Job interview: The keys to success

The job interview, these are the two words that candidates dream of hearing, while secretly dreading them. However, they are the sign of a successful first step, since your CV has been well received and your cover letter has convinced you. But nothing can be done about it, the job interview remains one of the most dreaded stages for the vast majority of job seekers. So how do you overcome this fear and go into job interviews with your head held high? Here are essential tips to impress recruiters.

Prepare for it

1. A job interview is like a test at school: you prepare beforehand to get a good mark. The best thing to do is to take a pen, make some notes and revise.
2. We cram on the company's product/service: we register on the site, we analyse it, we subscribe to the newsletter. In short, you use all the tools at your disposal once or several times, in order to fully understand the services offered by the company.
3. We study the environment and the company's competitors. Indeed, to understand a job, there is nothing like knowing its universe, and therefore the companies that do the same job.
4. We go through the company's press coverage: articles in specialised newspapers, hashtags on social networks, etc.
5. We write an argument for each mission described in the job description (skills, qualifications). "Yes, this job suits you", point by point, and you can prove it.
6. Find out about your future contact on LinkedIn. Because this social network will tell you not only about your recruiter's current position, but also about his or her experience, professional interests, etc. (If you want to do this in private mode: go to your profile - preferences and privacy - profile view options).
7. Stress relief: yoga, stretching, breathing exercises. A little stress can be beneficial and a boost, but too much stress can make you lose your nerve. So a few days before the interview, adopt a healthy lifestyle (diet, exercise), and relax.

Dress to match

In order not to be out of place, determine the company's dress code beforehand. If you are applying to a very large group, a bank or an important administration, you can expect to see many suits and ties. In a start-up or SME, employees will probably be more casual. So it's up to you to adapt your outfit accordingly.

Example of an outfit for a large group:

A suit or dark plain suit, with a white shirt, a touch of discreet colour for the tie or scarf. Brown matte leather shoes or black mid-heeled pumps and opaque tights. A nice navy or mottled grey coat.

Sample outfit for a startup:

A nice pair of well-cut jeans, a nice shirt/blouse, a jacket. Brown matte leather shoes or mid-heeled pumps. You can be more daring with accessories that are a little young and colourful.

In general we avoid :

• perfume, after shave or deodorant
• jewellery that is too flashy
• visible brands, extravagant logos
• white socks in leather shoes
• too much make-up
• Remember to try on your entire outfit before the day of the interview.

How to behave

Here you are, all dressed up and ready to face that dreaded moment! You're ready, and you'll do great. But be sure to follow some of our tips:

1. Take notes! This gives the impression that you are interested in what you are being told, and it also gives you something to ask questions about at the end of the interview. What's more, it gives you confidence.
2. Ask questions. Based on your notes taken during the interview and your knowledge of the company, do not hesitate to ask questions at the end of your interview. This shows that you are genuinely interested in the company and the post to be filled, and it shows a certain amount of confidence on your part.
3. Don't interrupt the interviewer, it is not very popular. Listen to them and show them that you are listening: nod your head, take notes. This enhances what he or she says and will also allow you to build on what he or she has said.
4. Stand correctly and smile: this is the basis of non-verbal communication. Stand up straight, stay open, with your body facing the person (not the door like someone who wants to run away). Look attentive and smile. A smiling person inspires confidence and sympathy and makes people want to work with them.

Mistakes to avoid

You've read a lot of advice on what to do, but don't miss out on the things you shouldn't do! In an interview, as in any social interaction, there are some faux pas that you should avoid.

• Dressing inappropriately. As we saw above, all sectors have their own codes, and even for an interview in a start-up company, you show respect and interest by dressing properly.
• Being arrogant. If you seem to have seen it all, to know it all, to have all the codes already, it can greatly annoy the recruiter sitting in front of you. Knowing things is good, being pretentious is much less so. So there is no point in jargonising or trying to impress your interviewer at all costs.
• Spread yourself too thin. Always be precise in your answers and be concise. Nothing is worse than a candidate who digresses or tells too much about his or her life. You should be clear, and only elaborate on certain points if the person in front of you requests it.
• Being overly critical. Even if your former boss was a scoundrel, there is no point in saying anything bad about him or her during your interview. This will only serve to undermine you and make you look vindictive and unsympathetic. Especially as in some professional circles, everyone knows everyone else.
• Plan an appointment that sticks to the interview. Nothing is more stressful than not having time. If you have several interviews at the moment, don't schedule them back to back. You will just look at your watch and stress, which does not bode well for your performance with the recruiter. Similarly, if you are in a job, avoid scheduling an appointment between lunch and dinner. Take the afternoon off, and take the time!

Questions to expect

Once you have introduced yourself and summarised your experience, the recruiter will probably have questions. While every recruiter is different, and every job has its own specific expectations, there are some questions that remain unchanged. So you are very likely to be asked:

1. "Tell me about yourself" - according to recruiters, this is the typical question to start an interview. It's a simple, but unsettling, question that can help you focus the conversation on all the positive aspects of your background. Mention your significant experiences, talk about your situation and what you are looking for. Be concise and highlight your strengths.
2. "Why did you apply for this job and our company in particular? - This question allows recruiters to see from the outset who has applied for no better reason, and who is really motivated. Go back to what attracted you to the job, what you like about the sector of activity, what you like about the company's culture.
3. "What professional situation caused you the most problems? - With this question, the recruiter wants to know how you overcome obstacles, and if you are easily destabilised. Show that you have been able to show optimism and perseverance in spite of difficulties, that you have overcome a real challenge and that you have learned from it!
4. "Why are you the best candidate for the job? - Here, be confident and pragmatic. Compare the job description with your past successful experiences and consider each of your strengths for the position. If you are motivated and convincing, the job is yours!
5. "What are your salary expectations? - This is a question that often makes you feel uncomfortable, yet it is a legitimate one. Don't let yourself be caught off guard, or you risk having your salary expectations lowered. Beforehand, don't hesitate to ask for advice from people around you, or to look up average salaries for a particular type of job in a particular sector on the web.
6. "Do you have any questions? - This is an essential question to which you must absolutely answer "yes". A candidate who does not have any questions can be seen as lacking enthusiasm or interest in the job. If you have conducted your interview well and prepared it well in advance, you will probably get some questions.

Questions to ask the recruiter

Yes, you do have questions, you have plenty of questions! Because you are motivated, curious, and you have prepared your interview thoroughly! Here are some ideas for questions to ask the recruiter on the day:

1. "What impact will my work have on the company's overall missions?" - With this question, the recruiter understands that you are looking for a job, but that you also want to join a team, and participate in the success of a company. You show that you are looking beyond your job.
2. "What are the possibilities for development? - This question clearly shows that if you are hired, your ambition is to stay as long as possible. You show here a desire to invest yourself, to give your best and to progress.
3. "What do you appreciate in your best employees? Once again you show your team spirit and your desire to know the company's requirements. This question will also allow you to learn more about the qualities expected by your recruiter and to adapt accordingly.
4. "What is the company culture - This question will show your interest in the company beyond your own work. The company culture is crucial for job satisfaction, and knowing more about it will help you decide whether or not you want to be involved in the long term.
5. "What are the next steps in the process? - Take the lead and end the interview on an optimistic note. This is where you show your seriousness, your motivation and your structured mind.

The practical details

To avoid last-minute stress, here are some purely practical details to prepare the day before the big day:

1. Locate the place of the interview, plan the route, look at the access map, note the code if there is one.
2. Take a notebook and a pen (which writes!).
3. Set your watch to the right time.
4. Check that the outfit you plan to wear is clean and ironed.
5. Make sure there are no transport strikes, diversions or unexpected traffic.
6. Leave 30 minutes early, just in case.

All the advice you have just read will be very useful. But here is one last one. Be yourself! You have all the necessary qualities since you have come this far. And don't forget, you too are there to be seduced. The person in front of you also has to prove themselves and convince you to come and work with them. Go for it!

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What is Emotional Intelligence at work?

Emotional intelligence - understanding our own and others' emotions and recognising their importance - is the key resource for effective leadership that respects the needs of others.

The good leader excels at the fundamental task of motivating and eliciting positive emotions in those he or she leads, so that they can unleash their best selves.

The difference between intelligence and emotional intelligence

Intelligence as it is generically understood actually refers to what scientists call "cognitive intelligence". Emotional intelligence, on the other hand, is a concept that has only recently emerged, and Salovey and Mayer were the first to define it.

The expression "emotional intelligence" is more concretely the result of the evolution of the study of intelligence. Beyond the cognitive intelligence of man (the part of intelligence developed according to the knowledge of the individual involving memory, language, reasoning... and which is measured by the IQ), another form of intelligence was quickly recognised, more "mental", more "social", which also helps the individual to adapt to his environment.

Social intelligence, practical intelligence... In short, we ended up recognising multiple forms of intelligence in humans, including emotional intelligence.

Scientists currently even consider that it is correlated with an individual's social performance and in particular with the professional success of adults.

What is the use of emotions at work?

Emotions as a valuable tool for human relations

More and more companies today are asking their employees to develop their social and behavioural skills. The aim? To improve their working conditions and those of others. Thus, developing social skills is, by definition, managing everyone's emotions at work. It has therefore become an important consideration for human resources departments.

The Latin root of the word "emotion" is emovere, literally meaning "to set in motion", to put "out of". Emotion characterises an intense, unusual and short-term emotional state. In short, it is a fleeting/permanent expression of a strong feeling.

Emotions are therefore to be distinguished from an individual's temperament, mood or personality. Emotions have the sense that they intervene to respond to the solicitations of the environment of the man and help him to adapt to it.

They also allow him to collect information on his environment and push him to react to it by taking action: fight, flee or suffer.

They are thus a decision-making tool and influence our behaviour in a given situation.

What does emotional intelligence mean in practice in everyday life?

Some theories give a predominant role to emotions in work and especially in decision making. The "risk-as-feelings" theory states that in situations of risk or uncertainty, emotion is an anticipated factor in decision-making. Or the affect heuristic (editor's note: heuristic = strategy) considers that there is a mental shortcut that allows us to make decisions or solve problems quickly and efficiently in situations of intense emotion (fear, pleasure, surprise, etc.). It is easy to see their strategic impact.

Within a company, people with a high potential for emotional intelligence show common behaviours:

• A capacity to focus on the positive.
• The propensity to surround oneself with very positive people.
• The ability to set boundaries and assert oneself when necessary.
• The willingness to be forward thinking and let go of the past.
• The desire to make life fun, joyful and interesting.
• The willingness to choose how to spend energy wisely.
• The desire to learn continuously and to move towards independence.

A manager will thus have a strong interest in developing these skills in order to get his or her team on board.

Emotional intelligence in the world of work

Emotional intelligence: a real issue in workplace relations?

It is easy to guess that the field of application of Emotional intelligence in the field of management is very broad.

It was a man called Goleman who first theorised the association between emotion and work. He carried out a study on 200 companies with the aim of understanding the impact of emotional intelligence on work performance. In this study, he asserted that 60% of a company's performance is due to the emotional skills of its employees.

He thus produced the Goleman model (in 1995) which he adapted to the workplace in 1998. This work is the beginning of a new era (2000s) where we are starting to consider the idea that emotional intelligence should have a positive impact on leadership, change management, professional adaptation and team management.

The fields of application of emotional intelligence in human management

The manager

A manager's emotional intelligence is a form of intelligence that implies, in a managerial context, the ability to diagnose one's own emotional state and that of others, as well as the ability to put in place an emotional strategy/tactic that allows for personal development and that of the group.

It is now recognised that the emotional intelligence of managers can influence the performance of teams. This marks the end of a period (too long?) that advocated management by stress. The idea here was that managed periods of stress would create productive short-term 'boosts' but with disastrous medium- and long-term effects.

Leadership

This is the most concrete application of emotional intelligence in business. To motivate the troops and commit them to a project, to mobilise them around an objective. It is an ability that is generally cultivated over time.

Leadership and charisma are recognised as the main levers for engaging a team around a project. Emotional intelligence at work is a major tool.

It is just as important to develop emotional intelligence as it is to use organisational levers to improve team performance (the famous classic managerial levers).

It is all a question of emotional frequency. To manage their own emotions, leaders can use specific emotional modes: confidence, adaptability, creativity and intuitiveness. Being on the right emotional frequency means developing the right behaviour for the situation.

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How to improve your concentration when working or studying

How to improve and develop your concentration when working or studying

Concentration and focus are not the same. Here is the difference: Being focused implies that we concentrate exclusively on something, excluding everything else. Attention, on the other hand, is everything that happens around us, every detail, everything that happens; in other words, nothing escapes us. If the first thing that worries you, you will discover today how to develop your concentration effectively.

Therefore, if you need concentration to study, work or perform a task that, due to its degree of difficulty, requires your maximum concentration or if you simply want to exercise it, you will find here some 100% practical tips that will undoubtedly be useful.

Start by setting priorities

To develop your concentration, when you start your day, determine what you will do, when you will do it, what you will leave aside for another time, what you will do first and what you will do next. Set clear goals that are as specific and realistic as possible. If it is necessary and you feel more comfortable, write down what you have decided.

Organise your materials

Order all the materials you are going to use and leave everything at your fingertips. When studying, you can use one or more techniques to correct knowledge such as: underlining, concept maps, notes, summaries, highlighting important text fragments in different colours. Finally, use the technique that suits you best and is most useful.

Eliminate anything that might distract you

Turn off the mobile phone, TV and radio (if it disturbs you) and choose a comfortable place to be. If you live in a very noisy environment, use earplugs or headphones to reduce noise. If any sudden noise distracts you momentarily, try to neutralise it and refocus.

On the contrary, some people find that music accompanies them and helps them to concentrate more. If this is the case for you, study or do your homework while listening to your favourite music.

Take a break

Take a break or change material from time to time. It has been proven that after 90 minutes, concentration is lost, so it is better to take a break and let yourself be distracted. listen to music, eat an apple, drink tea, etc. and then go back to your study or work place. This way you can develop your concentration much better.

Control your space

Keep your study or work space clean and tidy. This detail, at first sight so superficial, is extremely important. Try to have everything you need at hand and always in the same place, so that you can find it easily and without wasting time.

Divide the work into several parts

When the work you have to do is very complex, it is best to divide it into several parts, so that you can meet them in turn. This will prevent anxiety from taking over and you will see that you complete each step to the end. It is also useful to set deadlines for these steps. They should be realistic so as not to create false expectations.

Once you have completed a task that has taken a lot of effort, reward yourself with something you enjoy, it can be a break, watching TV, having a coffee, talking on the phone or going for a walk; you choose what you like best.

Sleep what you need

Sleep the number of hours your body needs. This is important because getting enough rest will help you perform better if you have to study or work. Only then can you develop your concentration properly.

Worry!

Don't let worries get to you. This is another great distraction. There are many techniques you can use to get rid of them (meditation, breathing, relaxation) and face your study or task without being disturbed. Use the one that gives you the best results.

What is your most productive time?

Choose the time of day when you feel most productive, it could be morning, afternoon or evening. This is very personal. Try to find out what time is your best time.

What are you waiting for to implement these tips? As you can see, they are very simple, but when you apply them, you will find that your concentration, whether at work or in the studio, increases and, therefore, your performance. Successes!

How to increase your concentration time?

1. Start by timing how long you can stay focused on a task without struggling: start the timer when you start working, and stop it as soon as you feel your concentration waning. This can be only after 40 minutes, or 30', or only 20'... Don't cheat: the aim is to start from your current ability to concentrate and improve it.
2. Take this time into account when organising your work: never study for longer than (for example) 20 minutes at a time. After 20', take a short break of 3', then voluntarily go back to work for another 20'.
3. After several days, this method of working should already bear fruit: you are more efficient because you are better concentrated, you waste less time, you are more energetic because you learn to devote yourself 100% to the study during your work periods. You know how to start at full speed, and stop, restart and stop.
4. After at least a month, you can try to increase your "concentration time" by 5 minutes: from 20 to 25 minutes for example, or from 30 to 35'. You have strengthened your concentration.

Exercises to mobilise immediate attention

1. Observe an object for 30 seconds, then try to picture it in your mind with your eyes closed as clearly as possible
2. Do the same with the face of someone you know well: try to picture it in your mind as accurately as possible.
3. Turn down the radio very slowly and try to listen to it until you hear nothing more. You can also try to do this with background noise.

Headaches, fatigue: the enemies of concentration

Normally, all the advice given above should make your work sessions less tiring and help you avoid headaches.

If you still get a headache quickly, there are other purely physical causes to consider:

1. Sleep: are you getting enough sleep? Lack of sleep impairs concentration, as you can see after a shorter night.
2. Diet: the brain consumes a lot of energy. To fuel it well, eat a very balanced diet, not only during revision but also throughout the year. Avoid systematic sandwiches at lunchtime and dinners reduced to a bowl of pasta. A full meal in a restaurant is not necessarily a waste of time. Also remember to drink enough: we need 1.5 litres of water a day!
3. Consumption of stimulants or drugs: coffee stimulates wakefulness but in excess, it also increases anxiety. Cann**abis is notorious for its deleterious effects on concentration and memory. The same applies to excessive alcohol consumption.
4. Physical fitness and health: you are not just a brain! Do you do enough sport, do you take the time to walk, to breathe (and to air your room)? Think also about glasses (eyesight problems give you a headache), dental care, etc.

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What is the difference between the novel and the short story?

Novel and short story, the difference?

This is another question that comes up quite often and that is not so easy to answer, although it seems obvious to many of us. What is the difference between a novel and a short story? And don't laugh, I know literary bloggers who don't know the difference!

Short stories and novels are similar in that they both tell stories and both formats share storytelling characteristics.

However, there are fundamental differences between the two types of fiction writing.

Writing a short story requires a different approach and application.

Short stories evoke a storytelling art that offers a whole experience in one reading.

So what is the difference between a novel and a short story?

The difference between a novel and a short story is mainly visible in the length of the story. On the other hand, these two types of writing must be understood differently.

A novel is a long form of writing as opposed to a short story.

This is the fundamental difference between the two. Let us examine them in more detail.

The Short Story

Definition

A short story is a story with fewer characters and focuses on one main incident.

A short story is a short literary form.

It is not characterised by many characters, which is a characteristic of a novel.

The main character of a short story, of course, is supported by a few other characters who add importance to the story.

Thus, it is easy for the reader to remember the characters who appear in a short story.

Length of a short story

The precise definition of the word count varies, but as a general rule, a short story can be up to about 7,500 words (sometimes 10,000).

Types of short stories

Here are some literary styles/movements, with examples of authors and the years in which they wrote:

• Realism: depicting the subject in detail and true to life, without artistic conventions (Kate Chopin, O. Henry, Anton Chekhov, 1850s to early 1900s)
• Modernism: experimentation with narrative form, style and chronology (inner monologues, stream of consciousness) to capture the experience of the individual (James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield, 1910-1920)
• Science fiction: Presenting imaginary futures or dystopian worlds in which humans face profound technological, social or environmental changes (Ray Bradbury, 1940s-1950s)
• Magical realism: Combining a realistic story or setting with elements of surrealism, dream or fantasy (Gabriel García Márquez, 1960-1970s)
• Postmodernism: Using fragmentation, paradox or unreliable narrators to explore the relationship between author, reader and text (Donald Barthelme, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, 1950-1970)
• Minimalism: Writing characterised by brevity, simple language and lack of plot resolution (Raymond Carver, Ann Beattie, Amy Hempel, 1980-1990)

The novel

Definition

A novel is a story that has many characters and explores many incidents. A novel is a long literary form.

It is usually divided into several chapters, sometimes numbered and sometimes unnumbered.

The story of a novel is usually told over many years of the main character of the novel.

Many other characters are also associated with the main character.

These characters appear and go in a novel. However, it may not be very easy for a reader to remember all the characters appearing in a novel. This is due to the large size of a novel.

Length of a novel

Novels are longer stories, usually between 7,500 words and 17,500-20,000 words.

Types of novels

Novels come in every style imaginable, with each author bringing their own unique voice to the table.
There are a handful of major sub-genres that tend to make up a significant portion of the market, although there are many other genres (and mixes of genres).

Some of the main types of novels you might need to know about:

• Mystery novels: these revolve around a crime that needs to be solved.
• Science fiction and fantasy: both of which deal with speculative world building.
• Horror/thriller: these novels are often designed to induce a sense of fear.
• Romance: these are novels that are primarily about love.
• Historical fiction: as the name suggests, historical fiction is simply a fictional story set in a real, past time in human history.

Difference between novel and short story

Definition of a novel and a short story

• A novel is a story that has many characters and explores many incidents.
• A short story is a story with fewer characters and focuses on one main incident.

Literary form

• The novel is a long literary form.
• The short story is a short literary form.

Writer

• A novel writer is known as a novelist.
• A short story writer is known as a short story writer.

Characters

• A novel usually has a number of characters.
• A short story usually has only a few characters.

Main character

• A novel can have several main characters.
• A short story focuses on one main character.

Chapters

• A novel is a long piece of fiction and is therefore divided into chapters.
• A short story consists of only a few pages and is therefore not divided into chapters.

Climax

• A novel has a climax, but it goes through a number of different incidents.
• A short story also has a climax, but it does not describe many incidents like a novel.

Point of view

Point of view is another difference.

• In a short story, the story is told through the eyes of the main character, no matter how many characters are present.
• In contrast, a novel offers more flexibility. The story can be told in the first person, which creates more intimacy, but it can be restrictive to experience the whole story from the protagonist's point of view.

The result of these two aspects is the short, incisive character of the short story, unlike the novel, from which it draws its strength.

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Interesting Conversation Topics: Questions to Ask

Why is it so useful to know some interesting topics of conversation?

...Because as an interesting person, you have a stream of thoughts swimming around in your head, don't you? They range from the absurd to the practical and you can't wait to share them with the world.

And unfortunately, from time to time, you may run out of questions to ask: a silent, awkward blank appears. Maybe the girl you're talking to is giving you stage fright, or your discussion partner is as interesting as a wet plastic bag. What if you were the wet plastic bag? What can you do?

Well...

Nothing in life is achieved by skipping steps, including a successful and stimulating conversation. So when you run out of questions to ask, start again and think of a topic to talk about. Finding a topic to focus on is the perfect springboard to lead you into an interesting conversation. There are many topics of conversation, ranging from family to work to hobbies to dreams.

Once you have an idea of where the conversation should move, you can start thinking about questions that relate to the topic. Things will progress naturally from there and before you know it, you'll be looking at the clock wondering where the time went.

Below we have some interesting conversation topics for your enjoyment. The conversation questions cover a wide variety of conversation topics perfect for starting interesting conversations!

List of Interesting Conversation Topics

Conversation starters are the best way to get to know someone you don't know. They are meant to help you know who you are talking to and to make you feel comfortable with each other.

Here are interesting topics and questions to start a conversation:

Conversations on Beauty

Beauty is all around us, and strangely enough, we probably couldn't live without it. But can we define beauty? Maybe or maybe not, but at least you can explore the idea of beauty by having a discussion with these beauty conversation questions.

• How does the absence of beauty affect people?

It can be physical, emotional or abstract beauty. What are the results if one of these is not present?

• Is beauty only in the eye of the beholder, or can we say that some things are universally beautiful?

It's debatable. Something that you find beautiful may not be beautiful to someone else.

• What makes a person beautiful to you?

Appearance? Attitude? Personality?

• What makes a work of art beautiful to you?

Artists create art knowing that their pieces will not be appreciated by everyone. You have to have guts.

• What is the best compliment you have ever received?

My grandmother, what big teeth you have!

• How have beauty standards changed over the years?
• Where is the most beautiful place you have been?
• What is the most beautiful song you have ever heard?
• Are there any striking examples of beauty in art?
• What is the most beautiful thing in your life?

Conversations on Friends and Family

At best, these two are interchangeable. True friends are like family and true loved ones are friends.

We all have one, the other, or both, and talking about the people who can define us is a great way to know who you are talking to.

• Which of your friends or family do you admire the most?

Everyone has a friend or family member they wish they could be like.

• What did you do as a child that your family still doesn't know about?

Is it still buried in the backyard?

• What are the most common reasons why friendships fall apart?

Sometimes things just don't work out.

• What is the best way to make new friends?

How to Make Friends by Dale Carnegie is an excellent resource if you have problems with this yourself.

• What is the most annoying type of friend?

The freeloader? The gossip? The stinker?

• What separates true friends from acquaintances?

Friendships can be difficult, especially if they are not reciprocated. What is your definition of a true friend?

• Do you have any family traditions? If so, what are they?

Mothers are the masters of family traditions. What does she drag to you every year that you secretly love?

• Who are you most like in your family?
• Who is the most generous person in your family?
• Do you like to go to family meetings? Why or why not?
• How often do you see your parents?
• How important are family ties to you?
• How has your family shaped your personality and who you have become?
• What is the best and worst thing about your family?
• What quality do you value most in your friends?
• Are some of your friends completely opposite to you or are most of them like you?
• Do you make friends easily or do you find it difficult to make new friends?
• Who is your strangest friend? What makes them strange?
• Are you a good friend? Why or why not?
• What is the best way to make new friends?

Conversations on the Universe

Now here's a great topic to talk about! Space, the final frontier. The vastness of space is a real headache, but that doesn't mean you can't have an interesting conversation about it! Here are some questions to get you started...

• If you could go anywhere in the universe, where would you go?

A light year is the distance it takes light to travel in a year. About 6 million kilometres.

• What is the coolest fact about the universe that you know?

Thinking about the seeming limitlessness of the universe can be scary. But you can handle it.

• Would you accept a mission to colonise another planet if it meant never returning to earth?

Astronaut Scott Kelly has spent the last year in space and the effects it has had on his body are amazing.

• If you could ask god one question, what would it be?

Ignore your thoughts about the existence of God and use your imagination for this one!

• Where would you most like to travel in space? Assuming you could get there instantly and survive the extreme conditions.
• Do you think space tourism will be booming in the near future? Why or why not?
• What is the most important thing astronomers should look for?

Conversations on Travel

Travelling is essential to becoming a more worldly person. So get out and experience the world. It's easier than you think.

• What's the most interesting place you've visited?

Most travellers have a favourite.

• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Where would you leave everything behind?

• If you could travel anywhere in the world with anyone, where would you go and who would you take?

Who says you have to take anyone? Solo travel is great for exploring who you are.

• When you think of "home", what do you think of?

Home is where the heart is.

• Hotel or tent?

The great outdoors or the comfort of being indoors?

• Have you travelled to different countries? Which ones?
• What is the most relaxing place you have been?
• Do you prefer to travel alone or in a group?
• Where would you like to travel next?
• What is the best way to travel? (plane, car, train, etc.)
• What is the best thing about travelling? And the worst thing?
• What is the longest plane trip you have ever taken?
• What is the worst hotel you have stayed in? And the best hotel?

Bizarre and Unusual Conversations

These questions are just plain fun and can turn a conversation into a nonsense one!

• If you could add a word to the dictionary, what word would it be, and what would it mean?
• What is the most unusual thing in your wallet, pocket or purse right now?
• If all your furniture came to life, which one would scare you the most?
• If your best friend wrote a book about you, what would the title be? And your worst enemy?
• Time stands still for everyone but you for one day. What are you doing?
• If you could call anyone in the world and have an hour-long conversation, who would you call?
• You have to relive one day of your life forever. Which day do you choose?
• If your mind were an island, what would it look like?
• What flavour of ice cream would you like to see exist?
• What does your personal hell look like? What about your personal paradise?
• A portal to another world opens before you. You don't know how long it will stay open or if you will be able to come back after your passage. What are you doing?
• If you had a personal mascot, what would your mascot be?
• You find a remote control that can rewind, fast forward, stop and start the clock. What do you do with it?
• If you were king/queen, what would your throne look like?
• If you were on the run from the police for a crime you didn't commit, where would you go?

Conversations on Values

Everyone should have a defined set of morals and values. Think about what is important to you and make sure you live up to the standards you have set for yourself. No one can take that away from you.

• What is the one challenge you would never want to face?
• If you could, how would you change the world?
• What real life situation where you stood up for someone or something?
• When and where do you feel closest to yourself?
• Do you say "yes" too often when you really mean "no"?
• Why is it sometimes difficult to forgive others?
• What are the most positive and negative times in your life?
• How have your strengths helped you succeed? How have your flaws hindered you?
• What are your biggest goals for the future? What progress have you made in achieving them?
• Who are you really? Who is behind the mask you show to the world?
• What is stopping you from being the person you want to be?
• Where is your life going?
• How do you think you will die?
• How would you react if there was irrefutable proof that God does not exist? What if there was irrefutable proof that God did exist?

Conversations on Humanity

• If you had the world's attention for just 10 seconds, what would you say?
• What is the controversial issue - social or political - that you care about?
• What do you think is the most significant event in the history of the human race?
• What will the world be like in twenty-five years?
• Is human nature constant or shaped by culture? Can human nature be completely changed by culture or society?
• Are humans better at creation or destruction?
• What are the best and worst parts of human nature?
• If pushing a button meant that you got 5 million dollars but it also killed 5 people somewhere in the world, would you push that button? What if he only killed one person or what if he killed 20 people? What if the people were people you knew?
• If you had to sum up the whole human race in three words, what would they be?
• What aspects of humans have made us a successful species?
• What is the best way to explore human nature: psychology, philosophy or biology?

With the right questions to ask, the right topics of conversation.... and an open mind, you should be ready to start any conversation with confidence and enthusiasm. Of course, you are not limited to these interesting topics. Talk about anything you are passionate about and you can't go wrong.

So what are you waiting for? Go out and have your own interesting conversations!

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How to become a good leader?

 If charisma is an innate quality, it is nevertheless essential to know how to use it in a relevant way in order to be a followed leader.

Leadership is built on 3 areas: the individual, the situation and the group considered. Thus, a person exercising his power in a meeting of employees may not have the same capacity to attract a group of managers.

Furthermore, a leader is not necessarily a manager and vice versa, even if leadership and management remain complementary.

What is leadership?

While a manager's power is conferred by his hierarchy through his position in the company, which intrinsically determines his authority over his team, the leader is, above all, recognised by his colleagues as a charismatic leader - almost a 'guru' for some - who is sometimes blindly followed.

The leader shakes up habits, creates and is not afraid to innovate or propose totally disruptive solutions. In addition to his natural charisma, it is essentially in his relations with others that he bases his power of persuasion.

Thus, a certain leadership is essential in times of transformation in the company, for example. Change management will be all the smoother if it is carried out by a leader who is recognised, listened to and followed by all - or almost all.

What is the link between leadership and management?

Leadership is intimately linked to management, but it is not the same as management. While it is essential for a leader to know how to lead and manage his or her troops - even if this is not always the case - a manager is not necessarily a leader.

Indeed, the manager will try to achieve the objectives that have been set for him (or that he himself has defined) by relying on the potential (human, budgetary, etc.) that he has at his disposal.
The leader, on the other hand, will go further by innovating if necessary - sometimes by surprising and confusing at first - but above all by drawing his troops into the movement with obvious and enthusiastic support for the path.

While the manager generally remains realistic, the leader does everything possible to achieve his or her dreams, however incredible they may be.

Moreover, a good leader is not only capable of identifying and bringing out the skills of each individual and of the group, but also of articulating all these skills, transforming them if necessary, and juggling them in order to take the group even further.

Thus, it is essential to have certain qualities and skills if you want to be followed!

How to become a good leader?

Leadership, when it is not "innate", can however be acquired to a certain extent and worked on in order to exploit all its possibilities, remaining in a virtuous circle, of course - some leaders can prove to be toxic as history has shown on many occasions.

The qualities of a successful leader

To ensure a certain charisma that is indisputable in the eyes of others, certain qualities are essential and characterise a good leader. These include, among others :

1. Self-confidence: essential to be able to give confidence to others and to transmit one's vision and ideas effectively.
2. Vision: far-sighted and 360 degrees in order to bring out the best in each person with a collective objective.
3. Open-mindedness: no one holds the truth. Knowing how to question oneself and remain curious about any new opportunity or possibility is essential to achieving a dream. The leader knows that alone he or she cannot do much. There is strength in unity - and therefore in collective intelligence.
4. Exemplary leadership: this is a basic principle. To be listened to and followed, you have to set an example and apply what you preach yourself.
   coherence with one's values and convictions: a good leader will not be able to convince people if he or she is not deeply in agreement with the project and the ideas he or she is defending.
5. Multidisciplinary intelligence: a good leader instinctively senses what his or her colleagues are capable of, but also their personalities and operating methods. Armed with all this, he or she is able to orchestrate his or her world and lead it to the best possible success for each and every one.
6. Empathy: an integral part of a particularly developed emotional intelligence that allows the leader to get the best out of each person by allowing them to develop fully.
7. Freedom: independence in relation to one's ideas and decisions, closely correlated with self-confidence and a sense of responsibility.
8. responsibility: linked to the previous point, the leader, free in his choices, must assume his decisions, risk-taking, etc., always with the aim of doing the best for his troops.

The key skills to be an inspirational leader

In addition to the qualities detailed below, a good leader must be able to :

• Take initiative: this is often what makes a good leader admired and respected, because they are determined, confident and daring.
• Defend and impose their ideas gently and respectfully: what good are good ideas if they cannot present them, explain them - sell them, so to speak - but in a respectful and non-violent manner? Knowing how to convince is thus a major asset.
• Communicating effectively: this is an essential skill for getting your ideas across and, above all, for gaining the support of your troops. Feedback is an important part of this, as it enables the leader to listen to his or her colleagues, hear about new possibilities and/or opportunities, etc.
• Identify and bring out the talents of each person in the group: one of the pillars of leadership which consists of identifying, bringing out and orchestrating individual and collective talents in order to lead everyone to success.
• Shaking up habits for the benefit of everyone and the group as a whole: disruption and innovation are two powerful notions in leadership. They allow you to constantly challenge your ideas, your work and the whole group in order to reach the heights of your dreams.
• Motivating and recognising the work of one's colleagues: a prerequisite for effective and positive management. A good leader must also manage his troops - and play on motivation and meaning at work - in order to maintain his position as a monitored leader.

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Left-handed people are exceptional: Science says so

There are many theories about left-handedness: it has always been believed that left-handed people are more talented than right-handed people. Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Aristotle, Nicola Tesla, Michelangelo, Picasso and Aristotle were left-handed, and this does not seem to be an accident. Even in popular myths and common sayings, being left-handed was synonymous with cunning, intelligence and ingenuity. However, many studies have also been conducted to understand whether there is a real and demonstrable difference between left-handers and non-left-handers and a relationship between intelligence and the use of the left hand.

For science, however, there is no doubt: left-handed people are exceptional. Hand preference is, in fact, a manifestation of brain function and left-handers have a more developed right hemisphere of the brain. The right hemisphere is specialised in particular processes, such as spatial reasoning and the ability to produce mental representations of objects. In left-handed people, the bundle of cells connecting the two hemispheres of the brain is larger, indicating that their hemispheres communicate better and are therefore able to process information at a higher level. As a result, left-handed people are more original, intelligent and creative. According to research conducted by St. Lawrence University in New York, there is a majority of left-handers among all people with a high IQ.

We mentioned earlier the great people in our history: research has suggested that left-handed people may be better artists than right-handed people, that they are more attracted to technology, that they are better problem solvers. There is also a relationship between left-handedness and mathematical ability. A study conducted about 30 years ago showed that left-handed people were better at mathematics than the rest of the population. The differences with right-handed people also appear in sports: in some sports, such as tennis and boxing, left-handed people have an advantage.

But that's not all: left-handed people also have better speaking skills because the brain uses both hemispheres during a speech. Even though many left-handed people still have to learn to use their right hand in everyday activities, there is no doubt about it: according to science, left-handed people have exceptional characteristics.

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