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What Entrepreneurs Should Know About Starting Projects

October 20, 2021 – Alexander Rodriguez

According to teamwork.com “When project management is done right, it helps every part of the business run more smoothly. It allows your team to focus on the work that matters, free from the distractions caused by tasks going off track or budgets spinning out of control. It empowers them to deliver results that impact the business’s bottom line. And it enables your employees to see how their work contributes to the company’s strategic goals.” The benefits of utilizing project management correctly cannot be overstated. Project management can help your startup succeed.

According to the PMI’s Pulse of the Professional global survey of 2017, companies that implemented well-known project management practices wasted 28 times less money all because their strategic initiatives offered good results. Furthermore, according to the latest Pulse of the Profession report by the Project Management Institute (PMI), 57% of respondents saw significant business changes in their operational efficiencies over the past year and another 49% experienced changes in the maturity of their project management. Have you ever questioned how to tackle a project in your business? Follow these simple steps to conduct a successful project.

First, let us define what a project is. “A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.” PMBOK® Guide Essentially, you have been managing projects all your life. There are many different project management methodologies you can discover, but the one we will cover today is the waterfall approach. According to Wrike, “waterfall project management maps out a project into distinct, sequential phases, with each new phase beginning only when the previous one has been completed.”

To start your project you should know that most project steps are divided into what is called the project life cycle. According to the PMBOK, a project life cycle is a “collection of generally sequential project phases.” As a standard, these phases are:

Initiation

This is when a project is proposed, you define what your project will consist of and get the people who will be working on the project to commit to it. Finally, you will get initial approval from your stakeholders to begin planning.

Planning

After you have the initial approval for your project you will have a detailed picture of how you will execute the project and you will get the final approval of your stakeholders to start executing.

Executing

This process is performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project requirements.

Monitoring and Controlling

This process is required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; initiate the corresponding changes.

Closing

Now that you know the basics, this post will take you through PG’s approach to project management.

Disclaimer: everything encompassing PG’s approach was not invented by PG, these are tried and tested practices that are used for project management most of them using the waterfall approach. However, not every project management practice will fit your project so we have chosen what fits best for us.

In the initiation phase, you start defining what your project will be, develop a team, establish your milestones, establish a preliminary budget all on a document called the project charter and then move to the planning phase where you develop the project plan. In PG, we tend to merge both of these phases into one. We dive into the project plan but we include everything that goes on the project charter. The planning process for your project should be as detailed as you can make it. Make sure to cover all of the bases you can to begin executing your project properly.

So how does PG develop a Project Plan?

1. Scope

The scope is “the sum of all products, services, and results to be provided by the project” as stated by the PMBOK® Guide. Essentially, your scope will be a summary of what your project will be, what your project will not be, any major risk that your project may have, and the budget of your project. You can also add key milestones (determining points in your project’s life) and constraints (things that keep you from your big goals).

2. Justification

This is done on big projects where you need the project to be approved, but even when you are working on your own projects it is important to state why the project is being done and how it will benefit you or your company. If there is no proper justification, project managers should ask themselves if the project is even worth doing.

3. Assumptions and Constraints

According to the PMBOK, the assumptions are “factors that, for planning purposes, are considered to be true, real, or certain without proof or demonstration.” For example, to assume that you’ll have all the resources you need to complete your project or the scope of the project will not change throughout the project. The constraints are any limitations your project may have. These are things that you and your team will have to work with throughout the project life cycle. To help with this, we always think of the triple constraints of project management which are time constraints (very little time to do the project), scope constraint (the scope is way too limiting or way too broad), and cost constraint (there are barely any funds to cover the project).

4. Project Team

Your project team will include any person that will work in your project, you must establish their roles, responsibilities, and expectations for successful project execution.

5. Team Operating Principals

The team operating principles will be a set of guidelines or principles your team will adhere to. This will include things like time spent on the project, efforts, responsibilities, and communication time, meeting quorum, etc.

6. Milestones

According to Wrike.com “A milestone is a specific point within a project’s life cycle used to measure the progress toward the ultimate goal. Milestones in project management are used as signal posts for the next phase in your project. Some typical milestone examples are external reviews or input, budget checks, submission of a major deliverable, obtaining approvals, submitting a marketing plan, etc.”

7. Project Risks

“Risk Management includes the processes of conducting risk management planning, identification, analysis, response planning & implementation and monitoring risks on the project. The objectives of risk management are to increase the probability and/or impact of positive risks and to decrease the probability and/or impact of negative risks, in order to optimize the chances of project success.” (Project Management Institute, 2017).

Like most processes of project management, working with risks is an ongoing task. Once you identify a risk, you should formulate a contingency plan for your risks; in other words, how you plan to move above that risk. You should also rate your risks by the impact on your project and the probability of them happening, you can use the High, Medium, or Low approach to rate your risks.

Fun fact: Not all risks are negative!

Risks are merely uncertain events that when they occur, can have a positive or a negative impact on your project. For example, an unscheduled update for an app development software that facilitates your work is also a risk.

8. Communications Plan

This communication plan should have everyone involved in your project outlined, which means your project teams, clients, and sponsors. Here, you will outline the who, how, when, what, and why of communicating with a particular stakeholder. This will help you and everyone involved in the project know what is happening and how to get in touch with the people that they need. Furthermore, having a communication plan will help clarify the roles of the people involved in the project, manage expectations, and get everyone on the same page.

9. Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement

The stakeholder analysis and engagement plan is a continuation of your communications plan. According to the PMBOK “The stakeholder engagement plan includes the processes required to identify the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project, to analyze stakeholder expectations and their impact on the project, and to develop appropriate management strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders in project decisions and execution.”

To ensure your project’s success you will need to know everyone who can have a potential impact on it. As in risks, this impact can be positive or negative, having a stakeholder engagement plan will help you manage how your stakeholders will receive information and potentially minimize or maximize their impact.

10. Budget

In the budget, you must break down the cost of your project, you must include every last cent that you know will be used for your project. This will depend on the type of project you will be working on. If you have a construction project, for example, this will be things like materials, machinery, workers, permits, etc.

Pro Tip: Always include a contingency reserve (emergency funds) in your budget. To create this, the PMI recommends that you use the Monte Carlo method’s Expected Monetary Value (EMV) formula. This is:

EMV = % of probability x % of impact in project

11. Breakdown Schedule

No project is the same and so no project management process will be the same, every company and every project manager has their own methodology. In a traditional project, you would start doing things like Work Breakdown Structures, which you would then turn into activities on node, that would then be turned into work packages, and those would be used to make a Gantt chart. In PG, we do a Breakdown Schedule where we start with the project milestones and divide those milestones into activities and tasks to achieve this milestone. For example, if a milestone is to bake a cake what steps would we need for this milestone. This is the exact same process that you would use to do a work package but without the other added steps. Now in order for your schedule to be useful, you will include the start and finish dates for the tasks and milestones and who will be responsible for completing those tasks.

Project management is a very useful tool to ensure that your projects are successful, there are many methodologies for project management and there is no right or best methodology, so it will take time for you to find which works best for you and the projects you work on.

We encourage you to check out the PMI (Project Management Institute) website, authority leaders on project management. If you would like to learn more about project management or would be interested in project management training or assistance in your startup, feel free to contact us.

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Workforce-Family Interface: Conflict and Enrichment

October 13, 2021 – Héctor Santana

As humans, we are all multidimensional beings. I don’t mean this in a spiritual or esoteric way. What I mean is that we play various roles across the different dimensions of our lives. Some of us are parents. Some of us are teachers. All of us are friends, neighbors, and daughters, or sons. All of us are members of a family, even if it’s just us, and if you’re reading this, you are probably a worker, a colleague, or an entrepreneur.

Everyone has a unique combination of roles to play in life. Most of us will at least have a family and work role to play. Although people like to think these roles can be kept separate, the truth is that the “barrier” that separates them is not solid and both dimensions interact more than one would think. From a scientific perspective, this interaction is called the work-family interface.

According to Vesga Rodríguez (investigator with the Universidad El Bosque in Bogotá, Colombia), the work-family interface refers to the relationship and effects that happen between the work and family dimensions of an individual. This interaction happens due to various reasons and has a diversity of effects on both individuals and organizations. As a tool for understanding how the interactions happen and what the consequences of them can be, let’s explore the different types of work-family interaction.

Work-Family Conflicts

When aspects from one life dimension cause an adverse reaction in the opposing one, it is said that there is a negative work-family interface. These negative interactions are often referred to as work-family conflict. In the context of work-family interface, conflict is the most studied variable, and is often defined as the results of the demands of one role requiring more attention than the opposing role.

Work-family conflict can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of these factors are related to the individual and others to the organization they are part of. As far as individual factors, humans tend to have lack of autonomy and control, lack of support, low emotional stability, and stress. At the organizational level, we have causes like role ambiguity, time demands, and work demands. In general terms, demands from both the family and the job are related to work-family conflict.

As for consequences of work-family conflict, these can also be categorized as individual and organizational. For the individual, there can be consequences such as low job satisfaction, increased stress and anxiety, family and marital problems, and physical symptoms, among others. Organizations can see as consequences: higher turnover, absenteeism, and lower productivity.

To understand the concept better, here is a personal example. As a professional, I strive to be always at my best. However, at an early point in my professional career, I had a significant family loss. The emotional effects of the loss and mourning were demanding. Because of these effects, my job performance suffered because it took all my resources to handle my family situation.

Work-Family Enrichment

On the opposite side of the spectrum, positive work-family interactions lead to a spillover of positive effects between dimensions. This type of interaction is called work-family enrichment. According to Santos Carvalho and colleagues (investigators with the University of Coimbra), work-family enrichment refers to the performance enhancement in one role thanks to experiences in its counterpart role.

The causes of work-family enrichment have not been as broadly studied as those of conflict. From the work dimension, enrichment can be caused by abundant resources, job characteristics, and flexibility. On the family side, possible predictors of enrichment can be family support, psychological involvement, and commitment to the matrimonial role.

Given the contrasting nature of conflict and enrichment, they tend to share effects with change in polarity. Clarifying, enrichment affects the same areas as conflict but in a positive manner. It can lead to lower levels of stress, increased family, and job satisfaction, increased organizational commitment, and increased physical and emotional wellbeing.

Just as I shared a story of conflict, let us put work-family enrichment into perspective. When I had my first child, life got really complicated, quickly. Although I could function normally in all my roles, it was not as easy as before. As part of my support network, my dad decided to move in with my family for a few months to help, which provided much needed assistance and resources (particularly time). The positive effects on the family dimension transferred to my work dimension where my performance increased.

Work-Family Balance

Interaction between the work and family dimensions can be categorized as positive or negative, as seen above. These positive or negative effects can move from the family dimensions to the work dimension or vice versa, creating a subjective view of the individual’s state of work-family interactions. Vieira and colleagues (writers for the Journal of Vocational Behaviour) call this subjective view the work-family balance.

Parting from the definition stated above, work-family balance is not a type of interaction, but the valuation that a person gives the different positive and negative interactions occurring in their lives. For example, if you think you have far too much conflict going on and not enough enrichment, you will probably say that you have a low work-family balance. On the other hand, if you feel you have plenty of enrichment but low to no conflict, you will say that you have a high work-family balance.

Tips to Obtain a Good Work-Family Balance

Now that we’ve presented a base for what work-family balance is, let’s present some tips on how to obtain it.

1. Let go of perfectionism

We should let go of perfectionism. What this means is that we need to realize that not everything we do will come out perfect and therefore the extra time we invest in trying to make it so, is time that could be spent in other dimensions of our life.

2. Prioritizing our tasks

We should strive to make effective use of our time by prioritizing our tasks. By prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance, we can make sure that critical tasks are accomplished in a timely manner which will alleviate worries and extra time requirements.

3. Use technology

It is recommended to use technology as an aide for work-life balance. If meetings or tasks can be done remotely, without investing the time for travel, this can greatly alleviate time imbalances and promote a healthier work-life balance. Related to the subject, Forbes has a great article we recommend reading.

An interesting thing about work-family balance is that it is not only a subject within the context of work-family interface, but there is a whole other area that explores practices and efforts taken by companies and individuals to balance time and loads between family and work, but that is a topic for another time.

As seen in this post, family and work are two separate dimensions of life that interact, both negatively and positively, with unique and significant consequences for individuals and organizations. Although this was just an introduction to the subject, we hope you have gained a better understanding of how work and family interact and can identify and develop strategies to keep the best balance possible.

Have you had first-hand experience with work-family interactions? Tell us all about it! Don’t hesitate to share in the comment section below. You can also opt for reading more on our topics supporting your entrepreneurial journey, like Human Behavior Insights to Help You Influence Who You Are and How to Stay True to Yourself in a Professional Workplace.

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3 Apps that are Essential to Plan your Social Media Content

October 5, 2021 – Loriel Chung

Do you know what a wedding, a Resume Workshop, and social media content all have in common?

Lots of Planning!

It is no secret that having a good understanding on social media platforms is an important part in getting brand recognition and awareness, as well as, engaging with your target audience. However, it may be overwhelming to create, schedule, and publish content for different platforms, because they are all designed for different people. Therefore, planning your content beforehand plays a pivotal part in elevating social media strategies and giving you some peace of mind.

Entrepreneurs wear different hats while working on their ventures and marketing their products and services on various social media platforms is only one of them. Here are some content planning apps that the PG marketing team uses to facilitate a stress-free content planning process.

1. Trello: Collaborative Content Calendar

Trello is a simple, user-friendly collaboration tool that enables different team members to organize projects and everything that pertains to them in workboards. At Perspectivas Globales we swear by Trello… seriously, it is our go-to tool for everything task-related.

App Perks:

It’s mobile-friendly: You can use Trello from your laptop, tablet, or cellphone and its interface is similar on all devices.

Accessible: All the items relating to a specific project can be found on a single page.

Plenty of features with the free version: Once you sign-up, you have access to almost all of the important features like creating boards, adding members, assigning tasks, and setting deadlines with its pertinent reminders.

Marketing POV:

A Trello board can be utilized to create a Social Media Content Calendar where different team members can add cards and be in sync in terms of what content is being put out. You can customize the calendar however it suits best to your team. For example, you can divide each column by Social Media Platform, Day of the Week, or Type of Content. The beauty of Trello is that you can customize your board however you like, whenever you want. Plus, it also allows you to integrate a Calendar Power-up and Dates so you can be on top of deadlines.

For you: Content Calendar Template to get you started!

2. Planoly: Instagram Grid Planner and Publisher

Planoly is a platform where you can visually plan, schedule, and manage Instagram posts to fit your company’s aesthetics. If you are thinking of focusing on Instagram as your main social media platform then Planoly will be your new BAF (Best App Friend!).

App Perks:

Web Interface and App: You can access Planoly on your desktop or use the on-the-go version on your smartphone.

One-stop-shop: You can manage, organize, and plan out your Instagram post and stories in one place.

Pricing: You can download a free version, however, to get the most out of the app you should consider a plan upgrade of $7/mo. But with all of the time you are going to save with automation, those $7 practically pay themselves.

Marketing POV:

Planoly is a great investment for someone who wants to market their business on Instagram. It allows you to visualize your Instagram profile before posting by drag-dropping and re-arranging your content to fit your business goals. It also provides templates for you to use in your own content and save for future posting. To top it off, it also lets you automate Instagram lives and stories.

3. Canva: Content Creation, Integrated Content Calendar, and Publishing

Where would we be if Canva did not exist? Canva is a graphic design platform that has thousands of templates you can customize to fit your brand. From social media graphics to eye-catching presentations, Canva has got your back when it comes to user-friendly content creation.

App Perks:

Budget-friendly: Canva was created so small business owners could design their own graphics without breaking the bank or being an expert in digital marketing. The app’s free version has numerous templates and elements at your disposal. However, the upgraded version has many more perks that will take your business to a whole new level.

Design Variety: From social media posts to brochures, Canva helps you create engaging content for your business.

Collaborative: You can collaborate with other team members to create show-stopping designs.

Marketing POV:

Canva is our Holy Grail for everything content-related. We particularly like the Content Planner Add-on (available with CanvaPro) where you can not only create your content in advance but also schedule and upload posts automatically from Canva to your preferred platform on the designated time and date. If you need to make a change to the schedule, you can easily edit the design directly without re-uploading the file.

There you have it! Those are some apps we use on a daily basis to help plan our social media content. Hopefully, this article gave you some insight on where you can get started when it comes to promoting your business.

Do you use an app to plan your content that was not mentioned in this blog? Let us know in the comments.

Want to read more?

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Human Behavior Insights to help you influence who you are

September 28, 2021 – Yalanis Vélez

How often do you wonder about what humans do? The study of human behavior is not only relevant to psychology, but to every single human being. When we consider topics such as decision making, different types of attitudes, diverse cultures, ethics, heredity, human development, and authority; we are diving into human behavior. When we ask ourselves “why are our parents and friends the way they are?”, or “why do people get into conflicts?”, or “why is it so hard to change a routine?”, we are questioning human behavior.

Since our early school years we begin to learn about math, science, grammar, history, but very vaguely (if at all), about our own behavior. We can only wonder about the complexities we have yet to uncover about ourselves.

The study of human behavior has been approached from many angles: environmental, political, neuroscience, psychology, software and design, health and wellbeing, marketing, architecture, and economics are just some examples. Human behavior knowledge has been able to provide solutions that improve team dynamics, create convenient spaces and intuitive platforms, help make smart investments, promote better use of resources and drive people’s attention.

There are various existing theories from professionals such as Kurt Lewin who presented behavior as a function of the environment. Similarly, well-known Urie Bronfenbrenner proposed the ecological theory of human development, which is widely supported and used by experts today. Other commonly considered theories include the theory of Planned Behaviors and Value-Belief-Norm, but this blog post is not going to be about psychologists and theories– it will be about us, humans, and how we can use the information from models of human behavior to understand ourselves better.

To do this, we will consider the Human Systems Interconnection model (HSI), because of its adaptability, applicability, and ecological perspective. The HSI model was developed by our very own CEO, Dr. José Meléndez, inspired by the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. In contrast to the HSI, the OSI model is used to understand and represent computer communication processes. Thus, in the same way that the OSI model enhances our knowledge and application of computer systems, the HSI can help us understand how humans work.

The HSI model presents human behavior as communication processes that flow through seven layers that make up a human system, or person. Based on how information is processed, the layers can be classified into three categories: Media Layers, Mini-Module Layers, and Host Layers. Let us break those down and explain:

– The Media layers include our environment, our five senses, and our nervous system. In other words, everything that surrounds us as well as our biological processes.

– The Mini-Modules make up the subconscious mind (processing and communications that happen without our conscious awareness).

– The Host Layers are the conscious mind (information and thoughts we are aware of).

Information travels through the layers in the form of five energy processes: physical (forces and vibrations), electromagnetic, electrical, biochemical and thermal. Because of this, we can follow the movement and transformation of energy through the layers.

Even though science has allowed us to study these energy processes, something mysterious happens when information enters our minds, we lose track of it. By studying energy processes, we know how information from our surroundings enters our bodies and our minds, but we can’t study exactly what happens with the information once it reaches our minds. We do not exactly know where our minds are or what they look like, but we do know enough about how they work to draw these conclusions. For more information, you can check out the Project TEST blog.

Now, take a second to understand that.

Yes, this can all be complex at first. For that reason, this post aims to use the HSI Model to present human behavior insights as information we can immediately use to help us be the person we want to be.

Some useful human behavior insights to help you

Human systems (people) are incredible multitaskers

We have two parts of our minds, Conscious and Subconscious. Information from our environment travels in the form of energetic processes, first into our bodies and then, into our minds. Our minds and bodies speak different languages, so they all engage in different types of processing.

Everything that reaches our Conscious mind (our awareness) must have been initially processed by our Subconscious mind. Conscious thoughts are first Subconscious thoughts.

Processing takes up valuable time and resources

Our minds have a system to ensure our survival while we engage in other unrelated activities. This means we can move and breathe, at the same time we are having a conversation with someone.

Our subconscious mind makes sure we stay alive

Our conscious mind can evaluate, observe and reach conclusions on a deeper, much slower, smaller scale than our subconsciousness. This way, our subconscious takes care of our bodies and cognition, so that our consciousness is able to think about how we feel.

We are aware of our conscious goals, but not our subconscious goals

Sometimes our two minds can have conflicting goals and we do not know it, so an introspection process is needed to lead us to realize when our minds are working against or in favor of each other.

Our subconscious mind may sometimes need the help of conscious processing

For example, when we learn a new skill or when we concentrate on a task.

Our consciousness can stop to evaluate various alternatives, while our subconsciousness provides immediate responses

This means that more time will allow more thoughts to reach our consciousness, which will probably lead to better decision-making and understanding of situations.

Our subconscious mind will want to be fast and energy saving

If we want to start a new habit or routine, we must accept and work around the fact that our subconscious mind will want to be fast and energy saving. Conscious thinking and strategizing will be required to influence our subconscious processing.

Unfamiliarity will usually make us feel uncomfortable, but don’t worry, through repetition our subconscious develops faster, effortless ways to respond. Practice, time, and exposure allow us to respond with more ease and confidence to specific situations. Just like when we practice pitching an idea!

Our subconscious mind relies on progressive automatization

Since our subconscious mind relies on progressive automatization to get everything done, this may cause us to be sloppy in our interpretation and response of situations and surroundings without us even noticing.

Feedback is necessary

Feedback is necessary for our minds to realize we should modify a response. If we do not ask someone how they feel, we might make an incorrect assumption and cause them to feel uncomfortable in certain situations.

Feedback can be conscious or unconscious. We can ask for feedback about a specific response, but it might also be provided without us recognizing it as feedback. If someone is feeling uncomfortable around us and they tell us, it might be easier for our subconscious to interpret it as a threat, rather than valuable feedback.

Will-power is usually not effective

Will-power is usually not effective because it requires going against the way your mind’s work. Since our biological processing and cognition are subsconscious (automatic and outside our awareness), we cannot control ourselves, we can only influence our thoughts and behaviors. When we find ourselves avoiding a task, we might use willpower to push through and complete it, but this will deplete our energy and affect our performance.

Unfortunately, there is no instruction manual on how to be a happy, satisfied human being. Considering all we have left to decipher and its importance, it seems ironic that the idea of learning about human behavior is not common, nevertheless we can use these insights to improve our everyday experience.

There are usually several roads that lead to the same path. Step out of your comfort zone and think about different ways you can reach your goals. Read our previous blog post on, Staying True to Yourself in Professional Environments, to learn about strategies that promote self-knowledge. Understanding yourself and how you work might just provide the key to improving decision-making and communication skills, unleashing your authenticity, creativity, self-confidence and success. Why don’t you give it a try?

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Tips to a Successful Software Replacement Rollout

September 22, 2021 – Carla López

The right software can help your business streamline processes and save money. For example, cybersecurity solutions can protect sensitive data and instill consumer confidence, as ZenBusiness.com explains. However, you can only get the most out of such technologies if they are properly implemented.

When you introduce replacement software in your business, best practices can help you integrate the new technology more efficiently. Perspectivas Globales is a startup incubator located in Mayaguez, P.R. that gives guidance to further improve replacement software in business processes. We have carefully selected some useful tips on how to successfully replace software rollout.

Set Clear Objectives

Set clear objectives for your software replacement rollout. Defining concrete Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) will allow you to structure your rollout accordingly and measure its success later. If KPIs are not being met, that is an indicator to restructure your software.

Make an Integration Plan

Your replacement software should integrate seamlessly with other technologies and processes already in place in your business. Write out a plan outlining how these various components will fit together. This will prevent bottlenecks once the integration is underway.

Clearly Communicate the Replacement Software Rollout

You don’t want to surprise your team with a software rollout. Communicate your implementation plan in advance. As part of your communications agenda, make sure to identify key stakeholders, build an implementation team, and document critical information. This holistic approach will help you stay organized going forward.

Involve your Team from the Start to Encourage Inter-Organizational Buy-in

You want your team to support your software rollout. Involving them early on in the process will help encourage buy-in. For example, when you’re shopping around for software solutions, try to get trial periods, so your team can test tools and provide you with feedback. This also empowers teams, which ultimately boosts satisfaction.

Create Comprehensive Training Documentation

A detailed training manual can be a useful point of reference as your team gets a handle on the software. Nickelled provides a comprehensive guide to creating training manuals. For example, they recommend using text and visual aids and making the material interactive so your team can better understand how to handle the new software that is going to be used.

Choose Champions to Guide Implementation

Select a few key leaders (or champions) in your team to guide implementation. These individuals will help solicit feedback throughout the rollout, acting as a single channel for collecting team member comments or concerns. This will help streamline the overall process since people’s various issues will be funneled via a few key players.

Use your Software Partner's Customer Success Team

Your software provider wants you to succeed in your rollout—it’s how they can count on your business in the future. Use the customer support they offer. Flexera provides tips for leveraging customer success teams, like scheduling regular update meetings.

Maintain regular internal education after going live

Mastering software isn’t an overnight process. As the tool is implemented, new questions may arise. Provide regular training for employees in line with general principles of continuous education. For instance, goal-oriented training tends to have a higher success rate, as it can help keep people motivated.

Solicit Feedback From Your Team

Consistent feedback from your team will allow you to identify potential issues in your software replacement rollout. There are many effective ways to collect feedback, such as surveys and interviews. The more options you provide for feedback, the better.

Continue to Partner with your Software Provider in Future

As Capterra explains, a software provider should be a partner, not a vendor. Maintain consistent communication going forward and don’t hesitate to leverage customer success teams even after your rollout has concluded. Continual contact allows you to get the tools you need for ongoing success.

An effective replacement software rollout requires careful planning and strategizing. Taking the above steps into consideration will help ensure seamless integration and successful implementation.

For more content like this, visit the Perspectivas Globales blog or follow us on all of our social media @pgmayaguez.

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Five Relaxing Time-Efficient Activities You Can Do

September 15, 2021 – Alexander Rodriguez

As entrepreneurs, we tend to focus a lot on our work, and rightly so. Our job is our passion and sometimes we can get so involved in what we do that we forget to take care of ourselves. However, as we pursue our passion, it is very important that we also dedicate some time to other things that help us grow, recharge our batteries, and destress. According to a study published in the International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management “Increased stress leads to reduced productivity and increased satisfaction leads to increased productivity. When work begins to overlap with workers’ personal life this implies a negative effect on productivity. Quality work is more related to conscientiousness and personal satisfaction than workload. Energetic and active individuals affect productivity positively.” (Halkos & Bousinakis, 2010).

To help you out on this distressing journey here are a few of the things I do when I need some R&R(Rest and Recuperation). Some of these things are great investments for your mental health and are less than an hour of your day!

Reading Breaks

A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. You should schedule your reading for after you finish your work so that you can properly enjoy and let yourself be engrossed by the content you choose to read. Everyone is different, so choose the best time that works for you. Try keeping it simple at first and schedule 30 minutes of reading after you wake up or before you go to sleep. As for reading suggestions, the sky’s the limit! It doesn’t have to be about business or self-help, it just has to be something you enjoy. However, I will leave you with a couple of personal favorites:

Dune by Frank Herbert

I am currently reading Dune by Frank Herbert. Dune is filled with lore and great character development, as well as great world-building. From the moment you start reading, you will feel compelled to find out more about the lore of this world. Furthermore, the book deals with themes of free will, environmentalism and the human control on ecology, and fate. It is regarded as one of the best works of science fiction.

Greek Mythology the Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook by Liv Albert

For any mythology fans Greek Mythology the Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook by Liv Albert is a great read. This book introduces us to the Ancient Greek myths in a very fun and modern way. In Liv’s own words “you will discover the backstories of the heroes, villains, gods, and goddesses that enjoy popularity in today’s shows and films. With comprehensive entries that outline each character’s name, roles, related symbols, and foundational myths, you can get to know the roots of these “personas” and better understand the stories they inspire today. With this character-focused, handy reference, you will never be confused about Ancient Greece!”.

Lord of The Rings

And finally, the classic trilogy of the Lord of The Rings is another favorite. Tolkien’s world-building and mastery of description is next to none. His skill in describing every single detail and putting feelings and thoughts into words in such a beautiful way is incredible and seeing how he created such an immense world with its original languages and cultures will leave you in awe. If you have not gotten your hands on this book, this is your sign to get to it!

Pro Tip: You can also find these books (and many more) in Audible (Amazon’s provider of narrated books)! You can listen to books as you work, too.

Listening to Podcasts

Podcasts are becoming more popular and there are great ways to learn on the go or while relaxing. If you are interested in entrepreneurial podcasts, check out our blog post on this very subject. However, listening to podcasts is a chance for you to recharge and grow outside of your business and entrepreneurial ventures. Podcasts add value to your life, while you learn new things and gain new perspectives. So what are some fun alternatives of not-business-related podcasts that you can listen to?

“Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!”

My favorite podcast is “Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!” A Greek & Roman Mythology podcast by Liv Albert. Liv is my favorite podcaster and once you listen to her podcast you’ll see why. In her own words, this podcast is a Greek and Roman mythology podcast. However, I assure you it is not your average mythology podcast. This one is told by a Millennial in her thirties with a penchant for cursing and a feminist attitude. The stories are deeply researched, thoroughly told, and they do not hold back on the details that have been sugar-coated and treated with kid gloves over the millennia. Myths of the ancient world are examined through a modern intersectional lens, focusing where possible on amplifying the voices of women, trans, and non-binary people. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, or Spotify.

“Play, Watch, Listen”

My second favorite podcast is “Play, Watch, Listen” hosted by Alanah Pearce, a video game writer, and journalist. She is joined by her friends, Mike Bithell, owner of Bithell Games, Troy Baker, voice actor, and Austin Winthory, a video game composer. This podcast explores current events in the gaming industry and puts them in perspective with the people that actually work on games. Anybody interested in seeing how the gaming industry works should check this podcast. You can tune into the fun through Spotify!

“The History of Egypt”

If you are a fan of Egyptian history and mythology (as I am) “The History of Egypt” Podcast by Dominic Perry takes us to every period and the dynasties of ancient Egypt. This podcast gives a very detailed telling of how one of the greatest civilizations came to be. Furthermore, Dominic explores the different myths and religious beliefs that the people of ancient Egypt had. In Dominic’s own words “Discover ancient Egypt, in their own words. This podcast uses ancient texts and archaeology to uncover the lost world of the Nile Valley. A tale of pharaohs, pyramids, gods, and people. The show is written by a trained Egyptologist and uses detailed, up-to-date research. We dive deep into the ancient society, to uncover their fascinating tales.” You can listen to this podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.

Watch TV

Now even if watching TV is a common way to relax, it is fun! You can go from learning a lot to recreating and not think about anything else. Most TV shows only last about 45 minutes, so it is a great way to retreat, regroup, and then get back to work. Now in terms of what to watch, instead of telling you what are my favorite shows to watch when I try to relax, here are PG’s top picks!

Recreational TV

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Recommended by Ariadna Quiles, Alejandra Lam, and Loriel Chung. You can enjoy this classic through HBO Max.

The Office

Recommended by Jaime Sepulveda, Loriel Chung, and Alexander Rodriguez. You can stream this all-time favorite through Peacock.

How I Met Your Mother

Recommended by Alejandra Lam, and Jaime Sepulveda. You can watch all nine seasons on Hulu.

Honorary Mentions

A lot of PG’s advocates enjoy crime TV (How to Get Away with Murder, Lucifer, etc), and Youtube (interviews, tutorials, or generally funny videos).

Brain-Feeders TV

Food Network

Loriel Chung enjoys the Food Network.

Discovery, History and Animal Planet

Yalanis enjoys watching all programs regarding nature like Discovery, History, Animal Planet, and more!

Woodworking Projects

Jesus Rodriguez likes to watch woodworking projects.

Experimenting Documentaries

Ariadna Quiles enjoys to watch experimenting documentaries like Love is Blind & 100 Humans.

Excercise

According to the Mental Health Foundation, physical activity has a huge potential to enhance our well-being. Even a short burst of 10 minutes’ brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy, and positive mood. Participation in regular physical activity can also increase our self-esteem and reduce stress. Lastly, it plays a role in preventing the development of mental health problems and in improving the quality of life of people experiencing mental health problems. So many benefits! Here are a few alternatives you can try:

Calisthenics

Calisthenics is essentially any exercise that you can do with your body weight. It is an easy way to work out without a gym. Things like doing pushups, squats, or pull-ups are considered calisthenics.

Going to the Gym

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 incorporate strength training into their daily 60 minutes of physical activity three days per week. Adults should aim to do moderate or intense muscle-strengthening workouts that target all muscle groups two days per week. Now you should always consult with a certified trainer if you’ve never gone to the gym but a basic workout of compound movements (movements that consist of multiple joints and muscle groups at the same time) will work for any beginner, those are bench press, shoulder press, squats, deadlift, rows, pullups, etc. The benefit of going to the gym is that you usually have everything you need in one place so you can do your strength training, cardio, and stretching all in one place.

Yoga

Yoga has shown that people who practice yoga regularly have low cortisol levels furthermore, a study done in 2010 found that a 12-week yoga intervention was associated with greater improvements in mood and anxiety than a metabolically matched walking exercise.

Playing Video Games

Playing video games is not for everyone, but it is a popular way to let off some steam and relax. According to (Granic et al., 2014), several studies have shown a causal relation between playing preferred video games and improved mood or increased positive emotion (e.g., Russoniello, O’Brien, & Parks,2009; Ryan, Rigby, & Przybylski, 2006). So what are some great games to recharge your energies?

Assassin's Creed

Assassin’s Creed is my favorite gaming franchise and Origins is my personal favorite game. It follows Bayek of Siwa on his journey of revenge and the creation of the Hidden Ones (the Assassin Brotherhood). The game world is beautiful, the story and gameplay are amazing and finally, this game introduced one of my favorite features, the discovery tour. This feature lets you explore ancient Egypt without any threats and has different information on that period, so you can explore and learn at the same time. You can play this game on Playstation, Xbox, and PC.

Animal Crossing: New Horizon

Animal Crossing: New Horizon is a relaxing experience; living your best island life is so worthwhile! This game consists of you creating an island paradise for you and your neighbors by crafting different things and collecting insects, fossils, and fish. The gameplay loop is very simple and I believe that’s what makes this game so relaxing. For example, if you do not log in to the game in some time, the grass starts to grow and your neighbors ask you where you’ve been. You can play this game exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales

Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales, this game is art. Seeing the flag of Puerto Rico in the game brought tears to my eyes knowing that my island was being represented in my favorite art form. This one is great to swing around a beautifully made New York, having the Hip-hop/Lo-Fi music this game has also made it a very relaxing experience. You can play this game exclusively on Playstation.

Pro-tip: Use the background music of this game on youtube and use it to help you concentrate on your work.

For you to succeed in your business and entrepreneurial ventures, you must first take care of yourself. Finding minimally time-consuming activities to relax will help boost your productivity in the long run and will ultimately make you feel better. If you are interested in more wellness blog posts please check out Taking Care Of The Mental And Emotional Health In The Workplace.

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Identifying Entrepreneurs: Some of the Different Types Encountered in an Incubator

Identifying Entrepreneurs: Some of the Different Types of Business Venturers Found in our Environment

Sep 8, 2021 – Alejandra Lam Panell

An entrepreneur is defined by Oxford Languages as “a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.” In other words, an entrepreneur is someone who has an idea and goes through different hardships in the process of developing a business. According to the Census Bureau, during the COVID-19 pandemic more than 4.4 million new businesses were born due to furloughs, layoffs, business closures and other reasons. At the same time, various social media platforms made it easier for people to promote their businesses and communicate with their clients. Thus, introducing a group of new entrepreneurs who have been categorized into different types.

There is no mold to how an entrepreneur is or should be. However, Joe Abraham, a successful entrepreneur, who gives business consulting to other companies in various industries, created the BOSI Quadrant. In his book titled, Entrepreneurial DNA, Abraham studied a group of entrepreneurs and divided them based on their characteristics and tendencies. :

The quadrant is designed to segment entrepreneurs into 16 different combinations based on the 4 types of ‘DNA’, matching their specific business and personality traits, and all lead down different paths to success. Each individual quadrant describes a type of “entrepreneur”.

1. Builder DNA

The Builder DNA group was described as one who creates scalable and sustainable business that attracts talent without much effort. A Builder particularly measures success through infrastructure, described as one with controlling temperament.

2. Opportunist DNA

The Opportunist is the kind that wants to get rich quickly and then retire. An individual that will jump to any deal where they can to make money fast. They tend to be very optimistic, which is really important when you have a business.
Measure of success: based on the money they make when they are not working.

3. Specialist DNA

Specialists are very interesting because they are one who do not like taking many risks. On occasions if you do not take risks you might find yourself stuck. It is extremely curious when entrepreneurs in a general definition are said to be risk takers.You could say these entrepreneurs like to play it safe in conservative actions when it comes to their venture.

4. Innovator DNA

Innovator DNA group is the one that comes natural to the entrepreneur. They create something as a hobby and people that surround them tell them “Hey, you should sell that product”. They are driven by the mission not the money as said by the author. They like creating, but don’t always like the business part. Fun fact: A well known entrepreneur with these characteristics is Mark Zuckerberg.

Joe Abraham also spoke in a TEDx Talk about a common error which is saying all entrepreneurs are the same or are categorized as “one size fits all”. Abraham also spoke from his experience working with an incubator. He gave entrepreneurs his work plan for them to apply to their own business, but sadly, many of them failed. He concludes saying that once entrepreneurs are treated like individuals and not as a “one size fits all” group there will be a change in businesses all over the world.

We recommend you watch Abraham’s TEDx Talk here: Entrepreneurial DNA: Joe Abraham at TEDxBend

Even though there are many types of entrepreneurs, you may not identify with any of them. That’s OKAY, everyone is different and uniqueness is one of the things that make entrepreneurs successful. For example, each time the smartphone industry has a new product they just focus on that new feature that makes their product better than the rest in the market. This strategy is also known as differentiation or looking for what sets you apart.

After analyzing what Abraham said, one can apply it to their own surroundings and recognize how different entrepreneurs are. Entrepreneurs have characteristics that can fall within the types of entrepreneurs mentioned before but I would not say they are the only a few types of entrepreneurs.

In order to be an entrepreneur you do not need to have a business degree or any degree for that matter, you need an idea and an obsession with it. Two great examples of entrepreneurs who did not have a degree were Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs. Zuckerberg began developing his social network site from his college dorm, but decided to leave college to concentrate on his project. Steve Jobs also dropped out of college and worked as a videogame designer, later on he reconnected with a former highschool friend and started working on their own computer logic board… and the rest was history.

Along the process, you will need resources and mentors that will help you develop your idea. That is where we come in, an incubator like Perspectivas Globales leads you to success with our experienced-based mentorship and resources that elevate your business idea. If you are passionate about your business or business idea, contact us and see how you can have an impact in the world!

Enjoyed this blog? Visit us at www.perspectivasglobales.com you will find more nourishing information for your entrepreneur trajectory.

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4 Ways to Support Employee Mental Health as a Manager

August 31, 2021– Kelsia Melendez

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, employee mental health has become more crucial than ever. Every year in the United States, 1 out of 5 adults battle with some form of mental illness. Of those, only 50-60% receive the services they need.

The impacts of poor employee mental health are well-documented and can lead to a wide array of issues in the workplace from absenteeism, accidents, underperformance, increased hiring costs and more. To learn more about what you, as an employer or manager, can do to support your employees’ emotional well-being, read the following 4 simple tips:

Understand the impact of mental health on employees

Poor mental health can seriously impact employee performance. In fact, a study found that workers with depression work roughly 70% of their maximum potential on average. Even health costs can increase among employees with mental health issues. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases being roughly 40% more in those with serious mental illness.

Mental health services can go a long way to improve health and performance. In fact, 86% of people treated for depression have reported an increase in productivity and mental health services have been found to reduce absenteeism by 40-60%.

By understanding these impacts, you have the tools to create a more supportive workspace. Destigmatizing mental illness in the workplace goes a long way in creating a space of trust in which your staff feels comfortable coming to you for support.

Make frequent check-ins

As a manager or employer, it’s likely that you interact with your staff on a near daily basis, yet 40% of workers report that their manager had never asked them if they were okay. Try to reach out to your employees beyond asking simple questions like “How are you doing?”. Instead, consider asking deeper questions about what support systems they may need and how you, as a manager, can help them achieve their goals. Be sure to listen fully to their concerns and encourage them to elaborate. Open communication can go a long way to creating a safe space to talk about mental illness.

Communicate more often than you have to

When managers exhibit poor communication skills, employees are 23% more likely to experience a decline in mental health. Be aware that your ability to communicate effectively can directly impact stress levels amongst your staff. Be clear about expectations and tasks that need to be a priority in order to reduce any confusion that might contribute to overall stress levels. Additionally, be aware of the stigma associated with mental health issues and be sure to address what resources are available to your employees. In fact, mention these resources and supports often to increase the likelihood of your staff being comfortable seeking assistance from you.

Be flexible

Change is a constant part of work and life, so expect problems that arise to require different solutions. Be proactive about your communication so that you can be available to solve issues that arise over time. Be cognizant of your own biases so that you do not make assumptions about issues that come your way. Be patient and supportive, in fact, consider sharing your own story about how you have improved your own mental health over time.

Mental health issues can impact work life in a multitude of ways. As a manager, you have the power to support your employees with their struggles while also continuing your professional goals. Managers are the first link to employee success, and keeping note of this responsibility helps us understand our role in our team’s lives . Be aware, understanding, honest, and patient. Think critically about what you already do to support the mental health of your team and consider what practices you can incorporate moving forward.

Share below how your previous managers have handled mental health in the workplace. Do you have any good practices or lessons learned? Also, if you enjoyed what you read and would like to learn more about employee mental health, read this article on our blog.

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Students with Perspectives 2021: Project T.E.S.T- HSI

Post author By Jesús Rodríguez
Post date August 23, 2021
Categories In Startup

Students with Perspectives 2021: Project T.E.S.T- HSI

Aug 24, 2021 – Loriel Chung and José Vázquez

On March 12, 2020, Puerto Rico’s then Governor Wanda Vázquez-Garced declared a state of emergency due to the global pandemic COVID-19. An Executive Order was established which declared a total lockdown of the island to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus. The total lockdown included the immediate shut-down of bars, commercial centers and any industry categorized as non-essential, where people interacted directly or came in close contact. Consequently, all school systems were obligated to close their physical facilities and shift to a completely different dynamic: virtual teaching/learning.

Because of the alarming negative statistics and percentages reflected on Puerto Rico’s education system, the Students with Perspectives 2021 (SwP 2021) team from Perspectivas Globales conducted a survey to better understand the struggles and challenges the education community faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic and switching completely from in-person classes to online learning, something new for most of the educational institutions in Puerto Rico. The sample size of the survey the team made was 233 people from different parts of Puerto Rico, Mexico and the US. The sample included students, educators and parents from different age groups and educational systems.

After analyzing the survey, the majority of the sample audience stance on online learning was remarked: it was a struggle to find an optimal way to be successful with online classes. Let’s look at the facts:

53.3% of the audience considered the transitional process either difficult or very difficult, and six out of ten people considered they learned less than usual during virtual classes.

HSI-based Learning Strategies

The SwP team thought of a model called Human Systems Interconnection (HSI), inspired from the Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI) model, that can add value to the struggle of online learning brought to Puerto Rican students, educators and parents. The Human Systems Interconnection (HSI) Model was introduced by Dr. José Meléndez, who created the behavioral model to promote self-awareness and help understand the root of people’s behaviours. By understanding your own behaviour and being aware of your working style you can help improve the hurdles you face daily. In an education setting, this can help you continuously improve on developing teaching styles and learning strategies that most suit you as an individual.

With the HSI Model in mind and affected by the rapid transition on online learning, each SwP 2021 intern conducted individual research and developed different learning strategies influenced by each of their academic concentrations; ranging from Psychology, Computer Science, Business, and Biology/Education. These learning strategies were curated throughout the Summer 2021 with the end objective to share them with the education community right before the beginning of the new August 2021-May 2022 school year. These four learning strategies are:

1. Familiarization Through Two Factors (F2F) by Loriel Chung

A learning strategy based on Frederick Herzberg’s Two- Factor Motivation Hygiene Theory. F2F describes a maintenance-motivation system in which the student or learning party receives a maintenance factor and it is then intrinsically motivated by a motivating factor. Mentoring motivates Autonomy; Compensation motivates Recognition; Challenging Work motivates Purpose; and a Good Environment motivates Confidence.

About the Author: Loriel Chung Valentín is a recent graduate of a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in Human Resource Management from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez.

2. Media Modification by Angely Toro

This learning strategy describes how the environment affects our learning process and how important it is to manage it strategically. The HSI model serves as a tool to understand how our body and minds work together, including what we cannot control (subconscious mind) which are things we are not aware of most of the time. Angely does a great job by giving pointers and tactics on how to manage your environment in different settings like: a classroom, virtual classroom, and individual study.

About the Author: Angely Toro is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in Biology with a Curriculum Sequence in Education.

3. Attention HSI by Yalanis Vélez

Yalanis developed a learning strategy that describes three tactics to have full attention in your study process. The strategy states that in order to achieve full attention, you can enter a Learning State, in which you get ready to learn and forget about everything else. You may also employ another tactic called Guided Learning, in which the teacher guides the student with questions and an explanation of the class material. You may also employ Open Monitoring, a process in which the teacher uses tactics (For example: Letting students come up with a narrative about the class material) in order for the students to develop conceptual connections between the class material and their own personal experiences and knowledge. This process is to help the student familiarize themselves with the class material and pay complete (or close to complete) attention to the class or lecture.

About the Author: Yalanis Vélez is a recent graduate student of a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts in Psychology at University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez.

4. Learning Through Deconstructive Teaching (LTDT) by José Vázquez

A learning strategy that uses both the “Divide and Conquer” paradigm and the theoretical basis of learning through teaching as a highly effective learning strategy by itself. José successfully implemented both strategies and uses the HSI model as a wielding material to make it a solid and effective learning strategy. The LTDT strategy suggests that a student can learn by teaching others, and in teaching others, the student deconstructs the concept into smaller problems. Theoretically, once the smaller concepts have been successfully learned, an understanding of more complex concerts can be achieved.

About the Author: José Vázquez is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in Computer Science and Engineering.

The HSI Team Experience

The SwP 2021 team was able to better understand not only themselves, but also many other students and professors who were going through a similar process of transition and struggling to adapt to a new circumstance in this wave of technology we live in. The HSI model served as a compass to understand how they learned and how they could develop learning strategies and tactics in order for them to have a successful learning experience. Perspectivas Globales SwP 2021 gave the TEST-HSI team of interns a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help the educating community of Puerto Rico have a better learning experience by supporting their learning process with learning strategies and tactics. SwP 2021 believes that they contributed an important part in the educational system and that students and professors will value their strategies as an important addition to their repertoire of effective learning and teaching strategies. Here is what the group of interns had to say about their experience:

“I learned so much about myself and others; how individuals can learn concepts using the HSI model and how we should embrace our subconsciousness instead of fighting it.”

José Vázquez (Computer Science Intern)

“My experience in the SwP 2021 was very good. I had the opportunity to meet new people with different perspectives and be part of a collaborative creative thinking process. It was a good experience for me within the Marketing professional area because it exposed me to how marketing efforts are handled within a working team.”

Loriel Chung (Marketing Intern)

“This summer I learned how to work with different perspectives and integrate them to create something new. I learned about the power of creativity.”

Yalanis Vélez (Psychology Intern)

“Students with Perspective 2021 helped me realize my true potential in the working environment. It gave me a new perspective on human behavior and how to not let my biases take control of my decisions.”

Angely Toro (Academic Intern)

The Students with Perspectives was an experience that brought growth and new knowledge to the interns. It served as a meaningful exposure to the island’s educational system and the students’ and professors’ perspective on how the transitional process influenced their daily academic lives. All things considered, the SwP 2021 team had a great experience and an impactful summer full of new anecdotes, connections, ideas and knowledge altogether, making this summer one to remember for years to come.

Want to learn more about the different learning strategies the SwP 2021 worked on this summer? Make sure to check out their blog https://swpptest.blogspot.com/ or reach out to them via email: [email protected]

Interested in taking part in a future SwP Term? Follow our social media for more information and see when we hire!

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Adaptive Thinking: Adapt, Adopt & Evolve

August 17, 2021 – Aleanis Ramos

According to Anders Ericsson, psychologist, and expert researcher, Adaptive Thinking involves the ability to recognize unexpected situations, quickly consider various possible responses, and decide on the best one. As you might expect, this ability is critical for high-stakes performance. While most people with adequate levels of skill and competency can usually perform well in routine circumstances, it is the ability to perform at a high level under unpredictable or stressful circumstances that often sets apart truly expert performers.

Think of the neurosurgeon who can adapt on the fly to an unexpected brain bleed in the middle of a procedure or the trial lawyer who can deftly modify their argument and strategy in the face of unexpected evidence or testimony. The ability to perform well at the highest levels in routine circumstances requires the ability not only to think well but to think flexibly and quickly—in other words, to think adaptively.

As Project Manager Intern at Perspectivas Globales during the Summer Period 2021, I faced several projects, all different and independent. The coexistence of these projects transformed me, in such a way that I had a before and after in me. That is, I learned, grew, and performed better than expected. This led me to discover three important factors, three factors learned by one of our mentors in Perspectivas Globales, Dr. Beatriz Lopez. Let’s know these factors!

Adapt

Adaptability is conceived as the ability to assume changes without this altering the scope of objectives that have been proposed in advance. Which is closely linked to the ability to conceive valid perspectives and different situations to which one is accustomed.

Adaptability to changes represents a fundamental pillar for the healthy exercise of leadership within organizations. The leader must be able to transmit a concrete message to the collaborators: “The changes are part of the transformation and growth processes of the organization, and the benefits will be directly reflected in their daily work”.

In this sense, those people who exercise a leadership role within the organization must have a high degree of adaptation to change, to positively impact their work environment and generate a natural process of adaptation among other collaborators.

It is through a leadership role that I adapt to the circumstances found in my internship. One of these circumstances to which I adapt and continue to adapt is the language. An organizational culture where the most used language is English and I adapt to execute it consistently even if it is not my first language. Another adapted circumstance was to provide information written completely and effectively, considering every detail in the writing and sending of information, including texts and numbers. Remember that managers must provide information and data that justify and show the objective behind making decisions. And that’s where I adapt to a very important channel within the organization, which is to have effective and direct communication, where no context is left open to interpretation. Even a great adapted circumstance was being aware of time management in a work environment where the order of priority is practiced and constant follow-ups are provided in the operations to be executed. Adapting to this scenario makes me aware of how to execute effective and exemplary leadership.

These and many adaptations led me to adopt healthy habits and methods in operational executions.

Adopt

Once we adapt to the circumstances, we reach the stage where we adopt those ways of dealing with these circumstances. Let us remember that adopting is when we make a habit of our own when we embrace and make of ourselves what is known or learned. These adopted ways allow us to perform better professionally. We begin to see a personal and professional evolution through where we impact our individual and collective environment.

In a personal example, adopting the habit of speaking English and training myself even more in the practice of this language. By constantly communicating in English (which was outside of my comfort zone), it breaks any existing limiting communication. Even adopting the language helped me manage the feelings of frustration or fear that at one point were barriers to communicative performance and among other barriers that limited me. Once you adopt, you start practicing and adopting ways of performance that allow you to be more effective. In this way, which seemed simple in a certain way, I helped to adapt to everything else. Adopt not only verbal but written forms of communication. That is where I adopt the complete and effective writing technique, providing all the required information and thus optimizing the communication exchange time. My emails began to look better, the data projection, the justifications in decision-making, in the way of proposing ideas and their objectives, among others. Simply by adapting and adopting, I was transitioning to the leadership of greater dominance.

We begin to see a personal and professional evolution through adoption, where we make by choice or choose for ourselves.

Evolve

Every day we adapt to circumstances and adopt different ways of operating as individuals and professionals. It is how evolution is created that never ends, it is constant and innovative. When something evolves, it changes or develops over time, like your taste in music and clothes, which evolve as you get older. Evolve describes a development that is taking its time to reach its final destination. And yes, enjoy the process of evolving after having adapted all those habits that took you to the next level. At that personal and professional level that allows you to be and do better. In the blink of an eye, you leave behind those practices that were not of contribution to your person and environment, and you become a person attentive to details, who covers all the required areas, and efficiently manages what is under their leadership.

Who would say that now, after a summer period, where I worked on various projects, I would acquire the ability to manage time and establish priorities in a real and conscious way, taking into account the possibilities for or against? Being a person without fear of speaking, following up, proposing, and executing processes that at some point I reluctantly said would not be part of me or my experiences. And there I noticed that it was not the same person, that it had evolved. Therefore, as a person and professional, I have taken my leadership to standards that will allow me to continue adapting, adopting, and evolving later on.

Every time you go on an adventure remember these three factors… adapt, adopt and evolve. These factors help you in all aspects of your life. As a person you will open yourself more healthily and effectively to change, you will adapt more easily because you will have the objective of absorbing all the good and evolving with them. These factors will make you project yourself with greater security and firmness before the opportunities of life, and those opportunities will continue to bring these factors into your life and you will be constantly adopting, adapting, and evolving. What better than every day to be better, have more experiences, more healthily and effectively, and walk with vision. If you want to discover more ways to apply these three factors, dive into our blogs and you will find information that will encourage you to make changes to the next level.

What Entrepreneurs Should Know About Starting Projects

To start your project you should know that most project steps are divided into what is called the project life cycle. According to the PMBOK, a project life cycle is a “collection of generally sequential project phases.” As a standard, these phases are:

Initiation

This is when a project is proposed, you define what your project will consist of and get the people who will be working on the project to commit to it. Finally, you will get initial approval from your stakeholders to begin planning.

Planning

After you have the initial approval for your project you will have a detailed picture of how you will execute the project and you will get the final approval of your stakeholders to start executing.

Executing

This process is performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project requirements.

Monitoring and Controlling

This process is required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; initiate the corresponding changes.

Closing

Now that you know the basics, this post will take you through PG’s approach to project management.

So how does PG develop a Project Plan?

1. Scope

2. Justification

3. Assumptions and Constraints

4. Project Team

Your project team will include any person that will work in your project, you must establish their roles, responsibilities, and expectations for successful project execution.

5. Team Operating Principals

The team operating principles will be a set of guidelines or principles your team will adhere to. This will include things like time spent on the project, efforts, responsibilities, and communication time, meeting quorum, etc.

6. Milestones

7. Project Risks

Fun fact: Not all risks are negative!

Risks are merely uncertain events that when they occur, can have a positive or a negative impact on your project. For example, an unscheduled update for an app development software that facilitates your work is also a risk.

8. Communications Plan

9. Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement

10. Budget

Pro Tip: Always include a contingency reserve (emergency funds) in your budget. To create this, the PMI recommends that you use the Monte Carlo method’s Expected Monetary Value (EMV) formula. This is:

EMV = % of probability x % of impact in project

Read more about this model by the PMI.

11. Breakdown Schedule

Project management is a very useful tool to ensure that your projects are successful, there are many methodologies for project management and there is no right or best methodology, so it will take time for you to find which works best for you and the projects you work on.

We encourage you to check out the PMI (Project Management Institute) website, authority leaders on project management. If you would like to learn more about project management or would be interested in project management training or assistance in your startup, feel free to contact us.

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Workforce-Family Interface: Conflict and Enrichment

Work-Family Conflicts

Work-Family Enrichment

Work-Family Balance

Tips to Obtain a Good Work-Family Balance

Now that we’ve presented a base for what work-family balance is, let’s present some tips on how to obtain it.

1. Let go of perfectionism

We should let go of perfectionism. What this means is that we need to realize that not everything we do will come out perfect and therefore the extra time we invest in trying to make it so, is time that could be spent in other dimensions of our life.

2. Prioritizing our tasks

We should strive to make effective use of our time by prioritizing our tasks. By prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance, we can make sure that critical tasks are accomplished in a timely manner which will alleviate worries and extra time requirements.

3. Use technology

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3 Apps that are Essential to Plan your Social Media Content

Do you know what a wedding, a Resume Workshop, and social media content all have in common?

Lots of Planning!

Entrepreneurs wear different hats while working on their ventures and marketing their products and services on various social media platforms is only one of them. Here are some content planning apps that the PG marketing team uses to facilitate a stress-free content planning process.

1. Trello: Collaborative Content Calendar

Trello is a simple, user-friendly collaboration tool that enables different team members to organize projects and everything that pertains to them in workboards. At Perspectivas Globales we swear by Trello… seriously, it is our go-to tool for everything task-related.

App Perks:

It’s mobile-friendly: You can use Trello from your laptop, tablet, or cellphone and its interface is similar on all devices.

Accessible: All the items relating to a specific project can be found on a single page.

Plenty of features with the free version: Once you sign-up, you have access to almost all of the important features like creating boards, adding members, assigning tasks, and setting deadlines with its pertinent reminders.

Marketing POV:

For you: Content Calendar Template to get you started!

2. Planoly: Instagram Grid Planner and Publisher

Planoly is a platform where you can visually plan, schedule, and manage Instagram posts to fit your company’s aesthetics. If you are thinking of focusing on Instagram as your main social media platform then Planoly will be your new BAF (Best App Friend!).

App Perks:

Web Interface and App: You can access Planoly on your desktop or use the on-the-go version on your smartphone.

One-stop-shop: You can manage, organize, and plan out your Instagram post and stories in one place.

Pricing: You can download a free version, however, to get the most out of the app you should consider a plan upgrade of $7/mo. But with all of the time you are going to save with automation, those $7 practically pay themselves.

Marketing POV:

Watch: Planoly 101

3. Canva: Content Creation, Integrated Content Calendar, and Publishing

Where would we be if Canva did not exist? Canva is a graphic design platform that has thousands of templates you can customize to fit your brand. From social media graphics to eye-catching presentations, Canva has got your back when it comes to user-friendly content creation.

App Perks:

Design Variety: From social media posts to brochures, Canva helps you create engaging content for your business.

Collaborative: You can collaborate with other team members to create show-stopping designs.

Marketing POV:

Learn more: Canva Features

There you have it! Those are some apps we use on a daily basis to help plan our social media content. Hopefully, this article gave you some insight on where you can get started when it comes to promoting your business.

Do you use an app to plan your content that was not mentioned in this blog? Let us know in the comments.

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