Navigating Your Career Growth within the Company: Balancing Ambition and Patience

Career growth is a journey, not a sprint! It requires a balance between ambition and patience, especially when you're viewing career growth as something straightforward. However, this journey typically involves many twists and turns and the reality is that career success rarely happens overnight or without setbacks. It’s important to maintain the right perspective, so you can stay motivated and not discouraged.

Melissa DunnMay 17, 2024

Small Steps, Big Wins: Consistency is Key

Thriving takes intentionality and commitment over a long period of time. I know this to be true because if it was just status, position, money, etc. then there would be a lot more happy and satisfied athletes, celebrities, politicians, and artists. But to truly thrive, there has to be a consistency in place that gets you through the tough times, without losing that commitment. This is true on that cold rainy morning which gives you a good excuse for your first missed gym date, and it’s true the first time that leadership says, “I don’t care what our values say, just get the job done.”

New Year, Passion, ConsistencyTanner HubbardMay 10, 2024consistency, small steps, making change, big wins

Discernment: An Essential Quality of a Star Employee

In a professional environment, decisions often need to be made quickly and with limited information. Discerning employees have the ability to assess situations, understand the dynamics, and make informed choices.

Jon HarrisonMay 1, 2024

Clearing the Air | Practical Tips for Transparent Workplace Communication

Have you ever had the feeling at work that you don’t fully understand what is exactly expected of you? Or if you are even meeting the expectations your boss has for you or your group? What about the company? Is it meeting its goals? Will I even have a job next year?

How to "Bounce Back" from Setbacks

As I sat there, staring at the blank screen of my crashed presentation, frustration threatened to overwhelm me. I had poured my heart and soul into this complex presentation, meticulously creating each slide, only to have it all seemingly vanish before my eyes. An entire day's work - gone! In moments like these, it's easy to feel defeated and yield to the burden of disappointment. I went through a plethora of emotions when I realized that all my hard work had seemingly vanished.

Avoiding Burnout: Proactive Strategies for a Sustainable Work Life

We’ve all been there before, a person, situation or decision is staring us down, waiting for an answer or response and I. Just. Don’t. Care. The Oxford definition of Apathy is simply “lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern”, and it’s hard not to feel that way at times. Everyone is entitled to have a bad day; we are all human and sometimes we just can’t care about that one more thing. So, what is the difference between Apathy and Burnout?

Beyond Diversity: Embracing Hearts and Minds in the Workplace

A true VIP Way organization encourages and leverages different perspectives, but also understands that those perspectives are formed not only from cultural background, age, gender, and socio-economics but also from peoples upbringing, life experiences, societal impacts, academic backgrounds, previous work experience, personalities and more.

Jon HarrisonFebruary 20, 2024

Team Players in a Contractor World

It is no surprise that the world is different than it used to be, even just 10 years ago. The more time that goes by the faster things change and, in the age of technology, it doesn’t take very long for rapid improvements (or digressions) to take place. It is a fast-paced market out there, so companies and individuals are having to figure this out on a continual basis, particularly in the workplace. Whether it’s dealing with customers, the internet, a pandemic, the incoming workforce, or even just changes in leadership, there is rarely a year (maybe a day) that passes without some big thing happening which we must adjust to in order to keep up with our job duties.

What it Takes to be a Star Employee

Beginning this year, we will be providing opportunities (both virtual and in-person options) to take a "deep dive" into each of the seven characteristics. We believe this "curriculum" will be most effective in the form of a roundtable discussion with employees (with me, or one of our team members, leading the discussion), but it can also be delivered in a normal training mode. We believe this curriculum could also be used to complement your organization's existing new hire orientation / on boarding.

Passing The Torch

This is why “long-term strategies” often don’t get the focus they should, strategic plans don’t get implemented, and succession planning always happens by force. Companies never have time for proper training on things like culture, expectations, accountability, etc. but of course we then spend time dealing with dysfunction and frustration within our teams. I wonder how much time we would save if we were more proactive instead of reactive.

Reflections by the Lake: What legacy are you leaving?

As I sit on the side of the lake, soaking in the views from my final camping trip of the season (yes, we are winter campers), I ruminate about the word “legacy,” as I often have. While looking at this beautiful scenery, I think about all the people who have camped in this campsite, hiked the trails, fished in the lake, maintained fish hatcheries, built fish beds or conservatories, and other countless things for the sake of conserving our state parks, lakes, and recreational areas.

Beyond the Numbers: Addressing Workplace Stress and Burnout for a Healthier, Happier, and More Productive Team

We always say "star employees want to work around other stars" but stars also want to work in a place where they can first and foremost avoid burnout, but even if it starts to creep in, know that it will be addressed seriously.

A VIP Way Perspective on Embracing Change

The word "change" when it pertains to the workplace (or life itself) conjures up very different emotions for people. Some people resist it, or may be skeptical of any change, or possibly even fear it. Other people may desire frequent change because they get bored with the status quo. We believe that "embracing" change is key to being a VIP Way employee.

Jon HarrisonOctober 24, 2023

The Leader's Pledge to Progress

We have seen work environments go from the worst of the worst (in terms of the ratings on the organization’s employee satisfaction survey) to one of the best (the highest rating on the employee satisfaction survey). It’s amazing to experience that first-hand at a company when walking through their office, talking to the people and feeling the change in the atmosphere. They are happier, their customers are happier and the people they encounter outside of work are positively impacted by the change.

The Impact of Failing to Hold People Accountable

Remind yourself that, while uncomfortable, these difficult conversations which are required to Hold People Accountable, are not only necessary for the continued success of the organization; but ultimately they are the most respectful thing you can do for the person who is struggling and for all those that they impact.

Managing Conflict When You Don’t Like Managing Conflict

It’s happened to many of us, a long-time friend of ours is now working for the same company, maybe even in our area; or conversely, a colleague at work has over time become a friend of ours off the clock. So, how do we navigate this faded line between work and friendship? We don’t want to ruin relationships, but we don’t want the work we do to suffer because we are friends with some of our coworkers.

Work and Friendship: The Delicate Dance of Balancing Personal Connections and Professionalism

It’s happened to many of us, a long-time friend of ours is now working for the same company, maybe even in our area; or conversely, a colleague at work has over time become a friend of ours off the clock. So, how do we navigate this faded line between work and friendship? We don’t want to ruin relationships, but we don’t want the work we do to suffer because we are friends with some of our coworkers.

The Power of Cross-Training: Enhancing Operational Excellence and Empowering Employees

The concept of cross-training invokes a sense of continuity, reliability, and exceptional customer service. It's the secret ingredient to operational excellence. But it's not just about satisfying customers; cross-training also holds immense benefits for employees. In this blog, we dive deep into the world of cross-training, exploring the advantages it brings, the resistance it may encounter, and the crucial steps to embedding it into your organization's DNA.

So much of The VIP Way is having regular, clear, candid conversations and if you want cross-training to become a successful component of your organization, discussing it ahead of time will reap huge dividends.

Fanning the flames of burnout

I developed a fear of saying “no” and letting others down, and I also didn’t want to soil my reputation that I had “gained,” fearing that my not saying “yes” to everything would be seen as a mark against me. I was continually rewarded for “going the extra mile.” One promotion led to another and before I knew it, I was at a place in my career that I never thought I would be. But though one part of me was reveling with excitement, another part of me was slowly dying inside. Instead of fulfillment, joy, passion and peace, I was depleted, unsatisfied, chaotic — burned out.

Do We Hire for Skills or Values?

Oftentimes, we compromise in the wrong areas of the selection criteria. While I understand the urgency from the employer’s point of view, I believe that we miss the mark in taking the time to get to know the applicant, especially in today’s job market. We tend to hire for speed (due to headcount or budgetary pressures) just to get a warm body in the seat. Or we sometimes hire based on the paper certificates or degrees an applicant holds. Instead of interviewing for a warm body or a highly degreed and skilled person, why not take the time to hire the most qualified applicant, both in terms of skills/experience AND who has the heart and passion for the company’s mission?

Leadership Encouragement for Your Workplace

Have you ever had the feeling at work that you don’t fully understand what is exactly expected of you? Or if you are even meeting the expectations your boss has for you or your group? What about the company? Is it meeting its goals? Will I even have a job next year?

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