Prioritizing Kindness in the Workplace

Through the deprivation of meaningful interactions and face-to-face communication, many employees do not have the wherewithal to maintain the motivation and passion necessary for peak production. It can be quite the challenge to garner the encouragement necessary to work through new challenges while certain COVID-19 restrictions remain in place. The inconvenience behind scheduling social and business interactions is often exhausting, and the timing does not always work for everyone. However, despite the attacks on team chemistry, simple ‘check-ins’ and uplifting words can reassure transformed job performance.

Don’t underestimate the power kindness can have in the workplace. Prioritize kindness to establish a culture of gratitude that boosts productivity and facilitates success through these strategic outputs:

Employee Recognition

As a low-cost, high-impact strategy, publicly recognizing work anniversaries, birthdays and visually demonstrating appreciation for your team members plays a tremendous role in enhancing team morale, unity, and productivity. Our natural feelings of self-worth are always there deep down, but sometimes just need to be confirmed to reap the benefits. Providing recognition, whether in a leadership position or not, will allow your co-workers to feel more fulfilled and confident in their work. As with any action, showing your gratefulness sets the standard for employee interaction (even if remote) that will reciprocate to other team members and to you.

Random Acts of Kindness

Research from the Journal of Economic Psychology suggests that volunteering or buying a small, thoughtful gift for someone is tied to improved mental health and happiness. Whether it is through contributions of your time, money, or encouraging words, completing acts of kindness will shape how the world views you and, more importantly, how you view yourself. While the longstanding impact of friends and family’s support is unlikely comparable, the personalization between co-workers cannot be overlooked. You do not need to have a relationship with an individual for your kindness to benefit both of you. Even the subtlest of efforts in casual interactions, such as a friendly ‘hello’ or a genuine smile paired with a ‘how are you doing’ can positively impact our moods.

A recent study from Inc revealed that completing acts of kindness is linked to increased energy, calmness, optimism, lower blood pressures, and general well-being. When you exhibit unconditional kindness, you develop a critical strength in developing relationships through integrity.

Sincere Feedback

Thwarting the psychological barriers of providing honest observation, complementary or not, is an anxiety-inducing experience. As a result, we assume the recipient is encountering a similar discomfort, but that is rarely the case. When you see one of your team members is struggling, support them in finding a solution. By delivering constructive and positive feedback thoughtfully, you pave the way for improved performance and happy and loyal employees. Providing this feedback will:
– Clarify expectations
– Inspire reflection and learning
– Increase employee engagement
– Affirm successes
– Identify needs
– Build confidence
– Shape company culture
– Strengthen job performance
– Improve leaders’ effectiveness

How To Be Kind

Nothing is too small to make an impact. Appreciate and compliment kindness when you see it, and it will infuse into your culture. Be intentional in sharing kind words and recognize the importance of being responsive and invested in what others have to say. Showing kindness to others can be carried from as simple an action as opening a door for someone to assisting a co-worker with an approaching deadline. Here are a few other simple ways you can exhibit kindness today:
– Ask someone to coffee or lunch.
– Share an entertaining link to someone it made you think of.
– Practice active listening.
– Bring in donuts or bagels for your team.

Are you operating on a solely remote basis? Take the time to send an email or text that acknowledges an employee’s contributions or give them a quick phone to ask how they are doing. 

Wrap Up

When your company facilitates and prioritizes kindness, you successfully establish a culture of teamwork and innovation, and best of all… It’s FREE! Kindness begets increased productivity, improved mental health, and reduced stress levels, but only when your knowledge accompanies action. Lead by example by showing gratitude, writing thank-you notes, recognizing hard work, and providing the occasional tangible token of appreciation. 

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More

4 Lessons Athletes Can Carry into the Business World

At NexGoal, we choose to tap into the network of former athletes because of the highly transferable skills they’ve acquired throughout their athletic tenure. Whether they competed on a professional, collegiate, or high school level, these athletes understand what it takes to succeed. Employers want to fill their organization with employees possessing these high character traits. Knowing how to thrive individually and as a team, and having hard work and dedication ingrained in their DNA, athletes today have a real competitive edge when entering the business world.

Perseverance & Competitive Drive

Athletes are continually facing new challenges, but much to their chagrin, it’s impossible to win them all. Despite this, they are built to overcome losses to tough competition and still find ways to improve when they are on the winning side. Under demoralizing circumstances, athletes maintain a high level of intensity and determination they believe will pay off. What others may view as a setback, the tenacious athlete will consider as a new obstacle to overcome. To avoid getting discouraged, setting immediate, manageable steps is vital.

Former Green Bay Packer Tony Moll credits his athletic background for their’ roll with the punches’ business model, “making audibles left and right.” Discover how Moll turned his winery hobby into a successful business venture through the lessons he learned on the football field. 

Optimism & Confidence

Athletes believe in their abilities to produce significant results, especially under pressure or when the odds are stacked against them. Basketball legend Michael Jordan never distressed over missed opportunities but instead focused on performing his best in the present moment. 

           “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” -Michael Jordan

While there needs to be a balance between optimism and realistic goals, athletes will certainly not lack confidence and will provide the ‘self-starter’ mentality your organization covets. Inclined to accepting constructive criticism, their tenacity and hopefulness allows them to quickly correct course and prove their worth in the next presented opportunity. 

Leadership & Communication

An athlete’s qualities often place them in a natural leadership position as their work ethic and confidence begin to set the standard for other employees. Knowing the power of being a unified team versus being a group, athlete employees promote team chemistry and consistent communication. They are energizing, organized, and resourceful when it comes to their job performance, and therefore serve as natural motivators in the office. Even the more reserved athletes are used to believing in their abilities and therefore lead by their actions when the words are not enough.

Preparation & Consistency

Athletes operate under a goal-oriented, disciplined business approach that ensues consistent job performance and refined skills. Through intense preparation and a commitment to learning, the athlete’s strategic mindset keeps them relevant in a competitive market. Athletes don’t believe in such a thing as over-preparing, and having knowledgeable employees means having powerful employees. 

Throughout their athletic career, they have grown accustomed to balancing their commitments to academics, training, and family and friends their entire lives. Through effective time management and intense focus, athletes can concentrate their energy on the task-at-hand and keep their priorities’ in-check’ to be successful.

Wrap Up

If you are actively seeking quality employees for your organization who you can feel confident relying on, get in contact with us today to discover how we can work together! We utilize industry-leading technology and our pipeline of candidates to find your ideal employee. 

“What impressed me about NexGoal was the time they spent up front, understanding the core competencies required for our roles. We receive candidates that have the intangible winning qualities like hunger, drive, and passion.” -Bret Anderson, Millennium Labs.

If you are a former or current athlete, we hope this article helped you uncover your potential for your post-athletic career and how the skills you’ve acquired can transfer into the business world. Find confidence in how these desirable traits can make up for other areas your resume may lack.

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More

The Significance of Team Chemistry & How To Achieve It

Without team camaraderie and togetherness, a team will transform into a group of individuals all pursuing personal agendas. Recently, our friends at Nexxt laid out three of the top reasons that team chemistry is momentous in a company’s success and three steps to achieve it. We break down their key points below: 

Cooperation

When your team is on the same page, it will be easier to find success, and internal conflict will dissolve. Working together with a shared ‘end goal’ in mind will strengthen your team chemistry by default. When this level of synchronicity is established, your organization will reap quicker, more efficient results and positive developments. 

Productivity

When the bond is strong between employees, experts suggest productivity will escalate company-wide. Your team will begin to learn and recognize each other’s work styles, capitalizing on strengths and confining weaknesses. A lack of team chemistry can result in an argumentative culture with employees more concerned about expressing their opinion than finding a solution. 

Loyalty

Feelings of anxiety, low morale, and detachment are among the top reasons for disbandment and a lapse of loyalty. When a company is marked by discord, conflict, and individualistic mindsets, employees will seek greener pastures. If you desire to limit company turnover and construct a desirable workplace, you must set a precedent through consistent encouragement, provided opportunity, and an emphasis on engaging relationships. 

“Only 3% of U.S. workers feel involved, enthusiastic, and committed to their work.” (Gallup)

Generating Team Chemistry in Three Steps

Facilitate Communication

One of the most straightforward steps to generating team chemistry is through open communication. Keep your office door or phone line open and present yourself in an inviting manner to the rest of your team. If you appear readily available to answer questions and address concerns, your co-workers and staff will begin to feel heard and valued for their efforts. If you are ‘closed off’ in conversation, other employees will be influenced to do the same. If employees are not coming to you, go to them to initiate conversation. Set regularly schedule 1-on-1 meetings to share company updates, goals, and give way for open discussion. 

Know Your Team

Every organization consists of varying skill-sets, personalities, and inclinations. Through your 1-on-1 meetings and company gatherings (virtual or in-person), you show intentionality in knowing your co-worker or employee beyond their resume’s content. Exuding this effort is a sign of authentic leadership. It promotes being a ‘work-family’ rather than a ‘workplace.’ Giving everyone their time in the spotlight can allow self-confidence and attitudes to flourish. 

Provide Opportunities to Learn

When you provide opportunities to learn and grow, it shows your team that you are thinking of them and that you value and want the best for them. According to Gallup, 87% of millennials list “career growth and development opportunities” as vital to them in a new job. With increased opportunities, employees’ “confidence, effectiveness, and reciprocation of loyalty” will soar.

Wrap Up

If you want consistent and valuable contributions from your team, you must identify their strengths and weaknesses and place them in a situation where you know they will win. It is a difficult task to formulate an effective team out of contrasting individuals. Still, it is critical in identifying you and your team’s sense of purpose in your respective careers. 

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More

Becoming a Better Leader in the Workplace

Whether you are the CEO of your company or simply taking charge of one objective in a new business project, being a sound leader is critical. Leadership doesn’t come naturally for everyone, but thankfully, it doesn’t have to. One great example is in Author, Director, and Management Consultant, Peter Gasca. In a piece for The Entrepreneur, Peter admits his lack of natural leadership but credits his mentors and his ambition for new challenges as the root of his leadership growth. Being an introvert doesn’t make you a pushover or incapable of leadership. In fact, introverts are often better listeners than extroverts, which a key characteristic of leadership. Review the four simple priorities Peter recommends every aspiring leader set early in their career.

In this breakdown, we reveal three critical factors to becoming a better leader in the workplace: 

Communication

If you exhibit an uplifting, optimistic spirit, others will follow suit. If you appear discouraged or disinterested, your team will become concerned and uninspired. Being vulnerable to your team does not make you weak, but rather a leader that employees will want to follow. Admitting when you’re wrong will cultivate respect from your peers and your employees by elevating a sense of accountability.

The most renowned leaders are great listeners who show a genuine interest in workplace conversations. Get ‘in the trenches’ and be a part of the team. When discussing long-term goals and analyzing the bigger picture, allow your employees to feel they are a part of the team as well. Be intentional in constructing a bond with them and occasionally discussing matters outside of work. Consider stepping outside your office and walking amongst your team members or employees, but do not micromanage or talk down to others. Instead, take a mentoring approach and seek out what’s best for their career development. 

Trust Your Team

Have confidence in your subordinates, have faith in your peers, and encourage their involvement. As you begin to learn your employees’ skill-sets and strengths, you will know who to trust most in critical situations or with new projects. When you start trusting others, they will start trusting in you. Additionally, you will be offering them opportunities to grow and take on leadership responsibilities themselves. 

When you invest in your employees, you will see individuals grow into more productive, engaged, and happy employees. Seek out feedback for new ways to garner motivation, reward employees, and become a more effective leader. Foster creativity in your team by challenging them in areas you believe they will excel. When an issue does arise, or a mistake occurs, always give your team the benefit of the doubt. Get to the root of the problem and do your part in ensuring the problem does not happen again.

“Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered and accomplished.” – Lisa Cash Hanson

Celebrate Others’ Wins

When you notice somebody is doing a good job, go beyond the ‘pat on the back.’ Acknowledge and honor them publicly. When they take a bold step in sharing a new idea or comment during a meeting, show your appreciation for their contributions. Hearing compliments of their work will not only provide a sense of accomplishment but will increase confidence, provide affirmation, and bring a sense of job security. The happier your employees are, the more productive and passionate they will become. Not much is better than happy and appreciative employees having your back.

Although it is important to celebrate others and have fun, you must also remember to stay assertive and hold your team accountable to gain respect. Don’t let your team get stationary. Your employees are relying on you to help keep their goals a priority. Lastly, when discussing an employee’s room for improvement or growth, do so privately to refrain from publicly embarrassing or belittling them. 

Wrap Up

What are your preconceived notions of quality leadership? Rid yourself of the ‘my way or the highway’ mentality. It is not about being the loudest in the room, the most-liked, or most recognized. Authentic leadership involves wanting the best out of your team and aspiring to see others grow. The best leaders aim to inspire, entrust, and keep morale high. It is not a quick and easy process, but you can lead your team to success through pure intentions and deliberate planning.

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More

3 Workplace Conversation Topics You Need to Avoid

If the last 48 hours in the NBA have taught us anything, it is that there are a number of topics you just should not talk about with your co-workers—just ask Los Angeles Lakers guard, Nick Young. For those of you who are not up to speed on drama from the NBA world that is trending on social media, we will give you the cliff notes version.

Young was hanging out with rookie D’Angelo Russell around two weeks ago, and it seems the two were talking about Young’s personal life off the court involving women. While this was going on, Russell apparently was taking a video of some sort (Vine or Snapchat), which disclosed Young’s recent interactions with a 19-year old woman.

So what is the problem, you ask? Well, Young is engaged to celebrity singer/rapper, Iggy Azalea—and somehow Russell’s video got out and went viral, essentially exposing to Azalea and millions of other people in the world what Young had been doing behind her back.

Now, if you want to read more about the story you can easily find it by heading to social media, because it is all over the place. What is important for the team here at NexGoal is that this situation brought up something we have not written or talked about in a while—workplace conversations.

As time goes on at our jobs, many of us become more and more comfortable with the people we are around on a day to day basis. Naturally, this means we will talk about different aspects of our lives—it is only human nature. When you spend 40-plus hours with the same people—which may be more awake time than you spend with your own friends and family—you are likely to open up to them.

However, as is the case with Young and Russell, sometimes there are topics and conversations better left out when it comes to your co-workers—no matter how close of friends you have become. Luckily for you, the team here at NexGoal has put together a list for our usual “Three for Thursday” article that you should avoid if possible in the workplace.

Personal Relationships

Let’s start with the elephant in the Los Angeles Lakers locker room right now and the lesson you can learn from it. Did Russell probably break “team code” by taking a video of his teammate talking about his personal life? Absolutely, anyone who played (plays) sports has received the same lecture from day one—“What happens in the locker room, stays in the locker room.”

Being a 20-year old rookie, Russell will suffer teammate consequences as a result of this. However, it could have all been avoided by simply adhering to the No. 1 thing to not talk about with your co-workers. There is simply nothing good that can come from it.

If you are single and your co-workers are married, you are likely going to draw certain labels based on your outside of work personal relationships. Based on those habits, your co-workers will draw conclusions about you as a person that likely have very little to do with your ability to perform your job function and be depended on in the workplace.

Think about it for a second, we all know how people act. If you are dating around and talking about it at work, you could be viewed as someone who is afraid of commitment and not trustworthy by your co-workers. While that is likely not the case at all, you opened yourself up to criticism and scrutiny by opening that window into your personal life.

Listen, we all get the questions from our co-workers about our personal lives. But it is much easier to answer with, “I’m seeing someone” or “I’m just focused on work right now” than to open that door for follow-up questions. Keep your personal life out of the workplace.

“Three for Thursday” Featured Jobs From Our Clients to Start Your Weekend
Territory Medical Sales Representative – Harrisburg, PA – Click to Find Out More
Outside Sales Representative – Toronto, CAN – View This Opportunity
Commercial Roofing Sales Associate – Chattanooga, TN – Learn More Here

Politics

This one should be the easiest to avoid for people but it is never avoided—because it is commonplace in our daily news-cycle. To stress how important it is to avoid politics in the workplace, let me tell you a little story.

At a previous place of employment, two of my co-workers LOVED to talk politics. When I say love, I mean it—car rides to lunch, during lunch, back at their desks and any place they could have the conversation, they would. Now, I want to stress there is nothing wrong with enjoying politics—but you have to think about what is happening when you are having this conversation.

First, the people around you who do not know anything about politics are likely clueless about what you are talking about and feeling pretty bad about themselves. Second, those around you who do know politics and choose not to talk about it at the workplace are getting annoyed because you will not shut up about it. Third, and the most important of all, if you are having a heated disagreement about your point of views when it comes to politics, people might think you are about to have a fight in the workplace—seriously.

Avoid these 3 conversations at all costs.

Avoid these 3 conversations at all costs.

For whatever reason, when people who have opposing views discuss politics their faces turn red and voices get louder and louder as the conversation goes on. Passion comes out when we all believe in things—unfortunately that passion often looks like you are about to come to fisticuffs right in the middle of the office.

Just say no when it comes to talking politics in the office, save it for your Twitter and Reddit rants.

Unhappiness at Work

This will be a tough habit for most to break, because we are all guilty of it. I mean, who better to understand the trials and tribulations you go through in the office than those who are experiencing it with you, right?

Unfortunately those you work with are the worst to talk about work problems with—which is a lesson I learned all too well at a previous employer. I thought it would be okay to ask a question about something that was making me unhappy to a longer-tenured employee of the company to see if it had always been like this. Boy, was I wrong—it opened up a major can of worms that should have never been opened.

First, this person began to tell me about all the negative things about the company over their 10-plus years there. Then it turned into a “you should get out while you are still new” conversation. Finally, somehow this person then turned my question into a workplace epidemic of sorts, which reached the management level and came back on me.

Moral of the story, if you are unhappy with something at work just go to Human Resources or your direct report manager. Your words will get twisted, others could become unhappy based on what you said and ultimately the backlash just is not worth it.

Before You Go

View Current Job Openings
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More