How to Deal When Your Team is Without a Leader - The Muse

How to Deal When Your Team is Without a Leader - The MuseHow to Deal When Your Team is Without a Leader Dear HR Professional,Our department cant keep a leader and is falling apart. Whats the best thing to do when theres nobody there to correct or defend your department?Signed,Lacking a LeaderDear Lacking a Leader,Sorry to hear about your teams situation. Its frustrating not to have a steady supervisor in your department- after all, it can take weeks or even months to build trust with a new manager and having many (or zero) managers in a short amount of time can make it feel like no one is looking out for you.And without one, its easy to feel powerless. Rest assured that there are a few things you can do to make things better for you and your department. Heres what I recommend1. Step UpIf you dont have a clear supervisor who can delegate, its a great opportunity for you or someone else on your team to step up and claim some manager responsibilities in the interim. Chances are, youre n ot the only one on your team who feels like things are falling apart. If youve identified herausforderungs in your department that need correcting, why not start those conversations with your teammates directly? After all, high-performing teams are characterized by the ability to communicate and resolve problems openly. That starts most authentically from the ground up- you dont need a manager to set the tone for an open and trusting team. Try umgebung up a weekly team huddle with your department to discuss updates, whats going well, and what could be improved. Simply providing a safe space to talk about these things will make a world of a difference2. Find an AdvocateThink about leaders in other departments that you work closely with. People who have had direct experience working with your team will be better allies for hearing out your concerns. If there is anyone like that at your company, try inviting them out for a coffee or lunch. While I dont recommend directly asking them to speak up or step in for your team (they have their own department to manage, of course), try picking their brain about things that arent going well on your own team and seek their advice on how you can make it better. In turn, theyll be more likely to keep your department in mind when having other conversations that may affect your team.3. Make Your Voice HeardNever underestimate the power of speaking up. If you havent already, you should voice your concerns with someone on your companys HR team. This problem might seem obvious to you, but the rest of the company may not realize how bad things are on your team without a direct supervisor to communicate that to leadership. More than likely, your company will do what they can to make your situation better- no one wins in a situation where an entire team is unhappy.Hopefully, trying one or all of the above tips will help improve your short-term day-to-day. If nothing else, youll be the team hero for stepping up and taking action. Good luckThis article is part of our Ask an Expert series- a column dedicated to helping you tackle your biggest career concerns. Our experts are excited to answer all of your burning questions, and you can submit one by emailing us at editor(at)themuse(dot)com and using Ask an Honest HR Professional in the subject line.Your letter may be published in an article on The Muse. All letters to Ask an Expert become the property of Daily Muse, Inc and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.

Industry Tackles Challenges in Mass-Producing Flexible Solar P...

Industry Tackles Challenges in Mass-Producing Flexible Solar P... Industry Tackles Challenges in Mass-Producing Flexible Solar P... Industry Tackles Challenges in Mass-Producing Flexible Solar PanelsWant to cover your camper with thin, flexible, film-like solar panels to capture electricity on the go? An world wide web search will turn up many stick-on solar panels. YouTube videos teach viewers how to make homemade versions. But mass-producing and commercializing quality products based on the emergingtechnology remains elusive. The thought is that someday the solar panels may become ever present, always gathering power when the sun is shining powering mobile devices, computers, cars, even shoes. Theyre cheap, easy to install, and can be quickly rolled over a large surface.Researchers at Aalto University in Finland and the University of Montreal are now studying how to make industrial-scale manufacturing of these types of solar panels feasible.To do so, the electronic cells must be ma de in rolls of flexible plastic or metal foil through something called roll-to-roll processing. The rolls then undergo ink-jet printing in which dye and electrolyte components are precisely injected into the plastic or foil pieces, says Kati Miettunen, a project manager in Aaltos bioproducts and biosystems depspeciesment.For You 9 Innovations in Solar PV TechnologyWhile a similar manufacturing process is used across many industries, the fragile cells and the materie that covers them make it challenging. They cant be damaged while they move quickly through the rolls, she says.Also, sealing the flexible cells is challenging for manufacturers. If the cells arent fully closed to the elements, liquid electrolyte could leak out of the cell or impurities could seep in, greatly reducing the devices life, Miettunen says.Researchers would have to find new ways to connect the substrates, since conventional techniques such as glass-frit bonding, now used in flat-panel displays and other devices , are unsuitable for flexible cells, she says. Even with these drawbacks, researchers and developers continue to look at ways to manufacture the flexible solar panels because the market for them is potentially huge.Those panels can fit many types of solar applications and are more aesthetically pleasing on buildings and other structures than the glass panels often used today, says Hannah Brckstmmer, strategic marketing manager at Merck Group, a pharmaceutical, chemical, and life sciences company in Darmstadt, Germany.They have other structural benefits as well. If a roof, for example, cant bear the heavy load of traditional solar panels, the lightweight panels can be affixed without compromising structural integrity. They can also be installed on nonconventional structures, for example, an art installation on the street. Imagine the sails of the Sydney Opera as power plants, Brckstmmer says.Merck is working on flexible solar panel technology that can be printed on substrates using t echniques that include continuous roll-to-roll processing, which Brckstmmer terms a simple printing technique.The companys technology mixes a polymer in repeating units, like the pearls in a pearl chain, and a carbon molecule. These two compounds are mixed and dissolved to become a type of ink.After printing, the resulting thin layer is the active layer, absorbing the energy of the sun, she says. You only need a layer thickness of 0.2 micrometers to absorb the energy of the sun and this is 100 times thinner than a human hair.But Mercks flexible solar panels, like that of many other companies, remain experimental and arent mass manufactured. The lifetime of these devices remain an issue, as do environmental concerns, another challenge to commercialization, say the researchers.Another prerequisite for commercialization is making the lifetime of devices adequate in relation to the energy embedded in the fabrication of the devices so that the solar cells wont degrade before they have pr oduced more energy than was used for making them, says Jaana Vapaavuori, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Montreal.New discoveries using biomaterials or a hybrid material with wood pulp as substrates for the cells could move the flexible solar cells toward mass commercialization, says Miettunen.Meanwhile, work continues at many companies to bring flexible thin-film solar panels to a widespread market.Jean Thilmany is an independent writer.Read MoreCapturing and Reusing Wasted Energy with NanopeapodsRecord Efficiency Highs on SolarMilitary Looks to Renewables in Battle Zones For Further DiscussionImagine the sails of the Sydney Opera as power plants. Hannah Brckstmmer, Merck Group

How to Make Extra Money from Home with Almost No Free Time

How to Make Extra Money from Home with Almost No Free TimeHow to Make Extra Money from Home with Almost No Free TimeLets face it, manypeoples lives are already overscheduled. So, what do you do when you have little free time but need to make extra money from home? Aflexible work-from-home position can be a great way to pad your income. Carving out a few early morning or evening hours is a great start toearning extramoney from home.Here are some excellent ways to make extra money from home, along with some relevant jobs you can find at WritingWrite about topics that you already have knowledge about. Share your career expertise, your parenting tips, or some other area of expertise or interest. has thousands of jobs that offer 100% telecommuting flexibility, including writing opportunities. Here are some examplesPersonal Finance Writer Freelance finance writer needed for a work-from-home opportunity. $50-$100 per article plus additional incentives for top-performing writers. Candidate will be responsible for writing investment-related articles.Resume Writer Remote resume writer will write resumes from scratch with client-provided data, edit and rewrite existing resumes, direct interaction with clients as necessary, and will perform all other tasks.English Grader Accurately and objectively evaluate subjective exams and projects. Provide effective and clear feedback. Take part in grading projects. Masters degree required and teaching experience preferred. Part-time and telecommute role with five to 25 hours weekly.Fitness Writers Must have a passion for health and promoting topic of body confidence. Relevant degree and two plus years of writing experience required. Strong voice and sensitivity towards body shaming dangers are required. This is a part-time and remote role.EditingWorking a side gig in the editing field is another convenient way to earn mora from home. Here are more excellent ways to make money editing from homeCopy Editor Copy editor is needed for a contract role to write and edit copy on the fly. This candidate will check graphics for accuracy, brevity, grammar, style, and voice. Must possess strong writing and editing skills. Bachelors degree required. Remote, part-time work.Editor Work-from-home opportunity. Will be responsible for reviewing mystery shop narratives, ensuring that clients receive mystery shop reports, and checking forms for scoring accuracy.Editor Legal Will work in a home-based office handling legal transcription editing tasks and producing high-quality work. Must be fluent in English with strong grammar and spelling skills.PhotographyWhen youre running errands or taking your kids to the park, take along your camera to capture scenes that you can sell. Capture artful photos that will make perfect stock photos for purchase. Other ways to earn more with photography includeImage Reviewer Seeking an experienced remote image reviewer for a part-time, flexible, contract role. Saturday availability required. Candi date must have two years experience in photography, domain expertise, strong attention to detail, and excellent analytical skills.Illustrator Responsible for creating front-only and full-wrap digital paintings in high resolution, creating concept sketches for ebooks and print books, and turning chosen concepts into a final painting. Must be team-oriented. Work at home with flexible hours.Vector/Illustration Reviewer Experienced vector/illustration reviewer needed for a part-time, contract position. Must have weekend availability, two years experience, domain expertise, high-speed Internet access, PC or Mac, Adobe Illustrator license, and strong organizational skills. Work from home.HobbiesEvaluate your hobbies and other skills and turn them into cash. Do you know another language, love design, or are you interested in fashion? Have fun and use your skills to improveyour bottom line.Personal Stylist Assist clients with looking their best for photo shoots, consult with clients regardi ng their outfits andpersonalstyles via phone or email. Part-time, remote, contract role. Needs bachelors degree or working experience in the fashion industry. Pays $15 per hour.Over-the-Phone Interpreter Work-from-home candidate will provide interpretation services over the phone and collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other providers around the world. Must be fluent in English and one or more languages and have one year ofinterpreterexperience.Mens Online Stylist Will work from home on a part-time basis, at least 20 hours per week, to generate personalized wardrobes and styling tips for clients using an online styling tool. Requires a bachelors degree and one to two years experience in fashion.Looking for more ways to make extra money from home? Check out these companies hiring for part-time work-from-home jobs.