Podcasts about during december

During December and January we are replaying some of our more popular episodes from over the years. This week's replay is from 2nd November 2019 and is titled Curiosity: Bad for Cats, Good for Business.    Summary   Curiosity is rarely encouraged at work. In fact, leaders and organisations often actively discourage being inquisitive. This week we explore the benefits of curiosity, and four ways to encourage it in your team.   Transcript   Welcome to episode 58 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we tackle one of today’s biggest leadership challenges. This week we’re looking at the benefits of curiosity, and how to encourage it in your team.   The word “curiosity” often conjures up negative connotations. If I asked you to tell me a popular saying about curiosity, it would most likely be “curiosity killed the cat”. This fear of being inquisitive translates into our organisations. Surely if people become curious at work they’re going to neglect their day jobs and start venturing into distraction. And won’t this lead to conflict, reduced productivity and a lack of clarity?   However, research on curiosity demonstrates that these concerns are unfounded, and that curiosity provides a range of benefits for individuals and organisations.    Here’s just a sample of what the research tells us about the benefits of curiosity: Curiosity helps us to become more accurate in our decision making. When we are curious, we seek out more alternatives. This helps us to avoid stereotyping people and selectively choosing information that supports our viewpoint.  When people are encouraged to be curious, they share information with others more readily and listen more attentively to their perspectives. This helps us to build empathy and insight. Curiosity actually reduces conflict. It encourages people to consider alternative perspectives and what it would be like to be in the other person’s shoes.    For a great summary of the research, check out the Why Curiosity Matters spotlight series in Harvard Business Review. I’ve provided a link in the show notes - https://hbr.org/2018/09/curiosity   It appears we’re hardwired as humans to be curious, but our education systems and organisations often don’t reward this natural and helpful drive to explore and discover. However, as leaders, there are simple steps we can take to encourage curiosity amongst our people. Here are four ideas to start with: Encourage questions.  I’ve worked with organisations where asking a question is equated with being negative and stepping beyond your role. It was debilitating for the organisation and for the people, taking away initiative and discretionary effort. Make it safe to ask questions. Role model the inquisitive use of questions with your team. Build alternatives. Always go beyond the first and most obvious option to explore other alternatives. So often we stop at option one, when the best idea might be a combination of option two and option three. Provide time for exploration. Curiosity takes time, and that time needs to be pressure-free and self-directed. This podcast is driven by the questions I ask myself, combined with the time to explore the answers. When I was working in management consulting there was very little time to be curious which, ironically, was often what clients valued the most. Pursue learning. Ongoing learning builds the capability of the individual and the capacity of the organisation. Encourage and fund your people to undertake additional learning they’re interested in, even if it isn’t obviously linked to the work. Sometimes the connections people can draw between what they’ve learned and the organisation’s needs will surprise you.   So this week I encourage you to invest time in being curious, and allow the same for your people as well. You might be surprised at the benefits that result.

During December and January we are replaying some of our most popular episodes from previous years. This week's replay is from 9th November 2019 and is titled Approach or Avoidance - It Comes Down to Your Personality.   Summary   A big part of our role as leaders is setting the emotional tone and culture for our teams. Whether consciously or not, we communicate our own bias towards the upside potential and action, or the bias towards risk and fear. This week we’re looking at approach and avoidance motivation, and what we can do to foster a more positive mindset for ourselves and others.   Transcript   Hey there. Welcome to episode 59 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we tackle one of today’s biggest leadership challenges. This week we’re looking at approach and avoidance motivation, and what we can do to foster a more positive mindset for ourselves and others.   Motivation can be divided into two main categories - avoidance and approach. This isn’t a new idea. In fact, Greek philosophers spoke about these two forms of motivation as far back as 400 BC. But research has demonstrated that our preference for one type of motivation over another may come down to our personality.    Avoidance motivation, as the name suggests, is about trying to avoid a negative outcome. Avoidance goals relating to health might include not eating unhealthy food or giving up smoking. These avoidance actions may indeed make me less unhealthy, but they probably won’t make me healthy. As numerous people have expressed it, the absence of disease is not health.   In contrast, approach motivation is about pursuing something positive - working towards a positive outcome or possibility. Approach goals relating to health could include adding healthy foods to our diet or undertaking regular exercise. These goals don’t just move us away from being unhealthy, but actively increase our health.    The primary function of our brain is to keep us alive - to survive. That makes avoidance motivation pretty attractive as a default position for most people. It aligns with the base level need to avoid things that have potentially negative consequences for our survival. But our brains are also about reward. We seek out opportunities to experience pleasure and positive outcomes.    Researchers have found that the balance between avoidance and approach motivation can be linked to our personality - that some people have an approach temperament while others have an avoidance temperament - that we either lean towards self-protection or towards self-enhancement. Those with an approach temperament tend to be more extraverted, have positive emotionality, and a bias towards action. In contrast, those with an avoidance temperament tend to be less emotionally stable, experience negative emotionality, and have a bias towards restraint (or not acting).    This bias flows through to the types of goals we set. Those with an approach temperament tend to set mastery goals. For example, “I want to master the material in this class”. A mastery goal is about me - I’m the benchmark of success and progress. In contrast, those with an avoidance temperament tend to set goals related to others. For example, “I just want to avoid doing badly in this class” or “I just want to do as well as most people”.    A big part of our role as leaders is setting the emotional tone and culture for our teams. Whether consciously or not, we communicate our own bias towards the upside potential and action, or the bias towards risk and fear. Like almost every aspect of leadership, it starts with the way we think, feel and act. And we can always change the way we think, feel and act, even if it takes some effort.   Here are four ideas to move you towards an approach temperament: Connect with people. Meeting our basic human need for connection to others helps to build a more positive mindset. Note down experiences that provide you with positive emotions and build these experiences into your routine. Going for a run each morning makes me feel positive, so I’ve built that into my daily routine. Anthropomorphise negative emotions. What the heck is this one about. You might be familiar with the Disney Pixar movie Inside Out. In the movie the various emotions the young girl experienced were represented by characters inside her head. Researchers have found there may be some benefits to thinking about negative emotions in this way. For example, they found conceptualising sadness as a person, for example as a girl walking slowly with her head down, helped people to feel more detached from their sadness and actually made them feel less sad. It sounds bizarre, but give it a go. I now have Barry, who is my go to character when I’m feeling discouraged. Importantly, you want to only use this approach with negative emotions. The researchers found that thinking of happiness as a person also made people feel less happy.  Run your own race and stop comparing. Aim to become better at things that matter to you and track your progress against yourself, instead of comparing your capability to others.    This week I encourage you to focus on approach goals and building a positive bias for action in your team. As always, if you’re interested in the research check out the show notes at the leadership.today website. I look forward to speaking with you again next week.   References   Andrew J. Elliot and Todd M. Thrash. Approach–Avoidance Motivation in Personality: Approach and Avoidance Temperaments and Goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 82, No. 5, 804–818 http://qglw.personality-project.org/revelle/syllabi/classreadings/psp825804.pdf   Fangyuan Chen, Rocky Peng Chen, Li Yang. When Sadness Comes Alive, Will It Be Less Painful? The Effects of Anthropomorphic Thinking on Sadness Regulation and Consumption. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2019;  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191003103515.htm    

During December and January we are replaying some of our most popular episodes from previous years. This episode is from 30th November 2019 and is titled Can't We All Just Get Along?   Summary   Our workplaces can easily move towards what researchers call incivility. So what are the benefits of being nice to one another, and what can we do as leaders to get there?    Transcript   Hello and welcome to episode 62 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we tackle one of today’s biggest leadership challenges. This week we explore why being nice to one another is so important for business performance. I was working with a client recently and discussing their culture. He said “as a psychologist you have the opportunity to work with lots of different organisations - I bet you walk in and get a pretty quick sense of the mood and culture”. It’s true - I find it easy to gain a quick read on the mood and culture of an organisation. Compare these two workplaces I recently visited. In one organisation I noticed people frowning, staring at screens, no conversation or laughter, and lots of sighs. In another the atmosphere was bordering on joyful - people warmly greeting one other, big smiles, people saying “hello” to me as I walked past even though they had no idea who I was. It was hard in the first organisation not to be dragged down, and it was equally hard in the second organisation not to be lifted up.  But it’s not like being able to read the mood and culture of a workplace is some special power granted only to psychologists and consultants. It’s a special power we all have that comes with being human. We all read a room quickly at a subconscious level. However we become familiar and used to the rooms where we spend the most time. The cultural quirks that hit us on day one at a new organisation fade by month three. We rapidly soak up the standards we see around us. We quickly understand what’s tolerated and what isn’t. If the culture is great, then that’s fantastic - we absorb it and maybe even become a better person. But if the culture is toxic, even the best of us will either lower our standards to fit in, or exit stage right to another organisation.  In some workplaces people aren’t very nice to each other. It might be that most people are 5 to 10 minutes late to meetings, setup their laptops and just continue their work. They interrupt others, they talk to the person next to them while someone else is presenting. They make demands of their colleagues in other departments. They gossip and spread rumours. Before you know it, the place quickly becomes toxic. This is so common that some researchers specialise in looking at what they call incivility. Perhaps the best known researcher in the field is Christine Porath. Her TED talk “Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business” has racked up over 2.5 million views. As people rightly note in the comments below her video, do we really need a TED talk to convince people to be nice to each other? Apparently we do. Her research demonstrates that incivility lead to 66% of people cutting back their efforts, 80% of people being distracted from their work, and 12% of people leaving their job. In a laboratory study where people witnessed a fellow participant, who was actually setup, being berated for being late, there was a 25% reduction in performance, and 45% fewer ideas generated by the group. Christine argues that incivility is like a virus that we can catch and transmit. As a result people operate out of fear and try to remain invisible. Innovation plummets - after all, why would you risk sharing a new idea when people aren’t being nice to each other? So why do people end up being mean, unthoughtful, rude, aggressive or passive aggressive towards each other? Here are some reasons that I’ve observed: It works - taking on an aggressive, belittling style may, in the short term, help people to get things done, particularly where there is a lack of clarity and standards. Feedback free environment - people may not actually recognise what they’re doing, or at least the impact that it is having on others. Excessive stress - people are unlikely to be on their best behaviour where they are experiencing high levels of stress. Role models - in some organisations, taking on an aggressive style is modelled and rewarded by more senior leaders. We can change this. An example Christine shares is a health organisation where they introduced what they called the 10-5 way. The guidance they gave to staff was to make eye contact and smile when they were within 10 feet of another person, and to say ‘hello’ when they were within 5 feet of another person. That sounds incredibly prescriptive and it’s hard to believe it worked, but they saw both patient satisfaction and referrals increase. As we raise our kindness towards others, we’re more likely to be seen as leaders, and we’re more likely to produce better results. This aligns with a wealth of research that shows people are much more effective when they’re in a positive mood, versus being neutral or negative in their mood. As a leader I suggest the following: Role model being nice towards others. Civility is contagious. You see it when a positive team member enters the room - they lift the mood, people start smiling and laughing, there’s a sense of energy. It really doesn’t take many people to change the culture, and leaders are the ones people look towards to set the emotional tone. Connect with others. Take the time to understand the day to day work and experiences of those within your organisation. You might be surprised at some of the frustrations and obstacles they face, and how easy it may be for you in a position of leadership to remove these. Help others to connect. It’s really difficult to bully people that you know, like and respect. It’s also really hard to bully someone that has strong connections with their colleagues - the weight of numbers makes the bully the odd one out.  Look after yourself, and help others to do the same. Think about activities you can encourage that focus on the classic wellbeing areas of exercise, diet and sleep.  So let’s think this week about ways we can encourage others and lift them up. The relatively small acts that we take as leaders on a daily basis can have a huge impact on those we lead and the cultures we create. I have included links to Christine Porath’s TED talk and book in the show notes - make sure you check them out. And for those listening in the United States, a big Thanksgiving holiday greeting for the week that has just passed. I trust it has been a great time to connect with family and friends to reflect on all the great things we have in our lives that we so easily take for granted. Have a great week.   References Christine Porath’s TED Talk - Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY1ERM-NIBY   Christine Porath (2016) Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Civility-Manifesto-Christine-Porath/dp/1455568988/  

During December and January we are replaying some of our most popular episodes from previous years. This week's episode is from 16th November 2019 on how Great Teams Manage Task, Process and Relationships.   Summary   Great teams manage task, process and relationships. They ask key questions to ensure clarity is build and conflict is addressed in all three areas. This week we look at some key questions you can use to audit your teams and build their effectiveness.    Transcript   Hello and welcome to episode 60 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we tackle one of today’s biggest leadership challenges. Episode 60 is quite the milestone, so a big thanks to everyone who has shared the podcast with others. I love reading your reviews and hearing stories about how the content has been helpful. This week we’re exploring how great teams manage task, process and relationships.   Research demonstrates that there are three main things teams need to manage - the task (what outcome needs to be achieved), the process (how we’re going to achieve the outcome), and the people (how we’re going to work together as human beings). Failing to manage each of these three elements almost inevitably leads to conflict and reduced performance.   There are three common traps that teams fall into: The most common trap is a tendency to focus immediately on the task, neglecting the process and relationships. This results in a flurry of activity but it may well be the wrong activity. We fail to think about the relationships between the people in the room which can result in interpersonal issues and complaints. I often see this trap during leadership programs. You can teach all the theory and techniques in the world, but it all goes out the window once there’s a time sensitive task to complete. People move straight to the task and ignore process and relationships. The second most common trap is to become caught up with interpersonal issues, and lose sight of the task and process. People end up avoiding the team, progress stalls, and the team often falls apart as people question what the purpose is of meeting in the first place. The third common trap is to focus so much on the process that we neglect the task and relationships. I see this regularly in projects where there’s a huge amount of up front consultation with little consideration of how to make decisions or deal with differing perspectives. We gather lots of data but don’t know what to do with it.   The impact of conflict in task, process and relationships in teams has varied between different theories, with some frameworks encouraging conflict in these areas. However research into over 6000 teams suggests that task conflict, process conflict and relationship conflict all negatively impact on team performance. The only exception is for decision-making teams, where task conflict can sometimes have a small positive impact. Contrary to earlier theories, none of the three types of conflict reliably lead to innovation.   I’ve previously shared research about the team stages model by Tuckman. In the model he outlined teams get together and are polite during the Forming stage. We descend into disagreements and conflict during the Storming stage as people seek clarity that isn’t there yet. By agreeing standards and ways of working we reach Norming. And that as we combine the strengths of individuals with the strengths of process and relationships we reach Performing. Teams do indeed seem to follow these stages of development, except that storming can occur more frequently and at any point as the team is impacted by outside forces. Conflict about task, process and relationships doesn’t get solved in one neat stage, but rather needs to be continuously monitored and managed.   So the research suggests we need to actively recognise, manage and reduce task, process and relationship conflict. We can’t afford to ignore it or to leave it unmanaged. Conflict is effectively a symptom that somethings needs to be addressed in one of these three.   Here are some questions that might help for both new and established teams: Task - What is our purpose as a team? What is the task we’ve been asked to achieve? What’s the problem we’re needing to solve? What can we uniquely contribute to the organisation? Process - How are we going to get there? What’s the plan and order of activity? What’s the division of workload and responsibilities? How are we going to make decisions? How are we going to measure our performance? How will we hold each other accountable? How are we going to monitor and respond to changing needs and circumstances? Relationships - What does each person bring to the team? What are the individual strengths and weaknesses? What experiences have we had that might be helpful? What commitments are we making to each other? How will we provide feedback to each other? How will we manage disagreements?   Actively managing task, process and relationships is a key part of any team’s success. Why not undertake a quick audit of all three with the teams you lead?   Reference   Thomas A. O'Neill , Natalie J. Allen & Stephanie E. Hastings (2013) Examining the “Pros” and “Cons” of Team Conflict: A Team-Level Meta-Analysis of Task, Relationship, and Process Conflict, Human Performance, 26:3, 236-260, DOI: 10.1080/08959285.2013.795573

During December and January we are replaying some of our most popular episodes from previous years. This is from 5th October 2019 - Entrance Interviews Beat Exit Interviews   Summary   Entrance interviews beat exit interviews any day of the week. In this Leadership Today podcast cover some questions to draw on the experiences and observations of new starters to improve our organisations.     Transcript   Welcome to episode 56 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we tackle one of today’s biggest leadership challenges. This week we’re looking at the power of entrance interviews - drawing on the experiences and observations of new starters to improve our organisations.   Last week we explored ways to improve exit interviews. However, it’s important not just to focus on those leaving our organisation - after all, they’ve already decided to move on. We need to also capitalise on those who are newer to our organisation and the fresh perspectives they bring.   Think back to the last time you joined a new organisation. In those first few weeks you were hyper aware of what was different or unusual about the organisation - the positives, the negatives, and the just plain weird. The security access seems really tight, but people hold the door open for others all the time. People make an effort to introduce themselves and make others feel welcome. Meetings always start 10 minutes late. Most people setup their laptop and work on emails during meetings. There’s a buzz of excitement around the office. Or, it’s like a dentist waiting room in here - all I can hear is typing.   Wouldn’t it be great to capitalise on these unique perspectives as people join your organisation? Like exit interviews, entrance interviews are a great opportunity to learn. But they’re even better than exit interviews because you can still course correct. You might even pick up some frustrations and reduce unwanted staff turnover along the way.   I suggest undertaking entrance interviews at two points in time - 30 days and 90 days after joining. 30 days gives enough time to process what’s unique about the organisation before becoming fully entrenched. And 90 days provides additional time to experience some things for the first time.    I think the two-up manager, the leader two levels above the person, is in a great position to undertake these interviews. It helps that leader to remain close to the experience of new people, while also building relationships and connections. They’re also a step further away from the day-to-day which may bring a different perspective to the discussion. The person’s direct manager could also be well suited to undertake the entrance interview.   It’s important to frame the entrance interview as not being a test. You’re not putting the individual on trial here, and there aren’t right or wrong answers. This is genuinely an exercise to learn from their experiences and fresh perspective, and to make the organisation an even better place to work.   Here are some questions I suggest for the entrance interview: What is unusual about this organisation? Here we’re trying to get at the unique attributes, both positive and negative. What’s exciting about working here? These are the aspects that could motivate and engage our people. What’s frustrating about working here? This allows us to identify potential impediments to performance. What surprised you about the role? Surprises aren’t always bad, so we want to draw out both the positive and the negative.  How would you describe the culture? What does it feel like to work here? Listen carefully to the words used and the extent to which they align with your desired culture. What does it take to succeed here? What is rewarded? You might be surprised at what people see. You might think hard work is rewarded, but the new person sees friendships and connections as the way to get ahead.    I think entrance interviews are a fantastic learning opportunity for leaders and organisations. They signal your interest in listening and improvement. Why not trial an entrance interview this week and let me know how you go. 

During December and January we are replaying some of our most popular episodes from previous years. This is from 28th September 2019 - Why Exit Interview Stink And Seven Things To Do About It. Summary   Exit interviews often stink. They end up being overly positive or overly negative. This week we explore seven ways to radically improve your exit interviews.     Transcript   Welcome to episode 55 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we tackle one of today’s biggest leadership challenges. This week we’re looking at seven ways to radically improve exit interviews.   Exit interviews are one of those things that vary in popularity and application. Some organisations use them every time someone leaves. Other organisations may have been burned in the past or not seen the value. The idea is great - let’s find out from people who are leaving the organisation why they’re leaving and what we can do to make the place better for the people who still work here. We can do that using a structured interview just before they depart to whatever exciting opportunity comes next in their career.   In application though, the interviews tend to either be really positive or really negative. As a colleague of mine once wisely noted, you’re never more popular or better at your job than on your last day. We tend, rightly, to celebrate those who have contributed to our organisations on the day they are finishing up. We bring together a summary of their achievements, list all the great things we love about them, and talk about how much they will be missed. Friends come to the person and question how the place will ever be the same without them. All of that primes the person to say positive things in their exit interview. It turns into a “it’s not you, it’s me” conversation. The exit interview may well highlight lots of positives about the organisation, but probably understates the challenges and areas for improvement.   On the other hand you have people leaving the organisation where something has gone wrong. They may be angry or frustrated. The exit interview for them is a way to be heard. In those exit interviews the tone is more “it’s not me, it’s you - and, by the way, I’ve set the stationery room alight”. Those exit interviews end up highlighting a shopping list of problems and complaints, often more about that person than the organisation.    Whichever way the exit interview goes, there’s a risk that what we are hearing is not accurate. It seems like a missed opportunity to improve. If only we could source more honest feedback.   Well, help has arrived. Here are seven tips for dramatically improving your exit interviews.   Never on the last day. It’s best to conduct your exit interview as close to the time when the person tells you that they are leaving. At that point their thinking is usually clear. They will be ready to provide honest answers about why they’ve chosen to move on. Split the conversation into two. During the first discussion you can focus on the reasons for leaving. It’s helpful to schedule a second conversation that’s focused on improvements. That provides the person with more time to think about suggestions for improvement rather than putting them on the spot. What aspects of the role have you enjoyed the most? What aspects of the role have you enjoyed the least? Balance the discussion. We can tend to dive into the negatives or try to pull out too many positives. Balance the conversations with questions such as: What could be improved about the role for the next person to fill the position? Focus improvements on the role. This focus on the role helps people to be more open about improvements without feeling like they’re being overly critical about their experiences. You could ask: Are there particular skills or abilities you have that could have been used more effectively? How long did you intend to stay versus what you actually stayed for? What will be different in the next role that your present position hasn’t been able to provide? Explore missed opportunities. Discuss the areas where the organisation failed to draw the best out of the person: What was your experience of the role and its responsibilities? Was it what you expected? How clear were the goals and accountabilities associated with your role? Was the induction and training provided sufficient for you to perform the role? How could it be improved? Perform a clarity check. Clarity of purpose and role is critical to success, and the following questions can help with that: Would you work for us again in the future? Why or why not? Keep the door open. If the person’s departure is genuinely a loss to the organisation, why not leave open the opportunity of them returning one day. You might ask:   Applying these tips will help you to get the best out your exit interviews, while also making the process more positive for you and the person leaving.   Keeping all of that in mind, wouldn’t it be great if we could gain some of the benefits of an exit interview earlier in the process? Next week we’re exploring entrance interviews - drawing on the experiences and observations of those who are newer to our organisations.    As you might know I’ve recently launched my three week Boost Your Assertiveness course. I’m offering the course to podcast listeners for 30% off, taking the course cost down from $149 US to the weirdly precise $104.30 . Check the show notes for the link - NOTE - THIS COURSE IS NOW AVAILABLE VIA LEADERSHIP TODAY ON-DEMAND WITH A FREE 30 DAY TRIAL.   Have a great week.

OVERVIEW   Your challenge this year, Capricorn, is to work out what you truly value. Financial constraints may prevent you from doing some of the things you’d love to do, but events will show you how happiness doesn’t depend on material things. A Mars- Uranus conjunction on January 20 th  in your pleasure zone may be a catalyst for some of this frustration, as something you want remains financially just out of reach.   This build-up heads straight into the first, in mid-February, of three transformational Saturn-Uranus squares due this year. Not getting what you want, whether it’s a vacation, hobby materials you can’t afford, or someone’s attention, ruffles you deeply and you may become unusually agitated, especially when Mars trines Pluto on February 25 th .   You may find some answers when you manage to increase your income, Capricorn: late March and late April both show promise here, with Mars in trine aspect first to Saturn and then to Jupiter, hinting at new income streams or a profitable side hustle. Creatively, you’re on fire too, especially in late April when the Sun and Venus both conjunct innovative Uranus in your creativity zone. However, the Lunar Eclipse in your spiritual zone in late May highlights a gap in your life that can’t be filled by buying expensive pleasures. The following Solar Eclipse on June 10 th  occurs in your work routines zone, asking you to make space in your life for the more intangible, less material issues. And yet just a few days later, the second of the Saturn-Uranus squares again suggests frustration over your financial limits. The message doesn’t seem to be getting through at this point.   During July and August, however, you’ll enjoy some profound experiences which will shift your thinking away from materialism. When Mars in your growth zone opposes Saturn in your money zone on July 1 st , you’ll start to understand what money cannot buy; this may be reinforced, especially in terms of your love life, during the passionate Venus-Mars conjunction in your growth zone in mid-July. Early August sees Venus in trine aspect to both Uranus and then Pluto, showing you how learning, travel, creativity, love and joy are all things which bring you exceptional happiness and which, largely, do not depend on money.   Your career continues to be important to you, of course, notably in October when Mars trines Jupiter from your career zone. However, Jupiter turning direct in your values zone on October 18 th  underlines your new-found commitment to greater things than materialism. The Lunar Eclipse on November 19 th  occurs in your joy zone and could indeed bring great joy – while the Solar Eclipse on December 4 th  is in your spiritual zone, marking an exceptionally poignant moment for you.   During the holiday period, the final Saturn-Uranus square takes effect and you may feel under the same kind of financial pressure as is normal for this time of year – but Venus’ short retrograde period, in your own zodiac sign, Capricorn, reminds you to reflect on the importance of love and happiness away from the consumerism of the season. LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS The ‘what you want’ zone of your chart, activated by this year’s three Saturn- Uranus squares, typically reflects issues around hobbies or creative projects, but it also has a key role to play in love, speaking to the flirtatious, magical, intoxicating stages of a relationship – or to illicit love, or love which involves risk. Because this zone is so triggered by this year’s cosmic events, your love life could be tumultuous, depending on how settled and established your relationship already is.   In late January, Venus conjuncts Pluto in your own zodiac sign, which could suggest something dramatic around an intense relationship. Or, if you’re single, Capricorn, a meeting which seems somehow ‘fated’ or ‘meant to be’. However, this leads into the first of the Saturn-Uranus squares in mid-February, which pit the value of the status quo against the value of something new and different. In love, it’s easy to see how this may relate to an intense, new attraction versus an existing, stable relationship. In late February, you’ll feel significantly less risk- averse than normal, particularly when Mars trines Pluto, so this could be a factor.   April 23 rd  may also be an important date in your love calendar. On this date, passionate – but volatile – Mars shifts into your love zone. On the same date, Venus conjuncts rebel Uranus in your love affair and risk zone; one week later, the Sun repeats the conjunction. In an existing relationship, you may feel bored or frustrated. In a new relationship, the intensity may seem all-consuming.   May’s Lunar Eclipse is in the most private and secretive zone of your chart, Capricorn, suggesting that anything hidden may not stay that way for long: this is not a good time to be lying in love. Indeed, the Mars-Pluto opposition on June 5 th  highlights a power struggle or control issue in an existing relationship, just days before the Solar Eclipse wreaks unwanted changes on your daily routines. This in itself comes just days before the second of the Saturn-Uranus squares pitting your values against your desires.   During July and August, you will have plenty of opportunities to decide what you want in your yearly love. Travel is suggested, especially in early August when Venus trines Uranus and Pluto, and travel or educational opportunities link to love, learning and your own identity. However, it may not really be until Jupiter turns direct in your values zone on October 18 th  that the fog finally clears in your love life. A month later, on November 19 th , the Lunar Eclipse in your risk and love affairs zone should signal a turning point in matters of the heart. Use the energy of the Solar Eclipse on December 4 th  to retreat and consider your position in love.   In December, Venus in your own zodiac sign forms two intense conjunctions with Pluto – one on the 11 th  and the second on the 25 th , after having turned retrograde on the 19 th . Expect to re-visit the decision you made around the time of the Lunar Eclipse; this is your second chance to get things right. The third and final Saturn- Uranus square in late December will create tension once again, but with Venus due to turn direct on New Year’s Day, 2022, you will know where your heart wants to go, Capricorn. MONEY AND CAREER   Your income seems to be a key concern of yours during 2021 – no matter how financially secure you may be, you’ll sense a need or a desire to earn more, which will conflict with changes in your values and your slow transition to a less materialistic style of life. The first hints of this come in mid-January, when Mars squares up to Saturn and Jupiter squares up to Uranus, but the first real hit will come in mid-February when the first Saturn-Uranus square becomes exact.   If you work in the creative industries, Capricorn, February does have some good news, notably the Mars-Pluto trine on February 25 th . In any other industry, March looks like a promising month. Mars moves into your everyday work zone, driving you forwards and streamlining your schedules, making you more productive ahead of a stabilizing Mars-Saturn trine on March 22 nd .  April 17 th  also brings promise, with an inspirational Mars-Jupiter trine, which is especially helpful for those working in the media, IT, tech or science fields.   May’s Lunar Eclipse is likely to give you pause for thought regarding your current career path, and whether it truly aligns with your values or not. When Mercury turns retrograde in your working zone on May 29 th , you’ll have a few days to consider your options ahead of a dramatic Solar Eclipse in your working zone on June 10 th . Be aware that doing nothing is a decision in itself in the eyes of the universe, Capricorn, and that eclipses tend to force our hand when we’re reluctant to otherwise act. Just a few days later, the second of the Uranus-Saturn squares highlights money, or the lack of it, and the freedom it may or may not buy you.   There are warnings in July and August not to borrow too much, Capricorn, or to be careful around matters of investment and debt. Be sure to take expert advice, especially around July 1 st , when Mars opposes Saturn from your debt zone, and on August 20 th , when the Sun opposes over-enthusiastic Jupiter from the same place.   If you are looking to shore up your career position, however, September should be a positive month. Mars arrives in your career zone early on, and both Mars and the Sun form supportive trines to Saturn late in the month. This may see you involved in a promotion of some kind, as may the Sun-Mars conjunction in your career zone on October 8 th .   In mid-October, generous Jupiter turns direct in your money zone, which is typically a good sign for your income. Over the next few days, Mars trines Jupiter and squares Pluto, providing a further boost to your income, although potentially at a cost to your deeper values. The Lunar Eclipse on November 19 th  occurs in your creativity zone and may fill you with inspiration for the future.   During December, however, the early Solar Eclipse in your privacy zone may give you pause for thought again about your future career direction. Use the energies of the third and final Saturn-Uranus square, over the holiday period, to force yourself to a conclusive view, one way or the other, so that you can face 2022 with confidence.

During December he'll run Florida's Snowball Derby Super Late Model race now NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott has decided to enter, in January, one of the country's biggest midget races. Plus from Thanksgiving past Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Martin Truex, Jr.

The second-quarter (Q2) Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) has dropped sharply on the back of the national lockdown regulations imposed between April and June to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. JSE-listed openpit miner Afrimat produces industrial minerals, bulk commodities and construction materials. The ACI is a composite index of activity within the building and construction sector, compiled by economist Dr Roelof Botha on behalf of Afrimat. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector had been battling with low levels of business confidence, high interest rates, declining levels of public sector expenditure on infrastructure and lethargic economic growth. When the lockdown came, the sector temporarily almost ground to a halt, with April recording insignificant levels of activity for every key indicator relating to construction. The ACI, therefore, dropped to well below the 100 level (representing the base period for the index), which also occurred during the first quarter, when the ACI dropped to below 100 for the first time. Gross domestic product (GDP) figures for the second quarter released by Statistics South Africa on September 8 indicate that construction fared the worst of all economic sectors, declining by more than 30% compared with the same period last year (at current prices). For the economy as a whole, the nominal decline in GDP amounted to 14.8% (year-on-year). Fortunately, however, the systematic easing of lockdown regulations has led to a V-shaped recovery for most key sectors of the economy, most notably retail trade sales by general dealers, which were already 2% higher in June than the same month a year earlier (at current prices), states the Q2 ACI report. The same trend holds true for retail sales by hardware stores, which recorded year-on-year growth of 4% during June. The volume of building materials produced nevertheless remained subdued throughout the second quarter, and is only expected to show a meaningful recovery during the third quarter of the year, notes the ACI report. “Contractors and builders are obviously under huge pressure to catch up on lost construction time and the imminent further relaxation of lockdown regulations could pave the way for a bumper fourth quarter for the construction sector. “Overtime work will also be facilitated by the return of the summer. During December, the interior of the country enjoys almost 14 hours of daylight.” Botha stresses that the ACI’s trend for the second quarter is abnormal, and should not be mistaken for a likely future trend. Construction Boosters Botha notes that a number of potentially strong growth drivers have started to emerge in the aftermath of the worst stages of the pandemic and that these promise to boost construction activity during the rest of the year and into next year. Lending rates have dropped to their lowest level in several decades and, if sustained, will lower the cost of capital formation over the next couple of years. Arguably the most important tangible driver of recovery in construction is the infrastructure drive by government, which will be implemented in close cooperation with the private sector. During a briefing at the end of July the head of the Presidency’s Investment and Infrastructure Office, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, announced that details of 51 infrastructure projects had been gazetted. These projects have been declared strategically important and will be fast-tracked to secure the necessary approvals (including municipal rezoning and water rights) by the end of September. This means that work on the projects should start before the end of October, or at the very least tenders should have been issued in this time, says Botha. An amount of R340-billion has been earmarked for these projects and the necessary sovereign guarantees and approvals for increased borrowing have already been secured, while funding has been agreed with private sector banks and development organisatio...

It's February and love is in the air. The love of Anton Yelchin to be exact, so Jonathan (@berkreviews) and Corey (@coreyrstarr) decided to Chekov (HA) a few more of the late actor's films. During December, they watched the documentary about Yelchin called Love, Antosha. You can visit the official website here and learn more about the actor. As far as the podcast goes, each episode features an in-depth review of the movie for the week. They begin with a spoiler-free review before diving in completely after the needed spoiler warning. However, before getting into the review of the week, Jonathan and Corey discuss what other movies they've seen since the last episode as well as anything else they feel like discussing. To help them decide which of the many films to watch each month they started creating themes for them all. Week 4 - Like Crazy (2011) Jonathan founds the idea of Like Crazy to be super up his alley and added it to his Amazon cart immediately. Directed by Drake Doremus and starring Felicity Jones and Jennifer Lawrence beside Anton just sold the premise, which reads "A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa," all the more. Corey and Jonathan are both a bit sappy and this one will likely require tissues. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/berkreviewscom-moviecasts/support

It's February and love is in the air. The love of Anton Yelchin to be exact, so Jonathan (@berkreviews) and Corey (@coreyrstarr) decided to Chekov (HA) a few more of the late actor's films. During December, they watched the documentary about Yelchin called Love, Antosha. You can visit the official website here and learn more about the actor. As far as the podcast goes, each episode features an in-depth review of the movie for the week. They begin with a spoiler-free review before diving in completely after the needed spoiler warning. However, before getting into the review of the week, Jonathan and Corey discuss what other movies they've seen since the last episode as well as anything else they feel like discussing. To help them decide which of the many films to watch each month they started creating themes for them all. Week 3 - We Don't Belong Here (2017) Corey found yet another movie released after Anton's death that neither she nor Jonathan had seen. We Don't Belong Here is directed by Peer Pedersen and stars Catherine Keener, Anton Yelchin, and Kaitlyn Dever. The plot reads " A matriarch of a dysfunctional family is pushed to her tipping point by the disappearance of her son." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/berkreviewscom-moviecasts/support

It's February and love is in the air. The love of Anton Yelchin to be exact, so Jonathan (@berkreviews) and Corey (@coreyrstarr) decided to Chekov (HA) a few more of the late actor's films. During December, they watched the documentary about Yelchin called Love, Antosha. You can visit the official website here and learn more about the actor. As far as the podcast goes, each episode features an in-depth review of the movie for the week. They begin with a spoiler-free review before diving in completely after the needed spoiler warning. However, before getting into the review of the week, Jonathan and Corey discuss what other movies they've seen since the last episode as well as anything else they feel like discussing. To help them decide which of the many films to watch each month they started creating themes for them all. Week 2 - Hearts in Atlantis (2001) Jonathan decided to buy Hearts in Atlantis while watching the documentary. It is based on a Stephen King book and is directed by Scott Hicks. The film follows "Widowed Liz Garfield (Hope Davis) and her son Bobby (Anton Yelchin) change when mysterious stranger Ted Brautigan (Sir Anthony Hopkins) enters their lives." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/berkreviewscom-moviecasts/support

It's February and love is in the air. The love of Anton Yelchin to be exact, so Jonathan (@berkreviews) and Corey (@coreyrstarr) decided to Chekov (HA) a few more of the late actor's films. During December, they watched the documentary about Yelchin called Love, Antosha. You can visit the official website here and learn more about the actor. As far as the podcast goes, each episode features an in-depth review of the movie for the week. They begin with a spoiler-free review before diving in completely after the needed spoiler warning. However, before getting into the review of the week, Jonathan and Corey discuss what other movies they've seen since the last episode as well as anything else they feel like discussing. To help them decide which of the many films to watch each month they started creating themes for them all. Week 1 - Porto (2016) Corey had first pick and she selected Anton's last leading role in a film called Porto (2016). Directed by Gabe Klinger and starring Anton, Lucie Lucas, and Paulo Calatré. IMDb.com plot synopsis reads "Jake and Mati are two outsiders in Porto who once experienced a brief connection. A mystery remains about the moments they shared, and in searching through memories, they relive the depths of a night uninhibited by the consequences of time." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/berkreviewscom-moviecasts/support

In this podcast, we join Jayne Mann (Marketing and Communications Manager at The Rivers Trust) and Dan Turner (Senior Project Officer at Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust) as they talk to Ella Foote, a Contributing Editor at Outdoor Swimmer Magazine and keen wild swimmer. During December, Ella completed her "Dip a Day" challenge in which she swam in a different river every day, asking the question "Are our rivers as bad as headlines suggest?". So far, her fundraiser has raised an incredible total of £1,195! Thank you to the North Sea Region Interreg project, WaterCoG, for sponsoring this podcast.

During December 2019 and January 2020, Indonesia and China have again become involved in a series of periodic confrontations over fisheries to the north of Indonesia’s Natuna Islands. Chinese Coast Guard vessels have accompanied a fleet of fishing boats in an area China says is part of its traditional fishing grounds, but which Indonesia claims as its exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Indonesia has sent naval and civilian patrol vessels in an effort to force the Chinese craft to leave, and Indonesian president Joko Widodo has personally visited the Natunas to underline the importance of the dispute to Indonesia, as he did in the aftermath of a previous confrontation with China in 2016. What do such incidents tell us about the implications of China’s rise for Indonesia, and how is the Indonesian government tackling the challenge of China as an ever larger strategic and economic power on its doorstep? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, the first episode for 2020, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Emirza Adi Syailendra, Associate Research Fellow in the Indonesia Programme of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, who has written extensively on Indonesia and its foreign policy approach to China. The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Photo credit: M Risyal Hidayat for Atara Foto

During December we will walk in and out of Geekdom. We will discuss our favorite Christmas Specials. Today we discuss the Polar Express what happens on our own “tracks.” Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @dfdpod

During December, we celebrate Advent as a way to be purposeful about this season. Today, we just want to encourage you to take some time to be intentional about leaning in this Christmas season...even if you're carrying doubt about Jesus. We want to hear from you! Catch up with us on social media @NRiCPod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Stroke recovery is a marathon; it's not a sprint. Regaining cognitive skills, physical skills, sensory skills, and more takes time and work. During that time, life can be really hard and unpleasant for many folks. The may or may not be able to work. Relationships get turned upside down, and after a while you just want it to go away. Surely, with all the advances in medicine, there must be something…some fancy technology or machine…some magic technique that will fix these problems, right? That leads folks to look for and explore alternatives. It also means that many survivors start pursuing things that don't work. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy appears to be one of those therapies. In Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, the patient spends time in a pressure chamber where the air pressure is 2-3X normal and breathes pure oxygen. They get roughly 8-12X as much oxygen as in their normal lives. This, supposedly, should grow new blood vessels in the brain and revive the dead neurons that were killed by the stroke, or drive new growth through neuroplasticity. I saw a number of people asking about it in Facebook groups and twitter feeds, so I began talking with folks to learn more. Strokecast regular, neurologist Dr Nirav Shah, introduced me to one of the world's leading authorities on Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy, Dr. Mike Bennett in Australia. This week I talk with Dr. Bennett about the theory and the research around hyperbaric medicine. We answer the key questions about it -- is it safe, and does it work. The short version is that it is mostly safe, but there is no reliable research demonstrating that it works. The main risk is to the patient's wallet. Bio Professor Bennett is the Academic Head of the Department of Anaesthesia, a Senior Staff Specialist in diving and hyperbaric medicine at Prince of Wales Hospital and Conjoint Professor in the faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1979 and spent his early post-graduate training at the Prince Henry/Prince of Wales Hospitals before undertaking training in Anaesthesia in the UK. He returned to Sydney in 1990 as a retrieval specialist on the Lifesaver Helicopter and here developed an interest in both diving and hyperbaric medicine. He also has a strong interest in clinical epidemiology and is an experienced clinician and researcher. In 2002 he was the recipient of the Behnke Award for outstanding scientific achievement from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Since 2004 he has been highly involved in the teaching of Evidence-based Medicine within the Medical faculty at UNSW and in 2005 was appointed co-director of the Quality Medical Practice Program there. He is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed publications including 15 Cochrane reviews of the evidence in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. Prof. Bennett was the convenor of the Australia and New Zealand Hyperbaric Medicine Group Introductory Course in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine from its inception in 1999.to 2014. He is an executive member of the Australia and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) special interest group in diving and hyperbaric medicine, chief examiner for the ANZCA Certificate in diving and hyperbaric medicine and Chair of the ANZCA Scholar Role Subcommittee. He is a past Vice-President of the UHMS and currently the Past President of SPUMS. Hack of the Week -- Rocker Knife Last week, I talked about cutting meat at a restaurant -- don't. This week, let's talk about doing the same thing at home where you may not have a kitchen staff. Sure, at home you can just pick up a hunk of meat with your hands. But sometimes you still want to slice it for some reason. I use a Verti-Grip knife. It's designed for folks with use of one hand. I hold it in my fist, rock it against the meat, and it cuts right through. It doesn't require you to brace what you're cutting with a fork. For a $14 gadget, it works really well. Links Dr. Michael Bennet https://powcs.med.unsw.edu.au/people/professor-michael-bennett Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on MedLink http://www.medlink.com/article/hyperbaric_oxygenation_for_the_treatment_of_stroke Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke on AHA Journals https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.008296 HBO Evidence http://hboevidence.unsw.wikispaces.net/Stroke Medical News Today -- Hyperbaric https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/search?q=hyperbaric&p=1 DMI Verti-Grip Curved Cutting Kitchen and Dinner Knife https://www.amazon.com/Verti-Grip-Individuals-Strength-Dishwasher-Stainless/dp/B00NZ0ZKES/ref=sr_1_7_a_it Bill on Pure Mind Magic https://victoriamavis.podbean.com/e/60-pmm-changing-your-brain-changing-your-body-wiht-bill-monroe/   Pure Mind Magic A few months back, German podcaster, magician, and mindset expert Victoria Mavis joined me to talk about the intersection between public speaking and magic on my other podcast, 2-Minute Talk Tips. You can find that interview at 2-MinuteTalkTips.com/magic. During December, I had the pleasure of appearing on her show, Pure Mind Magic. We talked about speaking, sure, but much of the conversation was about my stroke story and the power of mindset in recovery. You can listen to it here or subscribe for free to Pure Mind Magic in your favorite podcast app   Where do we go from here? Have you tried Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy? Let us know in the comments at http://strokecast.com/hyperbaric Pick up a Verti-Grip knife if you need to cut thing one-handed. Share this episode with someone in your circle who is interested in alternative therapies with the link http://strokecast.com/hyperbaric Don't get best…get better     Strokecast is the stroke podcast where a Gen X stroke survivor explores rehab, recovery, the frontiers of neuroscience and one-handed banana peeling by helping stroke survivors, caregivers, medical providers and stroke industry affiliates connect and share their stories.

2-Minute Tip: Make Eye Connection   Look them in the eye and make strong eye contact. It helps to make the audience feel more comfortable. To make that connection, though you need to hold the eye connection for 4-6 seconds. They will feel you are conversing with them rather than talking at them.   Pure Mind Magic   A few months back, German podcaster, magician, and mindset expert Victoria Mavis joined me to talk about the intersection between public speaking and magic. You can find that interview at 2MinuteTalkTips.com/magic.   During December, I had the pleasure of appearing on her show, Pure Mind Magic. We talked about speaking, sure, but much of the conversation was about my stroke story and the power of mindset in recovery. You can listen to it here or subscribe for free to Pure Mind Magic in your favorite podcast app.   Post Tip Discussion     I spoke with George Hendley from The Speakers Academy in Dallas. It was a great conversation about speaking, training, technology, and the way the field has changed over the years.   George founded George Hendley Presentations, a training/coaching/consulting firm in 1992. His first 19 years was focused primarily on serving corporate clients from coast to coast. From 1997 until 2003 he delivered the Zig Ziglar Effective Business Presentations course over 20 times during a six year period. George was in a Dallas Toastmasters club for over 3 years and achieved the Certified Toastmasters recognition. Currently, The Speakers Academy, which George founded over 7 years ago has multiple locations around Dallas, each one meeting twice a month for open enrollment training and professional development coaching.   He has had an active leadership role in the American Society for Training and Development for over 20 years. He was a member of the National Speakers Association for 10 years and the International Coach Federation for 5 years and has held numerous leadership positions in both organizations on the local level. He has been an adjunct college teacher for 5 different courses over a period of 10 years. He continues to enjoy speaking in church events and on mission trips abroad for over 40 years.   As an authorized partner for Wiley Publishing (formerly Inscape Publishing and Carlson Learning) George has a rich and very successful career. In the last 24 years he has earned the Diamond award twice putting him the top 2% of all distributors in the world for sales volume of the DiSC profile and other related programs. He has lead dozens of seminars and workshops across the country for a wide variety of companies (including Fortune 500 companies) and still serves a variety of clients who appreciate his wisdom and experience with the tool.   During the past 26 years George authored over 150 articles on a variety of important topics. Those topics include Presentation skills, Listening, leadership and understanding body language as a form of communication. He posts frequent tips and insights on his Speakers Academy Facebook and LinkedIn page that are clear, brief and practical.   His zeal for learning and the desire to teach and mentor others makes him a passionate, enthusiastic and competent presenter.   Links The  Speakers Academy The  Speakers Academy www.TheSpeakersAcademy.com The Speakers Academy on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheSpeakersAcademy/ George Hendley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgehendleythespeakersacademy/ George Hendley on Twitter https://twitter.com/George_Hendley George Hendley Email George@TheSpeakersAcademy.com George Hendley Phone 972.234.4377    The Speakers Academy on Meetup https://www.meetup.com/The-Speakers-Academy/ Bill on Pure Mind Magic https://victoriamavis.podbean.com/e/60-pmm-changing-your-brain-changing-your-body-wiht-bill-monroe/        Call to Action   Share your thoughts on George's perspective in the comments below Check out George's site, The Speakers Academy, at http://thepeakersacademy.com Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or relative with the link http://2minutetalktips.com/george Use strong eye connections Don't get best…get better

As we close out 2018, we’re shifting into a more normal market, which is good news for buyers. Looking to sell a home in Southern California?  Click here for a free Home Price Evaluation Looking to buy a home in Southern California? Click here to perform a full Home SearchAs we near the end of 2018, what’s the status of our Southern California market? The reality is that we’re at the end of an eight-year, upward-trending cycle. What happens at the end of every cycle like this is a bit of a market decline, and we’re beginning to see the start of this. The seasonality of the market is also causing things to slow down a bit. By no means do we think we’re headed for another crash like what we saw in 2008, though, so there’s no need to worry about that. Market conditions are completely different from the ones that preceded the 2008 crash. Here are some of the latest stats from our entire MLS that illustrate the change taking place: Our average original list-to-sale price ratio is 97%.Our average sale price peaked back in May at $771,000, but now it’s dropped 5% to $733,000. At the end of 2017, there were 46,631 homes on the market, and last month there were 63,596. During December 2017, there were 14,215 pending sales, but last month there were only 12,686 pending sales—a 28% drop. There were 19,058 closed sales during December 2017, but only 17,253 last month, which is an 11% decrease. Our average days on market has increased year over year from 23 days to 43 days.Our year-over-year average list-to-sale price ratio has stayed roughly the same: 99%.If your home isn’t priced correctly, it won’t attract many showings or offers.The real takeaway from these stats is that if your home isn’t priced correctly, it won’t attract many showings or offers. In general, they also indicate that we’re moving into a more normal market. Inventory is growing, which means buyers have more choices, and whenever this happens, prices naturally either flatten or decline. In a situation like this, sellers will price their homes competitively or offer incentives in order to get their homes sold. New builders are also more apt to offer competitive rates and more incentives. Normal homes are also more likely to stay on the market longer under these circumstances, which is why it’s all the more important to price your home correctly and work with a great real estate agent. In a normal market, there’s less profit appreciation. We’ve been very lucky in the Southern California region in that we’ve seen double-digit appreciation over the past decade, but that’s slowed down to a rate of 3% to 5%. Interest rates have risen over the past year, and that’s something that’s affected both buyers and sellers. Lastly, it’s important to note that although we’re shifting into a more normal market, we’re still not quite a buyer’s market yet. If you have any more questions about our market or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home soon, feel free to call or email me. I’d be happy to help you.

During December, The YA Room is celebrating LoveOzYA during the whole month! We're thrilled to be involved, airing our first minisode. Discussing our favourite LoveOzYA friendships, glad for any excuse to talk about Aussie books and authors!

December can be an especially nerve-wracking month at work, not only because the year is ending but because the winter holiday season can create extra stress and unpleasantness -- even between co-workers. Some people celebrate holidays at this time of year, some people don't and everybody has their own feelings and expectations about the end-of-year period. Some people are excited about it, and others aren't. During December people can easily stumble over appropriate seasonal greetings, sentiments and terminology. There is constant risk of awkwardness around socializing, gift-giving and even cubicle decoration. Here are ten new "rules" to follow during the holiday season, to preserve harmony (and sanity) on your team! 1. Please don't shove your kids' fundraising candy sales down your co-workers' throats. Your colleagues may adore you and your children but they may already know where every penny of their holiday budget is going. If you want to promote your kid's fundraising cookie sale, put up a poster in the break room. Don't sell people at their desks. No one should have to fend off sales pitches at work. 2. Please don't try to drag anyone to your holiday service, pageant or concert. Everybody is overbooked in December. Do not put anyone in the awkward social position of having to make up a conflict to save them from your holiday service, pageant or concert. If you make people aware of your outside-of-work performances and gatherings and they want to go, they will let you know. 3. Don't force your employees to go to the company holiday party if they don't want to. If you have a party during work hours, give your employees the opportunity to go home early or get some shopping done instead of sticking around for merriment if they're not into it. If the party is after work hours, ditto. 4. Don't get drunk at your company's holiday party. This one is obvious but people still do it. 5. Don't make your employees participate in Secret Santa activities if that's not their cup of tea. Nobody should be forced into any "fun" workplace activity, because the minute they are forced to participate it's not fun anymore. I love a cookie exchange as much as the next person but I want to be invited to join in -- not compelled to. 6. Don't give your boss a holiday gift. It's nice of you to think of doing that but it puts your boss in an awkward position. Get a sweet potted plant for the office, instead! 7. Respect the fact that not everybody gets into the holiday spirit, or wants to. Some people have a tough time around the holidays. It is fun to be merry and festive at work but it's even more important to be sensitive to everyone around you. 8. Remember to thank your co-workers, vendors and customers for their support over the past year. It's amazing how a tiny word of thanks can brighten someone's day. 9. Give everybody the benefit of the doubt in December. We are all carrying a heavy load. The end of the year can be chaotic and stressful even for happy-go-lucky people. Don't assume that someone used the wrong holiday greeting to offend you -- that's highly unlikely. Think the best of everyone. That's the only way to stay cool and calm yourself when things get hectic! 10. Finally, be good to yourself. It is easy to over-commit, overextend yourself and criticize yourself as the year comes to a close. Take a moment and remember all the good things you accomplished, learned, experienced and discovered in 2017. You are a superstar, whether you admit it or not -- celebrate your awesomeness for a minute, before you dive into 2018! Liz Ryan is CEO/founder of Human Workplace and author of Reinvention Roadmap. Follow her on Twitter and read Forbes columns. Liz's book Reinvention Roadmap is here.

“Advent” simply means “coming”. As such, Advent is the time of year we deliberately set aside to celebrate Jesus’ First Coming and eagerly await His Second. There is a long history of waiting for the Messiah to come. During December we will look at 4 passages in Luke 1-2 about just this topic. Today Pastor Ashley Brown shares Simeons’ Song from Luke 2.

“Advent” simply means “coming”. As such, Advent is the time of year we deliberately set aside to celebrate Jesus’ First Coming and eagerly await His Second. There is a long history of waiting for the Messiah to come. During December we will look at 4 passages in Luke 1-2 about just this topic. Today, Pastor Ashley Brown shares the Angels' Song from Luke 2.

“Advent” simply means “coming”. As such, Advent is the time of year we deliberately set aside to celebrate Jesus’ First Coming and eagerly await His Second. There is a long history of waiting for the Messiah to come. During December we will look at 4 passages in Luke 1-2 about just this topic. Today Pastor Ashley Brown shares Zechariah’s Song from Luke 1.

"Advent" simply means "coming." As such, Advent is the time of year we deliberately set aside to celebrate Jesus' First Coming and eagerly await His Second. There is a long history of waiting for the Messiah to come. During December we will look at 4 passages in Luke 1-2 about just this topic. Today, Pastor Ashley Brown teaches from Luke 1.