing feedback to your employees can fall by the wayside, but it is a critical component to better performance.

Visit http://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/5-things-your-employees-are-afraid-to-ask-you.html to view the full article online.

 

Well, March Madness is over. Now it's time for the UConn Huskies to bask in the glory of their championship and thank the man who led them to it.
Kevin Ollie, the head coach of the University of Connecticut men's basketball team, has proved to his players that patience, faith, and hard work pay off. On Monday night, the Huskies beat the Kentucky Wildcats 60-54 for the NCAA title. The win gives UConn its fourth championship since 1999.

Visit http://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/leadership-lessons-uconn-kevin-ollie.html to view the full article online.