Blank Spaces and Goals: 5 Tips for Goal Achievement

Earning a promotion. Eating better. Starting a business. Balancing our work and personal lives. These are points of change in our lives, points that require us to tackle a laundry list of tasks in order to achieve our goals of change. It's easy to set goals; it's not so easy to work toward them. We lose willpower, motivation escapes us and day-to-day bogs us down as we pursue change and greatness. But it doesn't have to be that way.

You've got these blank spaces, so write your goals:

1. Recognize who you need to become to achieve your goal. Change is coming, right? Your goal is something you've never reached and the work that precedes that is something you've never experienced. That means you've got to be ready to become someone new. 

2. Write down a plan to meet your goals. This one seems simple, but it's also easily overlooked. If you want to earn a promotion, write down each step it will take to get you there. What do you need to learn? Who do you need to lean on for professional support and advice? What responsibilities do you need to take on? Begin with these questions and discover other details that are important to consider. Answer those questions each day with your actions. 

3. Devote time to your goals each day. This may mean giving up your time to do other things other things or at the very least reallocating your spare time to make room for your new goals. Discipline yourself to do what's needed each and every day; when you reach your goal, you'll be proud of how far you've come.

4. Ignore excuses. Excuses will enter your mind with ease; ignoring them will be difficult. However, a critical part of your plan to meet your goal is working through those difficult days when you wake up unmotivated and those difficult nights when you come home feeling underaccomplished. Commit yourself to ignoring any excuses, and continue towards achieving your goal. 

5. Strive for excellence. What can you do better? What aspects of your performance can you refine for better results? What changes can you make TODAY that will impact your growth tomorrow? Create opportunities for excellence in even the smallest tasks and work toward daily improvement.

What tips would you add? What advice has help you reach your goals? We'd love to hear about it! Let us know in the comments below. 

By: Susan Gail Taylor, Social Media Manager and Copywriter at RME360

Employee Appreciation Day is March 6th: Let's Show Some Love

Friday, March 6th is the 20th anniversary of Employee Appreciation Day. (Insert applause box here. What? You don't have an applause box? Get one here.) 

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Bob Nelson, the creator of this holiday, says that appreciation from your managers "should be a daily thing. Not every person every day, but every day a manager should do something for somebody to show appreciation." I think we can all agree that recognition means a lot, especially from those who conduct our annual performance reviews and sign our checks. As we wait for the love/flowers/gift cards/etc to roll in tomorrow, here are some ways you can show your fellow employees that you appreciate them: (managers aren't the only ones who can dole out the compliments) 

1. Send your colleague a video. I don't know anyone who can deny the cuteness of kitties. And I definitely don't know anyone who wouldn't appreciate a video full of kitty cuteness to brighten her day and to say thank you for her hard work. I'm sure there are other videos you can send, but go with the kitties in this one; it's a sure bet. 

2. Use the iAppreciate app. This app created by O.C. Tanner Co., a leader in human resources consulting, provides with you tools to write notes, send e-cards or create award certificates for your fellow hard-working employees. You can even create a milestone event to celebrate a colleague's contributions, successes or years of service and invite others to attend. 

3. Say thank you. When was the last time a fellow employee thanked you for your help or your contributions? Felt good, huh? Pass on that fuzzy feeling to a well-deserving colleague. Maybe someone stayed late to work on a project. Maybe he brought the team donuts last week. Maybe she handled a tough meeting with poise you couldn't dream of having. Saying thank you sure can a long way. 

4. Be the one who brings the donuts. Seriously. This is never a bad idea. Be sure to include treats for colleagues with different diets (vegan, gluten-free, etc) as well. 

5. Request a meeting with your colleagues and management team about shows of appreciation. Nelson advises management to ask employees what they believe are the best ways to show appreciation and then to "shut up and listen." By brokering that meeting, you can show your fellow employees you care about team morale and show your management team that you take initiative. 

6. Collaborate with your human resources department on celebration ideas. Have a great idea for a last minute way to celebrate? Have something you'd like to see implemented for next year? Reach out to human resources and offer your ideas. Be a voice for your fellow employees and they'll appreciate your efforts. 

What ideas would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments or on our social media! 

By: Susan Gail Taylor, Social Media Manager and Copywriter at RME360

5 Tips to Make 2015 Your Best Work Year Yet

Here we are in 2015.

      A new year, a fresh perspective and renewed hope for all things improved, right? You’ve no doubt seen a lot of “new year, new me” posts across social media with lists of resolutions to go with them. It might be tempting to compare those resolutions to last month’s sugar plums dancing in our heads, but there’s no need for things you want to improve to be mere visions in your head, specifically in the workplace.

     Here are 5 ideas to help you kick-off your 2015 in the workplace with more than just a fresh perspective and renewed hope:

 1.     Connect across generations. Workplaces in 2015 are diverse in many aspects, including age. Different generations bring different lessons and perspectives to the workplace table, all of which are valuable and deserve to be heard. While it may be easy to stick close to the lessons and perspectives of your generation, reach out to your colleagues of other generations to bridge any gaps. You’ll need each other as your office moves forward this year.

2.     Learn how to say no. Warning: this may not be easy. We want to accommodate others. We want to offer our help. We want to be polite. We want to please our managers. But learning to say no can help you focus on your own goals and be more productive. You might offer the solicitor a reference to someone else who can help along with your honest explanation as to why you won’t be able to offer your assistance; someone else in your office may be looking for the exact opportunity to help that you need to turn down.

3.     Know when and how to relax and recharge. Again, this may not be easy. In the world of multi-tasking, meetings, conference calls and working lunches, taking a break may seem impossible. Make it possible. Get up from your desk, walk around, make use of your office’s exercise equipment (or napping pods if you’re that lucky), chat with an office friend about anything other than the office, go outside and feed the squirrels or enjoy a visualization activity. These activities are not taking away from your work; they are improving your mental capacity and helping you be more productive.

4.     Have stand-up meetings. You’ve undoubtedly heard of stand-up desks. Super cool idea, right? Well, take that idea and run with it to establish stand-up meetings in your office. This may not work for every type of meeting that your office needs, but it will certainly cut down on time away from major projects as well as your personal goals at work. The idea has the stamp of approval from former Gates Foundation executive Sylvia Mathews Burwell; she’s quoted as saying, “If we all have to sit down, it’s taking too long.”

5.     Be passionate. Do you have a vision for your work? For your goals? For your team? Your passion for that vision should be present in everything you do. Sure, we all have rough days, but when we care about what we do and the manner in which we do it, we transform our visions into realities. If you’re an employee, transform your vision by going beyond what’s expected with every project you accept. If you’re a manager, transform your vision by collaborating with your employees and by showing them how their contributions fit into your larger focus. 

      By: Susan Gail Taylor, Marketing Coordinator and Copywriter at RME360