by ckistler | Jan 12, 2021 | Hot Topics, Human Resources
There is never a better time to look towards the future than right now. Goal setting does not need to be constrained to the start of a new year. So, let’s look at three helpful tips for effective goal setting.
First, what is a goal? A goal is defined as “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.” Goals can be for the short-term or long-term. And, many times, short-term goals can be used to achieve your long-term ones. Goals are not a one-and-done activity, too. They are an active undertaking that require dedication and work.
TIPS FOR GOALS
1. Set goals with high value.
We all dream big dreams for our life. In order to make those dreams a reality, you have to put in some work. This is where goals come in. Make a list of the dreams you have and rank them by priority and feasibility. When you have made your ranked dream list, you can now set goals that relate to the things that have the highest priority in your life. When you do so, you give the goals high value. High-value goals motivate you to put in the hard work to achieve them.
2. Follow the SMART method of goal setting.
When you work on your goal setting, make sure you follow the SMART method. By doing so, you ensure that your goals are ones that are clear and well thought out. Here’s the breakdown of the SMART method:
- Specific—Make sure your goals are clear and well-defined. Don’t be vague and say “I’d like to learn how to play the guitar.” Instead, say “I will take a weekly guitar lesson.”
- Measurable—Use specific amounts, dates, etc. As you craft your goals, assign specifics to them that can be measured like “I will take weekly guitar lessons for three months.”
- Attainable—Create goals that are possible to achieve. Don’t set goals for yourself that you have no way to accomplish or you will feel defeated and reluctant to set goals in the future.
- Relevant—Set goals that line up with your life and career. In other words, set goals that align with the things that matter in your life.
- Time-bound—Your goals must have a deadline. Open-ended goals lead to unachieved goals because there is no urgency to them. Give your goals an end date so you have something to work towards.
3. Be accountable.
Find an accountability partner to keep you on track. When you have someone that is regularly checking in on you to see how you are doing with accomplishing your goals, you will work harder to stay on pace to achieve them!
BONUS TIP!
You can track your progress on accomplishing your goals through goal tracker apps. Check out these three: Strides, Repeat Habit Tracker, and Way of Life.
Setting goals not only gives you focus for the future, but it also allows you to see just how much you are capable of. When you look at where you are now compared to where you were at the initial time of your goal setting, you’ll be amazed at what you have achieved. Take the time to set SMART goals and, as Success.com says, “Make sure that the greatest pull in your life is the pull of the future.”
by admin | Jul 9, 2020 | Hot Topics
“Everyone learns differently” is a phrase we have all heard at some time in our educational endeavors. It may have been overheard from your parents as they explained to your teacher why you have to get up and move all the time during class. You may have heard it said in high school as a communications teacher gave you examples of learning styles. This phrase may have even been said recently as you sat through a leadership seminar at work as the presenter encouraged you to speak to the different learners you will encounter at the office. Whatever the case, it’s true! Now, let’s learn!
Three Types of Learners
- Visual—This is the biggest population of learners out there. A whopping 65% of people say they best learn with visual aids. These learners will be the ones doodling during your meeting or taking copious notes. They are the group that says, “Don’t read it to me. I need to see it.” Your creative types in the office will most likely fall into this category.
- Auditory—Our next learning group (30%) is made up of those learners that need to hear it out loud to retain information. As you interact with and lead your auditory learners, remember that your voice is important to their understanding of the subject matter. Fluctuate your tone and pitch. Ask open-ended questions so that they can verbalize delivered information. And, most importantly, this group learns best in discussions and oral presentation.
- Kinesthetic—Move it or lose it (their attention). Kinesthetic learners make up only 5% of the population but they are probably the group you notice the most. Why? Because they will be the ones that cannot sit still during a meeting or training. They thrive on movement so give them a team challenge to reinforce your training subject matter. Make sure you are also giving this group lots of breaks in your training time.
How to Make This Work Remotely
The workforce has displayed a great ability to work remotely with a reported 17% of companies moving to work-from-home organizations. This work-from-home model does have a drawback, though, in that it is more difficult to train employees with different learning styles. But this doesn’t have to be the case!
Helpful Tips to Training Three Types of Learners
- When you are creating materials for trainings, make sure you create things that appeal to all three learners but don’t lean too hard on one style.
- Your resources should be easily accessible from a home office (email) and content easily digestible. Remember, though, that not all learners can retain information in written form so make sure there’s an option for visual and kinesthetic styles.
- Recreate the sociability of the in-person office for the remote office. Encourage online meeting websites for teams such as Zoom and Skype. This allows your employees the chance to see their coworkers face to face and retains comradery.
- Offer continuing education through online training sites such as lessonly.com. This site appeals to the three learning styles by training through video (visual learner), spoken word (auditory learner), and movement (kinesthetic learner: typing, moving mouse, etc.).
With three types of learners, it is often overwhelming for trainers as they prepare for and deliver their educational sessions. However, it is not impossible! By identifying the type of learner you’ll interact with, you can prepare supportive materials that best speak to each group. Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic learners have one thing in common—they are eager to work and contribute to their company.
by admin | Jun 28, 2020 | Hot Topics, Human Resources
If you search Merriam-Webster for the meaning of “leader,” you will find some interesting definitions:
- Something that leads: such as something that ranks first
- A person who leads: such as a person who has commanding authority or influence
Now, think of those in leadership in your life. Do they line up with these definitions of a leader? What about you? Would others say you lined up with these descriptions? Effective leadership is achievable when you work at building the leader-muscles in you. Here’s a quick list of the traits that leaders possess so you can begin exercising these muscles in your next leadership workout:
- Self-manage: Make a list in your planner or phone that outlines your goals for the week and how you plan to achieve them. You cannot manage others if you cannot manage yourself.
- Good communication: Many of us have heard the phrase “You have two ears and one mouth so you can listen twice as much as you talk.” An effective leader “knows when to talk and when to listen.” Leaders can communicate company goals and tasks to all levels in the organization and can gather information from all levels by listening.
- Accountability: A successful manager gives credit where it is due and is not afraid to take responsibility for mistakes made by them or the team. Shifting blame does nothing more than undermine your team. Taking all the praise does the same thing. Leaders evenly distribute both in a respectful manner.
- Promote teamwork: When building a team it is important for the leader to create a culture of teamwork. This is beyond the task of sharing workload, it is also the leader’s skill of team-led problem-solving, communication, and reliability.
- Set clear goals with vision: Good employees can follow instructions and complete tasks. Good leaders share vision and good employees are motivated by it. “Vision can be defined as a picture in the leader’s imagination that motivates people to action when communicated compellingly, passionately and clearly.”
Just as you cannot build strong muscles in your body by occasionally going to the gym, you cannot shape leadership muscles by sporadically flexing these traits—you have to work them out daily. This means you are doing the hard work of leading a team at all times and as you build your team’s culture of respect and cooperation, you will prove yourself to be effective.
by admin | May 28, 2020 | Hot Topics, Human Resources, Workplace
The health of our businesses during these uncertain times may be called “sickly” but the health of your employees and your bottom line doesn’t have to be. While we know cigarettes are a danger to your health, we are just now learning the risks associated with vaping. This trendy new method of nicotine delivery may not only be affecting your employees who vape, but also those who don’t.
FACTS
Vaping is also known as e-cigarettes, e-cigs, and vape pens. The electronic cigarette was first developed in 2003 by a Chinese inventor, Han Lik. The way it works is the vape device heats up a cartridge of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. Once heated, this mixture turns into an aerosol the user can inhale and then exhale a vapor. Since its introduction over 15 years ago, the use of e-cigs has grown exponentially as people believe that this device and vapors are a better alternative to smoking. While not more harmful than traditional cigarettes, using vape devices is definitely not “safe.”
HEALTH RISK
Because it is such a new product, experts are still learning how it affects users. Findings have shown that some of the chemicals that make up the cartridge used to deliver nicotine are linked to serious health issues and even cancer. Recently there’s been an uptick in the number of hospitalizations of young adults with lung disease as a result of vaping. It is also widely available to purchase extra-strength cartridges with double the amount of nicotine in a traditional cigarette. Users are easily addicted to this nicotine which leads to an increase in their use and an increase of long-term health issues.
VAPING IN THE WORKPLACE
As with any addiction, vaping use has spilled over into the workplace. Cigarette smokers usually cost their employer around $5, 800 a year. This is attributed to higher healthcare expenses and lower productivity of smokers due to frequent smoke breaks and greater absenteeism. Those who are non-smokers report that they believe that their own productivity is decreased when their co-workers are allowed to vape in their workspace. Not only that, but the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says that there have been an increased number of those claiming to have odor and chemical sensitivities. This group of people may request coverage under the ADA and therefore the employer must make accommodations in the workplace to protect them and this cost goes against the business’ bottom line.
WRITING POLICY
The number one way to combat the issue of vaping in the workplace is to cover it under your current non-smoking policy. If your business does not have a written non-smoking policy, that should be your first action point to tackle. There are currently 13 states that have banned vaping in the workplace including California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont. Banning smoking of any sort in the workplace is a good start. Also, a part of this policy should include the business’ means of supporting some sort of smoking cessation program. For example, the EX program (developed by the Truth Initiative and the Mayo Clinic) gives employers a way to virtually support not only those who are trying to kick the habit, but also incentivizing your workforce to never start smoking. Once you have written this non-smoking policy, introduce it to your employees and then give them a timeframe of 60-90 days to comply.
CONCLUSION
Vaping is definitely a danger for the workplace. Both the smokers and the non-smokers are affected by the vapor of chemicals that is emitted from the vaping device. The best way to protect both groups of people is to write a non-vaping policy into your current non-smoking policy. Not only does this benefit both groups, it will benefit your bottom line.
by admin | Feb 20, 2020 | Hot Topics, Retirement
If you’re like me, your social-media feeds are jammed with headlines about getting “healthy and fit” in the new year. Of course, they’re referring to diet and exercise and common resolutions to drop pounds and work out more often.
But it’s just as important to be concerned about your financial fitness—where you can also drop some baggage and get some strength training without going near a gym. (In fact, if you have a subscription to a gym membership but aren’t going, that’s one financial fix you can make right now.)
Here are some tips to consider for any age:
IN YOUR 20s:
Workout: Have a portion of each paycheck deposited into your savings account, or take advantage of bank programs that “round up” or have other automated savings features. Trust me, you won’t feel this burn.
Diet: Start making coffee at home or at the office instead of going for expensive lattes. Fewer calories, and more money in your pocket. This is a good time to consider getting life insurance (whether you are single or attached) as it is less expensive the younger and healthier you are.
You also need to consider disability insurance, which pays you a portion of your salary if you are sick or injured and unable to work—because who would pay your bills if you couldn’t? Your work may offer this as an employee benefit, so check with your HR department to find out if you have it and what it covers (short-term, long-term disability, etc.)
IN YOUR 30s:
Workout: You probably have a retirement program at work or some other preliminary retirement planning in place. If you don’t, start.
If you do, why not increase the amount you divert into retirement by a percentage point each year—equaling your company match percentage, if they have it, is a good target.
Diet: You may not have gotten life insurance beyond what you have through your workplace, but now is the time to consider an individual policy that you own. Remember, when you leave a job, you typically lose that life insurance offered through your workplace. And, given that life insurance through the workplace usually equals one or two times you salary (or a set amount like $50,000), it’s no longer going to cut it if you have a growing family.
If money’s tight, as it often is with a growing family, lingering student loans, and perhaps a mortgage, a term life insurance policy can protect you through the lean years. But don’t overlook the long-term benefits of a permanent life insurance policy. The cash value can be tapped later for needs that may arise. Plus, there’s nothing that says you can’t have a combination of both.
Also, consider an individual disability insurance policy that you personally own and follows you throughout your career. If you’re relying on work coverage, know that it goes away when you leave that job, and often these policies have bare-bones coverage.
IN YOUR 40s:
Workout: Do you have a financial professional helping you out? Navigating the ins and outs of a growing investment portfolio can be tricky as you move through your career and want to use traditional or Roth IRAs, and the tax benefits of various planning strategies. This may also be the time that you can add a permanent life insurance policy, if you haven’t before, which allows you to accrue cash value and obtain benefits that extend later into your life.
Diet: If you’re still carrying extra debt at this point, it’s time to get that paid down. Tackle higher-interest debts first, and celebrate each paid-off card or loan with … a bigger payment to the next one on the list.
IN YOUR 50s:
Workout: Max out your retirement contributions, especially once your kids are through college. This is also a good time to start researching things like long-term care insurance, and to make sure that your investment portfolio is built in such a way that you can reach your goals.
Diet: It may be very tempting to take on a new debt now: some folks want a vacation home, or the time may be right to start a business. But beware of any super-risky moves that can spell catastrophe with limited time to recoup losses, or that leave you with unexpected bills.
IN YOUR 60s and beyond:
Workout: Evaluate your Social Security situation against your retirement portfolio to determine the best time to retire. Understand the “living benefits” of your life insurance policies and how annuities may help you create a retirement income stream that you can’t outlive.
Diet: Is it time to downsize? It can be hard letting go of “stuff” so that you can go from that four-bedroom house to a two-bedroom condo. But the financial benefit of doing so may surprise you—plus there is less to clean and take care of (not to mention the ease of jetting off at a moment’s notice with no need for someone to look after your home.)
A lot depends on factors like your relationship status, your career path, whether you have kids or not, and what your long-term goals are, and these can change at any time in our lives.
The long and short of it is that just as when it comes to “health and fitness” goals, you’d get an annual physical. Need to know if you’re financially fit? Talk to an insurance professional or financial advisor today.
By Helen Mosher
Originally posted on lifehappens.org
by admin | Feb 12, 2020 | Health & Wellness, Hot Topics
Each February we focus on ways to improve our heart health in honor of American Heart Month. This year we want to help you by turning your attention to the foods you eat and how to make smart choices with our “This or That” challenge!
Below you will see two foods to choose between. Your goal is to choose the food that is the healthier option. Answers can be found at the end of the challenge.
Diet Soda vs Carbonated Water
Skip the drink with the high levels of artificial sweeteners and choose carbonated water! Diet drinks have been linked to symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Some symptoms of this include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and lower than normal HDL cholesterol levels. Pour yourself a glass of carbonated water and put a slice of fruit in your glass instead!
Butter vs Olive Oil
Pour on the olive oil to maintain good heart health. Butter is full of high amounts of saturated fat. Butter is also known to raise the bad cholesterol levels in your blood. Olive oil and even canola and sunflower oils contain heart healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
Sweet Potato Fries vs French Fries
Warm up your new Air Fryer and start cooking sweet potato fries with a little olive oil. French fries are full of fat and salt and a study linked eating 2-3 servings of fries a week to a higher chance of an early death.
1 oz Salted Nuts vs 1 oz Potato Chips
Pass the pecans, please! When you choose nuts over chips, you are also choosing your health. Regular nut snackers are 14% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 20% less likely to develop coronary heart disease.
1.5 oz Dark Chocolate vs 2 Chocolate Chip Cookies
No matter how much you love Grandma’s cookie recipe, your heart needs you to choose the dark chocolate. A study has found that those people who eat dark chocolate 3 times a week reduce their risk of a heart attack or stroke by 11%.
T-bone Steak vs Grilled Salmon Fillet
Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming! Salmon is chock full of omega 3 fatty acids which reduce fat in your blood and reduces clogged arteries. Steak is famous for high levels of saturated fat and LDL cholesterol.
Coca-Cola vs Red Wine
Pop the cork, not the soda tab. Carbonated sodas are full of artificial ingredients and sugar. Red wine has been shown to increase your good cholesterol levels and has many antioxidants that can help protect the lining of the blood vessels in your heart.
You are now a “This or That” Food Challenge winner! Go celebrate with a grilled salmon dinner, a glass of red wine, and a handful of dark chocolate!
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/ss/slideshow-foods-bad-heart
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-hearthealthy-food-swaps
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281
