What matters more: how much employees get done or when they get it done? A new survey of 1,500 U.S. workers found that 45% feel more productive outside of the standard 9-to-5 office schedule. (A quarter would rather start and leave earlier; 17% would rather start and leave later; and 4% would rather start early, take a midday break, and then work late.)

Almost 90% of workers say workday flexibility is an “important” factor in their job satisfaction. Admittedly, that isn’t possible in all industries. For instance, a restaurant needs to be open for lunch or a construction company needs workers in the same place at the same time to build.

However, you may see greater performance and retention by encouraging a focus on clocking results — and not just on the clock itself.

AI headshots: Deepfake it ‘til you make it

Venting: The (one) upside of office complainers

Origin: Avon started with books, not cosmetics 

(Source: Midjourney/business.com)

Should you let a robot take your headshot?

First impressions matter. A professional photo is an invaluable tool when introducing yourself to new clients or employers. However, a photo sesh can set you back a few hundred dollars, which is no small cost for job seekers. And for camera-shy folks, a full hour of posing — while attempting to appear relaxed and upbeat, yet composed and polished — is a dreadful prospect.

Enter the AI app Remini, which generates “professional headshots” based on 10 to 12 user-submitted selfies. It essentially lets you deepfake yourself with a variety of pose templates and wardrobe choices — and it topped the App Store this summer. (Remini is subscription-based, but it offers a limited trial for new users.)

The results can be quite convincing, but you can also run the risk of veering too far into the “uncanny valley.” This has downsides beyond the creepiness of gazing into the soulless eyes of your machine-learned self.

Studies have found that people can accurately pick up on personality traits based on photos alone, especially when the subject displays a natural posture. A (human) photographer can coach you to pose in ways that will make your authentic personality sing, but a picture that’s not really you might jeopardize your ability to set yourself apart. Clients or hiring managers could wonder why it just feels “off.” 

(There are also privacy concerns about uploading facial biometrics, although if you tag Facebook pics, that horse has already left the barn.)

On the plus side, if you intend to use the photo exclusively for your LinkedIn profile, the 400x400 pixel size may be small enough to forgive any hints of artificiality. It can also make sense for those of us without the budget, patience, availability, or confidence for professional photos. And there’s something to be said for a profile pic that doesn’t require a trip to the dry cleaners.

🤿 DIVE DEEPER

• Should You Hire a Human or a Robot?
• Is Your New Hire a Deepfake?
• Biometrics and the Future: What It Means for Small Businesses

(Source: Shutterstock)

Dr. Steven Rogelberg is a chancellor’s professor at UNC Charlotte, former president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and author of Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings.

Venting about frustrations, problems, and concerns is quite human; we do it, on average, four times a day. Unfortunately, venting about work frustrations does not actually lead to feeling better. In fact, it works just the opposite: it tends to make us feel worse as we keep fixating on what’s wrong.

But can anything good come from it?

Here is the twist: When you vent to someone who actively challenges your negative feelings about a situation, constructive problem-solving may occur. The key then, when we feel the need to vent, is:

• to do it with those who will challenge us
• being open to the challenge
• making it easy for the other party by inviting their alternative perspective

The problem is that individuals who tend to vent a lot often don’t look for listeners who challenge them. Instead, they seek out voices who will always support them, which adds more gas to the frustration fire.

Clearly, this is counterproductive. To curtail it, organizations can implement a training program that helps employees recognize negative venting spirals; encourages them to seek a trusted individual who will (supportively) challenge their perspective; and imparts problem-solving skills so they can be such individuals for others.

Reframe venting away from negative emotions and instead use the venting as the start of an approach for helping the person see different perspectives and pathways for addressing what is vexing them.

Do you have a toxic employee wreaking havoc in your business? These strategies can help you handle the situation.

(Source: Shutterstock)

Avon sells billions of dollars worth of beauty products each year through millions of representatives worldwide, but it originally started out with just a single door-to-door book salesman.

In the 1880s, New Yorker David H. McConnell knocked on doors to sell books to housewives; as an incentive, he gifted free perfume with every purchase. “He soon realized customers were more interested in the free perfume samples than the books,” according to Avon.

Instead of merely switching his wares from hardcovers to fragrances, McConnell contracted those same customers to sell perfume door to door for him, building a direct-sales empire. Although the world of multilevel marketing (MLM) is a source of controversy, by observing and involving his original customers, McConnell sniffed out his own success.

• 1920: USPS began delivering airmail from New York to San Francisco, but it only saved about two days versus train mail.

• 1930: 3M rolled out its first cellophane scotch tape. Today, 3M sells enough annually to encircle the earth 165 times.

• 1937: Bath & Body Works founder Leslie Herbert Wexner was born. He probably won’t need any gifted soaps or candles this year.

• 1986: The Oprah Winfrey Show aired for the first time. Today, Winfrey has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. 

See inspirational quotes from Oprah and more trailblazing women we admire.

Written by Tess Barker and Ali Saleh. Comic by John McNamee.

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