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7 Steps to Make Yourself Promotable as a Software Engineer

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7 Steps to Make Yourself Promotable as a Software Engineer

For most of us, landing that promotion probably won’t be as straightforward as just reading an annual book. But the example in this tweet above is a useful way to remember that being a shoo-in for promotion starts with distinguishing yourself among your peers. In reality, being a cut above the rest of your team alone won’t earn you a promotion. You also have to advocate for yourself, make your impact known, and continue to learn new things.

Wondering what it takes to get that title change or salary bump? I chatted to Jean du Plessis, Senior Engineering Manager at the cloud platform Upbound, who shared his advice for junior and intermediate engineers looking to go to the next level. Ahead are some traits that make a software engineer promotable, and tips that will help you climb the ladder and reach your goals.

Explore technology outside of work

At work, you and your peers are likely working on similar problems using the same technology. Think about how you can differentiate your skills or bring a novel perspective to your team. You don’t have to start a blog or become a high-profile streamer (although it wouldn’t hurt), but even small, fun side projects or open-source contributions are useful for giving you exposure to technology and different types of problem solving that you won’t get from your full-time role.

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“At a junior level, you should be trying to expand your exposure to different languages and frameworks as much as possible to get differing views,” Jean explains. “There are so many frameworks that solve the same problem, so why are there different ones? What does each one bring to the table and why would you use one over another? Knowing which language to use for which problem is a skill you only develop if you explore a lot of different things.” 

Want to learn a new programming language or round out your skill set? We have lots of free courses that are specifically for programmers who want to level-up, like Python for Programmers and Rust for Programmers. Or if there are other areas of tech you’re interested in exploring, like UI/UX design or cybersecurity, check out the rest of our course catalog.

Understand (and show) how your work contributes to the business

“You’re not an artist, Peggy. You solve problems.” Don Draper’s tough love in the HBO show Mad Men holds an important truth: Our contributions at work have to support the business. Engineers can sometimes get tunnel vision for the challenge right in front of them, so they lose sight of what comes after you ship a product or feature. Think about how you might get people to adopt the new feature you just fixed, or how you’d market it. It’s not that engineers have to become experts in other departments like marketing, developer relations, or sales, but “if you want to get promoted, one of the best ways to do that is to stand head and shoulders above the rest of your peers,” Jean says.

One way to stand out is to showcase your work and how it contributes to the organization’s bigger picture goals. That could mean writing for the company blog about a problem you solved or a feature you built, volunteering to speak at conferences, or even giving an internal demo at the next brown bag talk. “Talking about your work shows that you appreciate that software is only useful if it’s adopted,” Jean says. “Building something is the first part. Then there’s the part of getting people to use it.”

Develop your communication skills

You need strong communication skills at every stage of your career, but particularly when you’re vying for a promotion. Sharing your work and helping others to understand your impact takes practice. 

The good news is that getting into a habit of writing about or demonstrating your work will, over time, help you get better at articulating the value of your efforts. Pair programming is another great way to practice communication, as you get comfortable talking through the steps to debug an issue with a partner. Your company may also offer coaching or mentoring programs to help you develop your professional skills. 

“Communication in engineering is one of the most underrated skills, and if you can practice this early on in your career, that’ll set you up for success in the long term.” Jean recommends the book Communication for Engineers (C4E) as a good place to start developing those skills.

Show initiative

“The problem that a lot of people have early in their career is they’re waiting to be spoonfed what they should do next and how they can grow,” Jean says. “They should take ownership of that.” 

What does that look like in practice? “Don’t wait to be asked to fix something menial, do it,” Jean advises. “If you find something that’s wrong, open an issue and fix it. Show that commitment to caring and ownership of the product. You’re showing that you’re not just there to tick boxes.”

Another practical way to show initiative is being willing to jump into code reviews, especially for more senior team members. Even if you don’t have corrective feedback, Jean suggests asking the pull request (PR) author questions or to explain a decision they made. “As a manager, any signal you get that a team member is showing a mindset that’s bigger than the task right in front of them is a positive thing,” he says. “It shows the ability to cope with more responsibility.”

Help others

As you advance from junior, to intermediate, to senior, you are increasingly measured not by your own output but by your influence on others’ output. If you want to be considered for promotion, it’s worth showing you’re already thinking about how you can coach teammates or be a force multiplier for others across the company. 

At GitLab, where Jean used to work, collaboration is baked into the company’s values. There’s a specific goal around global optimization, where everyone thinks about what’s best for the organization as a whole, not just what’s relevant to their individual goals, Jean says. While he says this big-picture thinking isn’t strictly necessary to go from junior to intermediate, it would make you stand out. “If two people are exactly the same on all other criteria and I can only promote one, I’m going to promote the one who shows that behavior,” he says. And remember: A rising tide lifts all boats. Your peers will appreciate the work you do for the collective.

Ask for feedback

“From a programming point of view, showing a desire for feedback and a humility to take feedback from others is important,” Jean says. Ideally, you should be asking proactively for feedback from your manager in your one-on-ones. If you build a section for feedback into your regular agenda, it also takes the awkwardness out of receiving critical feedback because it’s expected and normalized. 

In code reviews, Jean recommends avoiding defensiveness if someone gives feedback on your PR. “If the person didn’t give the context as to why they’re asking for something to be changed, ask for it.” It can be hard to feel corrected at first, but the more you approach feedback as an opportunity to help you learn and grow, the stronger an engineer you’ll be. For more tips on how to review someone else’s code, check out this article on the blog.

Team up with your manager

This might seem obvious, but a lot of us are never explicitly told: If going to the next level is your goal, you need to work with your manager, not just impress them. “A signal for me that shows how ready someone is for the next step is whether I have to drive their career progression or if they’re driving it themselves,” says Jean. “As the manager, I’m there to create opportunities for them, but they have to tell me how they want to grow and what they want to do.” 

If you’re not sure how to broach that conversation, start by asking, “Can we evaluate me against the next level to identify where there are gaps that I can go and work on?” Most managers will jump at the chance to collaborate on your promotion plan.  

If you’re surprised at how little your actual programming skills feature in all of the above advice, it’s time to reframe your idea about what makes a great software engineer. Jean has some parting advice: “Coding is like learning a language,” he says. “You learn the rules, the syntax, and the grammar, and you write it. But engineering is about problem solving and most of that is not hard skills. You learn the hard skills once you’ve solved the problem.”

What is ROI in LMS and How to Calculate It?

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What is ROI in LMS and How to Calculate It?

ROI (Return on Investment) is a critical metric used to assess the effectiveness and profitability of any business initiative, and Learning Management Systems (LMS) are no exception. For organisations investing in LMS platforms, understanding the ROI is essential to measure the impact of their learning and development efforts. In this article, we will delve into what ROI in LMS means and provide a step-by-step guide on how to calculate it.

What is ROI in LMS?

ROI in the context of LMS is a quantitative measure that assesses the value and benefits gained from the investment in an LMS platform compared to the overall cost incurred. It helps organisations determine whether their learning and development initiatives are generating sufficient returns and if the chosen LMS is delivering the desired outcomes.

Why is the ROI calculation important?

The ROI calculation is of paramount importance as it provides a clear and objective assessment of the effectiveness and value derived from an investment in a Learning Management System (LMS). By quantifying the returns in relation to the total investment, organisations can make informed decisions about their LMS implementation and training strategies. A positive ROI validates the decision to invest in the LMS, while a negative ROI prompts a reevaluation of the LMS choice and its impact on the organisation’s objectives. Moreover, ROI analysis helps identify areas where improvements can be made to enhance the LMS’s impact, such as optimising training content, addressing employee needs, and fine-tuning learning initiatives.

What to consider when calculating your return on investment on LMS?

  • Elevating employees can lead to better revenue: Training and development initiatives contribute to a more skilled, engaged, and motivated workforce. This leads to improved performance, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency, all of which can directly impact revenue growth for the organisation. Investing in employees is a strategic decision that has the potential to yield significant returns in the long run
  • Improved employee confidence and productivity: Training programmes can enhance employees’ skills and knowledge, making them more proficient in their roles. As employees become better equipped to handle their responsibilities, they can deliver higher-quality work, which translates to improved efficiency and productivity. This increased performance often results in better revenue generation for the organisation.
  • Train all your employees, old and new: This is a proactive and beneficial approach for organisations seeking to foster a skilled, adaptable, and competitive workforce. From skill enhancement and talent retention to fostering a learning culture and gaining a competitive edge, comprehensive employee training is a vital component of long-term success and sustainability.
  • Time-saving: With an LMS, employees can access training materials at their convenience, eliminating the need for lengthy in-person sessions and reducing time away from work. The self-paced learning approach enables learners to progress at their own speed, optimising the time spent on each topic.
  • Improve employee satisfaction: The convenience and flexibility of self-paced learning in an LMS can improve work-life balance and reduce stress, contributing to overall employee well-being. Satisfied employees are more likely to be motivated, engaged, and committed to the organization, leading to improved productivity and reduced turnover.
  • Cut down training expenses: An LMS can significantly reduce training costs compared to traditional in-person training methods. By adopting digital learning, organisations can eliminate expenses associated with travel, accommodation, and venue rentals for training sessions. The LMS allows for the creation of reusable training content, reducing the need for constant updates and reprinting of materials.
  • Save on travel expenses: With an LMS, organisations can significantly reduce or eliminate the need for employees to travel for training purposes. Traditional in-person training often incurs substantial costs related to airfare, lodging, meals, and transportation. By transitioning to digital learning through the LMS, employees can access training materials from anywhere, reducing or eliminating travel expenses altogether.
  • Employees can learn anytime and from anywhere: The ability for employees to learn anytime and from anywhere is a critical factor to consider. An LMS provides a flexible and convenient learning environment, enabling employees to access training materials and courses at their own pace and from any location with an internet connection. Employees can fit learning into their busy schedules, maximising productivity and minimising disruptions to daily work.
  • Your experienced employees can share their knowledge: Employees possess valuable insights into the organisation’s training needs, existing processes, and areas that can benefit from the implementation of an LMS. By involving them in the ROI calculation process, you can gather first-hand feedback on the effectiveness of the LMS, its impact on employee performance, and any challenges or opportunities identified during the implementation phase.
  • Improve employee retention: Offering opportunities for growth and development to employees demonstrates that the organisation values them. This leads to higher employee satisfaction and increased retention rates. Reducing employee turnover saves costs associated with hiring and training new employees and helps maintain a stable and experienced workforce.
  • Save time and spend it on the bigger picture: The LMS streamlines training processes automates administrative tasks, and offers self-paced learning options, saving valuable time for both employees and administrators. With less time spent on manual tasks and managing logistics, organisations can redirect their efforts toward strategic planning, innovation, and business growth. Employees can invest more time in skill development and honing their expertise, leading to improved performance and productivity.
  • Increase your talent pool’s productivity: Employees can acquire new skills and knowledge, leading to increased productivity in their roles. The LMS’s self-paced learning approach allows employees to access training materials conveniently, enabling them to learn at their own speed and revisit topics as needed. This flexibility ensures a more efficient learning process, resulting in quicker skill acquisition and application in the workplace. As productivity rises across the talent pool, tasks are completed more efficiently, projects are delivered on time, and overall performance improves.

How can Alison help with improving your LMS ROI?

Alison is a popular online learning platform that offers a wide range of free and paid courses across various subjects. It can contribute to improving your organisation’s LMS ROI in several ways:

  • Access to Certified Programmes: Alison offers certification programmes that can provide official recognition for learners’ achievements. By integrating these certification opportunities into your LMS, you can motivate employees to complete courses and gain industry-recognised credentials, potentially leading to improved performance and career growth.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Alison’s platform provides analytics and reporting features, allowing you to track learner progress and engagement. These insights can help you assess the effectiveness of Alison’s courses within your LMS and make data-driven decisions to optimise the learning experience.
  • Learning Pathways: Alison’s learning pathways or course recommendations can guide employees on a learning journey that aligns with their career goals. Integrating these pathways into your LMS can promote continuous learning and skill development, leading to better employee retention and performance.

ROI in Learning Management Systems is a crucial metric that helps organisations understand the impact and effectiveness of their training initiatives. By considering factors like training cost savings, productivity improvements, compliance benefits, and employee retention, organisations can obtain a comprehensive view of their LMS investment’s returns. Evaluating ROI not only helps in justifying the investment but also guides decision-making to optimise future learning and development strategies.

Word of the Day: soiree

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Word of the Day: soiree

The word soiree has appeared in 24 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on July 24 in “How Do You Party — Barbie Style?” by Alyson Krueger:

On Saturday afternoon, Shallon Lester, 36, a YouTuber, saw “Barbie” with 20 girlfriends and then headed back to her house in Bozeman, Mont., for a “Barbiecue.”

She renamed her five-bedroom home “Shallibu Barbie’s Dreamhouse” for the soiree and set up hot-pink balloon arches, a Barbie-themed Slip ‘N Slide and a splash pad. When the ladies weren’t playing in the water, they played a game of Barbie trivia. “I’ve been Googling what Barbie’s full name is, how is she related to Ken, which professions she had,” Ms. Lester said in a phone interview.

Can you correctly use the word soiree in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how soiree can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

How I Went from Technology Intern to Senior Software Engineer in 4 Years

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How I Went from Technology Intern to Senior Software Engineer in 4 Years

Learning to code so that you can land a job in tech can feel daunting. That’s why we’re sharing inspiring stories from Codecademy’s community — to show how people like you (yes, you!) can embark on a learning journey and end up with a totally new career. We hope these stories serve as a reminder that there’s no single path to a more fulfilling work life.

Today’s story is from Byron Jenkins, a 26-year-old Senior Software Engineer at Capital One and Adjunct Instructor at Temple University, living in Philadelphia. Read more stories from Codecademy learners here — and be sure to share your story here.

Why I chose to learn to code

“My dad is a retired boxing trainer, so I spent my entire childhood boxing. I didn’t know anything about computer science or coding. I just was genuinely fascinated by tech and how computers work. We had one computer in the house that I would get on all the time, and we had AOL dial-up internet. My mom would bribe me with computer access for doing good in school. My high school in the inner cities of Philadelphia didn’t offer any coding courses, unfortunately. So, when I was in 11th or 12th grade, I just was Google searching ‘how to create a website’ and I saw Codecademy and signed up.

I started learning how to code on Codecademy in various languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. I decided to fully commit to go to school for computer science or computer engineering. Once I understood the differences, I realized I was more passionate about software. That’s what confirmed my decision to attend college for four years and study computer science at Temple University.”

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How I made time to learn

“I would spend about two hours, if not every day, every other day trying to learn how to build a website and just powering through the challenges on Codecademy. At the time, in 2013, Codecademy didn’t have as many courses as they do now. I was just covering how to build a website with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and just getting my feet wet with Python.

When I joined college as a freshman, I thought I could take as many classes as I could and also work 40 hours a week at Best Buy. I failed five classes and bombed a prerequisite, which held me back. I took classes over the summer and during winter break to get credit to make up for the failed classes, because I didn’t want it to prevent me from graduating and impact job opportunities.”

How I saved up money to learn

“I had the completely free Codecademy account at the time.”

How long it took me to land a job

“During my time at Temple University, I interned at TD Bank, and then I transitioned from intern to part-time employee during my senior year. By the time I graduated in 2019, I had two job offers from TD Bank and JP Morgan. I proceeded with TD Bank into a rotational program. It was in the middle of the pandemic, so I had a lot of time on my hands. I wasn’t really satisfied with my growth at the time, and the work wasn’t challenging enough for me, so I started searching on LinkedIn for new jobs. Fortunately, during my time at Temple University, one of my professors was actually the VP at Capital One. I reached out and he helped me move over to Capital One.”

How I got in the door

“Since I was working during college, I didn’t have much time for extracurriculars and groups. I really wanted to join this iOS development class, because I was interested in learning how to build mobile applications for Apple devices. Unfortunately, the class was pretty much full when I tried to register. In my downtime, I taught myself Swift, and I ended up building my own mobile application. 

By my junior year, I attended a college career fair and spoke to every table. I’m naturally shy,* so my delivery sucked for the first five tables.  But once I got the nerves out, I got it down pat. Eventually, I landed an interview with Burlington Coat Factory and TD Bank for software and technology intern positions.”

*Do you dread in-person networking? Read this blog for tips on how to feel more comfortable talking about yourself.

How I nailed the interview

“I did something very nontraditional that was kind of bold. I went to the interview with an iPad, which had a drawing of the idea I had for the app. It was a color-coordination game, where you have to use math equations and geometry to draw a circle. I was just showing them how I went through that process of designing it, and then walking them through how I released it, and continuously built new versions. I explained how I went from an idea, to development, to release. I didn’t realize this at the time, but the app I created encapsulated pretty much what you do every day as a software engineer. You’re putting out new versions and tracking versions of your software.

This is the sketch that Byron used to talk about his app during an interview. “After initial development, I had trouble programmatically splitting the circle into separate parts, while maintaining the position and behavior,” he says. “The sketch helped me understand what math I needed to do in order to achieve the desired behavior.” 

A lot of interview questions are geared towards experience, and I didn’t really have much experience besides that eight-week internship. Being able to talk about building my mobile app helped me answer situation questions like, Name a time where you struggled.”

How I evaluated the offer

“I attended JPMorgan’s Code for Good hackathon to get some more experience. I impressed them and they invited me over for a job interview. As I mentioned, I failed many classes in college, and JPMorgan had a hard GPA requirement that I didn’t meet. I remember thinking, Wow, I didn’t meet the minimum requirement for a GPA but I still had a job offer after going through your interview process. I was a little upset by that, and it’s one contributing factor for why I decided to stay with TD Bank. It’s also a primary example of how networking and attending events can help you bypass many barriers.

I also had to think about the salary difference, which wasn’t much. At the time, I was working at TD Bank part-time while in school, so I was factoring in what I could be making for my senior year of college. I didn’t want the JPMorgan offer to impact my part-time opportunity or a chance to continue full time.”

I explained how I went from an idea, to development, to release. I didn’t realize this at the time, but the app I created encapsulated pretty much what you do every day as a software engineer.

Byron Jenkins

Senior Software Engineer, Capital One

How day one and beyond went

“The day to day for me was going into the office working on what I love to do: code. It was surreal, because I worked very hard to get there and finally graduate college. I felt that joy and relief, like, I made it. I finally got my foot in the door. But I constantly put pressure on myself. I’m not done. I want to contribute more. I have to make a good impact.”

What I wish I knew before I started learning

“I wish I had more awareness and more knowledge about coding events or hackathons that could give me exposure within the tech space. And as an adult, I wish I knew about the alternative paths and opportunities that are out there to learn to code.”

Not sure where to start? Check out our personality quiz! We’ll help you find the best programming language to learn based on your strengths and interests.

Want to share your Codecademy learner story? Drop us a line here. And don’t forget to join the discussions in our community.

‘Now Is Our Time to Assemble’: The Week 6 Winner of Our Summer Reading Contest

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‘Now Is Our Time to Assemble’: The Week 6 Winner of Our Summer Reading Contest

Our annual Summer Reading Contest invites teenagers around the world to tell us what New York Times pieces get their attention and why. This week, the sixth of our 10-week challenge, we received 1,006 entries. Thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations to our winner, Nathaniel Tok, as well as to the runners-up and honorable mentions we honor below.

Scroll down to take a look at the variety of topics that caught the eyes of our participants, including the war in Ukraine, dress codes in Iran, a larcenous sea otter and Texas barbecue. You can read the work of all of our winners since 2017 in this column.

Remember that you can participate any or every week this summer until Aug. 18. Just check the top of our contest announcement to find the right place to submit your response.

(Note to students: If you are one of this week’s winners and would like your last name published, please have a parent or guardian complete our permission form [PDF] and send it to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.)

Nathaniel Tok, 16, from Redmond, Wash., responded to the ongoing news from Hollywood, writing this about “Actors Join Writers on Strike, Bringing Hollywood to a Standstill”:

Growing up, the Avengers were a massive part of my life. I had watched every single Marvel movie up to “Avengers: Infinity War” and could barely contain my excitement when “Endgame” was announced. It wasn’t simply a movie; it marked the culmination of an unforgettable journey that had shaped so much of my childhood. I will always remember cheering along with my fellow moviegoers as the Avengers assembled for one last time, later leaving the theater holding back tears at Iron Man’s final sacrifice. I simply couldn’t help but feel as if I had been a member of the Avengers too, facing Thanos and his army.

When I read about the Hollywood strike, I felt like I had been hit with a punch from the Hulk himself. The news landed closer to home than any of Thanos’s schemes ever had; I had almost forgotten that the superheroes who I admired were real people too, fighting their own, very real battles. The article was a grim reminder of the struggles that these actors and writers endure daily. It has heightened my respect for them and opened my eyes to the horrors of an industry that I’ve grown up loving.

And so, now is our time to assemble. For the very visionaries who imagined the Avengers, for the unseen heroes behind the glimmering screens, it’s time to return the favor. And for the heroes yet to come and the children yet to be awed, we must advocate for a fairer Hollywood today.

_______

In alphabetical order by the writer’s first name.

Anfisa on “Zelensky Leaves NATO Summit to Face Hard Realities of War”

Catherine on “The 20 Best Texas Barbecue Restaurants From the New Generation”

Daniel L. on “An Elite School, a Boy’s Suicide and a Question of Blame”

Kathleen Y. on “Men Are Baring Midriffs in Crop Tops”

Nikitha M. on “She Steals Surfboards by the Seashore. She’s a Sea Otter.”

Qier L. on “More Grandma Content, Please”

Syeda Q. on “Iran Steps Up Policing of Women Who Defy Strict Dress Code”

Xiao Bo Zeng on “Silence Is a ‘Sound’ You Hear, Study Suggests”

________

Adam Liao on “My Unlikely Writing Teacher: Pedro Martinez”

Word of the Day: bedraggled

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Word of the Day: bedraggled

The word bedraggled has appeared in 27 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on July 18 in “Australian Man and His Dog Rescued After Nearly 3 Months at Sea” by Michael Levenson:

While searching for tuna last week, a helicopter pilot spotted something bobbing in the vast blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean, more than 1,200 miles from land.

It was a small white catamaran, badly damaged. Aboard it was a man with a shaggy, sun-bleached beard and bedraggled hair. He appeared somewhat dazed.

Can you correctly use the word bedraggled in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how bedraggled can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

Handling Conflict in the Workplace

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Handling Conflict in the Workplace

We hear the word conflict, and many of us start looking for the nearest exit. It’s uncomfortable, scary, and marred with uncertainty at the possible outcomes, and we don’t always feel confident in our ability to navigate such interactions. It becomes trickier to work around in the workplace. But wherever people are, conflict is inevitable. Below is our guide on handling conflict in the workplace.

What is conflict?

Conflict is more than a difference of opinion. It is best described as a serious, protracted disagreement or argument over interests, opinions, and principles.

In the workplace, these disputes arise when there are different views, decisions, or actions taken about a job-related task. This type of squabble can also occur because of a feeling of poor management, organisational restructuring, retrenchments, competition, personality clashes, or when individuals simply don’t get along. It’s also helpful to understand that there are different types of conflict.

  • Task conflict: this is a process-oriented conflict that occurs when issues come to the fore from tasks and responsibilities allocated at work. Some examples of this are the outcomes of a decision, dissatisfaction with the quality of a deliverable, and budget allocations.
  • Relationship conflict: this can be difficult to fix because there isn’t a direct event that took place but it’s a result of personality clashes or differences in how leaders manage, communicate, cooperate, or resolve conflict.
  • Value conflict: as the name suggests this type of conflict is rooted in misaligned personal values on how things are done, differences in ethics, and political, social, and religious beliefs between colleagues.

This understanding can help guide approaches used in mediating the conflict and finding resolutions.

Strategies on how to resolve conflict

Addressing conflict is not always easy. This is true if you want to solve it personally, or are a supervisor tasked with handling the situation.

  1. Face the issue: Regardless of how awkward and sensitive it is, you must deal with conflict directly and decisively and not beat around the bush as that doesn’t resolve anything. Additionally, you need to ensure that you are dealing with the main issue at hand and not personal vendettas or older problems. If these do exist, set a time to deal with them separately.
  2. Deal with it quickly. You also need to face and deal with it as soon as possible. This prevents the issue from festering and growing bigger and thus, more difficult to work through.
  3. Identify the source of the conflict. You need to establish what type of conflict you’re dealing with. Is it task, value, or relationship based? This way, you will use the right tactics to deal with the problem.
  4. Communication is key. In a conflict, each party believes they are right and only their voice must be heard. Emphasize the importance of communicating clearly, accurately, respectfully, and maturely throughout the conflict resolution process. Failure to do this could lead to immature behaviours, and aggressive language, and ultimately primes you as the mediator and mediation, ineffective.
  5. A key part of communication that often gets ignored is listening. Many times, “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to the reply,” Stephen Covey. This is especially important as many conflicts arise from miscommunication and misunderstandings. What are the areas of agreement and disagreement? Everyone must prioritise listening over talking and grant the other individual the same courtesy.
  6. Find a common goal. Brainstorm workable solutions and leave out the options that the conflicting parties don’t find agreeable. The goal is to find common ground, a give and take from both sides that doesn’t make one feel like they have ‘won’ and the other has lost. It’s both of you against the problem, not each other.
  7. Evaluate. Take time after the goal has been established to create an action plan of what to do next, how well it’s being acted on, and if what was decided on is not working, regroup, and find a better way to deal with the issue.

Additionally, make sure the conflict resolution attempts take place at a convenient time and be clear about the intent and desire to find a solution. Feeling defensive going into a session to sort out the differences will unlikely achieve the result you want because emotions play a big role in the conflict. Being able to manage the emotions will go a long way.

  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help in resolving a conflict.
  • Honesty is key – about your fault if any, and the event or cause of conflict.

These strategies, when implemented correctly, will create a culture of resolution in the workplace. Employees will be confident in management and the organisation’s ability to work through problems head-on and therefore ensure that a healthy, safe, and productive environment is created and nurtured.

If you feel that ongoing conflicts are taking a toll on your mental health and workplace well-being, take time to work on yourself. Our mental health check-up is a quick, free, and simple way to assess your status and get the resources you need to get better.

Conflict is unavoidable. The good news is it is manageable. As a business, make it a part of your key values that employees must get behind. As an individual, do your best to work well with everyone. And where conflict does arise, endeavour to speedily find a solution to go back to a healthy workplace for all.

Word of the Day: aptitude

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Word of the Day: aptitude

The word aptitude has appeared in 40 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Feb. 7 in “A Trailblazing Black Cartoonist’s Work: ‘It’s Unapologetic, and It’s the Truth’” by Robert Ito:

… She loved to draw, and as the youngest child of Brumsic Brandon Jr., whose own nationally syndicated strip about inner-city Black children, “Luther,” ran from 1968 to 1986, she was never at a loss for art supplies.

When Brandon-Croft was in junior high school, her father needed help applying Zipatone, a form of coloring, to his strips. The artist gave his three children tests to see who might have an aptitude for it. “My brother had the shakiest hand,” she remembered. “We kept his drawing up for a long time, just so we could laugh at it.”

Can you correctly use the word aptitude in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how aptitude can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

The LIST of Top Learning Systems (LMS, LXP, EDP, Learning Platforms)

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onlinefreecourse
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The LIST of Top Learning Systems (LMS, LXP, EDP, Learning Platforms)

Employee Development. Deskless Workers. Customer Training. Associations. L&D. Training. A List of Learning Systems for all of them, and so many more.

There are today, over 1,600 learning systems in the world. They come nowadays in all varieties – LMS, LXP, LXP+, Skilling focused, Skill Measurement, Learning Platforms, Coaching, Mentoring, Employee Development Platform – Learning is the core throughout, Cohort-Based Learning Platforms, Knowledge Management/COP (community of practice – why are you back?), Training Management, Employee Experience Platform (which is really an EDP), Characteristics-Focused Learning Platform, Learning Operations Platform, Video Learning Platform and Publishing Platforms – Learning document development, and other materials for learning and training.

Whew. Now, in reality, most are learning platforms or LMS, but they do not want to call themselves that, because of the marketing mislead of an LMS, being traditional legacy Darth Vader.

When I get clients, or when I am conducting my award explorations, I myself have use this list. Ok, I have multiple lists, but this one is the core. It is all dependent on specs, use cases, requirements and type. LXP for example, is used a lot in the learning system space, but the legit ones, the ones who are truly an LXP with all the criteria, well there are around 30 in the industry. I list three here, one being an LXP+, and a fourth that exists in Juno Journey.

I have a list of systems to watch, systems that are in this country or that country, systems broken down by new entry to the market, systems that I have concerns about – survival being the factor here, systems that are employee-focused, customer/client/partner-focused, and systems by type. I have a list of EdTech systems (K-12 and Higher Ed) too.

This list is all corporate – which includes non-profits, association, employee-focused, customer training focused, government usage (i.e. sells to a government) and direct to customer.

Systems in this list are from around the world. Canada, South Africa, Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Chile and the United States.

The Codes

  • FAL= They are listed on FindAnLMS, where you can compare them, see implementation time frames, pricing ranges and much more – it is the platform I developed
  • Customer Training – Customer (B2B), Partner, Distributor, Franchises, Clients, Training Consultant – selling content, Content provider – selling content, Associations, and D2C – Director to Customer. A legacy term – Extended Enterprise is used here too. – If you are in Training, this is your primary audience. Marketing too. .
  • EDP – Employee Development – Employees – internal, if you are in L&D, this is your primary audience, Training could as well, even sales training.
  • Coaching
  • Mentoring
  • Other – The other categories, listed above

The List

Word of the Day: eclectic

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onlinefreecourse
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Word of the Day: eclectic

The word eclectic has appeared in 306 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on July 4 in “Her Symphony Reclaims an Ancestral Story, and Classical Music” by Tim Greiving:

The four-movement “Sea Island Symphony” is the most ambitious addition yet to a composing and performing career that has included punk rock, film scores and opera. Tamar-kali’s eclectic output is the product of wildly varied input — her family’s juke joint in the Sea Islands, blues and jazz, and the Ashkenazi cantorial melodies and classical music she absorbed growing up in New York City.

… Tamar-kali transcended punk to found the Psychochamber Ensemble, an all-female string and choral group that also covered Kate Bush. She was dipping back into classical music, and she realized, if only after the fact, that she was trying to recreate the fellowship she had experienced in school choir — but now in a safe space while maintaining her agency. “I didn’t even realize I was trying to heal myself,” she said.

Can you correctly use the word eclectic in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how eclectic can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

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