Author: Tom Shaw

As a professional in the information technology field, you’re often expected to work crazy hours and keep up with rapidly changing conditions while getting your job done every day.

So what challenges do IT professionals face and how can they overcome them?

The grand pillars on ancient Greek temples, modern soda bottles, and the metric system all testify to the importance of geometry in our world. For millennia, human beings have been engaged in the study of geometry, which is a subset of mathematics that addresses issues such as position, space, size, volume, shape, and so forth. Today, it is a required course in most secondary education programs.Euclidean geometry is the most famous branch of geometry, but there are several other branches such as differential geometry, projective geometry, and others. This resource guide to geometry deals mainly with Euclidean geometry and features links to several resource pages with lessons, games, and other activities to help you master the subject. Use it to enhance your understanding of this important branch of mathematics and to have fun with shapes, lines, points, and more.

Project management in its simplest form is the act of planning, organizing, motivating, and utilizing resources to reach a specific goal. A project is almost always a temporary procedure – whether it is short-term or long-term – with defined and expected results, a time line, and is generally meant to meet specific objectives and outcomes. Since projects are time-sensitive and have to meet certain guidelines, they are usually best handled by being properly laid out and outlined, with the right people working on it, and utilizing the correct resources, all within the allocated budget and still meeting a high standard quality. By understanding what exactly it is that project management involves, and discovering how companies can benefit from it, maybe those companies without project management strategies can learn to adopt them in time.

Imagine the Internet without YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, or Facebook. Better yet, envision the world without any graphics, images, symbols, or even color. Think of a fast - food menu with only words and prices. It probably does not sound very stimulating. Humans rely on visual aids to better understand the world. Visuals enhance the human experience by a large margin. In fact, humans communicate using nonverbal, visual communication through body language. Studies have shown that 55 percent of communication stems from body language, 38 percent from tone of voice, and 7 percent from the actual words spoken. Therefore, it only makes sense to incorporate visual aids in every aspect of daily life, especially in business. Communication through use of visual aids excites the perception filters of the intended audience, making it an effective tool in marketing. Nothing else comes close in the business world, not even radio broadcasts with repeated advertisements. Visuals make it happen.

The patient experience is an area of healthcare that can no longer be overlooked. Patients are routinely questioned about the care they receive through HCHAPS surveys. The results of these surveys can have an impact of the level of Medicare reimbursement a hospital receives. According HCAHPS to December 2014 summaries, 21% of patients did not feel like nurses always communicated well, 36% did not feel they were always provided information about their medications, and 32% did not feel the hospital staff were always responsive.

A good project management strategy will ensure that the final result comes from concentrated effort as opposed to wasted efforts. However, not all product management methods work for all applications. For those who are new to project management, there is a learning curve and a period of adjustment. Project managers must find the approach that works best for their specific project. Even the same company or industry must employ different management approaches depending on the nature of the project. It's a good idea to know and understand some of the different types of project management approaches available.

Compared to all other living creatures, humans have incredibly advanced methods of communication. It is the main way in which we convey information and get certain points or ideas across to another person. The way we communicate can also vary depending on who we might be talking to. For example, think about how differently the same person might address a child versus the president of a company. Communication is powerful enough to sway opinions, cultivate relationships, and form impressions. Read on to learn more about different types of communication in various scenarios.

According to one version of events, a Korean War veteran, Martin Heit, discovered while working with photographic film that he could write on the negatives with Sharpie pens. Heit went on to invent the first whiteboard in the mid-1950s using the same laminate material used in film negatives. After his first whiteboard was lost in a fire prior to being released to the public, he sold the invention to the Dry-Mark company, which began marketing whiteboards to public schools in the 1960s. An alternate history on whiteboards credits the discovery to an American steel producer, Albert Stallion, also around the mid-1950s to early '60s. Either way, the Dry-Mark company is credited with first introducing the whiteboards for use in educational systems, and they replaced chalkboards in many classrooms throughout the world.

Meetings are an important part of nearly every business. Effective meetings allow owners, management and employees to communicate with one another, and also help to facilitate company growth and success. While they often take place between members of the same company, a business meeting may also be with prospective clients or between companies that wish to do business together. Unfortunately, not all meetings are as productive or as welcome as they should be. Often this may be attributed to poor planning, lack of participation and boredom. When conducting a meeting, it is important that organizers recognize what it takes to make it a success.

As technology becomes more dominant in the educational setting, it is important to have a system that will work cohesively among a number of areas to enhance communication and productivity. The implementation of whiteboard systems has been a welcome advantage in assisting teachers and administrators in the identification of student and district-centered solutions.

Dry-erase whiteboards have a number of uses in hospitals, medical centers, and clinics. When used consistently and efficiently, a whiteboard can help communicate to both patients and staff key details that include but are not limited to diet, schedules, allergies, and special considerations. Individual whiteboards in a hospital room serve as a central location for both the family and the professional staff to stay informed of patient goals and timelines. Whiteboards are also becoming a popular choice for tracking patient schedules in clinics, emergency rooms, and operating rooms. Dry-Erase whiteboards have several advantages to consider. A dry-erase whiteboard in a patient's room is easy for both staff and family to access, improves communication between staff and patients and have been proven to raise Press Ganey scores.

Written by Laura Baker, Nurse Practitioner.

See this post and more at her blog: http://askthenp.blogspot.com/

When children begin school, they are often overwhelmed with new information. They quickly begin to learn to read, and initially, children are often taught to spell and write words in a kid-friendly manner where everything is spelled the way it sounds. Unfortunately, however, many times words are not spelled exactly as they sound. As children become more advanced with reading and writing, they eventually learn the basic rules of the English language and begin to spell words properly.

If you've been reading this blog for some time now, then you've discovered that there are plenty of advantages to having a whiteboard. Whether it's in the office, your home, or even your home office, they're great for things like time management, organization, and keeping track of projects, for example. However, there's one way to utilize a whiteboard that I've discovered to be extremely useful, and that's for storyboarding.

Whiteboards or dry-erase boards are a wonderful addition to every learning environment. Whether in the classroom or for individual study, whiteboards enable students to write, draw, practice, or create lessons in an easy, fun, and convenient manner. Students can easily erase mistakes and rewrite problems or diagrams until they are correct, which saves on total paper costs. Teachers are embracing whiteboards in the classroom and easily adapt lesson plans designed for chalkboards, overhead projectors, and monitors to whiteboards. Students of all ages use whiteboards, and they are a practical, affordable, and environmentally friendly alternative for studying. Students use dry erase or whiteboards to play games, practice vocabulary words, create flowcharts and pictorial aids, and work through math problems. Whiteboards are a preferred method for reinforcing student lessons and help increase student participation. Learners may use whiteboards in a group setting or for individual study. Additionally, teachers use them to facilitate group learning and demonstrate how processes unfold. Whiteboards have proven to be an invaluable teaching tool that engages student learning and enhances participation. They are affordable, practical, and easy to maintain.

Benefits of Hospital Whiteboards - The Specifics
According to one survey, 80% of nurses, house staff and attending's agree that whiteboards play an important role in improving patient care, team work and communication.  In fact, communication errors contribute to 65% of all reported sentinel events within medical facilities.  Effective use of a whiteboard can result in an 80% increase in a patient or staff members willingness to read, a 73% increase in comprehension and a 35-50% decrease in interpretative errors.

Simply put, it's important to have business cards. Despite the fact that we're living in a digital age where people are now connecting with each other on social networks like LinkedIn, business cards definitely still matter. Having business cards handy is just one great habit of many that highly successful business leaders have, and if you don't have them already, then you're missing out on big opportunities to not only market your business but also promote yourself.

Improving Patient-Staff Communication
A key benefit of the use of whiteboards within medical facilities is improving communication between the medical care team, the patient, and concerned family members.  In fact, communication errors contribute to 65% of all reported sentinel events within medical facilities. Dry-erase whiteboards in patients' rooms serve as a field-proven mean of communication easily accessed by both staff and family members. Important information concerning treatment schedules, daily goals, allergies, contact information, medication times, discharge information and care team members can be easily recorded and changed on a whiteboard.  When the patient or family members have access to a whiteboard, communication is improved because a question is less likely to be overlooked or forgotten if a staff member is not immediately available to provide an answer.  The infographic and links provided below show the important role whiteboards have on not only improving communication but overall patient/staff satisfaction and Press Ganey scores.

Ensure that your business meetings are productive with proper preparation and organization. Agendas are one of the most important tools for running an effective meet-up because a business meeting agenda clearly details all of the items in the discussion and are often provided in advance of the actual gathering. Having an agenda provides attendees with an orderly roadmap from the start to end of the meeting. While there are many common agenda components, your meeting's agenda will depend on the nature of your organization and the purpose of the talks in question. A formal business meeting may require an agenda with clearly defined time allotments and inflexible topics while a general project meeting may only require a basic outline of topics up for discussion. Even though planning takes time, it is an important organizational tool that will improve communication and productivity during your business meetings.

In order for a production facility to perform up to its full potential, every employee needs to know what they have to do, where they have to be and the progress that needs to be made within the time allotted to meet goals and expectations.

Using Whiteboards to Streamline Training Processes
You could say that whiteboard systems are a critical part of the faculty, as it can be organized to schedule, manage and train. Yes, train - often an overlooked aspect of manufacturing, it can also be optimized to give everyone a clear, concise picture of the training program that you're implementing. Having a set visual system to clearly define qualifications is an essential tool for communication and improving efficiency in the workplace.  Once properly implemented it can be a key source for feedback, communication and relevant discussion to promote continuous learning among employees.

In a manufacturing facility, when a preventable line stoppage occurs, paid employees are idle, while a maintenance crew resolves the problem. In some plants, raw materials spoil if not used quickly and add to the dollars lost to an equipment failure. If the place on the line where the stoppage happened is critical to the manufacturing line, the entire production line and not just a single section may have to shut down. In short, unplanned work stoppages are costly, and if serious, they interrupt the production schedule and can even cause a delay in delivery of the completed product.

Surprisingly, even companies that use advanced manufacturing software overlook simple maintenance tasks that affect plant productivity in a negative way.

Safety is one of the highest priorities for manufacturers. An excellent safety record keeps costs and production disruptions low, helps prevent issues with OSHA and keeps employee morale high, but the most important reason to stay focused on safety is because it protects the company’s most important resource – its people.

Safety doesn't just happen – it requires diligence and effort to ensure that safety stays top of mind despite the drive to deliver products quickly and cost effectively. One of the easiest ways to ensure that safety remains a high priority is to measure safety and to post safety records prominently where everyone can see them. Magnetic whiteboards are a superb tool to address this need because of their flexibility and proven ability to boost safety awareness and improve the overall safety culture within an organization. Here are a few ways to use magnetic whiteboards to measure and improve safety records.

Every single day that you head into work, you should always strive to be the very best that you can possibly be. Personally, I may not always have the greatest day (I'm sure we can all relate), but I always put my all into it, which is one lesson that my parents instilled in me from a young age. They taught me to always try my hardest and to give my absolute best effort. Since I was younger, it's always been one of my stronger traits.

If you look at some of the greatest leaders out there in our history, there's a reason why most of them reached the heights that they did and stood out from the rest of the pack. I've seen my fair share of strong, successful business leaders in my career and others that haven't really lived up to their true potential. To be one of the best out there, there are multiple habits that one must adopt, and I want to share some of them with you here.

We all make mistakes but what distinguishes industry leaders is their ability to identify root causes and make changes so that costly mistakes such as time and material waste don't happen again.

Lean tools for quality improvement
If you work in a “Lean Manufacturing” environment you're familiar with tools like “5S”, “Root Cause Analysis”, fish-bone diagrams, and the “5 Whys”. They're all powerful tools for managing the workplace, helping you stay organized and preventing problems recurring. What we find a lot of companies struggle with though, is using them effectively.

It takes a great team to make a business tick to its maximum potential - and if one particular wing of the company isn't performing up to par, it's the entire company that will suffer, which will absolutely be reflected in the bottom line.

In a manufacturing environment, you're being relied on to produce products quickly without sacrificing quality. After all, when it comes to product development, time to market is crucial these days and the manufacturing step of the development cycle is the final, yet arguably the most important, part of promptly getting the product out the door and to the end user.

We have gone into great detail on here in the past about the many benefits there are to having whiteboards around the office. With all types of whiteboards, there are plenty of positive effects that they can have on your working environment. However, whiteboards aren't just useful for the office: They're also great to have inside the home. Personally, my family and I have benefited from having whiteboards in our home in more ways than one.

For our family, staying organized and keeping everything in order is of the utmost importance. Trust me, if you're more organized, life is much more enjoyable. With that said, here are some ways that you can benefit from having whiteboards around your home.

Just in Time (JIT), Continuous Improvement (CI) and Six Sigma are all systems that improve manufacturing quality and cut inventory costs. While there are loads of computer systems that are compatible with how these systems work, for inventory control, many companies prefer much simpler, manual whiteboard and card holder systems known as a Kanban system. Even large plants that could implement complicated electronic systems are opting to implement simpler Kanban Card Board Systems because they are easier to setup and use.

Lean manufacturing has helped companies make major strides in productivity and efficiency by eliminating non-value added steps and streamlining business and production processes. Removing wasted time and effort in your operations can improve profits considerably.

Moving the heart of your decision making from the office to factory floor can reap several rewards. Sharing information with employees involved with day to day operations empowers them to make a difference.

The role of whiteboards in lean manufacturing:

On our blog, we've taken a look at many different aspects of business, including business meetings, business planning, and much more. There's a lot that goes into any business, but one type of business that has been taking more shape over the past several years is start-up businesses, which are becoming much more relevant in the digital age that we're living in today. However, with most start-up businesses, there's typically one glaring problem.

How do you finance it? It's a start-up.

There's no need to worry because there are plenty of ways to finance your start-up business, and I'm here to share a few of them with you. It might be tough, as there are an estimated 27.5 million small businesses in the United States alone, but it can be done.

How do you like your work environment? Believe it or not, the atmosphere of your workplace can have a large effect on your productivity on the job, for better or worse. You need to be comfortable with your surroundings because when you are, great things can come from it. With your work environment being more inviting and upbeat, you will be able to take your positivity and direct it to focusing on completing the tasks at hand. On the other hand, if your workplace environment is poor, it can be tough to get motivated and get things done.

Simply put, if you're not happy, it's difficult to become motivated. Early in my career, I worked with a company that had a dark and dreary feel to it. There was barely anything on the walls, it was literally dark at times, and even the coffee wasn't great. All of this and more led to it being a work environment that simply wasn't motivating. It's tough to be productive if you aren't motivated.

Here are some ways that your workplace environment can have an effect on your productivity.

In an office setting, it's important to manage your time efficiently and effectively. Face it, things can get stressful, so you need to have a grasp on everything and manage your time well. We have all experienced it first-hand, and in an office setting, where there are meetings and projects happening all the time, it can be more vital than ever before.

Over the years, I've found great ways to manage time better. Not only that, but I've found that by managing my time better and being more organized, I don't experience as much stress as I used to. Stress can be frequent in the office, too, so stopping it is something to really put some care into. Did you know that whiteboards can help?

By having goals, you ensure that any process, especially in manufacturing, runs soundly and effectively. Also, it's important to remember that all of this is a team effort, so keep that in mind. Be sure to map out a plan and your goals, analyze them, and communicate them all with your team. Here are some of the various types of goals that you should have in regards to the manufacturing floor at your company.

If you've been keeping up with our blog, then you're completely aware of the many different creative and unique ways that you can use a whiteboard. Whether it's for a calendar, planning for both the short term and long term, keeping motivational quotes on, or even just using it for artistic reasons, a whiteboard is great to have. Not only that, but one of the biggest benefits of having a whiteboard is that you can utilize it to its fullest extent for your next presentation.

We've all sat in on meetings at the office where a presentation or training session was given, and it was done as the standard PowerPoint presentation that we've all grown accustomed to. While these can be great in some situations, they have grown tired and can be pretty dry in most instances. By constructing a unique and creative presentation with a whiteboard, you'll be able to keep the attention of your audience without them losing interest and focus.

If you work in an office, meetings are likely second nature to you. They can happen quite often, but we have all come out of some meetings in a mild state of confusion. In other words, we can leave a meeting wondering what was accomplished, or even what we could take away from it. In most cases, this happens as a result of poor planning for the meeting itself.

When planning a meeting, there is a lot to take into consideration. You want the meeting you're organizing to have meaning, and result in your colleagues taking away something positive from it. Luckily, I've had plenty of experience myself planning business meetings over the years, and while there were bumps in the road over time, practice makes perfect!

Here are some tips for planning a successful business meeting.

There are three main types of learning styles, and while the majority of people will learn through a combination of the three, everyone is unique in their own way. There are auditory learners, people who learn better when having something explained to them, as opposed to having to read about it. There are also kinesthetic learners, who learn best through a "hands-on" approach, with writing things down as an example. Lastly, there are visual learners, which we'll be focusing on with this post.

Visual learners are those who process information and learn the best by seeing things play out in front of them. Whether it's through reading, watching a presentation, or looking at charts, for example, visual learners pick up the most information by seeing things happen. With that said, whether it's in the classroom or the office, whiteboards aren't just useful for unique presentations, but they're very effective for the visual learners in the room.

Here are some effective ways that whiteboards can really help visual learners.

There are many advantages to being left-handed. Not only is being left-handed an advantage when playing sports, but "lefties" often have better memories, are often times faster typists, can be better at video games, and are able to take on more at once. It's the little victories, right?

Did you know that left-handers only make up about 10% of the population? As someone who is left-handed myself, I've gone through the struggles that come along with it. Let's face it, most things are made to be most comfortable for those that are right-handed. With the majority of the population being right-handed, it makes sense, but how about some love for the left-handed crowd?

With many different types of useful whiteboards out there, especially in the business world, those of you that are left-handed will have to use them too. One problem that I've had in the past when writing is smudging, but that, as an example, is something that I've been able to correct in the past. I did this a few ways, which I would like to share with you.

A Kanban system, which is a way to help organize workflows, is an essential manufacturing process. Not only does it prioritize things for employees, but it puts a clear focus and emphasis on what needs to be done and will help unveil problems that those in charge may not have had a clear understanding of before. In any industry, it's all about delivery, and especially with manufacturing, a Kanban system is key.

At Magnatag, our manufacturing floor is one of the main components of what we do. Each and every day, our products are made and shipped out to our customers in a process that is controlled, concise, and effective, and a big reason for this has to do with our Kanban systems. With all of that said, if you aren't yet taking advantage of this, understand two things - this type of system will revolutionize your manufacturing organization system, and it can be done very conveniently on a whiteboard.

Here are a few ways in which Kanban systems can be effective:

One of the most important things in life to me is being organized, and it's not something that always comes easy. Life can be hectic, so it's best to stay on top of things. To avoid any headaches or confusion, I like having my days planned out in advance because if anything, it helps to keep me on track. One way that I keep organized is through keeping a calendar of upcoming events, meetings, and other things that are happening as a part of my schedule.

Being organized will put your mind at ease, and one key component of this is having a whiteboard calendar. In comparison to the calendar that you may already have, there are numerous benefits to having your calendar on a whiteboard, and here are a few.

Did you know that whiteboards are outstanding for giving video presentations? When we think of video presentations, we typically think of the traditional, often-boring PowerPoint. We've all sat through plenty of these, whether it was in grade school, college, or in meetings at our jobs. Two of the main reasons that people utilize PowerPoint presentations so much is that they're simple to do and, more importantly, because they're very cost-efficient.

What if I told you that you could do a video presentation on a whiteboard that was also inexpensive? This is something that I've personally had great success with in the past, and now I want to share some tips with you. It's important to be creative, so here are some reasons why and how you can utilize whiteboards to make some really inexpensive yet awesome presentations.

Throughout your career, you've surely seen employees come and go. It's the nature of the working world, and it's bound to happen. There are always a variety of reasons why people leave companies, but frequent employee turnover isn't good. Luckily, there are ways to reduce it, and one is in a way that you may not have thought of.

Have you ever done something nice for someone? Of course you have. We all have. We know that it makes us feel really good knowing that we made a positive impact on someone's life, in whatever way that may be. Simply put, supporting local philanthropy can help to decrease employee turnover.

Here are some of the benefits of supporting local philanthropy:

Here at Magnatag my Visible System teammates and I frequently work with customers who need to solve scheduling and information display problems in a production or service environment.

We often hear how slowdowns occur when the information employees need to process a job is not readily available. Recently we worked with a customer whose job stopped in several departments before passing it on to the next group. Once we realized their work flow could be defined by a series of steps or stages, the challenge became one of communicating that information to employees. What they need to know is the status of each job, what is coming next in the pipeline and where the bottlenecks are.

The purpose of the modern day calendar is to keep us on track, remind us of important dates, and to countdown to special occasions. In business, using a calendar is of the utmost importance; regardless of whether you are a company president, CEO, or an hourly employee, the use of a business calendar can help you with keeping to a specific schedule, prevent you from missing important meetings, and assist with keeping up with other coworkers' schedules. Comprehensive calendars also encourage collaboration and improve coordination between team members.

On certain days, I feel like I spend more time in meetings than I do at my desk, and I'm sure that some of you can relate. I'm very big on note-taking, too, because sometimes, these meetings can go in a lot of different directions, making it a bit tough at times to follow. Again, I'm sure this sounds very familiar to some of you. With that said, it's important to always take notes in meetings, for a variety of reasons.

Personally, I've found that note-taking has some huge advantages. Here are some reasons why you should always have a notebook and pen (or an electronic device, though studies have shown that paper is better) with you when attending any type of meeting in the office.

In the business world, it's no secret that buzzwords have become part of our vocabulary. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of buzzwords, as more often than not, they're just unnecessary jargon. The reasoning for this is that with so many buzzwords, some can have alternate meanings. Therefore, in the business world, they can often be misconstrued.

Also, there are some buzzwords in business that can make you sound out of touch. Here are some business buzzwords that you should just stop using altogether.

In today's hectic world, it can be easy to find yourself swept along in an endless tidal wave of work, meetings, and projects. The good news is that there are some simple tools that you can use to reclaim previously lost time in your day. By knowing the basics of time management, organization, and scheduling, you can work more efficiently and effectively at the task at hand, regardless of whether that task is raising a family or completing an office presentation. The key is to take a few minutes every day to implement gradual changes in how you work, and the first step is learning what those changes ought to be.

Time management can be the most difficult skill to acquire. A few lost minutes here and there may not seem like much, but when added together, they can completely reshape your day and what you can accomplish in it. The main goals of time management are to prioritize your tasks and break down your work into clear, manageable segments to allow for faster, easier completion. After all, working on one huge project can seem daunting. By breaking up the task into smaller portions and keeping track of what you have left to do, you can work more effectively on tasks that are a high priority. Save checking your email or Facebook for a five-minute break after you've finished one of your main goals for the day.

Creativity in the workplace is often underestimated. Sure, some people will just come in and go through their daily routine, never changing things up even in the slightest. However, I have discovered the importance of creativity and innovation over the years, not just because it can make you a better person but because it can make you much happier and feeling more innovative. This can benefit you both at the office as well as outside of the office.

Believe it or not, mindfulness meditation can be an outstanding way to relieve stress and ultimately boost your creativity. This is important to keep in mind because when you're stressed about anything, you won't be as creative or motivated to accomplish the tasks that are put in front of you. With that said, I had a friend recommend meditation to me, and I'll be honest - at first, I was skeptical about it. I wasn't overly enthusiastic about it because I assumed that the perceived benefits were a little over-exaggerated.

But I was wrong.

It's no secret that it's important to be a positive influence on those around you. From my experience, this is especially true in the office. It's good to keep morale up, and if you're someone who is in a managerial role, it's very important to be influential in a positive manner. Face it - influence matters, and it's not exactly easy to be influential in a positive way. However, with that said, I'm confident that I can help.

Here, I want to share with you some tips on how you can influence others in a positive way around the office.

Bulletin board displays are creative ways to share information, enhance learning or feature students' work, and foster community spirit. They are visually stimulating and pleasing displays that quickly became a central focal point of any classroom or office. With a little creativity and ingenuity, teachers and businesses can maximize the effectiveness of the bulletin boards they display. Their value is immense, but in order to be their most effective, those making bulletin boards must ensure that they are well-organized, visually stimulating and engaging, and easily accessible. Bulletin boards should maximize the space where they are established and be located in high-traffic areas where viewers will see them. Many choose to affix bulletin boards to classroom and office walls, as these make the best use of available space and ensure that students or office workers may easily view the displays. Students and office workers should have easy access to viewing and interacting with bulletin boards as applicable.

At one point or another, we have all had our creativity halted within the walls of our office. Engaging in the exact same routine all of the time and seeing the same walls on a daily basis can certainly make you run into a mental roadblock, and I've been there before. With that said, there are ways to switch things up. I've found that it can be very beneficial to both your creativity and your mind to sometimes take your work elsewhere, if just temporarily.

Personally, one place that I like to head over to to enhance my creativity is any of the local coffee shops. For me, it's peaceful and a good change of pace. Here, I would like to share with you some of the benefits of getting creative out of the office.

What is a Magnet?
The word "magnet" comes to us from the ancient Greeks, who were aware of the basic properties of magnetic stones as far back as about 600 B.C. Legend attributes the name to Magnes, a shepherd whose metal staff struck the first such stone, but in truth, it probably came from a city in Asia Minor famous for magnetic minerals. A magnet is any object that generates a magnetic field. Each magnet has a north pole and a south pole of its own, just like Earth. Magnets attract iron and other ferrous metals. They can be used for compasses because if it is put in an appropriate setting and allowed to move freely, a lightweight magnet will point toward the North Pole.

Many people connect magnets in their minds to tiny items on a refrigerator or whiteboard, the guts of a compass, or perhaps a giant, red, horseshoe-shaped object used in cartoons. Many of us don't know what makes up magnetic fields, or why they work, and believe that magnetism does not affect our daily lives. However, magnetism is essentially important, because electricity and magnetism are inseparable – they are two aspects of the same force. Magnets are everywhere – in fans, computers, washing machines, medical equipment, and have a large part in generating the electricity that comes into the home, enabling you to use your television, gaming system, refrigerators, and lights. Magnets quite literally light up our world, thanks to revolutionary scientists like Michael Faraday and Hans Christian Ørsted.Not to mention, we're also on top of a giant magnet, as the Earth itself is geomagnetic and has a magnetic north and south pole, without which our atmosphere probably wouldn't exist. They also enable the beautiful aurora to light up at the earth's poles. Besides the Earth, the Sun, too, is a giant magnet, with huge, and more complicated magnetic forces that can cause the arch shape of many solar flares. Looking at our own solar system, there are most likely many other geomagnets in the universe, so it is rather impossible to know what the strongest one might be (a candidate for the strongest known magnet field in the universe is 20 trillion times more powerful than a refrigerator magnet).

In any environment, especially in the workplace, leadership is very important. For anyone in any type of managerial role, it's important that they carry themselves in the right way, showing their strengths as a leader. It's just as important for anyone else to try their best to lead the way in any form or fashion that they can. However, while it's important to do and say the right things in any type of leadership role, this doesn't always happen in the way that it should.

If you're like me, you've seen plenty of cases where leadership appears to be a bit strange based on things that are said. Here are some examples that I would like to share with you of things that great leaders shouldn't ever say, and what they should say instead.

Any teacher will tell you that their students learn in different ways. While some students may learn best from lectures, others need to participate in hands-on activities in order to fully understand something. Still other students must see a concept demonstrated or explained in pictures in order to comprehend it. Students in this third group are known as "visual learners."

What it Means to Be a Visual Learner
A visual learner is an individual who learns best when he or she is able to view information in the form of visual aids, including demonstrations, videos, diagrams, and pictures presented by the instructor or the textbook. Visual learners remember what they see more often than they remember what they hear. They often have trouble with verbal instructions and are much more likely to be able to complete a task successfully when it is explained using images. These students often prefer art to music, and they would rather read than listen to someone speak.

It's no secret that when people are happy, they will give as much of their effort as they possibly can, and there isn't any other place that this applies to more than the business world. As someone in a managerial role of any company, it's important to keep everyone happy. This can be avoided by having effective communication, a positive environment, and fun team-building activities that your employees will enjoy, among other things.

With all of that said, I've seen first-hand how productivity can decrease by a great margin if people are unhappy for any reason. If people aren't in the best of spirits, they won't be as motivated to do their absolute best, which not only hurts their individual productivity but will negatively affect your company as a whole. Here are some ideas that I would like to share with you in regard to what I like to call "the Secret Productivity Hack," and that's keeping your employees happy and in great spirits.

If you're anything like me, being organized is a high priority in your life. To be honest, I'm probably too organized. If I'm ever in a situation that is completely unorganized, I find myself frustrated and have difficulty focusing, and I'm sure there are some of you who can relate to that.

Not only are whiteboards great for organization at any business or at hospitals, for example, but they're great for staying organized around the house. Personally, I've found great use for them around the house in a lot of different ways, and here are some creative home uses for whiteboards that I would like to share with you.

Last week I came across a great article featured on Fast Company Design (a must read for anyone interested in design) from Jake Knapp: a design partner at Google Ventures, highlighting the importance of having a "War Room" for your design team.  In the article, Knapp states three main reasons why "War Rooms" work so well:

Handwriting is a foundational skill that young students must master. With neat and effective handwriting, the student can organize thoughts and ideas and communicate effectively. As important as handwriting is, this skill requires that children practice and work to develop skills. Some children resist handwriting due to its tedious nature, making it difficult to teach skills. Handwriting practice on a whiteboard can help children hone skills to develop neat penmanship, while keeping them interested in the lessons. Children love having the chance to get out of their seats and write on whiteboards. When children practice handwriting exercises on the whiteboard, they are fully engaged and active participants in the learning process.

If you've been involved with any type of job that involved working with other people, then you fully understand the importance of effective communication. For me, I've been involved in situations where the communication has been great but have also seen situations where the communication is poor, which can negatively affect the operation as a whole.

When there is effective communication in place, not only does it increase efficiency and productivity, but it can keep morale up as well. When people are on the same page and it's making things more clear, concise, and on-point for everything, it raises the moods of your colleagues.

When developing a class curriculum, it can sometimes be difficult to integrate an interactive element. Many middle-school-aged children cannot focus on more than an hour of memorization, lectures, or even slide shows. It's important to have an interactive activity to both break up the monotony of class, and to enhance learning at home. In the classroom, teachers don't necessarily need the best technology to create an interactive lesson. Using a whiteboard or a dry erase board, teachers can create a game using cards, dry erase pens, and their imagination.Low-cost games can be tailored for certain subjects. Almost all of the students will know how to play hangman, for example, but they might find it more difficult when learning specific vocabulary. This type of game would be good for a second-language class, or for learning difficult SAT-worthy English words. An English teacher could provide a short definition after the students finish the word, or give hints if they're having difficulty. Another great game for an English class would include practicing sentence diagramming, where students can come forward to diagram, and receive points for correct answers. The classic card game Spoons can be played to match 4-of-a-kind words for either difficult vocabulary or grammar knowledge.

In almost any of line of work, you're going to be working with other people. Throughout my career, I've seen plenty of instances where the morale where I worked was great because of the upbeat, fun atmosphere that existed, and a lot of that had to do with unique team-building activities that took place. Not only that, but one of the best parts about team-building activities is that they can be pretty cost-efficient, so you can't go wrong.

With that said, are you looking to boost your team morale or just help your team grow in general? If so, here are some great ideas for team-building exercises that you can use to help bring your team closer together.

If you're like me, sitting at a desk has become your typical daily routine when at the office. However, some companies aren't just full of offices with desks and cubicles. Instead, at some companies, you'll find the manufacturing floor, where products are created for future sales and distribution. If you've never been on a manufacturing floor, even at your company, there are some necessary safety precautions to take. There will typically be some heavy machinery on the manufacturing floor, so it's always best to play it safe.

Being comfortable is important when it comes to safety and efficiency in the workplace. If you're like me, you're sitting for the majority of your work day at the office. But it's important to understand that you need to get up and stretch to prevent as much damage or soreness to your body as possible. No one wants to have back pain, for example, and you should avoid it at all costs.

It's no secret that comfort and productivity at the office go hand-in-hand. Here are some tips and ideas that can help reduce workplace pain, all while keeping your productivity at work at a high level.

We have taken a look at various organizational charts that every business should have, and it's understandable that whiteboards are an essential part of keeping your business more organized and running as efficiently as possible. However, it's not only an office building that can benefit from having whiteboards: Schools use them as well to enhance the learning process, and hospitals are finding great uses for them, too.

Hospitals can benefit from using various types of whiteboards. Whether it's to keep a schedule, track a patient's progress, or keep a watch on the staff, whiteboards in hospitals are important for efficiency. Here are some ways that hospitals are using whiteboards to their advantage.

Using EEG and MRI brain imaging technology, scientist have determined that the "Aha" moment of a new idea is not a sudden dash of insight but rather a culmination of previous brain states, thinking's and processes.

With that being said, here are 5 of the greatest creativity quotes to help inspire you reach your "Aha" moment when you are stuck in a creative rut:

It's no secret that whiteboards can be a tremendous help to the organization of any business. In the past, we have taken a look at various organizational charts that every business should have, but perhaps it's time to delve a little bit deeper into the subject. Let's face it – if you're not utilizing whiteboards, then you're not handling your business as efficiently as you could.

Efficiency is key to the success of any business. We've stressed on here enough that if you're not using whiteboards, then you're not keeping your business as organized as you could be. Here are some reasons why utilizing whiteboards can help your business run more efficiently.

Today's fast-paced, ever-changing economy is full of both entrepreneurs and businesses trying to make their name. It's competitive, and one must be confident, imaginative, and have the drive to succeed. It's no secret that obtaining success is far from easy – there will be plenty of hiccups along the way with wrong turns and failed attempts, so it's vital to remember the importance of perseverance.

Personally, I'm not afraid to admit that I've failed along the way, and I'm sure that's something that we can all relate to at some point throughout our careers. Not everything always goes as planned, but I've learned throughout my career that perseverance is key, and that hard work does pay off.

With that said, here are 20 business quotes that capture the mindset that every aspiring entrepreneur and business owner must have if they wish to be successful.

What Else Can We Use Whiteboards For?

Sure, whiteboards for businesses have many uses, but they can also be used for fun inside the classroom. Part of the reason why whiteboard games are so popular is because of the challenge involved with keeping students engaged in lesson plans. According to many education experts, introducing some form of activity within your classroom can boost student engagement, concentration, and retention skills.

There are dozens of classroom games you can play with your students that only require a dry-erase board, a marker, and a little bit of creativity. We've put together this helpful list of whiteboard games to help detail some of our favorites that can be enjoyable for both students and teachers alike.

Some of the Best Whiteboard Games for Kids

One of the first things that people look for when they walk into a classroom for the first time is whether the room has a blackboard or a whiteboard. The chalk that is used on black (or green) boards has been a staple of education for over a century. There are plenty of stories of great historical figures who spent hours in classrooms writing out the solutions to problems in chalk. But the whiteboard, also known as a dry erase board, is starting to become the standard in classrooms around the country. What is it about the dry erase board that makes it a growing preference in our schools? There are actually several benefits to using dry erase boards over the traditional chalk boards in our schools. When a teacher writes on a dry erase board, regardless of what color marker is used, it is much easier for the class to read than chalk. The most common marker used is a black marker, and anything written in black marker can be seen by the back of the class just as easily as it can be in the front rows. The contrast of the white board against the colored markers creates bright and discernible content that students can use.

Whiteboards are an increasingly versatile tool in the classroom and create tremendous value for school districts.  Traditional chalkboards are becoming dated as they tend to be messy and difficult to see. It can also be difficult to differentiate between different subjects and coordinate topics when using a chalkboard. A dry-erase board has bright and vibrant colors that make it easy to separate ideas into color-coded segments. It is also possible to use magnets and accessories on dry-erase boards, which adds a whole new dimension to education. With a little imagination, educators can come up with a variety of ways to use dry-erase boards to help educate students more efficiently.

In the professional world, having and practicing proper business etiquette is vital. Whether it's through a business deal, a meeting, or through any sort of dealing, presenting yourself in a professional manner is very important. Over the course of my career, I've learned a great deal about proper business etiquette, and would like to share what I have come to know with all of you.

Awkwardness can arise from professional situations, but they don't need to be that way. Here are nine tips to ensure that you're practicing proper business etiquette throughout not only your career, but life in general.

If you're like me, you have been involved in your fair share of business meetings. The nature of business meetings is typically that of a serious nature, so it's important that you keep a professional manner, and avoid saying anything that you might regret. In my experience, I've seen colleagues' first-hand say certain things that probably would have been better kept to themselves, but didn't end up being the case.

By saying something that might be of a controversial nature in a professional environment, specifically a business meeting, it can often create tension and set an awkward tone in the room. I've seen it, and perhaps you have as well. Either way, here are eight things that you should always avoid saying in a business meeting.

We have all been involved in meetings of some sort, and in the business world, these occurrences can often go off track if there isn't proper organization in place. In these business meetings, it's vital to head into each meeting with a plan. An agenda can keep your business meeting in line, can help you hit different points, spend the time you're given in an efficient manner, and most importantly, stay on track with the time that you have.

Some will simply improvise the meetings that they lead, but this isn't very efficient. It's important to have an outline; a plan that will be followed to make sure that every key point is discussed. A meeting agenda keeps form, consistency, and will allow you to stay on track. I'm here to share with you just a few reasons on why having an agenda for your next business meetings, and all meetings moving forward, is vital. Be sure to head into every meeting with a plan. You'll be pleased with how much more efficiently everything flows.

Cartography, or map making, is a practice that has been around for centuries. The oldest map known to man could date back as far as the late 7th millennium BCE, and the oldest surviving maps are generally thought to be the Babylonian world maps created in the 9th century BCE. The history of cartography is closely tied to our own human history, since we have been making maps for as long as we have been navigating the world around us.

Cartography History

Traditional Cartography vs. Modern Cartography
The history of cartography is a fascinating subject because there have been so many massive developments over the centuries. The technique has changed dramatically as technological advancements have been made, but the cartography definition has stayed the same-whether drawn by hand or created with a machine, the practice of making maps is still very important to mankind. Maps were originally drawn by hand using basic instruments like ink, brushes, and parchment, and became much more accurate upon the invention of the compass.

Proper and efficient organization is vital in any line of work, but those in the business world especially know how important it can be. Throughout my career, I've worked in situations that were less than ideal when it comes to proper organization, so I certainly don't take it for granted when things have great format and structure.

I'm here to help assist you in bringing more structure and organization to your business, and especially to help you make meetings run more efficiently. The following are some different types of organizational charts that I would like to share with that, that you'll definitely find to be helpful.

Imagine going to a professional baseball game, you arrive after it's started but with a quick glance at the scoreboard you know exactly what's going on. On the way to your seat and without asking anyone, you see the inning and the score. It also shows who is at bat, balls, strikes, outs, the number of hits, errors, runs by inning, even who's on deck. The information is organized in order of importance to a baseball fan. The same is true when you drive a car. The speedometer is the largest display because we check it the most, then comes the tachometer, gas gauge, oil pressure, battery and temperature. While most statistics are useful, a good scoreboard shows us what we need, when we need it.

Hey Everyone!

My name is Tom Shaw, and I'm a Visible Systems Specialist for Magnatag. I'm looking forward to contributing fresh, great, & informative content for all of our readers, but first, I would like to introduce myself a bit.

I'm originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated with a degree in communications in 2000. I originally started my career in my home state of Ohio, around the Cincinnati area, but after some time there, I felt that a little change would be good. This is when I was presented with the opportunity to join the outstanding team at Magnatag, and didn't even hesitate at the chance to join.

A whiteboard is convenient because it can be used over and over again without any mess or hassle. Whether you have a small whiteboard or a whiteboard that is a bit larger, you have a resource you can use to study and absorb material. The great thing about a whiteboard is that you can use different colored markers, magnets, and other accessories to help make your studying easier. Another great thing about a whiteboard is that unlike a computer keyboard, everyone in a study group can access the same whiteboard at the same time. The whiteboard encourages interactive studying and makes it easier for people to share ideas.

There are only 24 hours in a day, and that is a fact that we are reminded of our entire lives. When we are young, our parents complain that there is not enough time in a day to get everything done. As we get older, we start to wish that the days were longer to accommodate our needs. Since time is not going to be altered to fit our needs, we have to learn how to better manage the time we do have. Time management is the practice of organizing your life so that you are able to accomplish the things you need to get done. The point of managing your time properly is to be able to find success and enjoy it as well. Without good time-management skills, we would spend all of our time pursuing our goals and never leaving ourselves time to enjoy our lives. Time management is a skill that we must learn at an early age and refine as we get older.

The simple whiteboard hasn't been displaced by technology, but rather, it has been embraced. Whiteboards line the walls of Silicon Valley firms and have given rise to some of the most creative and clickable videos you can find online today. Whiteboard animation, also known as dry-erase animation, is a method of animating that is simple enough for anyone to learn and requires little technology. Nonetheless, this elementary animated format has become a favorite on YouTube and regularly shows up on social media feeds. The engaging technique lets viewers see an image being drawn at rapid speed. For entrepreneurs, teachers, and all kinds of storytellers, whiteboard animations are simple to learn and captivating to audiences.

It's no secret that many students may find reading from a textbook dry and boring. This is why it's up to their teachers to make the classroom more fun and engaging while still proving to be educational and informative.Teaching games can be a great learning experience for students of all ages and in all subjects to create an interactive environment for both teachers and students to have fun while learning and to better retain all of the information. The children can benefit from dry erase board games and other educational exercises not only by learning through enjoyable means, but they will also have a better understanding of team work and communication with their peers, more respect towards their teachers, and ultimately, a better appreciation for learning and the pursuit of knowledge. Below you will find a list of resources that includes: games to be played using a whiteboard covering a variety of subjects, how to take care of a whiteboard, other classroom activities to promote education and fun, and how students and others can benefit from using a white board.

In the business world, timing is critical. Customers expect you to be there on time and being late to a meeting can make you and your company look unprofessional. To be successful in business, you need to be able to utilize the tools available for calendar scheduling and organization. Magnetic calendars make it easy to organize, schedule, and visually share your team's activity and objectives. It is the people who are the most organized and on time who are most often able to take advantage of the biggest opportunities.

Kanban is a lean production technique for inventory management and job loading that is fundamental to streamlining the flow of work to meet customer demands. Even though electronic Kanban and inventory management systems are becoming more robust, basic analog kanban card systems continue to provide a quick and easy alternative. Based on our experience with customers who use these boards every day, here are some examples of effective implementation.