e-commerce & social media

Body language is one of the most important and powerful types of communication in the history of the world. A wink conveys an air of mysticism and charm, a simple raised hand in front of your face tells everyone that you are not going to put up with what is happening anymore, and a leg popped behind you with your head tilted back is the international symbol for glee and whimsy.

How you present yourself physically at work can truly help (or hinder) your career. According to a study led by Amy J.C. Cuddy (@amyjccuddy), an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, standing in a power pose for a few minutes before an interview can literally help you get the job. Watch Cuddy’s excellent TED Talk on power poses here. According to Cuddy, power posing also increases people’s tolerance for risk and pain, and their ability to think abstractly.

So what are some simple tricks you can do to make yourself a better negotiator, make a difficult task easier, and encourage more collaboration? We talked with  Dr.Carol Kinsey Goman, the author of 12 books including The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help—or Hurt—How You Lead, about her best body language workplace tips.

The success of smartphones and tablets over the last five years or so has been helped in no small part by the huge number of apps available to users. These handy little add-ons make life easier; there are apps for grocery shopping, banking, social networks and pretty much anything you can think of.

The thing is, how many of these apps are actually productive? Do they enable you to perform your job better? Does it give you the ability to work on the move in a way that hasn’t been possible since, well, ever?

Take advantage of modern technology to increase your effectiveness in, and outside, the office.  Here’s five apps which have been proven to increase the productiveness of people at all levels of business.