06Jun

Welcome back to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on our powerhouse team. 

We had an awesome chat with Anthony Agosto, Payroll Supervisor on the Payroll team at Green Key. Anthony has been with Green Key for over eight years and has played an integral role in the success of the payroll department. He elaborated on how smoothly his team works together, as well as how he plans to grow and improve professionally. 

How did you first get your start in Payroll? 

I had applied for a payroll position on Craigslist with no previous experience. It was an entry level position at a healthcare company working in their payroll department. I knew it was for me as soon as I got into it, as I’m very detail oriented in general. Math was always my strongest subject in school, so working with numbers came easily. I grew and improved in the role very quickly. Within a year, I was already well-versed in the organization and customer service. After a couple years, my manager left and joined Green Key, so I kind of followed him there. Within months, I was promoted from Payroll Coordinator to Payroll Supervisor. I’ve now been at Green Key for over eight years. 

What do the day-to-day responsibilities of a Payroll Supervisor entail? 

It’s a lot of team management and support. I try to continuously train my team as best as I can. I truly believe everyone should be given a fair amount of opportunities to improve themselves and resolve their mistakes. My job is to make sure my team is not only well trained, but maintains great customer service skills. That applies to both our internal recruiters and our temp employees out in the field. I’m here to keep everything organized and in line. 

How does your team work together to create a productive environment? 

Communication is key. The pandemic was difficult, but I take pride in our team right now, as they are open to learn and take constructive criticism. We have open and complete transparency with each other. This also allows us to improve our day-to-day operations based on the feedback from recruiters and temp employees. We also have a tight connection with the other back-office departments, which helps us to feel needed and respected. 

What do you believe sets Green Key apart from other agencies or organizations? 

The managing partners are welcoming and approachable. I don’t feel intimidated if I need to talk to them. Working at Green Key feels like you are part of a family. I take loyalty very seriously and this is an agency where you are both appreciated and trusted. At the end of the day, we are all on the same team and supporting each other. I am batting for you as much as I am batting for myself. 

What are your professional goals for the future? 

My professional goal is to take on bigger projects as we continue to grow. I have a great support system here with Pam [Benedetti], who is always giving me opportunities to experience tasks outside of day-to-day operations and advance to a more senior level. I am always looking to improve myself and run the department, while also managing my team and developing our systems. 

Don’t Commit the Sin of Overproductivity

Is it possible to be too productive?

The short answer is “Yes.” The consequences of overproductivity can be as serious in white collar work as it is in lean manufacturing.

If that surprises you, consider what it means to exceed expectations and not just by doing more than what is expected, but overproducing to such an extent that you sometimes run out of work and feel guilty if you stop to take a breath.

Laura Stack, a productivity professionals, calls overproductivity a “deadly sin.”

Why would someone who’s written more books on productivity than practically anyone and who regularly speaks at conferences about improving productivity warn about being too productive? Because overproductivity on a sustained basis leads to a poor or non-existent work/life balance, it takes a toll on your body to always be running, managers ding you should you ever perform at “normal” speed and burnout forever looms.

“Too much work,” writes Stack, “Can damage your health in many ways, from cardiovascular disability to too little sleep, a poor diet, dehydration, and more .”

If that isn’t enough, your co-workers will come to resent you, since they’ll be pushed by the boss to perform at your pace. When you need their help on some task how likely do you suppose they’ll be to come to your aid?

“Like a nova that briefly outshines, if you overproduce too long, you may burn out, whereupon you’re useless, not just to yourself but to everyone. And in the modern business environment, an underperforming asset, even a human one, is unlikely to last long,” says Stack.

The point of this post isn’t to dissuade anyone from working hard and being productive. Instead, learn to pace yourself so you can perform well, sustain quality and be as productive next week, next month and next year as you are today.

Image by mohamed Hassan

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