Can’t decide how to accessorize that snazzy office wear? Take a look at this helpful guide. I know it helped me!

(via Choosing Necklaces for Necklines - Polyvore)

fastcompany:

How Google Unified Its Products With A Humble Index Card

“We’ve actually tapped into one of the oldest pieces of graphic and information design around—business cards, calling cards, greeting cards, playing cards.”

“The restraints of the card actually made it easier to do the rest of the [Google Now] design,” Duarte recounts. “It forced us to focus. It forced us to realize [things like], you can’t have a card that feeds two or three images at once, that just gets messy.”

Here’s the full story.

megcouch:

fastcompany:

How color-coded notes make you a more efficient thinker:

Separating “branches” of your map by color stimulates the creative side of your brain, helps you visually separate and recall distinct themes of the stuff you’re working through, and encourages you to map through even boring topics that seem cut-and-dry.

“Add a dash of color … and all of a sudden the notes come alive. They are unique, they are unusual, they are memorable and they are more interesting.”

More…

My entire academic and professional lives have just been validated. I feel like I should high-five my multi-colored array of Post-Its or something.

goodideaexchange:

Act Like a Leader Before You Are One

“If you want to become a leader, don’t wait for the fancy title or the corner office. You can begin to act, think, and communicate like a leader long before that promotion.”

amexopenforum:

It can be daunting to make conversation with a fellow CEO or high powered executive that you respect when you are caught off guard, especially when you are stuck riding the elevator 30 floors down.

Mashable created these 3 conversation types to help you next time you are at a loss for words with a CEO:

1. The Trader Joe - think Hawaiian shirts and a laid back vibe for an easy going chat.
2. The Tactful Admirer - a compliment to a senior executive on an accomplishment will never fail to kick off conversation.
3. The Travel Talker - all business leaders travel, so use that to your advantage in your opening line.

Read more on Mashable for some more executive elevator-talk.

(via Caught in an Elevator With the CEO? 3 Conversation Starters)

goodideaexchange:

How To Be Seen As A Leader - At Any Point In Your Career

Thanks for sharing @erikaandersen!

amexopenforum:

“Gaga’s business of show business may be very different from the “average” business, but her focus on growing through devoted customer loyalty is a universal business objective. Most business people know that it’s far cheaper to keep a customer than to get new one. Gaga gets the math. It’s her overarching philosophy to focus on her core advocates, the super-fans, the “Little Monsters.” These advocates will ultimately be evangelists who bring in new customers on their own. This customer philosophy is one that businesses would do well to learn from Gaga.”

- Jackie Huba, author of Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga Turns Followers into Fanatics

Read more on how to turn your customers into fanatic followers form the Lady Gaga playbook on OPEN Forum

No matter what business you are in, it is very difficult to be available to your clients on the phone at any moment they choose to call.  In today’s 24/7

fastcompany:

Instead Of Taking Your Daughters To Work, Introduce Them To Technology

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. No doubt, it is a fantastic initiative. However, in 2013 many freelancers and entrepreneurs work from home. And many employees don’t work in offices anymore.

For workers who remain in office environments, it seems that exposing our kids to the drudgery of cubicles, mind-numbing meetings, and dull cafeteria food is not very inspiring.

Besides, many coveted tech jobs that exist today—for example, in social media—weren’t even conceived of a decade ago. Our kids won’t be doing same jobs anyway.

Although future jobs will continue to change, one thing is for sure: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) will be pervasive in everything we do.

So rather than going to work, why don’t you set aside a day and take your daughter to tech? Here are a few ideas to swap for hauling your kids to your desk:

Learn about women in tech and science: WITI (Women in Technology International) is sponsoring a social media scavenger hunt for high school girls to learn about female role models. In this contest, girls can name their favorite role model, grab fun badges such as “I’m a WITI girl” (love the pun), and create Pinterest boards with their favorite women in tech and science. Winners will get free tickets to meet inspirational women in tech and science at the annual WITI Hall of Fame Ceremony in June and other prizes.

Visit a tech or science museum: If you’re in the Bay area, the Exploratorium in San Francisco just re-opened on Pier 15 with 150 new exhibits.

Join the Worldwide #WITI Wave celebration: Let’s show our kids that women work in tech and science careers around the world by posting your video to the WITI Wavepage or tweeting your support for women in tech at #WITIWave.

Read about important women in STEM careers at the 2013 Women’s History Month website. STEM is the focus in 2013.

Sign your kids up for a technology or science summer camp such as iD Tech Campsheld at many U.S. universities.

Set aside time to help them participate in science events such as Google’s Science Fair.

Let’s share technology and science careers with our daughters and sons and let them experience the possibilities before it’s too late.

[Image: Flickr user D. Sharon Pruitt]