16.10.2023
ARE WOMEN APPOINTED TO MANAGEMENT POSITIONS IN OUR COUNTRY?
One of the signs of a democratic society is whether there is equality between the sexes. The UN has been working in this direction for years, and the Council of Europe even recommended that the share of women in decision-making bodies should be no less than 40%. Bulgaria also promised to work to overcome gender inequality, with a deadline of 2030.
For the first time, the National Statistical Institute collects data on senior and middle-level management positions in all institutions. In the legislative, executive and judicial authorities, as well as in other structures outside them - such as higher education institutions, scientific organizations, public media, public enterprises. The number of positions does not match that of natural persons, as sometimes one person combines several positions.
Out of 22,000 management positions in our country, there are more men - over 63%. The working environment is "most masculine" in public enterprises. The largest number of women are in the judiciary, and true parity between the sexes exists in territorial administrations, scientific organizations and public media.
There are at least 750 people's representatives, chairmen, and vice-chairmen in leadership positions in the legislature. Three quarters are men and one quarter are women. This includes positions in the National Assembly and its administration, as well as in temporary and permanent committees. They are elected from the composition of the National Assembly in order to support its activities and exercise parliamentary control. As a member state of the European Union, Bulgarian MEPs are part of the legislative power.
In the parliament, the gap between men and women is the biggest. Out of 240 deputies, women make up about one fifth. There are so many in the parliamentary committees. And the ratio of men to women in the European Parliament, where 17 people's representatives work, is 12 to 5. This ranks us in 22nd place among the member states, with Sweden and Finland first, whose MEPs are 57% female.
The executive branch abounds in managerial positions. Of nearly 16,000, however, only 5,600 of them are employed by women. We divide the executive power into central and territorial. There are more women in the central office, and the positions they hold are mostly deputy managers, not managers. There are the most women in high positions in the executive agencies, and the least in the ministries. Currently, there are only 4 ministerial seats occupied by women.
Out of over 3,700 mayors in the country - be it municipalities, districts or town halls, the percentage ratio between men and women is about 70 to 30. The same is true of municipal councilors, whose number is approximately 5,100. Blagoevgrad has the most male mayors and municipal councilors, and the majority are women occupying these positions in Gabrovo and Vratsa.
The judiciary can be defined as a woman's kingdom. More than half of the management positions in the system are held by women. Be it in the Supreme Judicial Council, the courts or the prosecutor's office. Of the 1,868 judges last year, for example, two-thirds were women. District courts have the largest number of judges. The highest chance of meeting a female judge is in the Administrative Court - 78%, and the lowest - in the Military Court.
Independent structures include higher schools and learned organizations, state structures, which also include public media and public enterprises. In all of them, the division between the two sexes in management is the most balanced of all the positions listed so far. The only exception is public enterprises, where male managers dominate significantly - with over 72%.
Taking a look at management positions that are not part of state management, we will look for the profile of the working Bulgarian man and, respectively, Bulgarian woman, of active age in a high position.
Among men, the most common position is director, the greatest advantage over women is taken between the ages of 30 and 39. Their share is the largest in construction - 82% of management positions there are held by men, and the populated place where they dominate is Kardzhali.
Women are most often managers, although they share this position equally with the other sex. Between the ages of 20 and 29, there is the largest percentage of engaged ladies, who work mainly in health care and social work - 75% of this field is led by women, and the city most strongly colored in pink turns out to be Pernik.
13.10.2023
ANTIBIOTICS AND DIABETES MEDICINES - ONLY WITH E-PRESCRIPTIONS FROM MONDAY
From October 16, 2023, diabetes drugs and antibiotics will be prescribed by doctors only electronically. The amendments to the Ordinance on the terms and conditions for prescribing and dispensing medicinal products have been published in the "State Gazette" and will enter into force from Monday next week.
The reasons for the changes are to prevent the shortage of medicinal products and to deal with antimicrobial resistance, as well as to achieve the rational use of medicines, stated the Minister of Health's reasons for the proposed draft of changes.
Another reason for the regulatory changes is the Ministry of Health's policy of introducing electronic health care, the strategic goal of which is to improve public health, ensure access to medicines, increase the efficiency and reduce the costs of health services.
The change also aims to prevent unregulated practices that would lead to shortages or shortages of medicinal products, which would endanger the lives and health of patients in need.
12.10.2023
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON WORKPLACE VIOLATIONS?
The control bodies of the Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate" (GLI) carried out 35,956 inspections for the nine months of the year. 30,757 enterprises with more than 1,200,000 employees were checked.
The total number of detected violations of the labor legislation is 175,850, the GLI reports. There were 85,781 violations related to the provisions for the implementation of labor relations, and 89,252 violations related to the provision of health and safety at work.
The focus of the Agency's control remains the industries and activities for which the analyzes indicate that they are high-risk for the use of undeclared labor and for the provision of healthy and safe working conditions. These are construction, agriculture, hospitality, catering and trade.
During the inspections, 2,737 people were found working without an employment contract. The data show that the detection of this violation is increasing compared to the same period last year, when there were 2,464 cases of work without an employment contract. Working without an employment contract is not an insignificant violation, with a minimum penalty of BGN 1,500. Employers lose the right to participate in public procurement within three years.
During the period, the trend observed since the beginning of the year of growth in the issued work permits for minors was maintained. 13,210 were issued, which is 23% more compared to the same period last year, when there were 10,704, GLI also reported.
There has been an increase in the number of cases in which labor inspectors have stopped sites, sites, machines and equipment. They applied this measure in 371 cases, in contrast to last year, when it was used 173 times in the same period. It has a preventive nature and is applied to eliminate violations that create a direct danger to the life and health of workers and are a prerequisite for serious occupational accidents. With every act of stopping, a life can be saved.
There were 7,833 acts for the establishment of administrative violations drawn up for the above-mentioned period. The amount of criminal decrees and approved agreements that entered into force is over BGN 10.8 million.
The established delayed remunerations amount to over BGN 7.5 million. After the intervention of the Labor Inspectorate, over BGN 5 million have been paid.
A month ago, GLI announced that they were starting intensified checks aimed at guaranteeing the payment of wages to workers. The focus of the campaign is on employers who, in previous inspections, have been found to be delaying the payment of wages.
12.10.2023
SUCCESS TECHNIQUES
THREE DAILY RITUALS FOR BETTER CONCENTRATION AND PRODUCTIVITY
Effective time management is a difficult task for many entrepreneurs. It's easy to get caught up in big projects and neglect other tasks or making time for yourself. Here are a few things company founders and experts advise you to do to improve your focus and productivity:
Plan breaks throughout the day
One productivity mistake many of us make is working long hours and neglecting to take frequent breaks.
“Our bodies send us clear signals when we need rest, including nervousness, hunger, sleepiness and loss of focus. But we mostly ignore them. Instead, we find artificial ways to fuel ourselves: caffeine, foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, and our body's own stress hormones," writes Harvard Business Review Tony Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project and author of "The Way We're Working Isn't Working".
To achieve high performance, according to Schwartz, you need to work the way sprinters in track and field train. This means working with full focus and intensity during the morning hours, for 90-minute "sprints" (but no more) before taking a break. In other words, focus solely on the most challenging and important task for 90 minutes at a time, then give your brain a break and let it recharge. That way, you'll be able to work more efficiently when you return to your desk.
Plan your to-do list items
It's important to take some time in the morning to plan what you need to do for the day. Cal Newport, a professor of computer science at Georgetown University and author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, says that planning items on your to-do list can help you be more realistic about what you can achieve. Otherwise, it's just a wish list, not goals you can actually achieve.
“The schedule forces you to face the reality of how much time you actually have and how long things will take. Now, when you look at the whole picture, you can get something productive out of every spare hour you have in your workday,” adds Newport.
Turn off notifications
Managing too many notifications can be overwhelming and distract you from important tasks. Instead of wasting time trying to empty your inbox, focus your attention on one or two pressing issues each day and set aside continuous time to strategically concentrate on them.
To avoid interruptions from email, text messages, and social media notifications, consider turning off these notifications during work hours you've allocated to the important task. This will help you stay in the zone and achieve more.
According to a study conducted by Dscout, the average person touches their phone 2,617 times a day. Turning off notifications is a proven way to minimize distractions and be more productive.
11.10.2023
WHERE IS THE GREATEST HUNGER FOR PERSONNEL IN OUR COUNTRY?
After an increase in the supply of work was observed in August, in September it remained almost at the same level.
The number of job advertisements at the end of September increased by 1% or about 500 more offers. Considering the dynamics of the labor market in Bulgaria, this is a relatively small change and it can be considered that the supply remains unchanged.
According to the monthly analysis of the HR company and career site JobTiger, fewer offers continue to be observed year-on-year. The announcements are 3,600 fewer (-7%) compared to September 2022, and this is mainly due to their smaller number in the "Information Technologies" sector.
The sectors with the greatest growth in offers are "Trade and sales" (650 offers more, 6% growth), "Production" (210 offers more, 3% growth), "Accounting, audit, finance" (130 offers more, 7 % growth) and "Administrative and service activities" (110 offers more, 2% growth).
The number of advertisements remains unchanged in the sectors "Construction", "Healthcare and Pharmacy", "Marketing and Advertising" and "IT".
A decline was observed in the sectors "Logistics and transport" (80 offers less, 2% drop) and "Hospitality and catering" (150 offers less, 2% drop).
Share distribution
According to the analysis of the HR company and career site JobTiger, the "Trade and Sales" sector already occupies 1/4 of the job offers in the country. It retains the first place with a share of 25%, followed by the "Manufacturing" (17%) and "Hospitality" sectors and restaurant business" (15%).
The share distribution in the other sectors is also unchanged compared to the previous month: "Logistics and transport" (11%), "Administrative and service activities" (10%), "IT" (8%) "Construction" (6%), "Healthcare" and Pharmacy" (4.8%), "Accounting, Auditing, Finance" (4.6%), "Marketing and Advertising" (3%) and "Art" (1%).
Work from home
The number of offers for work from home and/or remote work also remained unchanged compared to August. Although there is a 2% drop here, this type of offer is only 50 less than the previous month, with a total of 3550. As a share, they form 9% of all listings.
The distribution of this type of offer by sector also remains unchanged: 56% in the "IT" sector, followed by "Administrative and service activities" (17%), the sectors of the outsourcing industry (16%) and "Trade and sales" (6%).
Offer by cities
The total number of advertisements in the leading regional cities increased by 3%. Not all of them, however, saw growth. The dynamics are as follows: Sofia (6%), Plovdiv (7%), Varna (-9%), Burgas (-4%), Ruse (-1%) and Stara Zagora (3%).
As for share distribution in the city of Sofia, the ads are 44%, and in the other cities they are: Plovdiv (11%), Varna (8%), Burgas (4%), Ruse (3%) and Stara Zagora (3%).
11.10.2023
WHEN ARE WE ENTITLED TO ADDITIONAL PAID LEAVE?
When is my employer obliged to give me additional paid leave and under what conditions?
According to Art. 155, para. 4 of the Labor Code the amount of the main paid annual leave is not less than 20 working days. The provision of Art. 155, para. 5 of the Labor Code provides that some categories of employees, depending on the special nature of the work, are entitled to extended paid annual leave, which includes the leave under para. 4.
The amount of leave paid under Art. 155 of the Labor Code (both the main and the extensions) is annual, and with regard to the determination of the specific amount, the law implemented to an employee, the law introduces the principle of proportionality to the time it is recognized as work experience to it S In Art. 156 of the Labor Code provides that the employee is entitled to two types of additional paid annual leave: - for work under specific conditions and risks to life and health that cannot be eliminated, limited or reduced, regardless of the measures taken - not less than 5 working days; -for work on an unnormated working day-no less than 5 working days. The right to additional paid annual leave under Art. 156, para. 1, item 1 of the Labor Code shall be used in compliance with the requirements of the Ordinance for determining the types of works, for which additional paid annual leave is established, issued on the grounds of Art. 156, para. 2 of the Labor Code.
The types of works performed under specific conditions and risks to life and health that cannot be eliminated, limited or reduced, regardless of the measures taken for which additional paid annual leave is established, as an additional measure for the prevention of health risks for workers and The employees are exhaustively referred to in Art. 2 of the cited ordinance. According to Art. 139a, para. 1 of the Labor Code, for some positions due to the special nature of the work, the employer, after consulting with the representatives of the trade union organizations and with the representatives of the employees under Art. 7, para. 2 of the Labor Code, may establish a non-working day.
Employees and employees with a non -working day are obliged to fulfill their employment duties as needed after regular working hours. Working on regular working hours is offset by additional paid annual leave on working days, and work on weekends and holidays - with increased overtime remuneration. If a worker/employee meets the above requirements, he or she is entitled to extended paid annual leave and additional paid annual leave, which leaves are granted on various legal grounds.
10.10.2023
INTRODUCE THE COMMON CHARGER IN OUR COUNTRY
Traders will already sell devices without a charger included, provides for changes to two ordinances uploaded for public consultation aiming to implement the European Directive for a common charger.
Economic operators will be obliged to ensure that information on whether, together with radio, a charger is included, it is graphically displayed using an easily understandable and easily accessible pictogram. It is printed on the packaging or attached to it as a sticker. And it must be seen well and it should be legible, and when selling from a distance - close to the marked price, the changes said.
The said Directive is one of the key acts of the Union legislation for harmonization, regulating the requirements for a large number of products, such as mobile phones and other portable electronic devices, which occupy a serious share in the production and trade of EU goods. In 2022, Directive (EU) 2022/2380 - the General Charger Directive was adopted with which the necessary harmonization of the EU level was achieved with regard to the introduction of a standard charger, aimed at mainly providing convenience for users, as well as Reduction of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (electronic waste) in the context of efficient use of resources and switching to a clean, circular economy.
The requirements of Directive (EU) 2022/2380 relate to all mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones on ears or headset sets, earring headsets, manual video game consoles, portable speakers, electronic readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, laptops.
The main elements in the General Charger Directive are:
- Introduction of a harmonized port (socket) to load electronic devices - USB Type-C, regardless of the brand of the charged device;
- Introducing a harmonized fast charging technology that will provide the same speed when using a compatible charger for an electronic device;
- Introducing obligations for manufacturers, importers and distributors related to the provision of radio equipment and providing users and other end users to be able to purchase new electronic devices without a new charger, which will help to significantly reduce electronic waste. The possibility of a separate sale of the charger from the radio service is graphically depicted by a special pictogram, which enables users and other end users before the purchase to find out whether, together with the radio, it is included or not a charger, which will ultimately provide them with one Sustainable, affordable and convenient choice.
- Improved information about users (visual and written) on the characteristics of charging, through which users will understand how much their charger is compatible with the requirements of their new electronic device. In this regard, duties of importers and distributors are also provided to ensure the presence of a special label placed by the manufacturer.
09.10.2023
SUCCESS TECHNIQUES
MORE RESULTS IN LESS TIME
We all know one way to get more done in the day - to spend more time working. However, this approach goes hand in hand with serious drawbacks.
Long hours rob you of time for other things in life, from relationships to hobbies and exercise. They can wear you out, causing a drop in productivity in the long run. Sometimes this approach causes you to lose sight of the bigger picture, distracting yourself from the important tasks that can really move you forward toward your goals.
What entrepreneurs ideally want is not to work more, but to get more work done within the hours they've already put in. There are many people offering ways to do this, but few have as much credibility as James Clear and Google productivity coach Laura May Martin.
Location is more important than you think
James Clear, for those who aren't already familiar with him, is a blogger, productivity guru, and bestselling author of the Atomic Habit. Many entrepreneurs swear that his ideas have transformed their lives. Google needs no introduction, as the company is well known for its data-driven approach to work and highly cited research on workplace topics such as hiring, management and productivity.
So what do both authorities suggest you do if you magically want to get more work done in the same amount of time? Clear explains that achieving this little professional miracle can be as simple as changing where you do your work.
"Let's say you're trying to build a new reading habit," Clear says in his new online lecture. “But whenever you sit down on your couch, you find yourself getting distracted and turning on the TV. The solution isn't to berate yourself or cancel your Netflix subscription, but to create a 'reading zone' in a comfortable corner," he explains.
“You can apply the same kind of philosophy ... to any habit you're trying to build. The more that habit is tied to a specific context, the more it's tied to a special area where you develop it, the more likely that habit is to become long-term," adds Clear.
Another expert recommends creating "hotspots"
Creating a comfortable workspace for admin tasks or a "creativity corner" where you write sounds reasonable and cozy, but can it really affect your productivity? If you're looking for another expert to back up Clear's claim that this simple change can be transformative, then you might want to listen to Laura May Martin, Google's in-house productivity coach.
Martin shared some tips for getting more results with less effort, including one that's almost identical to Clear's. “Our brains make associations with the sights, sounds and smells associated with certain places. "When we regularly do activity in the same place, it makes it easier to 'get in the zone' every time we return to the same place," she says on Google's blog.
You can put this into practice by creating “hot spots” where you always do certain types of work. Create links like, "I always answer customer emails from this coffee shop in my building." And "I'm always reading the news on the porch." "Your brain will associate these activities with places and make switching between tasks easier," she explains.
You can even use the same logic to improve your rest by creating an area (like in the bedroom) where you do nothing but relax.
So if you want to get more done in the same amount of time, the answer may be as simple as a change of scenery. By choosing a specific location for different tasks and sticking to it, you train your brain to go in the right direction faster for that type of work. The end result is more productivity with less effort.
09.10.2023
10% INCREASE IN SALARIES IN BULGARIA IN 2023. AS A RESULT OF INFLATION
The salary increase in 2023 is about 10 percent as a result of inflation, according to a study by "Mercer Marsh Benefits" of remuneration and benefits for 2023. The company annually conducts the study in Bulgaria, tracking trends among employers and their employees, the company said.
The results of the survey were presented by Stella Yulzari, senior consultant at Mercer. This year, the survey covers 493 companies (7 percent growth compared to 2022) and 127,562 employees from 14 different economic sectors. The largest number of participants in the company's research are with "Manufacturing" and "High Technologies" profiles.
The study focuses not just on employee pay, but on the full remuneration package, which includes: gross salary; the guaranteed cash reward; the total monetary remuneration (reflecting various bonuses); total direct remuneration (with long-term incentives such as shares and options) and total annual remuneration (including various benefits such as a company car, pension provision, health insurance and life insurance). The Mercer Marsh Benefits study considered the factors nature of work and employee hierarchy, part of the Mercer Code Library that facilitates employee classification.
The results regarding personnel turnover in our country indicate that there is a slight decrease in the increase in the number of personnel on the part of employers - 46 percent, compared to 54 percent for 2022. At the same time, voluntary turnover is regaining its pace from before the pandemic and there is a greater tendency to make a decision to change the workplace compared to last year, commented the authors of the study.
According to the data on salary increases in Bulgaria, the three main factors for salary increases are performance, place in the range and inflation.
"In 2023, employers will catch up with inflation, which testifies to more effective budget planning and reflection of economic reality," said Stella Yulzari.
"The wage increase in 2023 is around 10 percent for the various sectors, which is largely due to employers catching up with the inflation that started last year," she added.
The increase in wages on the basis of career groups is most noticeable for employees holding positions at the operational level - 12.1 percent, which is due to the low pay in the relevant group and the need for financial incentives for the same in order to cope with inflation. This is followed by the group of specialists (11 percent), management (10.7 percent) and top management (9.6 percent).
Trends in gross wages by sector indicate that remuneration has grown fastest and most consistently in the High Technology, Outsourced Services and Pharmaceuticals sectors.
Sofia is the only region in Bulgaria with higher wages than the national average - 6 percent, while in North-West Bulgaria the wages are the lowest, as much as 35 percent below the national average. The reasons are rooted in the fast-growing and high-tech sectors, which are mainly located in the capital, at the expense of the manufacturing, commercial and financial sectors, whose employees are mainly in the countryside.
Data from the survey also indicate that 87 percent of companies have a variable remuneration scheme, which is expressed in bonuses and bonuses for employees. 9 out of 10 of the latter are entitled to such benefits, and 8 out of 10 managers receive their bonus on an annual basis.
Special benefits are most often health insurance (84 percent), mobile phone (80 percent) and food vouchers (74 percent). The latter occupy third place (compared to sixth in the past year 2022), which is due to the legislative changes concerning tax credits in the amount for food vouchers.
In presenting the study, emphasis was also placed on the Directive of the European Parliament to strengthen the implementation of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms.
Tatyana Dobreva, a consultant in the Mercer team in Bulgaria, presented more information about the upcoming changes as a result of the Directive. According to current statistics, in most countries at the global level, including Bulgaria, there are no regulatory requirements for reporting gender pay differences. The latest figures for Europe from 2021 show that the most noticeable gender pay gap is in Estonia (20.5 per cent), Austria (18.8 per cent) and Switzerland (17.7 per cent), while the most equal are the employees in Luxembourg, Romania and Slovenia, respectively with – 0.2 per cent, 3.6 per cent and 3.8 per cent deviations.
Bulgaria ranks in the middle of the ranking with a 12.2 percent pay gap. The introduction of the European directive will lead to the need for its implementation in the Bulgarian legislation, the authors of the study indicate. This innovation, in turn, would impose specific requirements on employers in Bulgaria in order to implement tools to track remuneration trends, such as the function of the Mercer Marsh Benefits detector to calculate equality in pay.
During the event, the local context in the field of benefits was also presented with a discussion panel on the topic "Well-being and sustainability of employees", moderated by Jacqueline Nikolova, head of "Mercer Marsh Benefits Bulgaria". Representatives of companies from several key sectors in Bulgaria took part in it. Among them were Boyka Doceva - head of human resources at IBM Bulgaria, Veneta Stoilova - head of human resources at EVN Bulgaria, Miglena Uzunova - senior director of "Human Resources" at A1 and Radoslava Krosneva - director of "Human Resources" at DSK.
They outlined that in Bulgaria it can no longer be about accidental initiatives, but about a standard for employers who strive for sustainability and social commitment for their employees.
"Well-being and initiatives are no longer done for their own sake, but are part of the companies' culture", summarized Jacqueline Nikolova.
Dan Dobre, Mercer Marsh Benefits regional leader for growth and solutions for Germany, presented the global trends that Mercer examines annually in a survey of CEOs, HR managers and employees in more than 140 countries around the world.
"When we ask CFOs and COOs of companies what their main concerns are, for 87 percent of them it is the crises, 52 percent are worried about inflation, and a quarter of them expect it to be higher in 2023 compared to 2022." Dan Dobre said.
"Our survey shows that 49 percent of respondents are more worried about inflation than recession. However, most of them are prepared to face an economic crisis of some kind and do not expect it to have consequences like the financial crisis of 2008, when we've seen a lot of layoffs. They say that even if there's a recession, they're prepared because they have higher standards as employers. That means we as organizations have to be more prepared and be more resilient, something that "Mercer Marsh Benefits" has practiced as a policy for years. In practice, this means focusing on company culture, adopting new, flexible work models, creating scalable organizations, diversity, equity and continuity, adaptability," added Dan Dobre.
06.10.2023
SUCCESS TECHNIQUES
THE OTHER SKILLSET - 4 WAYS TO SUCCEED WHEN YOUR BOSS KNOWS LESS THAN YOU
What to do if the new manager has less experience than his subordinates? Take advantage of this excellent development opportunity!
Let's say you have been working for a long time in the same place. You have extensive experience, excellent relationships with colleagues, advanced skills and qualifications. One fine day a new manager comes in who has a lot of ideas but significantly less experience than you. Sounds familiar? At first glance, this is not the best situation, but a boss with skills and knowledge turns out to be useful and exciting.
There are three reasons why we may find ourselves working under someone with less experience more often than ever.
First, we work longer hours today, which is why several generations find themselves side by side in the workplace in most large companies. Flexible work schedules, greater age diversity, and changing career goals and aspirations make it more likely that more experienced workers will work alongside less experienced managers.
Second, telecommuting has become commonplace, which means you and your manager are likely to spend much less time working together on the same issues. Therefore, the manager has almost no involvement in what you are working on.
Third, middle managers are increasingly moving from one job to another. This means that there is a high probability that one day you will find that the new manager does not have enough experience in his field. As Steve Jobs said, “There's no point in hiring smart people and telling them what to do; we hire smart people to tell us what to do." Managers are hired for different reasons and with different skills.
With the right approach, having a manager with less experience can boost creativity and out-of-the-box thinking and help achieve goals. Here are four tips to help you succeed.
Use the differences
Having a leader with a diverse set of skills and experience is an asset to innovation and productivity in your business. Differences provide an opportunity to share information and consider opportunities from alternative perspectives, which can foster creativity and productivity. The age difference between you and your manager can further amplify this effect. By using the differences, you will be ready for new challenges. Small disagreements with a leader who has different skills and experience stimulate creativity.
Seek advice
To achieve your goals, you need to look into the future and get meaningful feedback on how your performance is measured today. However, the longer we work in the same company or position, the less proactive we become when it comes to seeking feedback from others. In other words, our experience can be a barrier to seeking new perspectives, especially from those with less knowledge. If your boss has less experience or understanding in a particular area of expertise, try asking them for advice. Such a request builds trust and encourages conversation about future goals and new, valuable perspectives. This is because the best advice is not always given by those with the most relevant skills and experience.
Be curious
There are significant benefits to curiosity at work. Curiosity increases creativity, reduces errors, improves communication and productivity. Individual curiosity is important for adapting to career changes and challenges, and it is also important for persistent pursuit of goals. Curiosity is believed to be a key trait in the extraordinary success of entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos. When working with a leader who has different experiences and knowledge, being curious about their personality and way of thinking builds trust and rapport. Curiosity helps build stronger relationships and creates a common ground on which collaboration and innovation can flourish.
Collaboration
Small changes in the workplace can make a big difference in how we feel about and perform our role. The arrival of a new leader is an ideal opportunity to work together to redefine your personal contribution to what you find most important, exciting and meaningful. These changes can expand relationships, allow you to become a leader, or focus more attention on specific important projects. To ensure that your responsibilities serve common goals and support motivation and creative thinking, working with the new manager will help you be more effective. Working together can also shape the direction of your career and give you more autonomy, especially in areas where you may be exceptionally skilled.
Today, more than ever, there are often situations where we are better qualified, experienced and specialized than our managers. Remember that a manager requires different skills than specialists who work in a team. In most cases, having a supervisor who knows less than you opens up opportunities for new perspectives, innovations, and steps toward more meaningful experience.
