It is officially September and that means the return of sweatshirt weather, the Pumpkin Spice everything craze and… FOOTBALL!!! So in case you missed it (ICYMI), while you were busy agonizing over your week one fantasy lineup, here are some of our favorite posts from around the web this week.

 

Are bigger companies losing the war for talent?

When it come to the war for talent, bigger might not mean better. According to a post on Inc., based on research recently completed by LinkedIn, large groups of top talent are leaving big companies for smaller ones.

 

The article entitled, “The Surprising Reason Big Companies Are Losing Top Employees,” points out that traditionally large employers are “synonymous with full benefits, job stability, and room to climb the ladder.” So what changed?

 

The post offers several suggestions for why employees are looking elsewhere, including:

 

• Modern employees don’t want to be traditional – they want to “partner” with an employer, not work “for” them
• Larger, more established companies lack creativity, flexibility and are perceived as having uncool employments brands
• Top talent can see through the hype or rose-colored glasses that many employers have about what it is really like to work at their company

 

Read the full article for more insight.

 

In public speaking, confidence is KEY!

To many, mastering the art of public speaking feels like a feat that is always a bit out of reach. We all know the sleepless nights and sick-to-your-stomach feeling that comes with a public address. However, according to a recent Forbes post, “5 Powerful Reasons to Have More Confidence in Your Public Speaking,” great speakers are made, not born, and anyone can become a good public speaker with practice.

 

Need proof? The article gives examples of five famous individuals who once feared speaking in front of others and overcame their obstacles to become powerful public speakers. Check out the post for the full scoop on how Warren Buffet, Winston Churchill, Tiger Woods, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant all improved their speaking skills.

 

While we are on the topic, Meridian blogger Alison Cooley also took on public speaking this week. Check out her post, “Life Hacks: 5 Public Speaking Tips,” for simple ways to calm your nerves and tackle your public speaking fears.

 

Characteristics of a successful team

We are all aware that some teams are more productive than others, but why? On TLNT this week, Laura Stack offered insight into how teams improve performance and collective productivity in her post, “15 Characteristics of a Highly Productive Team.”

 

The list includes characteristics like:

 

• “Productive teams celebrate social eventslike holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries in order to increase cohesion. They also celebrate their wins, especially when they complete a tough project.”
• “They’re committed to results vs. activity. It’s easy to confuse busyness with productivity. Only outcomes and results matter. Running around being very busy doesn’t mean you produced anything of significance.”
• “Team members work together closely, so the process flows smoothly, and everyone makes their contributions on time. People can rely on others to do what they say they’ll do, when they say they’ll do it.”

 

View the original post for the full list.

 

Last to arrive = first in line? No. But it should.

We’ve all been there. Maybe it is the 8 AM rush at Starbucks or the customer service line at the airport after your flight was cancelled. Either way, waiting in line can quickly become one of the worst parts of your day. We all think of waiting in line in terms of the first-come, first-serve model, but is there a more efficient way?

 

According to a recent article on the Washington Post blog, the answer is “yes… but you might not like what it is.” Research showed that a method in which people are served in a random order, regardless of when they arrive in line, and a method called “last-come, first-serve” that serves those who entered the line most recently first, were BOTH more effective than the traditional method of waiting.

 

So why does it work? The post states that “the last-come, first-serve system punishes people for something they hate doing anyway: waiting in line. Instead, it incentives people to space out their arrivals, coming exactly when the system has the capacity to serve them, and not before.”

 

In theory it sounds great, but the idea of someone who got in line after me going first gives me anxiety! What do you think?