Building Resilience To Overcome Any Obstacle At Work

I’m sure we can all agree that the last few years have been particularly challenging thanks to the pandemic and its aftereffects. That likely won’t change in the future, as the country faces a potential recession and an ever-changing job market. Building resilience is crucial in order to stay strong during these trying times.

No matter what career path you’ve chosen, building up your resilience is a good idea, and we found that resilience is one of the sought-after skills to develop this year. Build the grit to conquer anything your career throws at you through resilience training!

Define your purpose

One of the best ways to stay on target when things get tough is to take a step back and focus on your purpose.

“What many people don’t realize is that having a sense of purpose has more tangible effects on our lives. There are actually a multitude of health benefits, both physical and mental.” –Medicareful Living

Think in terms of your personal brand and what you stand for. Are your daily actions helping you achieve that purpose? Forbes’ William Arruda says to let your purpose be your North Star and to follow it when making decisions. Arruda cites Margaret Scovern of Pariveda, who said, “Businesses and people driven by a well-defined purpose are much less likely to stagnate in the face of real or perceived challenges.”

By knowing your core values, you can weather the storm and take action in line with that purpose when things get tough.

Focus on your strengths

While you’re analyzing things on the personal side, you’ll want to take stock of what you bring to the table in order to help you overcome the odds.

We can often feel weak and lost when troubles occur, and many of us are prone to imposter syndrome. But by taking stock of our unique individual strengths, we can remind ourselves of our best qualities.

SHRM’s Kathleen Doheny writes that workers of all levels need a reminder of their strengths from time to time. Don’t be afraid to remind others of their strengths as well! We may all struggle at certain aspects of our jobs, but a quick reminder of what we’re good at helps build the resilience to get through.

Set boundaries

Burnout is one of the most common tests workers face in their day-to-day lives. With so much going on in the world, at home, and at work, we can place too many burdens upon ourselves and create ridiculous expectations for ourselves. Learning how to set clear boundaries is key to reducing burnout and increasing resilience.

“Burnout is all too common these days. If you learn to truly take care of yourself, resilience is an automatic side effect.” –William Arruda

Karen Phillips of BetterUp Care mentions turning off your phone after work hours as a simple way to set boundaries to regain some control of your life. Sometimes, setting boundaries can be as simple as learning how to say “no.” You’ll need to find what works for you, but creating a better work-life balance will go a long way toward building resilience.

Build a support network

The above steps are great individual efforts at minimizing the chance of being completely bogged down, but the best way to build the resilience to overcome anything is to create a network you can rely on and who can remind you of your strengths.

HR Today found that workers who felt supported in building workplace relationships were twice as likely to report high individual resilience. These relationships also lead to a greater sense of resilience throughout the entire organization.

William Arruda mentions that while remote work can make it feel like you might be lonely, a support system is only a few clicks away, and it’s easier than ever to connect with or find a support network.

Wrap up

Some of the above advice is easier said than done. Setbacks in our careers are inevitable, and some are easier to recover from than others. But building resilience is universally beneficial and will make bouncing back easier. By taking time to take an inner look at yourself, learning how to create a healthy work-life balance to counter burnout, and finding a support system, you’ll be setting yourself up for success down the road.

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

Read More

The Most Effective Employee Retention Strategies

With the aftershocks of the Great Resignation still in play, many organizations have struggled to replace those lost workers. As worker wants and desires change, we’ll continue to see a shuffling as potential employees flock to places that can meet those desires. Smart organizations need a retention plan to keep their best employees engaged, satisfied, and willing to stay with the company.

Training a new employee can be an expensive affair—roughly twice their salary according to Visier. While you can’t prevent all employees from seeking greener pastures, creating a work culture people want to be a part of can limit the risk and help keep your best employees around. Embrace these modern strategies to encourage your top talent to stick around!

Have a good hiring process

Keeping your employees around starts before they even become your employees. Your hiring process sets the tone for the employee’s future with you, so the more transparent and accurate it is, the better.

Visier says to start with an accurate job preview and clear employee expectations. This means being honest about your culture and your potential employee’s role. Not every work environment and employee work style complement each other, and that’s okay. But if you’re dishonest, you’re setting yourself up for a messy breakup down the road.

A good onboarding process is likewise important to set the tone for a new hire’s early days.

Create a culture of value

Ultimately, an employee wants to feel like they fit in with the organization and that they matter to the parent company. A Pew study found that while low pay was the main reason people left their jobs (63% of respondents), feeling disrespected was a close second. 57% of respondents cited disrespect as a reason they left their job, with 35% claiming it was a primary reason.

“Your company likely has clear values and ideals in the handbook. Do you work on them to create a company that makes your employees proud? Maybe your company values equality, charitable acts or protecting the environment. Demonstrate those values through the work you do.” –Indeed

Take a deep look at your culture and how it treats its employees. Do your day-to-day operations align with the company mission statement? Are you recognizing employees for their accomplishments? This self-scouting is vital when asking why employees are leaving.

Focus on work-life balance

To create that culture, the work-life balance needs to not only be respected but prioritized. Pew found that 40% of respondents quit their job due to burnout—often caused by a lack of work-life balance. Combating burnout is an important step in maintaining employees.

Forbes’ Chauncey Crail lists remote work, flexible scheduling, and a reduced workweek as ways the modern organization can foster a healthy work-life balance. We’ve talked at length about how rejuvenating spirit that comes with remote work and how it can lead to better productivity. If you fear these concessions will be bad for your business, not only is that incorrect but you’ll be left in the dust as your competitors evolve.

Offer competitive benefits and invest in careers

Of course, even the happiest employees want to be paid what they are worth—no one is going to work for free.

The cost of living is high and grows at an exponential rate, and at the bare minimum, a company needs to keep up. But that’s not the only way to stay competitive. Ellie Taylor writes that as an employee takes on new roles and projects, they should be compensated for it. Taylor also adds that beyond base pay, retention bonuses, sales commissions, and additional bonuses after big projects will keep employees invested.

In addition to financial investment, investing in an employee’s career growth will keep them around. LinkedIn found that 94% of respondents would stay with a company longer if it assisted with their career growth. Emeritus lists mentorship programs and educational courses as ways to do so. We live in a skill-based career culture, and helping your employees gain the skills they need for a long and rewarding career will create skilled employees that can better help your organization.

“Today’s workforce wants to know what’s in store for their future and whether they can see themselves working with you long term. Stagnation can lead to disengagement, quiet quitting and eventually, actual quitting so provide your employees with opportunities to expand their skills and grow professionally.” –Lisa Shuster, Forbes

Learn from exit interviews

While these strategies are designed as a catch-all to help any organization, all companies are different and face different challenges. If you find you’re having trouble keeping people around, you need to pay closer attention to your exit interviews. Ellie Taylor mentions that many managers don’t see the workplace dynamic in action, especially if they’re busy. Exit interviews give you a better insight into how the employees view the organization. Taking these concerns seriously can lead to actionable results.

You may even learn what external factors are leading to turnovers. Your company may not be problematic, but if competitors are consistently offering higher salaries or benefits, it will give you something to think about.

Wrap up

Employees want more than money from their careers. They seek value and recognition and want to align with their employer’s vision. Keeping these simple ideas in mind is the core of any good retention strategy. Create a place of work that employees will want to stay with and make sure they’re invested in and rewarded properly and you’ll have an environment your top talent is happy to stay with.

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

Read More

Career Lessons From The 2022 World Cup

The World Cup is the largest global event in the sporting world, and every four years, millions watch to see how their country fares against the best competition on the planet. Argentina, led by the legendary Lionel Messi, took the FIFA World Cup Trophy home this year.

Argentina showed how to excel on the world’s biggest stage, but you don’t need to be a pro athlete to find some valuable takeaways for your own career. If you’re looking to achieve new career goals, take these lessons from the pros and become a champion in your chosen field!

Lead by example

Whether you’re a star player, team captain, manager, or leading a project, leadership is important. And the best leaders are those that lift up their team and lead by example.

LinkedIn’s Aaron Toumazou shared 10 career lessons learned from superstar Lionel Messi. Messi’s leadership works because he himself follows every lesson he instills in his team. Messi sets a high standard and constantly works to improve himself while always holding himself accountable. He also constantly exudes confidence to create a culture of it.

By showing his team he’s willing to put in the work and create a culture of winning, he fosters a sense of community and positivity in the locker room. His teammates know they can rely on him. We may not play the same game, but we can all learn from Messi’s leadership.

Teamwork is key

In any sport, even if you have a superstar, you can’t achieve success alone. Even solo sport athletes need coaches and other allies. To be the best, you need to learn how to put your ego aside and be a team player.

Team foundit reminds us that every member of a team has a different skill set, and those skills must work in harmony for the success of the team. Messi might be one of the greatest athletes in sports, but he can’t do everything alone. In business, we all have strengths and weaknesses, and a good team player will know how to work with others for the success of the project.

“When working on a team project, involve each member as much as possible, and get their help when needed.” –Team foundit

Refine your strategy

In a game of Xs and Os, your strategy and scheme must evolve to stay on top of the game and to compete at a high level. Even if you aren’t in direct competition, it always pays to take time to evaluate your process and see what you can do better.

Online Manipal’s Editorial Team shows that Spain has been disappointing in recent seasons thanks to their reliance on a short pass technique. This was a big reason the team had an early exit in 2022. By refusing to adapt as needed, a team is doomed to poor results.

Make growth a priority by constantly reviewing your performance with regular feedback. assessments, and performance reviews. Even teams that are consistently winning know to keep evolving.

Don’t throw in the towel early

There’s a reason sports games are played out and don’t end early for “mercy” rules. Recently in the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings were down 33-0 at halftime to the Indianapolis Colts. But the team rallied and came back with a thrilling 39-36 victory in overtime, the largest comeback in NFL history. Just because you don’t find early results doesn’t mean they won’t come, and perseverance is one of the most crucial keys to success.

Career coach Mei Phing stressed that the most important part of starting a new career is in the first 90 days when you can learn about company culture and practices. You might fail in those early days, but it’s a valuable time for growth, and you’ll be impressed with how far you can go if you keep working.

Make the most out of bad calls

In sports, there can only be one winning team. Even most hopefuls usually go home in defeat. Sometimes that defeat is due to outside sources you could never have prepared for or predicted. But there are lessons to be learned in defeat, and we can use those lessons to come back stronger.

Liquid Planner mentions lousy calls by the refs and unfortunate injuries as things that happen to every team. Even the most well-prepared teams can’t prevent those. In our own lives, we’ll always face setbacks and failure. But the best teams are those that can grow and adapt, and you can emulate this in your own work. Try to find a silver lining or a lesson and incorporate it moving forward.

“Flexibility in the face of change and resilience in the face of confusion are non-negotiable. Push through the discomfort and prepare yourself for anything.” –Liquid Planner

Wrap up

The World Cup is one of the most widely-celebrated events in sports and brings so many people together. But beyond the obvious entertainment, we can learn valuable lessons from the best of the best that we can incorporate into our own life. Our jobs might be wildly different from our favorite players, but their mindsets are worth emulating in any career!

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

Read More
  • Matt Hendershott
  • Culture
  • December 7, 2022

Becoming A Better Workplace Ally

More and more companies are focusing on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, but there’s still a long way to go before we truly reach a place of acceptance and embracement. In order to create a true culture of value, everyone must embrace DEI—not just those at the top. However, it can be challenging to be a true ally if one doesn’t know where to start.

CNBC Make It’s Ashton Jackson recently interviewed Megan Hogan, chief diversity officer at Goldman Sachs, about how to become a true ally to your peers. Hogan defined allyship as “making sure people feel seen, heard and valued at their organizations. And quite candidly, not just in times of crisis.”

We’ll examine Hogan’s three best practices for becoming a better ally in the workplace, along with additional advice from various other experts.

Engage

Hogan states that true allyship starts with awareness and knowledge. Knowing the perspectives and experiences of diverse groups is crucial in becoming an ally. This means educating yourself on various issues and becoming aware of your own privilege.

Harvard Business Review’s Tsedale M. Melaku, Angie Beeman, David G. Smith, and W. Brad Johnson state that while it may seem easy to ask members of different diverse groups about their experiences, this can create an unfair burden of labor on your coworker. Do your best to do your own independent research beforehand, and always ask for permission before discussing these topics with others. Recall that not everyone from these communities will have the same experiences and that each person is a unique individual.

The Post’s Grace Koennecke stresses the importance of continuing to learn even if you make mistakes along the way. New terms and concepts will continue to emerge, and it’s normal to make a mistake. Take responsibility, apologize, and strive to do better next time.

Act

With the power of knowledge at your side, you can now take active steps to be a better ally. Understanding the struggles faced by different groups allows you to actively help relieve their burdens.

“For example, if you’re a professional hosting events, are you aware that during certain key religious holidays people have to fast? Are you thinking about time zone differences for different colleagues? Are you thinking about when you put on multi-day events, that there’s nursing rooms for mothers? These are everyday acts of allyship that are quite practical and make sure that people feel included.” -Megan Hogan

However, during this stage, you must be careful to not make assumptions. You may be more informed from your education, and it’s nice to do your best to help your colleagues, but different people have different viewpoints and different needs. Forbes’ Holly Corbett cited Rachel Thomas, co-founder & CEO of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org, who mentioned a non-binary colleague who was misgendered. Rather than correct the offending party, Thomas instead asked the colleague how they would prefer the situation be handled. Ultimately, the colleague preferred that Thomas do nothing.

Awareness is great, but don’t assume it gives you all of the answers. And while this section is devoted to action, remember that listening and learning are still actions!

Empower

The final step in Hogan’s method involves recognizing your own discomfort and being an ally anyway. By acknowledging your mistakes and dedicating yourself to change, you can empower your colleagues and help create an inclusive workplace. Even if all you can do is publically admit a mistake and express a desire to do better, you’re still highlighting the importance of the issue.

Gannett Fleming’s Masai Lawson writes on the importance of being a supportive ally rather than a performative one. Make sure to truly uplift those in diverse groups and work with them to achieve progress. Being an ally is about support, which means never speaking over others or taking the glory for yourself.

“Performative allyship occurs when those with privilege publicly support DEI&B topics or marginalized groups to distance themselves from scrutiny, but they do not take concrete actions to effect change or shift the benefits of their privilege to marginalized groups.” –Masai Lawson

Wrap up

There’s a long way to go before we reach a true culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we learn new ways to be better every day. While it’s good to see companies more frequently embracing DEI initiatives, we can all do our part to create a more inclusive workplace. By following Hogan’s methodology of engaging, acting, and empowering, we can become allies that lift our coworkers up and create a better environment for them.

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

Read More

Holiday Party Do’s And Don’ts

With the holiday season upon us and many COVID-19 restrictions over, many organizations will soon be gathering for holiday parties. No matter which major winter holiday, if any, you celebrate personally, holiday office parties are a great time to celebrate the year’s accomplishments and bond with your team or develop deeper networking relationships.

Seasonal parties are a great time to cut loose and interact with your coworkers in a different capacity than usual, but you still must maintain a sense of decorum. Make sure to maintain some professionalism so that your reputation is still intact when the new year comes around. Recall these guidelines during your holiday festivities:

DO: RSVP

The most polite way to respond to any party invitation is to actually respond to the invitation. Whether the party is at the office, a colleague’s home, or a neutral location, whoever is planning the event needs a reasonable headcount in order to get an appropriate amount of food and drinks for the group.

Unless you have a legitimate reason otherwise, try your best to go to the event. Career Advice Expert Randall Hansen says that not attending the event could hurt your reputation and make it feel like you aren’t part of the team. Try to make an appearance of at least 30 minutes to mingle.

DON’T: Bring uninvited guests

Generally, most office parties will invite spouses or plus-ones, but always make sure to check first. Generally, these events aren’t for the entire family, and they aren’t an excuse for a group of people to get free food. Bring only those guests expected to be there, and make sure they are also aware of these etiquette rules.

DO: Dress for success

Depending on your usual office environment, an office party might represent a chance to unwind and “let your hair down.” But don’t be fooled—this is still a business function. If you aren’t sure what to wear, go for a step above what you think everyone else might wear. Going too casually can send the wrong message.

DON’T: Overstay your welcome

We stressed the importance of attending the event and making sure you’re noticed, but don’t take it too far in the other direction and stay too long. The event may have a set exit time, and people will want to clean up before calling it a night. Have a good time, but you don’t want to be the last person there and have the hosts waiting for you to leave. Amy Castro suggests that if you see everyone else making a mass exodus, you should do the same.

DO: Talk about something other than work

Most of your interactions with your coworkers are probably about work. In a party environment, there’s no need to go over the same topics again. A party is supposed to be a celebration and a chance to interact as individuals. Keep the conversation appropriate, but find interesting topics to discuss. Your coworkers may see a fun new side of you!

DON’T: Completely unwind

Don’t swing too far in the other direction, though. It’s a party, but it’s a work party. Make sure to keep the conversation light and playful without getting inappropriate. Keep any grievances to yourself, and don’t mention any questionable activities. CNBC Make It’s Ashton Jackson also says not to be flirty or make advances on someone.

DO: Show gratitude

Your organization is throwing the celebration to celebrate the year’s accomplishments and thank the team for a wonderful year. Be sure to do the same for them by showing your gratitude as well! Thank your team for hosting or planning the event.

“Of course, this is also a perfect time to thank all your co-workers who have been helpful or supportive in the past year.” –Carol Kinsey Goman, Forbes

DON’T: Drink too much

Different cultures have different views on this, but alcohol is commonly served at many office parties in the United States. It’s okay to enjoy a few drinks, but you never want to be the drunkest person in the room. Never feel like you need to drink more, even if the boss is having a few or encouraging you to. Many experts advise a two-drink maximum, but you know your body more than anyone else. Know your limit, and stop well before you need to.

Wrap up

Holiday parties are a wonderful time to relax and enjoy the accomplishments of you and your team, and a little bit of well-earned revelry is good for the soul. But an office holiday party is still a professional event, so you must be aware of your surroundings and be sure to behave appropriately. Once you understand the differences between a work holiday party and one with friends or family, you’ll be able to have a fantastic time with your team!

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

Read More