executive support staff Archives - Page 4 of 11

4 Tips to Beat the Procrastination Habit

By Groupe InsearchExecutive Assistant, Hiring Strategies, LeadershipNo Comments

Procrastination is one of the worst habits you can have as an executive support professional, but it is also one of the most common. Though everyone does it to some degree, procrastination negatively affects focus, productivity, and performance. These four tips will help you overcome procrastination and become more efficient.

1. Understand Why You Procrastinate

If you want to beat your procrastination habit, first you have to understand why you tend to procrastinate in the first place. Start by thinking about what tasks you are most likely to avoid. Do you avoid tasks you find difficult or are you more likely to avoid tasks you find uninteresting? Do you avoid tasks when you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious? Some people also procrastinate out of indecision. Once you understand why you procrastinate, you can start addressing the root of the problem.

2. Identify and Eliminate Distractions

Having a lot of distractions nearby can make procrastination much more tempting. What are your top distractions? Do you procrastinate by checking non-urgent emails? Do you play around on your phone or chat with colleagues? Once you identify major distractions, you can start to eliminate them. If you have trouble focusing when there are other people around you, for example, you can reduce the temptation to procrastinate by finding a quiet workspace away from others.

3. Be Realistic About Your Goals

One reason people procrastinate is because they feel overwhelmed by a task. This often occurs when a person has too much on their plate. Being realistic about goals and deadlines can make tasks more manageable and eliminate the feeling that you have to procrastinate to cope. You can make to-do lists and goals more attainable by prioritizing tasks by urgency and breaking large projects into smaller tasks.

4. Keep Yourself Accountable

To overcome procrastination, you also need to keep yourself accountable. One way to do this is to choose someone at work whom you trust to monitor your progress. Encourage your friends at work to call you out if they see you losing focus or putting off important tasks. Another way to keep yourself accountable to your goals related to procrastination is to give yourself rewards for accomplishing major tasks and projects on time.

Most people don’t procrastinate because they’re unorganized or lazy. Most procrastinators are hard workers who avoid tasks when they’re stressed or overwhelmed at work. Anyone can overcome this habit if they put their mind to it. The key is to figure out why you procrastinate in the first place, eliminate triggers, and reward better behavior.

December 16, 2020

Later Will Be Now Before You Know It

By Groupe InsearchCareer Guidance, LeadershipNo Comments

Knowing what you know now, having all of life’s experiences thus far behind you, what would you do differently?

The Present

Why is this important? Because if you are reading this, you have a gift sitting in front of you. Every single person reading this article has this gift in common.

The gift? Time.

Why is it that the question of “what would you do differently” is most commonly asked following a negative event? It could follow a missed opportunity to land a big client, a health scare, the sudden loss of a loved one. Why must it take being jarred out of the routine of life before reflection becomes a prioritization?

The weekend should not be a 48-hour countdown until Monday, and Friday should not feel like the victorious finish line of a marathon. What if instead of being vulnerable to the regrets of the future, we take a moment, take a breath, and decide what we want to do differently – starting today.

The Past

Fill in the blanks:

I wish I would have____________
I would have spent less time____________
I would have spent more time____________
I would have worked____________
I would have focused more on____________
I would have focused less on____________
I would have worried more about____________
I would have worried less about____________
I would have cherished____________

The intent behind this exercise is not to create a laundry list of missed opportunities. Holding on to regrets can be a form of self-sabotage. In fact, in many cases it is impossible to have made a better decision at the time. We were doing the best we could with what we had in the moment. But as life’s experiences evolve, so do we. Values change, financial circumstances change, confidence and maturity change. We are meant to grow and outgrow past versions of ourselves. But life moves quickly, and the routine of everyday norms can accidentally engage the autopilot setting of survival.

Fill in the blanks above for all aspects of a balanced life, including relationships, career, health and financial. Then take each of the “I would have” statements of the past and revise them to be your non-negotiables for the future.

The Focus: What Would You Do Differently?

It is not possible to manage time. It keeps marching forward regardless of what we do. However, our energy is one of the most valuable things we can control. What do you allow to take this most precious asset of yours? Who and what receives your focus and your attention? If you ever feel like your energy is depleted but are not sure where it went, you may need to focus on the proverbial “apps you have running in the background.” With so much high-tech in our daily lives it can leave little energy left for high-touch attention. Consider the following to give yourself more battery life:

Give yourself a full hour to start your day before allowing yourself to check email on phone/computer
Eat lunch anywhere besides staring at the phone/computer
Disable push notifications for social media, news, email, etc.
Leave devices in another room during meals and while sleeping
Delete certain apps entirely and relegate usage of those apps to a web browser only
Switch your phone display to grayscale, making the colorful icons less attention-grabbing

Recognize that there is something bigger at play here: there may be a deeply rooted connection as to why the phone ceased to be enjoyable, and instead something you are virtually compelled to use. Connect the feeling behind the activity:

Feeling lonely, so time to check social media plan something enjoyable with a friend/family
Need something positive to happen at work, so I’ll keep refreshing my email spend time making new possible opportunities happen at work
Nervous about all of the chaos going on in the world, so need to check the news again do something that makes life feel less chaotic today
Feeling bored, so need a distraction to work on being comfortable spending some time alone with your own thoughts

In a culture that is bombarded with information and stimuli, finding time void of noise can seem inconceivable. However, it is in that void that we are able to tap into the part of the brain that can process thoughts of deep significance. Give your mind the space to take all of the information it’s received and make use of it in important ways by doing things differently.

Instead of a fear of feeling bored, consider instead a failure to appreciate the repercussions of not being bored enough.

Later will be now before you know it. It’s time to value the gift of time.

December 9, 2020

How to Foster a Growth Mindset for Professional Success

By Groupe InsearchExecutive Assistant, Hiring Strategies, LeadershipNo Comments

Success in C-level support is often determined by mindset. Professionals who believe in their own potential are more likely to progress in their career than professionals who doubt themselves or believe they aren’t capable of becoming better. The following tips will help you foster a growth mindset.

Practice Self-Reflection

In order to develop a growth mindset, it’s important to know who you are. Begin to understand as much as you can about your skills, talents, and challenges. This will give you a clearer idea of what areas can be improved upon and what talents are being underutilized in your current job that can still be tapped later. Self-reflection helps you gain insight into who you are and what you can become.

Embrace Your Ability to Change

It is common for people to believe that things like intelligence and personality are set it stone. In reality, most aspects of who you are can change if you put your mind to it. If you think your intelligence and capability are static, your focus is on proving your worth instead of on personal growth. Most qualities that define you are really just a starting point. By pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, gaining new experiences, and expanding your knowledge, you can change many aspects of yourself, including your personality, aptitude, and skillset.

Challenge Yourself

One of the main reasons people fail to grow in their professional life is from not challenging themselves enough. When you do the same kind of tasks every day, you become comfortable with the status quo. However, when you embrace new challenges, you often discover new talents you didn’t know you had. By taking on tasks that are outside your comfort zone, you also put yourself in situations that provide opportunities to learn.

Choose Feedback over Praise

Many professionals seek out praise in their work. While praise isn’t inherently bad, it can be an obstacle to growth. When you seek out praise, the tendency is to take on responsibilities with which you know you can excel and lean heavily into the talents you already have. However, it’s unlikely you will get smarter and more skilled by playing it safe. To grow, it’s essential to perform tasks you know will require effort on your part or even tasks that can lead you to instances of failure. Be open-minded about failure and seek out feedback. This is the only way to learn new skills and expand your capabilities.

When you cultivate a growth mindset, you have the ability to continuously gain new talents, improve your intelligence, and become a more valuable employee. To shift toward a growth mindset, you have to learn about your strengths and weaknesses, come to terms with your potential, challenge yourself every chance you get and embrace failure.

December 2, 2020

Tips to Stay Organized Even When You are Busier Than Ever

By Groupe InsearchCareer Guidance, Executive AssistantNo Comments

Do you have trouble staying organized? You’re not the only one. Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, and Office Managers have busy schedules, and the work can often become overwhelming. These tips will help you stay organized even when you are your busiest.

Keep Things Minimal

Whether it’s your desk or your email inboxes, cleaning is always harder if you have a lot of stuff. When it comes to emails, delete those you know you don’t need and archive those you aren’t sure about. Decluttering your desk can also make your work feel much more manageable. It’s important to discard mail, documents, and other paperwork you don’t need before it piles up and becomes overwhelming. Having a shredder nearby can make this task easier since you will have a secure way to get rid of paperwork you no longer need.

Create an Organized System for Notes and Lists

Having sticky notes and random lists all over your office makes it hard to keep track of important reminders. It is a good idea to explore digital options such as G-Suite so you can keep all your notes and lists in one place that is easily accessible. If you prefer paper, try using folders or sleeved organizers. They are easier to keep organized than stacks or bulletin boards.

Prioritize Tasks

Making lists of the task you need to complete can help you stay more organized. However, you should consider how important each task is. Lists aren’t useful if they are too ambitious. Consider what tasks you can delegate to other people and what tasks aren’t worth doing at all. In some cases, you may have a task that stays on your list week after week. Maybe it’s more of a long-term goal than a task. If it becomes clear that it’s a task you’re never going to accomplish, remove it from your to-do list.

Schedule Time for Cleaning

If you schedule time for cleaning on your calendar, you are more likely to get it done. If you devote a half hour each week to cleaning your office, you can prevent the space from ever becoming so disorderly it feels unmanageable. You might also want to schedule a day each month for a larger clean out. Time spent organizing isn’t wasted time because it will allow you work more efficiently, saving you time in the long run.

Organization is a critical skill for professionals in C-Level support, though it can seem impossible to stay organized if your schedule is always jam packed. You can improve your organization by prioritizing tasks, scheduling time for cleaning on your calendar, moving towards a paperless system, and keeping your work environment minimal.

November 25, 2020

How to Know When it’s Time to Move On

By Groupe InsearchCareer Guidance, Executive AssistantNo Comments

It isn’t always easy to know if you should stay in the job you have or look for a new opportunity. There are many factors to consider, including compensation, job satisfaction, mental health, and potential for career advancement. Below are ways to know when it’s time to move on.

You Are Unhappy

The simplest way to assess if a job is right for you is to reflect on your emotional state. If you wake up every morning dreading the workday ahead of you, it doesn’t matter how much money you’re making. Your health isn’t worth risking for a job. Working in a toxic environment that makes you miserable can also have negative effects on your personal life. For long term success, it’s important to have a job that you enjoy and gives you a sense of purpose.

The Company Isn’t Going in a Good Direction

Another thing to consider is the state of the company you work for. Have there been a lot of changes to the staff? Maybe there has been some negative media coverage in recent months, or you have noticed the organization has started to cut corners. You can’t always tell if a company is headed for a merger, acquisition, or bankruptcy, but if the signs of growth aren’t there, it’s time to consider moving on. You want to work for a company that has clear signs of success and growth.

You’re Not Advancing

Do you feel like you aren’t learning any new skills or the work you perform is no longer a challenge? Have you stopped getting raises or doubt whether you will receive a promotion in the future? If you don’t feel like there is room for you to advance in the organization, you’re probably not in the right position. It is especially worrisome if your managers seem distant towards you. Don’t want to wait to be fired or for your job to become obsolete to start looking for a new role.

You Don’t Feel Useful

Companies sometimes hire for a role they don’t clearly understand. They believe a role involves certain skills or tasks, but the reality of the job may look much different than their expectations. This is because managers don’t necessary get to observe the day-to-day job of their employees. If you enter a job expecting to be able to use certain skills only to find that none of those skills are actually being applied, you might want to move on and find a job that is a better fit for you.

Professionals are often reluctant to move on from a job because they worry about money or job security. However, sometimes moving on is your best option. If your work makes you miserable, the work becomes boring, or you feel like you aren’t learning new skills or using those you have, it’s probably time to start looking for your next opportunity.

November 18, 2020

3 Tips to Improve Your Hiring Process Today

By Groupe InsearchHiring Strategies, InterviewsNo Comments

The ability to recruit top-of-the-line talent is essential for the success of an organization. Your hiring process greatly influences how your team performs as well as the level of talent you attract and retain. These three tips can help you improve your hiring process today.

1. Eliminate Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias can decrease the diversity of candidates you attract, negatively affect your decision making, and create a toxic employee experience. There are several ways to reduce bias in your hiring process. First, make the process as standard as possible. Every candidate should be asked the same questions and be judged by the same criteria. Second, use neutral language when writing job descriptions. The job descriptions should not appeal to one gender or ethnicity more than another. You can also reduce bias by blacking out names when you screen resumes, so you don’t know their gender or race.

2. Speed Up the Process

Inefficiency is one of the main reasons hiring strategies fail. The reality is high-quality candidates don’t stay available for long. Their transition from one job to the next could be less than two weeks. A slow hiring process can prevent you from landing exceptional talent and force you to choose between mediocre candidates. With this in mind, you cannot afford to be indecisive. When you find the right candidate, act quickly. It’s also important to reach out to candidates promptly after interviewing them so they know you’re interested.

3. Clarify Expectations

Most candidates have experienced a situation in which they accepted a job offer only to discover the role wasn’t at all what they thought it would be. High-quality candidates are looking for clear expectations. They want the interview process explained to them in advance and next steps carefully communicated. They figure if the hiring manager communicated what to expect from the hiring process clearly, they’ll communicate expectations for the role just as well. That said, accurately describing the role to candidates is essential. Ask employees who work closely with the role to describe what job responsibilities new hires should expect. If the job does not match what a new hire expects, they won’t last long.

An effective hiring process is essential if you want to attract and retain the best talent. You can improve your hiring strategy by eliminating unconscious bias, making the process faster and more efficient, and setting clear expectations.

November 11, 2020

4 Skills That Will Make You the Leader Others Want to Follow

By Groupe InsearchExecutive Assistant, Leadership, TrainingNo Comments

There are a few traits all great leaders in the c-suite have in common, such as excellent communication skills and the ability to take charge. But not all great leaders inspire people to want to follow them. These four underrated skills will help you become the best leader you can be.

1. Nimbleness

The business world changes rapidly. For this reason, the most effective leaders know how to identify and make sense of complex and dynamic business environments. Great leaders are nimble; they have the ability to respond quickly to change. Essentially, the best leaders can sense opportunities when they present themselves and then take advantage of those opportunities by acting decisively.

2. Receptivity to Feedback

The best leaders continually work on improving themselves. They know there is always room for improvement, so they listen closely when people give them feedback and are not defensive in reaction. As a leader, when you listen to criticism and take it in stride, you also encourage your employees to embrace constructive feedback. Thus, receptivity not only helps you improve your leadership capabilities, it also helps to improve performance of your team members.

3. Diplomacy

Diplomacy is one of the most under appreciated leadership skills. Few things can impede the success of a team as much having a toxic work environment. While there will always be conflict in the workplace, leaders who are diplomatic know how to mitigate conflict without alienating employees. Diplomacy also help leaders get along with all of their team members, even if their personalities clash. Ultimately, great leaders need to be able to stay professional.

4. Accountability

Excellent leaders practice accountability. They follow through on their commitments, keep their promises, and take responsibility for their mistakes. One way to improve accountability is to plan for the unexpected. For example, it’s smart to assume tasks will take longer than you think in case you encounter any roadblocks. When you show accountability, people are more likely to see you as trustworthy and responsible. These are the kind of traits that make people want to follow you.

There are many different skills and characteristics that can make someone an effective leader, but not all great leaders are exceptional. Nimbleness, receptivity, diplomacy, and accountability are four skills can make you an exceptional leader who inspires your employees to be their best.

November 4, 2020

Embodying Cultural Awareness at Work

By Groupe InsearchExecutive Assistant, Leadership, TrainingNo Comments

As the C-suite becomes more and more diverse, companies and their employees need to actively work on raising their cultural awareness. Truly embodying cultural awareness in the workplace means understanding differences in cultures and giving everyone an equal level of respect. It also involves eliminating unconscious biases and normalizing the idea that diversity makes an organization stronger.

Benefits of Cultural Awareness

When your company embodies cultural awareness, everyone benefits. Employees feel more comfortable in their work environment and are encouraged to learn from each other. Cultural awareness is also the first step in creating an inclusive work culture. When everyone on your team feels valued and respected, the team works better together, and employee engagement and productivity increase. Cultural awareness can also improve a company’s ability to solve problems because the team can approach problems from many different perspectives.

It Starts with Research

The first step is to recognize that everyone has preconceived notions about other cultures that may not be true. In developing cultural awareness, you have to set aside assumptions and research with an open mind. Part of this requires you to talk to people with diverse backgrounds and listen. As you work on advancing cultural awareness in the workplace, monitor your own behavior in interacting with people from other cultures. This is the easiest way to identify any unconscious biases you may have. Research cultural practices to better understand how to show respect to employees from different backgrounds than your own.

Learn How to Communicate Flexibly

Communication practices differ from one culture to the next. It’s important to take the time to learn about communication variations related to culture because it helps avoid misunderstandings and workplace conflict. For example, a word in one culture can be a compliment but, in another culture, it could be an insult. With this in mind, when a company embodies cultural awareness, overall communication improves over time. This, in turn, helps employees work harmoniously as a team, allowing for more cooperation.

The C-Suite is becoming more diverse, which means it is more important than ever that companies start thinking more about how they can improve cultural awareness in the workplace. Cultural awareness and inclusivity helps ensure all employees feel respected, improves communication, encourages teamwork, and more. The key is to promote self-reflection and interaction because it is the best way to learn about different cultures and eliminate unconscious biases.

October 28, 2020

The Importance of Prioritizing Your Team’s Mental Health

By Groupe InsearchExecutive Assistant, Industry Trends, LeadershipNo Comments

As a leader in C-level support, the mental health of your team should be a top priority. When employees are overstressed, anxious, or depressed, they can’t perform their best. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to tend to the mental health of your team. Below we’ll cover the importance of prioritizing your team’s mental health and tips for how to emphasize their well-being.

Why Does Mental Health Matter?

The mental health of an employees affects almost every aspect of their work performance, including the ability to focus, motivation, confidence, and interpersonal relationships. If members of your team are struggling with their mental health, they may feel like they have no sense of purpose, which will inevitably affect engagement. Mental health can also impact sleep habits. If employees aren’t getting a healthy amount of sleep, they will make more mistakes and struggle to focus.

Be Observant

The first thing a manager can do to make the well-being of their team a priority is paying attention. You can often tell if someone is experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns by observing them. For example, they might seem more agitated than usual. Encourage your team members to be open about their mental health without pressuring them. Keep in mind that sometimes the signs of mental illness aren’t so obvious.

Be Supportive

The best thing you can do as a leader to encourage better mental health within your team is to be supportive. When employees are struggling with mental health, they often feel overwhelmed and alone. They need to know that you care about their well-being and that they have your support if they need it. Moreover, an unsupportive work environment can be a trigger for anxiety and other problems.

Be a Source of Motivation

One reason the well-being of your team is so important is the effect it can have on engagement. Employees who feel depressed can have a difficult time motivating themselves and putting the right amount of energy into their work. Almost everyone struggles with motivation from time to time, especially when they’re feeling more stressed than usual. As a leader, you can help by being a source of positive energy. If you stay positive and motivated, you can improve team morale as a whole. You can also encourage team engagement by setting goals for your team members and taking an interest in their career development.

Cultivating the mental well-being of your team members should be a priority at any organization, especially now. When your team is healthy, they are more alert, more engaged, and more productive. You not only will show your team you value them as people, but also that you want to help them perform at their best.

October 21, 2020

How to Improve Your Negotiation Skills

By Groupe InsearchCareer Guidance, Executive AssistantNo Comments

Many professionals struggle with negotiation because they don’t want to step on toes or come across as too ambitious. While negotiating can sometimes lead to conflict, it is necessary if you want to succeed in C-level support. The ability to negotiate effectively can help facilitate raises, promotions, and other career milestones, as well as improve your ability to gain new clients and influence decision makers. Below are some tips for how to improve your negotiation skills.

Rethink What Negotiation Means

Many professionals avoid negotiating with management because they equate negotiation with confrontation. Although it is true that the two can sometime go hand in hand, confrontation is not an inherent part of negotiation. Look at negotiation as an opportunity for both parties to come to an agreement in a way that gives everyone what they want. If you walk into a meeting focused on reaching an agreement that benefits you more than the other party, you either won’t receive what you want in the present or you’ll make future negotiations more challenging. Instead, focus on achieving an outcome that favors all parties equally.

Identify Interests and Goals

When negotiating, be aware of what your interests are and what the interests are of the other individuals involved in the conversation. The first step is to take the time to reflect on your goals before you begin negotiations. The clearer you understand your aim, the better. To understand the interests of the people you are negotiating with, you need to practice active listening. Let them talk enough for you to identify what they want and why they want it.

Give Yourself a Pep Talk

If you have consistently struggled with negotiating, you are likely used to receiving less than you deserve. Over time, this can have a negative effect on your confidence. It is important to build yourself up before you walk into a negotiation. You need to believe you deserve what you are asking for from the moment you start talking. If others see hesitation or self-doubt in you, they will be less likely to cooperate with you because they will know it will be easy for them to get you to back down.

Successful negotiation is all about ensuring all parties walk away happy. You can improve your negotiation skills by focusing on creating win-win solutions, clearly identifying your interests, actively listening, and presenting yourself as confident and self-assured. Practicing your negotiation skills will make it easier for you to attain your own goals in a way that is mutually beneficial for everyone involved.

October 14, 2020