The most underappreciated key to success

The most underappreciated key to successThe most underappreciated key to successDo you know what will make you the best in your profession?Its not having the most talent.Its not necessarily being the hardest worker or the nicest partie (unfortunately).All the skills, talent and connections in the world are no match for one quality that endures, standing the test of time and outwitting any foe that dares to challenge it.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThis quality is something that is often overlooked. Its underappreciated. Oddly, its not that highly valued, nor does it appear on many peoples mission statements or core values.Its acknowledged with mild enthusiasm.Ho hum.That quality? (How was this for a tease?)Consistency.Consistency deserves its rightful seat at the head of the table of every successful entrepreneur, company, operation, venture and story of accomplishment. And y et?It aint sexy, baby.Few people ever truly get to the point of maximum consistency in the key areas of their lives. Sure, theyll rise at 630 A.M. on the button each morning. They maybe wont cut corners- always on time for work And theyll pay their taxes and do their darnedest in all they do.Admirable, to be sure.But will they consistently tackle every task of their life with belief, commitment and purpose?Will they give-in or change course when the going gets a little too tough? How firm will they stand in the headwinds of adversity?Will they truly see things through to completion that they believe in with all their hearts?Thats consistency. Thats persistence. Thats resilience.As Mr. Tom Petty once said I wont back down.And as Christopher D. Connors once said,Im going to show up every single day and give everything I have my very best with maximum efficiency and consistency.Truth is, theres no other way toward living a life of fulfillment. I know this. I am an expert on this. Becau se Ive tried the countless other ways and fallen short.I have the emotional, spiritual and mental scars to prove it. You just cant see em. But theyre there, alright.What Ive learned on my journey is that consistency is absolutely, positively, unequivocally KING.Consistency in doing what you say youre going to do.Consistency in following through and seeing tasks through to completion when you havecontrol.Consistently showing up and giving your best effort each day- even when you dont want to.Consistency in attitude and leadership.Consistency when you doubt.Consistency when others doubt you.Consistency when it really doesnt seem like its worth it, but that powerful voice inside your head- ya know, the one of intuition that always seems to be right- is pleading and screaming at you to keep going. Because you need to keep going. Because if you do, you will reap the rewards and benefits of perseverance.Ill tell you what- this is so easy when the going is good. Its practically effortless. But truly powerful consistency is revealed when times are tough. When times are bad. This is where you have to go for it with all your might and resist the urge to give in for another day. Because then, youve broken your habit. And it gets harder and harder to get back on track.Think about times where youve stopped short previously in life because you havent consistently given things your time, energy, effort and havent stuck to your guns enough to see something through that you deeply believe inHow did that make you feel?It isnt easy to keep going when you dont see results. Its the biggest challenge we will EVER face to our personal development. Its adversity in its finest and most formidable manifestation.This is where you have to embrace the path youve chosen and surround yourself with positive influences.Cast worry to the side and approach every day with a resolute mind and consistency.The biggest results of your life will follow when you simply give it your best shot every day. Its the way. I promise.Are you willing to give it your best shot every day?As Lee Ann Womack once sang, When you get the choice to sit it out or dance I hope you dance. Thats what living is all about.Join my newsletter foremotional intelligence and productivitycontentGet a FREE Coaching Callto Explore Your Emotional Intelligence, and Learn how to Achieve Your BiggestGoalsCheck out my Amazon bestseller, The Value of You, which has helped tens of thousands of people develop the game plan for living their best lifeThis article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Insect-Sized Robot Takes Flight

Insect-Sized Robot Takes Flight Insect-Sized Robot Takes Flight Insect-Sized Robot Takes FlightHouseflies are a nuisance, and the first instinct is to swat them away. For researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, flies and other flying critters were the muse in a robotic breakthrough.The researchers developed RoboFly, an insect-scale microbot with wings that can lift off the ground on its own, without a battery or being wired to a power supply on a desk. It is the first flying robot of its kind to launch without batteries.This is the first time a robot of this size and weight can lift off the ground without wires. It has got wings, circuits and everything, said Vikram Iyer, a doctoral student in electrical engineering and a principal researcher on the project. The wingswhich flutter sideways like on housefliesare tacked on to a micro-board with circuits and a power source, and the entire package weighs about 190 mg. Thats about the weight of a honeybee, and a bit heavie r than a toothpick, which weighs 130 mg.Previous attempts have been made to build flying insect-sized robots, like Harvards RoboBee microbots, but had to be wired to power sources on a desk. Fitting batteries on such a lightweight robot is a challenge, so the researchers put a mini-solar panel on the RoboFly. Rather than ambient light, the RoboFly draws energy from its solar cells via lasers, which can generate a lot more power.RoboFly, the first wireless insect-sized flying robot, is slightly heavier than a toothpick. Image Mark Stone/University of WashingtonFor You Safety and Efficiency, Brick by BrickThe solar cells are custom silicon-based vertical multijunction cells designed for the laser wavelength, not the full spectrum of light. Once the laser shines on the solar cell, a boost converter and piezoelectric actuators convert the low-voltage signals up to 240 volts, which are needed to flap the wings. In a controlled experiment, lasers were targeted directly at the robots, whic h flew for a few seconds. The central processor is an ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller, which is used in some wearables.The goal is to try and take this ideasmall flying robotsmuch closer to real practical applications, Iyer said, while also acknowledging there are issues that need to be resolved. The goal with RoboFly was to show the wire-free possibilities of such flying robots, adding severing-that cord is what this is all about.A RoboFly-like bot could be even more useful when loaded with sensors. It could be used by first responders during emergency situations, to detect gas leaks or pollutant, or even be deployed in space missions.Many cheap robots can be useful in the ways expensive robots cant, said Johannes James, a mechanical engineering doctoral student at University of Washington, and researcher at the Autonomous Insect Robotics Lab.Theres a big distinction between drones and RoboFly, the researchers said. The RoboFly shows how flying robots can be scaled down to insect lev el with fewer electronics, while drones cant scale down beyond a certain point with the batteries and propellers.Drawing inspiration from insects also provides new ways to understand how to build robots, from the flapping wings, to understanding how insects detect odor, localize it, and track and find the origin source. How insects perceive the world and how they drive flight control are topics the researchers will continue to investigate and implement into future iterations of RoboFly.There are other challenges to tackle. Lasers and humans dont mix well, but there are ways to overcome that with laser safety systems. As commercial technology matures, it will also be possible to harvest energy from sources like RF signals. It may also be possible to install supercapacitors, which could be recharged after flight. New materials like GaN (gallium arsenide) could be used in thin film solar cells.But dont expect a defense mechanism against its conventional enemythe flyswatteron the RoboFl y anytime soon.Read MoreThe Robotic World of Melonee WiseRobotic Lifeguard Changes Water RescuesNew Twist on an Old ToolThe goal is to try and take this ideasmall flying robotsmuch closer to real practical applications.Vikram Iyer, University of Washington

The Different Types of Mystery Novels

The Different Types of Mystery NovelsThe Different Types of Mystery NovelsMysteries for adult readers nearly all involve a murder - or (in the case of thrillers and suspense) at least the imminent threat of one. However, theres a wide range of sub-genres and other categorizing features in the mystery genre. Do you aspire to be the next Agatha Christie and write a mystery novel? Authors who are pitching literary agents should understand where their manuscripts fit onto the (literary or virtual) mystery bookstore shelves. First, do your research about the mystery genre in general. Then, read on to learn about the of the major types of mystery novels, below.Why? Because then yourewriting a query letterfor a mystery book to an agent, it helps to know where a bookseller will shelve itand to know the titles to compare it to.Withinthe major mystery book sub-genres of Hard-Boiled, Cozy, Procedural and Thriller / Suspense,theres a wide range of organizing features or sub-genres that booksell ers use. And, when youre trying to get books discovered online using SEO, metadata and optimizedkeywords or discovered on bricks and mortar store shelves, these categories and sub-genres are critical to helpingmystery readers find your book. Hard-Boiled and Soft-Boiled Hard-boiled mysteries and crime fiction generally feature a professional detective as the main character, and the gestalters are often struggling with their own, estimable demons which haunt them as they solve the case. Murder and crime happen in gritty platzsettings, and the violence is often graphically described. Hard-boiled detectives harken from the noir days of Dashiell Hammett. Present day protagonists include Michael Connellys Police Detective Harry Bosch, who works the current-day streets of auf gehts Angeles, and James Lee Burkes Dave Robicheaux who plies his investigative trade on the Louisiana bayou. A subset of detective fiction that is lighter in tone or with less explicit violence or sex is sometime s referred to as soft-boiled, though this is less a less common term. An example would be Sara Paretskys series featuring female P.I. V. I. Warshawski or Sue Graftons alphabet series (A Is for Alibi, etc.), featuring Kinsey Millhone. Cozy Mysteries or Cozies Whats cozy about these books is usually the setting. The murder takes place in an intimate environment, such as a small town, a neighborhood, or an all-girls private school. With the exception of the fact that somebody has been bumped off, the cozy tends to be light in tone that is, it is crafted so as not to offend delicate sensibilities. So while the subject matter can include all manner of transgression, the actual doing (such as murder, other violence, kinky sex, etc.) are not described in graphic detail. The sleuth who solves the mystery is often an amateur, like Agatha Christies elderly spinster Miss Marple or Karen MacInerneys stay-at-home mom, Margie Peterson. But not always - Alexander McCall Smiths No. 1 Ladies De tective Agency, protagonist Precious Ramotswe, is a consummate professional. Malice Domestic is an organization dedicated to the cozy genre. Each year, the organization hosts an annual conference, produces an anthology and honors its best practitioners with Agatha, Lifetime Achievement and Poirot Awards. Each year the Mystery Writers of America bestows the Mary Higgins Clark Award to what can generally be deemed a cozy (with a few other criteria). Procedurals A procedural mystery has as its key factor a blow-by-blow, thoroughly researched and specifically described analysis of how the crime is solved, by whatever means is the specialty of the main character. It may be authentically-researched detective legwork (as in a polizze procedural, such as in the novels of Joseph Wambaugh) or a scientific investigation of the evidence (such as in Patricia Cornwells books featuring the medical examiner Kay Scarpetta or Kathy Reichs series with forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan). Thrillers/Suspense Thrillers and Suspense have different novelistic conventions than other mystery novels, but most booksellers shelve them in or near the Mystery area. In a mystery novel, the protagonists role is usually to find the killer. While his or her motive to solve the case may involve a personal element, physical threat to the protagonist generally towards the end of the story, as he/she gets close to solving the crime. Thrillers and suspense novels, in contrast, start out with very high stakes for the protagonist. The plot may or may not involve a murder at the outset, but the threat of danger is palpable from the get-go, and the plot builds and twists from there. In Thrillers - whether the stakes are personal (a man spots and pursues his fathers killer years after the murder) patriotic (a bomb has been hidden somewhere in the White House), or international (a deadly virus will be released on a tuch of 200 passengers heading from Hong Kong to Paris), the clock is tick ing and the action and the pace are non-stop. An example is Alan Folsoms The Day After Tomorrow.In Suspense - the protagonist is generally the one being pursued and must discover the whys and wherefores - again, upping the stakes from the beginning. But here the tension builds more subtly, often more psychologically - as in the novels of Patricia Highsmith, or in Gillian Flynns Gone Girl. Types of Mystery Novel Sub-Genres Now that youve learned about the main types learn about the sub-genres used to categorize mystery novels. Capers - Carl Hiaasen and Janet Evanovich are two authors who specialize in these novels that involve humor and/or humorous criminal escapades.Classics - Include writers like Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Raymond Chandler, Daphne du Maurier, Dashiell Hammett, Wilkie Collins, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Patricia Highsmith.Derivative - Some authors re-imagine historic or fictional characters as sleuths, often to appeal to existing fans of the author or period, as P. D. James did withJane Austens charactersinDeath Comes to Pemberley. Domestic s include Craig Johnsons Longmire series set in Wyoming, Greg Iles often sets his books in his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, Alexander McCall Smiths detective in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, and Phoebe Atwood Taylors Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mystery series. Local interest- Also location-based, hyper-local mysteries are often set in beloved destination locales, doing double-duty as a preview and/or souvenir of a trip or a back home reminder for people whove moved away. For example, Deb Bakers sleuth Gertie Johnson is a Yooper - from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Ellen Crosby writes wine country mysteries. Booksellers generally support local books.Locked Room - These mysteries involve a crime that seems physically impossible the name comes from a crime where the murder victim is in a room completely locked from the inside with seemingly no point of egress. Many authors (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie) have penned a locked room mystery or two, but writers who specialized in them include John Dickson Carr and Edward D. Hoch. Historic s are Grace Edwards Mali Anderson novels set in Harlem and Tony Hillerman, whose books were involved in Native American lands and issues. Noir - Think dames with gams to kill for, Private Eyes who brood in trench coats, the reflection of neon strip joint signs reflecting in the windows. Gritty, dark, moody, the term fits the classics like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett but also can be applied to modern-day works, like Walter Mosleys Easy Rawlins series.Romantic Suspense - A mash-up of romance and murder, one esteemed practitioner is Nora Roberts, who created the pseudonym J. D. Robb for writing in this sub-genre.Note that theRomance Writers of Americabestow an annualRITA awardin this category. Sherlock Holmes - Some stores, likeMysterious Bookshopin New York City, dedicate a section to Sherlockania - or iginal works, derivatives, scholarly studies, etc.Supernatural / Paranormal / Fantasy - Many of these have mystery elements but, since the conventions of these genres tend to dominate, these books are generally shelved in those respective areas where fans can better find them.True Crime- Before the Investigation ID Channel, we had to read non-fiction accounts of notorious murders. Truman Capote set the literary bar withIn Cold BloodAnn Rule is a long-time master of the genre. Vocational - procedurals and thrillers often have protagonists with a special career or vocational arena, such as legal (by John Grisham and Scott Turow), forensic (Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs), medical (Robin Cook), psychology (Jonathan Kellerman),political (Vince Flynn), military (Tom Clancy), sports (Dick Francis). Note that many (if not most) mystery novels contain elements of more than one sub-genre. For example, the South African Rennie Airths protagonist Inspector John Madden is a World War I vetera n and the mysteries take place in the early part of the 20thcentury. It can be shelved (physically or virtually) in Historical or British Detectives or even International Crime. And book publishing also follows trends and trends change. For example, imported and translatedScandinavianmysteries - around since Peter HoegsSmillas Sense of Snow- became wildly trendy afterThe Girl With the Dragon Tattooby Stieg Larsson became a runaway bestseller. The popularity of any one genre may ebb and flow on the strength of the marketplace.

How to Write a Cookbook Proposal - Tips for Getting Started

How to Write a Cookbook Proposal - Tips for Getting StartedHow to Write a Cookbook Proposal - Tips for Getting StartedIf you want your cookbook to be published by a major publisher, you will need a platform and a book proposal. Writing a cookbook proposal requires more than just having a stash of recipes. As cookbooks include not only writing, but recipes and, most times, photographs, cookbook proposal is a has some special requirements Your cookbook proposal should have a personal vision Julia Child wanted to codify French cooking, which she did in Mastering the species of French Cooking. My co-author Janice Fryer and I wanted to systematize and simplify cookie decorating, which we did in Cookie Craft. More than with many other non-fiction books, readers interact with cookbooks, and help create the experience. They feel incredibly personal. So whether its sharing little-known recipes from your homeland, creating low-calorie versions of favorite meals, or allowing your customers to take home your restaurants favorite dishes, your cookbook proposal should have a consistent, identifiable concept that feels so you that only you can write it. Here are some tips for cookbook personalization. Know your audience and how they cook Is your reader a busy mom or dad with little time to spare cooking meals? Or a wannabe chef, who likes to challenge herself or himself on the weekend with 30 ingredients? Or Julia Childs audience of servantless American cooks. Its important to be able to articulate who the end user of the cookbook will be, and how your concept will appeal to them. And its essential that your recipes match your intended cooks in simplicity vs. complexity, ingredient and equipment needs, etc. If youre writing about food for campers, you dont want to include recipes that require three different pots and pans. Even better if you can make your working title really, succinctly convey the concept. If youd like some cookbook titling insights, read this case s tudy on how a so-so cookbook title was made more appealing to a much broader market. Thoroughly test the proposal recipes As in any book proposal, your cookbook proposal will have a sample chapter - and that sample chapter needs to include recipes. Many of the best cookbook editors can tell if a recipe will work just by reading it, and there are some who will test proposal recipes to make sure they work. So, especially for the proposal, test the recipes you include to make sure theyre foolproof and delicious. Heres how to test cookbook recipes. Read more about recipe development How to write cookbook recipesHow to write cookbook recipe headnotesCookbook recipe writing ethics Have an idea of your photography plan Do you envision a photo for each step of the recipe in your book, or just finished dishes? Photography (often the authors responsibility) and color printing production cost money for, so its good to have an understanding of photography costs and planning before you c ommit to providing 500 color photos you cant afford to produce. Read more about cookbook photography Food photography planning tips for authorsPlanning a cookbook photo shootGet the most value from your cookbook photo shoot Be realistic on what and when youll deliver a manuscript. That is, dont underestimate the work involved for the finished cookbook. Developing a cookbook makes demands on its author that writing, say, a mystery or romance novel doesnt - that is, not only recipe and recipe headnote writing but recipe testing and photography. The amount of author resources (time, energy, money) a cookbook takes shouldnt be underestimated. When you write a proposed number of recipes or the estimated manuscript delivery date in your proposal, make sure you understand how much time it will take to get the writing and other work done. And read these Ingredients for Cookbook Success. That is, what constitutes professional-level cookbook content, including organization, recipe titles, and more.

5 tips from people who made a successful career jump

5 tips from people who made a successful career jump5 tips from people who made a successful career jumpWhen is the right time to make a big life change? Before you take a leap of faith and make a jump, whetzu sich its to go into a completely different field or make your hobby a full-time gig, read these insights from pros who have done it - and done it well.On my podcast When to Jump, Ive talked to many successful people, from entrepreneurs and athletes, to artists and side hustlers. Here are 5 of the top tips from inspiring entrepreneurs.1. Stay the courseWhen Arianna Huffington launched The Huffington Post, the response from the industry wasnt entirely positive. One reviewer coined the site an unavoidable failure but Huffington believed in her vision and persevered. One year later, that saatkorn reviewer retracted her statement, calling the news site an integral part of the internet.You will never know what your jump looks like until you go for it, and while one of the hardest pa rts of jumping is deciding your priorities and sticking to the belief that youre doing what is right for you, you have to stay committed, no matter the voices of criticism or doubt, she says on When to Jump.2. Save up and talk honestly about money with your loved onesWho better to share what you need to know about finances than a financial planner who jumped? When Jerrid Sebesta left his TV weatherman job to go into the world of finance, the first thing he did was talk with his partner about how they could afford it.Find a way to live way below your means, he advises on the podcast. Get yourself out of debt, start saving cash, and create a financial safety net. Being smart about your money helps you create a cushion and takes away some of the pressure to have a paycheck immediately. With a financial safety net in place, you can decide what you want your life to look like and how to get there.3. Know who you areThroughout Gretchen Rubins career as a bestselling author (after her care er in law), she determined that there are four distinct partality types. Each one affects how we approach a big life change and face expectations.Are you an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel? Figuring out which you are can help you establish how you face expectations. Before you make your jump, pause and think about how you make decisions and where you drive motivation from - it could help you determine your future career path or what you really want out of a job.4. Be okay with failureSeth Godin, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and marketer extraordinaire, knows that success is not a straight line. Failing is part of the process when it comes to reaching your goals.The only thing successful people have in common is that theyre successful and perhaps that theyve failed a lot, says Godin on his episode.Youre the only person who can decide how to process your failures (yes, plural). Its not the universe saying you will never amount to anything - in fact, its the opposite. E veryone runs into speed bumps along the way. Its those who dont give up that make it to the other side.5. Listen to your heartFacebook COO Sheryl Sandberg faced a lot of rejection when she left her job in the government for Silicon Valley. Eventually, she was given an opportunity at Google - but she was skeptical about it. She was also interviewing at another company where the job description was straightforward - she had a team to manage, goals to hit, and knew who she reported to. The job offer at Google was more vague, and didnt meet her self-imposed criteria for her next job. But there was one problem she loved Google.Often the opportunity lies in the gray, she says on the podcast. Sometimes, taking the job or taking on the project, finding the zone where things are not figured out, where you have to provide the structure- thats where the real opportunities lie.Looking for more tips about changing your career? Check out the When To Jump podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever yo u enjoy podcasts. Hosted by Mike Lewis, who left his comfortable job in finance to become a professional squash player, the podcast features advice from inspiring entrepreneurs and side hustlers who made the leap.

What Does a Resume Cover Letter Look like Exposed

What Does a Resume Cover Letter Look like Exposed What Does a Resume Cover Letter Look like Can Be Fun for Everyone Utilizing a resume template is easily the most time-effective method of tailoring your resume for each position. One of your key goals with writing a resume is to create the document simple to read. Your resume will provide more information. Infographic resumes appear nice, but you also have to be concerned about applicant tracking system computer software. When a researching resume service, be certain to review resume samples and talk to a writer to go over strategies. Applicants who want to relocate for a work often decide to include their present mailing address, but otherwise, its up to you whether to include things like an address. Picking the correct job application composition is vital to must appropriate approach to make application properly. A good can be difficult to discover so following is a good sample resume to assist you begin. The Basic Facts o f What Does a Resume Cover Letter Look like By doing you will start to observe a pattern of which are the crucial words for the jobs youre applying for. ur guide on the best way to begin a cover letter will supply you with detailed instructions on how best to receive it right. So be sure you finish your cover letter with a highly effective call to action which will help you reach your target. If this is the case, youll be the winner. Even in the event the work description doesnt specifically ask for one, you have to compose a cover letter to accompany your work application. If youre asking for a job, any job, make the very first information which you provide the most relevant to the job that you want. In case you were terminated from a job that you could rather not combine that on your job application. Be sure that your resume is attractive, make certain its related to the job, make certain youve got traditional format and be certain to use terminology that paints you as a valu able contributor to the corporation. Adding the incorrect things or too many things to your resume will prevent you from getting the market job that you desire. Basic resumes typically have an extremely classic and conventional tone. Now that you know how resume examples can help you create an impressive resume, you want to take time to locate a very good example for you to use. Each resume style differs and is founded on which job you plan on using your resume for. If youve got diverse work experiences, then attempt to filter and include only ones that are related to the job youre interested in. Great visual design may be a positive add-on pertaining to the right folks. For instance, you can select a text-based layout with a professional look that will permit you to highlight your work experience. So you must strategize your resume based on a part of technology. Creating an effective resume can greatly enhance your odds of landing that dream job, and that means you need to put your very best foot forward with the space youve got and the situations you need to say. Have a look at the one which youve been using, maybe even for a couple of years now. Before you decide on the one to use, make sure to look in any way of the example options so that you can ensure that the perfect one is decided on with confidence. In a resume the choice of a layout is critical. Whatever font you decide on, make certain its simple to read. There are several resumes without a transparent format. Finding academic resume templates might be even simpler than you ever imagined.

Startup Owners Deciding When to Hire a COO - Spark Hire

Startup Owners Deciding When to Hire a COO - Spark HireAs with any startup geschftsleben, there comes a point when you need to consider your position in the company and how many job responsibilities you can handle efficiently. Many entrepreneurs start out running everything and adding staff as their business grows. Once your startup business beginsgrowing, it is time to consider your role in the business and startup hiring strategiesto add top-notch people to your team to drive more success.As Randy Nelson points out in his recent best seller, The Second Decision, If youre trying to be both CEO and COO, one of your roles is getting neglected.When you have been running the show behind the scenes in addition to front stage, its important to realize when and why you need to hire a COO.Too few people are trying to do too muchThe loudest notification that you need to hire a COO is when your company and staff have grown to a point where there are too few people trying to do too many jobs. You know what Im talking about every successful startup faces this.When you are CEO and COO, you will find yourself completely overwhelmed, pulled into two different directions.Strategic planning / big picture for your businessDay-to-day planning and operationsNeedless to say, one or both of these will end up being neglected due to sheer amount of time available. If either of these two areas is neglected, you are hurting the success of your business.When you have too much on your plate and are unable to efficiently do your job, it is very likely that your staff is experiencing the same problem. This is detrimental to your companys success.Why you need to hire a COOIf you and your staff are overloaded with the increasing growth of your startup, you need to hire a COO to focus IN the business while you are totenstill focusing on the strategic side of the business.When you hire on a solid COO who enjoys being involved in the business, this person will be your organizer. Your COO will keep things flowing in order, allowing your staff to focus on their expertise in completing their jobs proficiently.With a trusted COO focused on the day to day, you will be able to put the focus needed on the big picture growth of your business.What to look for when hiring your COOOnce you have decided that its time to hire a COO, you may first be under the impression that you need someone with experience in your specific industry. Please, disregard this thought.The most important thing to look for in your COO is strong leadership and operations experience. Your COO does not necessarily have to be an expert in your field. Rather, your COO needs to be someone who can take the vision of the company and execute it, making it attainable and understandable to your staff.When interviewing COOs, make sure that you thoroughly vet them by asking questions regarding their past work experiences and responsibilities, as well as thoroughly checking references. I recommend that you not limit you r search to the local area, but that you open the search nationally and consider options such as live video interviewing before you travel anyone in for face-to-face interviews.As Randy Nelson points out in The Second Decision, its important that you have a COO who wants to work IN the business, allowing you, as CEO to work ON the business.What is holding you back from hiring a COO? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.Image Ammentorp/BigStock.com