Wellness Wednesday Issue #72

💰 Finances: How to get out of debt.

🍎 Health: Why collagen should be on your wellness list.

✈️ Travel: How credit card travel insurance works.

🏋🏾‍♀️ Fitness: Should I worry if my knees crackle and pop when I squat?

💼 Work: 4S formula for workplace conflict resolution.

Starting a new job can be daunting, especially when you’re adjusting to unfamiliar responsibilities and workplace dynamics.

However, there are practical strategies you can employ to boost your confidence in your new role.

Here’s a guide to help you thrive and grow:

1. Get Knowledgeable: The unfamiliarity of a new role or company often leads to insecurity. Reduce this by immersing yourself in learning about your role.

Research your responsibilities, team expectations, and key projects.

Familiarize yourself with the company’s goals, culture, and strategic direction. The more knowledge you acquire, the more secure you’ll feel.

2. Be Patient: Gaining expertise and understanding the intricacies of your new job takes time.

Don’t rush yourself or expect to master everything right away. Allow room for growth and remember that learning is a gradual process.

3. Get Hungry: If you’re pressed for time and need to expedite your learning, cultivate a thirst for information.

Connect with colleagues by taking them to lunch or engaging them in friendly conversations to gain insights.

Seek both technical knowledge and an understanding of the company culture and internal relationships.

You’re not seeking gossip, but learning about power dynamics and protocols for how things get done will help you navigate more effectively.

4. Stand Firm in Your Accomplishments and Skills: Remember that you were hired for a reason — your qualifications, skills, and potential.

Acknowledge the unique strengths and expertise you bring to the team. Stand firm in your abilities, knowing that you’ve earned your place at the table.

5. Get a Mentor: Find a mentor within the company who can provide valuable insights and help you grow in areas where you may lack confidence.

Their guidance will reinforce your strengths, help you identify growth opportunities, and encourage you to excel.

6. Set Small, Achievable Goals: Break down your tasks into manageable milestones to build momentum. Celebrate small wins to boost your self-esteem and show progress.

7. Stay Positive and Self-Aware: Pay attention to your inner dialogue. Replace negative self-talk with affirming thoughts.

Recognize that challenges are learning opportunities, and see setbacks as stepping stones to success.

By equipping yourself with knowledge, seeking mentorship, and recognizing your strengths, you’ll gain the confidence to excel in your new role.

Take your time, stay curious, and be open to growth.

The journey toward confidence is one worth taking.

College and university graduations are in full swing 😱.

Welcome your new recruits with a heartfelt card signed by the whole team and a thoughtful gift.

GroupTogether makes it easy to create a memorable group card, even if you’re scattered across different time zones.

How It Works:

1. 🤔 Pick a Card: Choose one that shows your team’s personality.
2. 🔗 Share a Link: Let your team sign and leave messages online.
3. 💌 Add a Gift Card: Choose from 150+ eGift cards, or let the new grad pick their favorite.

It’s simple, meaningful, and free 😎.

Make your new recruits feel special and show them they made the right choice joining your team.

Try GroupTogether today!

Effective communication is key to maintaining productivity and fostering a positive team culture.

At The Assist, we have developed a framework for communication channel etiquette to ensure that our interactions are respectful, efficient, and mindful of everyone’s time.

Here’s how we handle different communication channels and some guidelines you can adapt for your own teams:

📱 SMS/Text

When to Use:

• Urgent matters: Time-sensitive issues that need immediate attention.
• Quick confirmations: Simple yes/no answers or confirmations of received information.

Etiquette:

• Respect personal time: Avoid texting outside of work hours unless it’s an emergency.
• Keep it brief: Text messages should be short and to the point.
• Use sparingly: Rely on other communication channels for non-urgent matters.

Example: “Can you confirm you received the client’s email about the change in ad copy for tomorrow’s newsletter? Need you to make this change before it goes live.”

📧 Email

When to Use:

• Detailed information: Sending comprehensive updates, reports, or project plans.
• Formal communication: Official announcements, policy changes, or meeting agendas.
• Non-urgent matters: Issues that do not require an immediate response.

Etiquette:

• Clear subject lines: Make it easy to understand the email’s purpose at a glance.
• Professional tone: Maintain a courteous and professional tone.
• Timely responses: Aim to respond within 24-48 hours during business days. If you don’t have an answer, acknowledge receipt and provide an expected timeline for a full response.

Example:

Subject: Project Update: Q2 Marketing Campaign

Hi Team,

Please find attached the latest update on our Q2 marketing campaign.

Let me know if you have any questions,
[Your name]

🛎️ Slack/GChat

When to Use:

• Quick questions: Simple queries that require a prompt response.
• Collaborative work: Team discussions, brainstorming sessions, and quick updates.
• Informal check-ins: Casual communication and building team rapport.
• Convos with your work besties: Definitely use that giphy feature and emoji reactions.

Etiquette:

• Channels and threads: Use appropriate channels for different topics to keep conversations organized.
• Status indicators: Respect Do Not Disturb (DND) or away statuses.
• Brevity and clarity: Keep messages concise and clear.

Example: “@here Can we quickly align on the Q2 campaign goals today? Also, see the updated timeline in the #campaigns channel.”

☎️ Phone Calls

When to Use:

• Complex discussions: Topics that require detailed explanation or back-and-forth dialogue.
• Sensitive matters: Personal or confidential issues that should not be discussed over written communication.
• Immediate resolution: Problems that need to be resolved quickly and cannot wait for email or messaging.

Etiquette:

• Schedule ahead: Whenever possible, schedule calls in advance.
• Respect time zones: Be mindful of colleagues in different time zones.
• Follow-up: Send a summary email or message after the call to document the discussion and action items.

Example: “Hi [Colleague], can we have a quick call to discuss the project feedback? I think it will be easier to explain over the phone.”

📅 Scheduling Meetings

When to Schedule:

• Complex projects: When discussing multi-faceted projects that require input from multiple team members.
• Strategic planning: For brainstorming sessions, strategic planning, or project kick-offs.
• Decision-making: When decisions need to be made collaboratively and require discussion.

Etiquette:

• Send an agenda: Always provide a clear agenda ahead of the meeting.
• Respect time zones: Schedule meetings at times that are considerate of all participants’ time zones.
• Start and end on time: Respect everyone’s time by starting and ending meetings as scheduled.
• Document outcomes: Send a summary of key points and action items after the meeting.

Example:

Subject: Agenda for Project Kick-Off Meeting

Hi team,

Here’s the agenda for our project kick-off meeting tomorrow.

Please review and come prepared with any questions or suggestions.

Looking forward to it,
[Your Name]

⭐ Tips for setting personal communication boundaries:

• Use status indicators: Make use of ‘do not disturb’ or ‘busy’ features when you need to work uninterrupted. Set your status to ‘away’ after work hours.
• Be explicit about availability: Communicate your availability to your team. For example, “I’m available for urgent matters from 9 am to 5 pm. After hours, please text only for emergencies.”
• Schedule downtime: Designate specific times when you are offline and share this with your team.

What’s your team’s approach to comms? Feel free to reply to this email — I’d love to hear about it.

Joanna (Co-Founder of TA)

If you’re in charge of employee or client gifting, check out Stadium 🤗.

With their wide array of customizable products, they make it easy to create a lasting impression.

You can even launch your own swag store to make warehousing, gift selection, and fulfillment a breeze.

💬 What others are saying about Stadium:

• “I like the fact that a recipient can receive a gift of credits to put toward items that tickle their own fancy. It takes the guesswork out of gift-giving and everyone wins! It is also very user-friendly.” — Erica S.
• “I like that this is a one stop shop. The ease of being able to pick from so many different items not just food related is a great touch.” — Hollie W.
• “The ease of setting up a shop where a variety of ~200 associates could pick their own gift – that is delivered with the same settings/messages was SO helpful and exactly what we were looking for. Their customer service team was very helpful and responsive with any questions.” — Liz M.

Check out Stadium’s swag here.

🧼 Refresh your skin with Naturium’s Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée, enhanced with hyaluronic acid for a deep, hydrating clean.

📆 Keep track of your cycle with precision using the Flo period tracker.

💍 Elevate your style with this elegant Gorjana Diamond Heart Signet Ring.

👜 Carry your essentials in style with this versatile and chic Leather Tote.

• ZoomInfo is hiring for a Customer Success Manager II (Waltham, MA/Hybrid)
• ZoomInfo is hiring for a Manager, Sales Development (Inbound) (Vancouver, WA/Hybrid)
• Faro Health Inc. is hiring for a Senior Product Manager (San Francisco, CA/Fully Remote)
• Skai is hiring for a Digital Marketing Manager & Client Success Manager (NY, NY/Hybrid)
• Spot & Tango is hiring for a Growth Marketing Manager, Paid Social (New York, NY/Hybrid)