Author: TheHeadhunter

Being goal-oriented doesn’t come naturally to everyone. If you are not naturally goal-oriented at work, here are five ways you can keep yourself on track toward your work-related goals.

Practice planning

 It’s not enough to have a goal; you have to know what it will take to accomplish it. That’s where planning comes in: For each goal you set, sit down and write down every task that needs to be done to meet the goal. These might be short-term tasks — such as sending an email or purchasing a supply — or long-term projects, such as completing a course or landing a new client. Once you know the steps you need to take to meet your goal, you can organize those steps to use your time most effectively.

Manage your time

 Time-management is the ability to plan and prioritize your time, and it’s key to meeting your goals. To manage your time effectively, you need to know how long your plan will execute, then assign any tasks accordingly to make the most of your time and energy. (Sometimes, it’s helpful to assign tasks on a calendar or write your to-do list in order of the time of day you need to accomplish each thing.) Don’t forget to schedule breaks; they can help you refocus and regroup before starting your next task.

Track your progress

 Just like you need to know the steps necessary to reach your goal, goal-oriented people also know where they stand about their goals. In other words, they take the time to evaluate if they’re on track and decide whether they need to pivot or reallocate their time and resources to reach their goal. Be sure to schedule periodic check-ins with yourself and honestly answer the question: Am I where I need to be to meet my goal? If the answer is no, it’s time to re-evaluate your plan and make needed changes.

Keep yourself accountable

 Goal-oriented people don’t necessarily have will powers of steel. Instead, they stay accountable to themselves. If you struggle with motivation and accountability, then consider getting an accountability buddy — a coworker or friend who is willing to help you stay motivated by checking in with you every day. You’ll update them on your progress, and they’ll help boost your motivation toward your goal.

Stay positive

 Meeting your goals can be tough work! But staying positive can make the work toward your goals a little easier. When you’re working toward a goal, give yourself positive affirmations, such as, “You can do it!” or “You’ve got this!” Or create a vision board you can look at, and that will remind you of why you want to reach your goal. For example, if you’re vying for a raise, perhaps a picture of a beach — where you plan to take a vacation with that money— will keep you motivated and help you stay positive.

Whether you are currently filling out a job application or preparing for an in-person interview, you may be asked to provide an answer about your salary expectations. This can be an awkward question because you have to define your worth while also maintaining a sense of flexibility. Check out this informative guide to help you understand why employers ask this question and how you can answer it in a diplomatic way.

The importance of salary expectations

Whether you are currently filling out a job application or preparing for an in-person interview, you may be asked to provide an answer about your salary expectations. This can be an awkward question because you have to define your worth while also maintaining a sense of flexibility. Check out this informative guide to help you understand why employers ask this question and how you can answer it in a diplomatic way.

What are salary expectations?

Salary expectations refer to the amount of money a prospective employee expects to be paid for the position in question. You may be asked about your salary expectations as early as the application phase, or further along in the process during a phone or in-person interview. How you answer can determine several factors including:

• The salary you end up receiving if you obtain the position
• How an employer perceives you as a candidate
• Whether or not you get the job in question

Why do employers ask about your salary expectations in a job interview?

Employers ask you about your salary expectations for a variety of reasons during your job interview. Here are some examples:

• They want to assess how you view yourself and your previous qualifications
• They want to determine whether your salary expectations align with what they can offer you based on their budget
• They want to see if you’re over or under-qualified for the role when compared to other roles within the company and their salary levels
• They want to be respectful of your needs and qualifications in relation to the position in question

What to include and exclude when asked about salary expectations during an interview

To approach the topic of salary expectations in a professional manner, you need to know what to include and exclude from your answer. Here are some items to include or exclude when answering the question: what are your salary expectations? to help you create a polished answer:

Include

• Job-focused language that implies your passion for the industry over salary expectations
• Information about your previous work experience and qualifications that constitutes a particular pay grade
• Salary ranges to imply openness and flexibility
• Questions about the company and the type of salary range allotted for the position

Exclude

• Mentioning strict salary expectations or unwillingness to negotiate
• Discussing salary range that is well below your current or previous salary
• Statements that reference your need for money rather than your love for a particular line of work
• Talking about salary ranges of company competitors

Example answers for salary expectations in an interview

Here are a few example answers to the question: ‘What are your salary expectations?’ to help you come up with your own:

To demonstrate openness

‘Due to my passion for marketing and my desire to work for such an inspiring organization, I am open to negotiating my salary at a further point.’

To demonstrate specific expectations

‘I would be okay with a baseline salary of $45,000 as I have two years of event planning and coordination experience where I earned $44,000 and I am eager to learn more.’

To demonstrate flexibility in salary range

‘My salary expectations are between $50,000 to $60,000.’

To demonstrate an interest in the position while gauging the employer’s budget

‘Can you tell me more about the daily work environment and my roles and responsibilities? What type of pay grade would you assign to this position based on those duties?’

To determine specific needs when asked to come up with an actual number

‘I would like to earn $80,000 for this position because I know it requires working more than 40 hours a week, managing a department and representing this organization. I am ready to dedicate myself to the job and this company.’

At the height of shelter-in-place this past spring, I was only leaving my home about once a week to go grocery shopping, get exercise through hikes, or carry out other essential activities.

During one point of quarantine, it crossed my mind that any source of excitement—no matter how dangerous or out-of-character—would be a welcome respite. Sound familiar? When deprived of healthy activities that feed our brain’s dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and other “happy” chemicals we receive from excitement, variety, and connection, our mental circuits can malfunction.

When brains struggle to confront constant monotony, you slide into uncommon habits. For instance, you might have found yourself taking on addictive behavior around social media, gaming, gambling, or any other activity that would help give you a slight mental boost. Maybe, you’ve gone in the other direction and find yourself struggling to even find a way to get out of bed in the morning.

Through my work as a time management coach as well as my connections with people, I was hearing of individuals, who were typically early-risers, getting out of bed around 10 or 11 a.m. due to low mood and negativity.

If you fall into any of these categories or simply have a more mild level of boredom with the sameness of each day, there are still things that you can do to break up the tedium of your workweek. Keep in mind, what is permitted will vary by your local restrictions, and what you choose to do will be dependent on your comfort level with venturing out.

Work Space Transitions 

Even though you probably never thought about it much before, the “rat race” offered a lot of variety. You woke up, dressed for work, commuted, attended meetings, went to lunch, and headed home.

By nature of the workday’s structure, there are quite a few different things you do and people you interact with. And although commuting across the hall to your home office is convenient, it can get boring.

To mix things up, consider changing your location throughout your workday. For example, you may start in your office, do some work at the dining room table, and then finish the day on the front porch. If you get easily distracted by your home environment or the people within it, consider constraining yourself to a smaller area, such as the basement.

Further, try to make small physical shifts, such as sitting down in an armchair for brainstorming or standing up for phone meetings.

Another workday transition: punctuate the same ole, same ole by changing up your thinking. Extend a meeting to someone at your company you don’t regularly work with and with whom you can have a fun conversation. Other ideas: Attend a training in something you’re interested in learning or take on a special project you feel extra motivated around.

Finally, there are small ways where you can introduce some flair such as changing up your Zoom background, having flowers on your desk, or sharing something funny with your colleagues. At times, the little things can count for a lot.

Wellness Challenges 

Before businesses and venues shut down, I was at my gym at least five days a week. In its absence, I’ve had to get creative on how to add challenge and variety to working out and staying healthy. If you’re struggling in this area, here are some ideas of what worked for me.

When the days were cold, dark, and short, YouTube was my go-to for workouts that got me up and moving in the morning. For my own preferences, I would choose videos featuring groups of people working out, ideally on the beach. I quickly became bored of my favorite YouTube channel, after which I sought out newer videos as well as Facebook Live videos with local fitness instructors.

Once the weather started to get much better, hiking, bike riding, running, and swimming became possibilities. I scoured Google maps for new state parks and metro parks in my area; fortunately, there were many options.

Once Memorial Day hit, swimming outside in lakes with a wet suit was a possibility. So now Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, I swim across a .4-mile wide lake at a state park with a few of the members of my swim and triathlon team for safety. Tuesday, I lift weights. And Thursday and Sunday, I do shorter distance sprint and stroke work in front of a smaller beach near me.

Goes to show, you can still be active each day in a variety of ways. And you can find things you like to do—whether it’s different workout videos, walking in different places, paddle boarding, or doing some other variety of activities that bring you joy and a fitness challenge.

Diverse Socializing Opportunities 

Different types of interactions with people create unique experiences. A deep one-on-one conversation is different than a small-group discussion; hanging out drinking refreshing beverages is different than running together.

As you can, seek out this variety. Have a heart-to-heart with a close friend, but then get with a group to just laugh and shoot the breeze. In my week, I purposely try to make sure that I have a mix of different ways that I’m interacting with people, so I’m not solely having serious discussions or solely keeping things shallow.

Also, think about different activities you can do with your family during this time. Maybe it’s exploring a town you’ve never visited, playing new games, or even working together on a home project.

Learning and growth add excitement to our lives. So another way you can break up the monotony of your workweek is to invest time in a hobby.

For instance, you can learn a new skill, practice an instrument, read a few new books, or make something for your home. I heard stories of people using their reduced work hours to develop artwork or break out of a mental funk by practicing piano during 15-minute breaks.

Another benefit of these types of activities is that not only do they offer change, but also they give you something tangible to work on where you can see progress and have some level of control. It’s so satisfying to know you can plan to do something and complete it without worrying about what new rules and restrictions will pop.

Once everything calms down, there won’t be the entire bouquet of choices we’re used to. In the interim, turn to these varied options to add flavor to a bland workweek.

We all know that managers need to coach their employees, but how can employees become more coachable? Effective leaders are more like coaches, leading their employees toward career development, ultimately, greater job satisfaction. While managers help lead their employees to accomplish their goals, coachable employees are part of this vital part of the equation.

“Coaching must be focused on what the person being coached wants to achieve,”. “It can be a mutual goal that benefits both the leader and the employee, but leaders need to be careful. The problem is if the employee isn’t ready to be coached. That could be due to doubt or fear about the outcome.”

Whether it’s from a professional coach, a manager, or a peer, being coachable is a crucial aspect of continuing to grow as a professional at any level. To be coachable, you need to have three critical traits:

Be open to exploring beyond the surface

Be open to being coached. A willingness to try is crucial to have a working relationship with your manager to succeed. It’s important to be willing to explore what you don’t know so your manager can help you achieve your goals and hone your professional skills

A passionate desire to pursue and fulfill your professional goals

Although you might need a willingness to try, you must desire to sustain the relationship over time with your manager to reach success and build on professional progress. Possessing a passionate desire to pursue and fulfill your professional goals will help sustain your willingness even when you encounter obstacles and failures.

Courage to be vulnerable

Achieving goals takes courage, even if you are willing and have the desire. To be coachable, you must dig deeper and uncover the root of your fears and the cause of what stops you. When you’re able to explore each fear, you’ll often find that they’re baseless.

While all three traits are necessary, a lack of courage is often the stopper for becoming coachable. Even if you’re willing and have a desire, when it comes down to the deciding moment, fear may stop you from following through.

Career growth may seem like a controversial topic right now. Can you really have career growth in the middle of a global pandemic? Some people might roll their eyes at the thought or brush it off because it seems impossible. But what if it’s not?

Whether you’ve been tossed into an unexpected job search or you’re secretly on the hunt for a new job, career growth should be your top priority. If you don’t make it a priority, you risk becoming stagnant, or worse, taking a step back in your career when it might not be necessary.

But, even if it is a priority, you might not be taking it as seriously as you think. Here are five subtle signs you might be holding yourself back from career growth.

You’re on cruise control or panic mode

This global pandemic has thrown tons of people into cruise control or panic mode. If you’re on cruise control, you’re probably telling yourself that now is not the time to make any sudden moves. Even though you’ve wanted to change jobs for a while now, you’ve likely convinced yourself that it’s best to keep your head down at work until the coast is clear. If you’re in panic mode, then you’re likely not thinking strategically about the next step in your career. You might be feeling like you have to take whatever you can get, without evaluating what you want or the various ways you can contribute to the next company.

Both cruise control and panic mode are harmful to your career growth. Cruise control might feel safer, but it’s keeping you stagnant. Operating in panic mode might be stopping you from seeing all the ways you could successfully pivot your career and could have you taking detours you might not have to take.

You don’t know what career growth you want

Career growth looks different for everyone, especially right now. Career growth could mean more mentorship, more money, more leadership opportunities, more training and development, more impact, new challenges, a new industry, a better work environment, the list goes on and on. You may not want all of those things at once. You may not be able to get every single one of those things right now. But, it’s important to recognize which of those things are most important for your personal career growth so that you can at least try to aim for them.

It’s like when you decide you want a specific car and all of a sudden you start seeing that car everywhere you go. But, if you never decided, you would’ve never noticed it passing you by. It’s the same way with career growth, if you don’t know what you want, you won’t have a clear focus moving forward and you’ll likely end up settling because you didn’t know what to pay attention to or ask for in your job search.

You’re dwelling on the wrong things

It’s too easy to think negatively right now. But when it comes to your career growth, especially landing a new job that moves your career forward, thinking negative is 100% guaranteed to keep you stuck and stagnant regardless of how nice it would be to land a new job you’ll love. If you’re constantly asking yourself, “What if I don’t get it?” instead of, “How can I increase my chances of getting it?” then you’re spending too much energy entertaining negative possibilities when you could be welcoming positive ones.

Instead of dwelling on the wrong thoughts and soaking up all the negative news, start paying attention to the things that are going right. Scroll down your LinkedIn feed and soak up the success stories of people celebrating accomplishments and starting new jobs right now, even if they are few and far between. Decide that it’s possible for you too. Attaining career growth is not just about doing the right things but thinking the right thoughts as well.

You’re relying on motivation

No matter how well our intentions are, motivation is like that flaky friend who says they’re going to show up to the party but rarely ever does. When you’re worried about still meeting your deadlines, not catching coronavirus and landing a new job, you need something stronger than motivation if you want to make career growth a priority. You need a plan. When you have a clear and strategic plan on how to land a new job that will offer you the career growth you want, you can rely on discipline and consistency rather than motivation.

You’re not strategic about getting support

You hear people say all the time, “network, network, network!” But, reaching out to strangers on LinkedIn expecting world-class advice and top-notch referrals without even building a genuine relationship or having a real conversation is not the way to go. Connecting with other professionals, and getting support from experts or career coaches, when done the right way, can be a catalyst for success. But if you have no clue how to do that, if you’re mass emailing people without any thoughtfulness if you think getting support from a career coach is a luxury and not a necessity when you know you need guidance, then you’re not taking your career growth seriously and you should consider changing your approach.

Hear me loud and clear: it is still completely possible to land a new job that moves your career forward, even right now. But it starts with you. If you know you’re guilty of one of these five things, that is good news! That means there is plenty of room for improvement and that you still have the power to move your career in a more satisfying direction.

During times of uncertainty, it’s easy to think, “screw it.” The goals you had before — land a new job, get that promotion, secure a higher raise — seem distant, especially in the middle of an unforeseen pandemic. But the way I see it, you only have two options: wait around for things to get better and for something good to magically happen to you or do what you can to make good things happen for you? If you’re a high-achiever who prefers the second option, here are five power skills you should master to keep your career moving forward no matter what:

Aim for Excellence

The good news is that if you’re an ambitious professional, you’ve probably been aiming for this since day one of your first job. We’re taught to work hard, over-deliver, rinse, and repeat. But if you’re not careful, you can get in the trap of saying yes to everything and committing to too many things. This can result in you working hard on busy work and failing to exude excellence when it truly matters. Or worse, if you’re a perfectionist, you can get caught in the procrastination trap, which eats away at your time and creates a never-ending to-do list that can impact your performance.

All work is not created equal, and knowing the difference is key to consistently delivering excellent work. Patty Azzarello sums this up well in her book, Rise: 3 Practical Steps for Advancing Your Career, Standing Out as a Leader, and Liking Your Life. She says, “You have to find a way to deal with all of the work, not do all of the work.” To create a track record of excellence, you can’t be afraid to set priorities and work strategically.

Advocate for Yourself 

The biggest lie we were told growing up is “put your head down and do the work.” The idea is that if you just grind, hustle and do your best work, someone will eventually notice you and give you everything your heart desires without you having to ask for it. I believed that lie, and the only thing I got from following that advice was bread crumbs.

If you want to have a successful career no matter what, you need to learn how to speak up. No one will ever be more invested in your career growth than you, and it’s your duty to show others why you’re ready for it. Regardless, if you want to grow within your company or desire to land a new job elsewhere, don’t expect your track record to speak for you. Remind people of your track record. Let go of the idea that you’ll seem arrogant or obnoxious if you advocate for yourself. The sooner you learn to speak up for yourself gracefully and confidently, the better your career will be because of it.

Build Genuine Connections

I have a confession: early in my career, I thought I could do the whole “no new friends” thing. I was wrong. No new friends will lead you to no new opportunities. To succeed in your career, regardless of what life throws your way, you must be willing to build genuine connections in and out of season. Yes, that means when you need a new job and when you don’t. Doing excellent work and advocating for yourself are essential skills, but you also need allies in rooms you may not have had a chance to enter yet.

At work, it can be easy to build relationships with your colleagues on the same level as you but don’t limit yourself. Seek out relationships with colleagues on different teams and senior leaders and executives you may not interact with often. But don’t just stop there. Look around at people at other companies and in other industries that inspire you and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships with them, too. When done the right way, these relationships can dramatically impact the trajectory of your career.

Adopt a “How can I help?” Mindset

It sounds simple, but most people don’t always think this way. But, when you’re so focused on yourself, you may miss moments to be present, memorable, and invaluable to others. Adopting a “How can I help?” mindset will also help you boost your confidence in work meetings, job interviews, and other situations that may typically feel nerve-racking or intimidating. If you’re constantly thinking about how you can help someone else, you’ll pay more attention to their challenges, and you’ll increase your chances of building a reputation as a problem solver.

Please note, you do not need to be a people-pleaser to achieve this; boundaries are critical. However, in moments when you desire to make a great impression, you can quiet a lot of noise in your head if you switch your focus. Practice better understanding the other person, listening, and considering how you can help them move forward, even if they happen to be ahead of you in their career.

Cultivate Your Growth Zone

If you master the other four skills, you’ll find that your career will reach new heights in due time. However, I’ve seen so many high-achievers hit ceilings in their careers because they stay in their comfort zones for more time than they should.

No matter how far along you get in your career, if you want to keep moving forward no matter the circumstances, you have to always be willing to be a student, be uncomfortable, and ask for help. If you find that you’re not learning or feeling uncomfortable in some area, then you’re probably not being as challenged as you could be in your career. On top of that, success leaves clues, so if you’re not willing to ask for help to get to the next level of your career, you’re likely making the journey much harder than necessary. Your growth zone is where the magic happens, and cultivating your growth zone is critical if you want to keep rising in your career.

Just like life, our careers are full of curveballs. But, if you’re willing to aim for excellence, advocate for yourself, build genuine connections, adopt a “How can I help?” mindset, and cultivate your growth zone, you’ll always be able to bounce back and move forward no matter what comes your way.

During COVID-19, office communication can be tough. Although we’ve established effective ways of communicating virtually, like Zoom calls and Slack chats, things can still be lost in translation. Given that we’re in unprecedented and unstable times, the stakes are extremely high around job stability and growth, and now is the time to advocate for yourself and your career. It’s important to be as explicit about how your work stands out, what you’re best at and how you add value to your organization. Your colleagues, and especially the manager, can acknowledge and celebrate your work accomplishments until you do. 

When you’re able to assess which accomplishments you would like to speak about, it becomes easier to speak about them with pride and a factual statement. It’s less anxiety-provoking and intimidating to share your work when you think of it as stating your coworkers’ facts. Additionally, it’s also crucial to be strategic before sharing out your accomplishments. What do you want to accomplish by sharing? Is it more visibility within your organization, positioning yourself as a thought leader on your team, or raising the extra projects and initiatives you’re executing? 

Although vocalizing your accomplishments may not be the easiest, it’s vital for your career growth. Here are our tips to help you nail the delivery, tone, and strategy for sharing your hard and amazing work with your organization’s members.

Speak with your boss to gain advice

During your 1:1 with your manager, ask them how they feel you should communicate your wins remotely and digitally? Would it be helpful for them to see your career accomplishments within a roundup email each week or in a quick Slack message? During this tumultuous time, aim to be consistent and produce strong work for your organization and yourself. If you’re preparing yourself to start a new job remotely, you can begin anywhere, as it’s never too early or too late to showcase your accomplishments and stand out from the pack. 

Share your struggle

Most likely, you’ve experienced some obstacles along the way of completing your project, so whenever you share your success, you should also disclose the hard work and team collaboration that went into completing it. 

Be a team player

Recognize publicly and often how other circumstances and people have helped you realize the success you have. Every accomplishment involves some kind of cooperative effort and teamwork. Make sure to highlight how you didn’t get where you are alone.

Get an advocate to share your wins

If you’re not comfortable sharing your wins, find an ally in your corner who’s willing to toot your horn for you, so you feel comfortable accepting recognition and compliments with gratitude and humility.

Keep it brief

There’s no need to detail every single one of your accomplishments. Let them unfold over time—and only when they’re actually relevant.

Lastly, always remember that modesty and relevancy are your friend and collaboration and teamwork is key when it comes to sharing your work accomplishments. 

You hear the question asked a lot: “What advice would you give to your past self?” Anytime I hear this question, I end up reflecting on what I have learned, both personally and professionally. Regular self-reflection is one of the best ways to remind yourself what continues to “work” while you also move forward. The start of a new year, and a new decade, is a typical time for many people to pause and reflect on where they’ve been and where they hope to go. So, as we kick off the new decade, I decided to put together the top eight pieces of advice that I wish someone had shared with me when I was starting out professionally.

Network More

My first piece of advice? Start getting to know your community and peers early. Connections you make can impact you ten—even 20—years down the road. People are the best resource to navigate career moves and strengthen your knowledge base.

The good news is that it’s never been easier to network. Thanks to social media, you can join a virtual community of your peers at the click of a button. Whether you engage in a LinkedIn group that’s tied to your industry, take part in a live Twitter Chat, or seek out local lunch and learns and meetups, taking the first step is key. Trust me, putting yourself out there is worth it. You’ll thank yourself later.

Be a Problem Solver, Not a Problem Identifier

We all have that one friend or colleague who tends to see the glass as half-full. They have no problem speaking up when they notice something is wrong, but they seldom have a solution to offer. Don’t be that person. You add value when you come to the table with an idea. If you notice something that needs improvement, think about how to fix it instead of just pointing it out. Don’t be afraid to flex those problem-solving skills early. Your peers will notice, your boss will notice, and you’ll be top of mind when new projects and promotions become available.

Always be Prepared

This piece of advice is timeless. No matter the stage of your career, preparation is the key to success. Show up to your meetings prepared. Set aside time to research who you are meeting with and prep any materials of use for the meeting at the minimum. If you are not sure what that means for your new role, ask!

Being prepared is a sign of respect. When you come to meetings, prepare, and show up on time, you communicate that you’re reliable, competent, and courteous. All of these traits will serve you well throughout your career and your personal life, too.

Attitude Goes a Long Way

Skills are essential, yes. But so is attitude. My advice? Having a chip on your shoulder makes you stand out—and not in a good way. While navigating corporate life can be difficult at times, focusing too much on corporate politics will hurt you in the long run. Be pragmatic, not pessimistic. Build others up, don’t tear them down. Look for ways to build consensus, not divide.

Have Measurable Goals, but be Flexible

Having goals for the future is a great way to stay motivated, but don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t get that promotion within a year! It takes time to understand the ins and outs of a new company. My advice is simple: if you’re looking for ways to grow, then take some time to understand your business and how each person and team contributes to success. Once you understand that piece of the puzzle, you can become a more active and intentional contributor. Just be patient and remember that every company is different. What takes three months in one place may take nine months in another, and that’s okay. Just stay focused on your goals and do your best work.

Quality Over Quantity

Remember that bit of advice about having a positive attitude. There is one caveat. Having a “go-getter” attitude is great, but remember that it is not possible to do it all. Don’t take on too much, or the quality of your work will suffer. Time management is critical. Talk to your leadership and find the best to prioritize your projects. It’s better to do a few things well than many things poorly. Quality counts.

Ask Lots of Questions

As you’re just starting out in your career, take every chance you get to learn from others. The best way to do this is to ask questions. Your more seasoned colleagues are an invaluable resource. Tapping into the situational experiences that they have navigated can provide the best starting point. Every time I have asked the question, “What would you do in this situation?”, I have gotten fantastic advice. And asking questions shows you’re curious, eager to learn, and open to feedback. Those are all good things.

Learn to Identify the Difference Between Ego and Confidence

You’ve landed your first full-time role or scored a promotion. Congratulations! You should feel confident and proud of your hard work. But you should also stay humble. Things can change fast in a corporate environment. Celebrate a job well done, but don’t let your ego take over and don’t become complacent. Thank your team for helping you get where you are, and continue to check in with them and find new ways to grow and improve. Every new project or challenge offers the priceless opportunity to learn, help someone else learn, and ultimately become a more well-rounded professional. Never take those opportunities for granted.

Bringing it All Together

As I launch into the new decade, I find myself working with great leadership and teams (many of whom were integral in influencing the pieces of advice this list). Though I’m no longer new to my profession, I continue to learn. How about you? Ask yourself, “What advice would I give myself starting out in my career?” Share that advice with someone who could benefit.

Managing a team remotely and struggling to communicate constructive criticism? You aren’t the only one. Given COVID-19, more employees and teams are working remotely more than ever, causing an increase in digital communication over in-person interactions in the workplace. Interacting online is causing us to rethink how to work effectively within our teams, including how managers provide feedback to their employees.  Although receiving feedback is critical for career growth and progress, along with expansion and upward mobility within the organization, most employees are hyper-sensitive or frightened to accept constructive criticism.

Managers also don’t love to dole out feedback, worry about offending employees, and stifling their morale. Even though most managers don’t like giving feedback, their employees are longing for it. A study found that more people prefer corrective feedback (57%) to praise or recognition (43%). This is mostly because people believe that corrective feedback does more to improve their performance than positive feedback. While navigating COVID-19, most things will change, including communication mediums, workloads, and more, but providing constructive criticism, shouldn’t be one of those factors that shifts.  See our tips for delivering feedback remotely below.

Establish frequent and casual check-ins

Even though remote work lacks the same human connection as the office environment, it’s still essential to establish frequent and casual check-ins. Regularly checking in with your team by Slack, call, or email can help maintain that connection and alleviate common feedback issues. Research shows that managers often inadvertently layer in compliments within their feedback to sugarcoat their criticism, which makes it less helpful for their employees. To combat this tendency, make sure you are consistently providing feedback. Ongoing, casual check-ins prevent resentful feelings, future mishaps, and disagreements, which usually arise in remote work situations. 

Be compassionate

Before you critique your colleagues or employee’s work, remember to exercise compassion as it can go a long way toward establishing trust. Since virtual employees don’t have the regular opportunity to read tone or body language, building mutual trust is key to make your feedback more palatable and acceptable. As a solution, utilize the same pleasantries as you would in the office. Taking this approach into account, you may be wondering how to show genuine compassion without coming across as disingenuous. The key is to let them know you are on your employee’s side, even if you have to flag something that they could do better.

Resort to leveraging video conferences for sensitive information 

When it’s time to deliver constructive feedback remotely, a video or Zoom call is the best alternative to face-to-face syncs. Research studies have found that video calls are just as effective as in-person meetings, as long as you frame the video to capture your body language, not only your facial expressions. In efforts not to misconstrue your written feedback, convey your thoughts to your employee over video. 

Celebrate your employee’s accomplishments

As a remote manager, you may be wondering how to praise your employee for their consistently good work performance. 

“For a remote worker who’s performing well, the risk can be that they are not getting enough visibility from their manager or the team. Feeling overlooked and underappreciated, they’re at risk for disengagement and attrition. Research shows that the worry about being “out of sight, out of mind” or of having a fear of missing out (FOMO) can lead to loneliness and isolation in remote workers. It is therefore critical for managers to increase high-performing team members’ social visibility with public recognition, and to reward good work.”  

You can begin to recognize your remote employees by doing the following: 

• Company email threads to appreciate good work.
• Sharing messages in public chat rooms. One specific idea is a “Celebrate” channel in Slack, where anyone can give someone else a remote high five—an emoji, GIF, or written comment—for something great or noteworthy that they did.
• Having a dedicated written space for recognition or gratitude.
• Create regular time for celebrating ‘wins’ in a team or all-hands meetings.

Feeling stuck in your career? You’ve likely hit a career plateau that happens to the best of us. Sometimes the plateau is caused by feeling uninspired by the work that you’re doing, but it could also be a result of your actions. The difference between a career that flattens and one that skyrockets are the impression that you make on others and key stakeholders within your organization. Instead of becoming stuck within a continual loop of frustration with a position that isn’t going anywhere, you should focus on four attributes that can make or break your career success.

Exercise your authority

People who can communicate effectively with also a sense of authority can gain influence and respect amongst organizations, which also heightens their chances of having their ideas become showcased. Although your career can progress forward if you can demonstrate work ethic and doing a good job, you’ll travel further if you’re voice is being heard and respected. To access your authority, it can help to do an audit of presentations to make a note of your body language and presence. Throughout your remote meetings, take note of your posture, eye contact, and participation, then watch how people respond to you.

Be warm and approachable

Another essential attribute is the warmth that you’re able to convey amongst your organization. Warmth can be communicated by being humble, vulnerable, empathetic, and attentive and also how measured by how good a listener you are. Warmth is necessary to create trust, as well as to be relatable, which is crucial to solidifying your position on a team. Do a self-reflection and ask yourself, Do your colleagues trust you? Do people feel comfortable challenging your ideas or giving feedback? Do you acknowledge others during interactions?

Demonstrate collaborative energy

Demonstrating positive and collaborative energy is an emotional commitment and connection that makes you memorable, impressionable, and persuasive. Harness your energy within the workplace by tuning into how you engage with others and being aware of how others react to you. Do you talk too fast? Not enough? And do you truly listen in a way that makes others feel energized by your interest in them?

Ask for feedback

Show your colleagues and manager that you are interested in the progression of your career and personal growth by asking for feedback on communication styles, projects, and time management. Seek out feedback from trusted friends, mentors, and colleagues about what kind of impression you make. For feedback to be valuable, you have to be ready to receive the truth to move past your blind posts. Remember, feedback is an opportunity to grow and ascend.