Sharlyn J. Lauby's Blog, page 160

Work Life Balance Starts With Leadership

Work life balance is defined as a “concept including proper prioritization between career and lifestyle.” I realize some people will say work life balance is a myth. Some might say work life integration is a much better term. Regardless of what you call it, I’d like to think we can agree on this: we don’t work all the time. We want to know we can take time off. We want to enjoy time with our family, friends, or self without feeling pressured or guilty about work.

I believe that every person, regardless of their job title, thinks about having work life balance.

Leadership is the ability and power to influence others. Using that definition, leadership doesn’t have anything to do with a person’s role or responsibilities in the organization. Management, on the other hand, is defined as the ability to control or administer all or part of an organization. It does have to do with a person’s job title and responsibilities.

I believe that every single person, no matter where they are in an organization, has leadership ability. And we have to start thinking of these concepts – leadership and work life balance – as being connected.

We can use our ability to influence others when it comes to prioritizing our careers and lifestyle.

There are 3 pieces to the conversation: what we say, how we say it, and the last one I’d call “believing it.” That was my takeaway from social psychologist Amy Cuddy’s TED talk titled “Your body language shapes who you are.” FYI – this is the 2nd most viewed TED talk of all time. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth the time.

We’ve been taught that, if we can believe in ourselves, we can make things happen. In Cuddy’s talk, she explains how we are influenced by our own non-verbal body language. The idea being, if we act more powerful, then we are.

How does this relate to leadership and work life balance? Well, if we think we have the ability to influence, then we do. And if we act like we can influence, then we can. Work life balance is simply the “concept” that you’re trying to create this influence around.

So when we’re having those moments when we’re stressed or it seems like we can get ahead, it’s time for us to employ our leadership skills. I know when that happens to me, it’s because my “balance” is out of whack. I need to remember that I can change the situation.

I can’t wait to hear Amy Cuddy live and in person at this year’s WorkHuman 2016 conference presented by Globoforce. The event is May 9-11 in Orlando. Other speakers include Michael J. Fox and Catherine Flavin, who spoke with me last year about flow. You can find a detailed agenda and registration information here. HR Bartender readers get a $300 discount on registration using the code WH16SL300. Hope you can join us!

Image taken by Sharlyn Lauby after winning a round at Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf in Orlando

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Organizational Change: How Fast is Too Fast

I’m loving this conversation about high performing companies and organizational change. ICYMI – A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about how high performing companies manage change well. Then someone on Twitter asked me to elaborate – so I wrote a post how high performing companies manage change. Well, I’ve received another question. This one about how to implement change itself.

How quickly should change be implemented? Many times management doesn’t communicate a timeline, reason, or outline for the change but expects the team to switch gears mid-project and never look back or question why.

It’s a very valid point. When we’re creating organizational change, we need to explain the reasons for the change. In my experience, organizational changes don’t happen overnight and they usually don’t require people to drop everything and, as the reader said, “switch gears mid-project.”

However, there are times when a project change or an emergency does require us to make a swift and dramatic shift. But those aren’t usually “organizational” changes. They might be procedural or project-based. They are typically in reaction to something. An example would be: We learned yesterday that we need to have our draft proposal ready two days earlier than expected. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to work over the weekend to deliver on time.

Organizational changes are traditionally large in scope and the signs that are prompting the change have been brewing over time. Not to make excuses, but I think that’s one of the reasons management gets accused of not communicating change well. They been watching the signs for weeks or months. Maybe they’ve been sworn to secrecy about the pending change. The decision isn’t a big deal for them because they’ve seen it coming. But for employees, it’s a big deal. And it needs to be communicated effectively.

I interviewed Dr. John Kotter a few years ago about creating organizational change. I thought his comments about creating organizational buy-in are so important. When companies are trying to create change, one of the ways to prepare people for the change is by having discussions to create buy-in.

If organizations take the time to create buy-in, change can actually take place faster. By having those buy-in conversations, employees are getting used to the idea. When it’s time to implement, they’ve (hopefully) gotten over the anger, disappointment, etc. associated with the change. They’re ready to move on. Conversely, companies that don’t create buy-in, have to first deal with getting everyone on the same page then implementing the change.

How fast (or slow) a company implements change is entirely up to them and the change they’re trying to make. But if you’re looking to make change quickly, it does make sense is to accelerate the process by creating buy-in.

Image taken at the Paris Las Vegas hotel by Sharlyn Lauby

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The 10 Most Dangerous Jobs [safety infographic] – Friday Distraction

Dangerous jobs. No matter what business you’re in, where that business is located, or the job you have, your organization is subject to some sort of emergency or safety threat. It could be weather related disasters, industry risks, or job hazards. It’s important for us to remember workplace safety.

Thanks to Mission Safety Services for sharing today’s infographic. While I admit that I wasn’t surprised about the ten most dangerous jobs, I did find the quick facts and top tips noteworthy.

Even if your industry doesn’t have these occupations or other dangerous jobs, there are some good takeaways that apply to just about any industry. It might be easy to forget that office settings have safety hazards. And, if you work in an open or co-working space, it might be even more important to educate employees on office safety. The last thing any organization wants is one employee inadvertently leaving a hazard for a co-worker. Here are my ten safety takeaways that every company and employee needs to remember:

Know how to use a fire extinguisher. Everyone should know how to do this.
Create emergency procedures for your organization.
Use safety checklists if necessary.
Review and update safety and emergency procedures regularly.
Prior to inclement weather, review emergency procedures and communications plans.
Wear safety equipment when it’s required.
Don’t wear clothing that can be a hazard (i.e. dangling jewelry, long belts, loose shoes, etc.)
Use the right tools for the right job.
Store equipment and supplies properly. Make sure tools are properly maintained.
Properly dispose of trash and waste.

Just because you work in an office environment doesn’t mean safety isn’t an issue.

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Learning How To Integrate Exercise Into Your Work Life

You guys know I work from home so it probably won’t come as a surprise that I’m constantly looking for ways to exercise and stay active. I go to Pilates a couple times a week and I have a treadmill desk at home. But as much as I like the treadmill desk, it’s hard for me to do some things on it (like typing) and I find that I have to allocate at least 30 minutes when I’m going to be on it – away from my “real” desk. Seems unproductive to spend 5 or 10 minutes using the treadmill.

Enter Cubii, a smart under-desk elliptical. According to their website, it was invented by three University of Chicago graduates in their early 20s after reading the plethora of studies showing the necessity of moderate amounts of exercise all day to help reduce risk for heart disease, diabetes, and even certain kinds of cancer. Since many of today’s workers are constrained with limited desk exercise solutions in their own workplace, they decided to leave their jobs and create their own office wellness product. The product has been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX, and Forbes. You can check out a video here.

I’ve had my Cubii for a few weeks and I wanted to share my experience so far. I think my learnings not only apply to the Cubii but to work in general.

To do your best work, you must create the right work environment. A noteworthy portion of our population are “work anywhere” people – home, coffee shop, beach, wherever. Regardless of where we work, we have to consider our environment. If we are not comfortable, we will not do our best work. With the Cubii, it took me some time to get the right chair height, arm rest height and keyboard location. If you have a sitting job, you need to sit properly. And, posture is important!

Everything does not have to be a big project. Little accomplishments make a difference. With my Cubii, I can pedal 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there. Obviously, it would be better to pedal 20+ minutes at a time. But I found myself pedaling for miles – 5 minutes at a time. I also found that I could pedal while I was reading, talking on the phone, and proofreading. And oh my gosh – it’s especially helpful when you’re on hold with the cable company!

I’m still getting the hang of typing and pedaling. It’s definitely easier than with the treadmill desk but it does take some adjustment. I’m also still trying to figure out which is better – more miles at a lower tension OR fewer miles at a higher tension.

If you’re looking for an under-desk elliptical, I would recommend checking Cubii out. But that’s not the reason I wrote today’s post. It’s about learning and developing new and good work habits, especially if you work outside of an office. Wellness and well-being programs aren’t exclusive to large corporations. Even solopreneurs have to find time to take care of themselves.

Image taken by Sharlyn Lauby while on a break from her Cubii

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Should I Quit or Wait to Get Fired – Ask #HR Bartender

I’m sure the thought has crossed many people’s minds – is it better to quit or get fired? That’s what today’s reader wants to know.

I am going through a work suspension while been investigated for fraud in terms of ordering goods from a supplier which I was not entitled. I am guilty of the offence and will be dismissed from my employment. I just want to know would it be better for me to resign now before I go through all the meetings?

Honestly, I can’t really directly address this reader’s situation. They admit what they did was wrong. And now they have to face the consequences. But it does raise a good point about whether it’s better to quit or get fired. I thought that was worth discussing.

I reached out to Kate Bischoff, JD, SPHR, an employment attorney with the firm of Zelle LLP. Kate has helped us with other questions – this post about sending an invoice to a former employee is one of my favorites.

And just a reminder, Kate’s comments should not be construed as legal advice or as pertaining to any specific factual situations. If you have detailed questions, they should be addressed with your friendly labor attorney.

Kate, what’s the advantage to resigning (versus being fired)?

[Bischoff] In a situation like the reader’s, it is common for folks to wonder if it is better to quit or get fired. If you resign, you get to have some ‘control’ over how you discuss the situation with future employers. The employee can say, I decided to leave after I learned I shouldn’t have done XYZ with an explanation of why XYZ was done. Provided the answer is truthful, the employee owns what happened and made the right decision for themselves.

On the flip side, is there an advantage to getting fired?

[Bischoff] There is one big advantage for being fired – unemployment benefits. In most states, if an employee is terminated for almost anything but gross misconduct, an employee may be eligible for unemployment benefits. While not a full replacement of salary, it can ease the blow of becoming suddenly unemployed.

(If you want to know about unemployment insurance benefits in your state, the Department of Labor has a webpage that can get you started.)

For years, there’s been a stigma associated with being fired. In today’s business world, we talk about failure more openly. I wonder if the same stigma exists. When it comes to future employment, are there any aspects of being fired that a person should worry about?

[Bischoff] Heck, even Lee Iacocca and Steve Jobs were fired! We’ve all goofed up even though we may not all have been fired. No one likes to be fired, and no one enjoys explaining why they were fired. But I agree the stigma is not as prevalent as it once was. If you can frame the termination as a lesson learned, there’s value in that. For example, if someone was fired for transmitting a Social Security Number over the interwebs in violation of information security protocol, my bet is they have learned their lesson. The individual can describe how they would act differently and articulate the reasons to have such security in place. A prospective employer may appreciate how the candidate handled the situation and learned from their mistake. However, if no lesson was learned and no explanation was given, then they’ll likely move on to the next candidate.

As an HR pro, I’ve seen several situations where a person isn’t a good fit – they know it and the company knows it. So instead of getting fired, an exit strategy is negotiated. What are the advantages and disadvantages to this approach?

[Bischoff] The advantage is transparency! Everyone understands what is going on. In some cases, even co-workers understand what is happening, decreasing the likelihood that morale will be affected long-term. Projects can be handed off with little-to-no disruption, and the employer can find the right fit without going through the motions of a lengthy termination process.

When the pending separation isn’t transparent, the affected employee may search for a reason why they are not a good fit. They could settle on their membership in a protected class or on blowing the whistle as the possible reasons, sparking a lawsuit. This can be very costly for an organization in both time and money.

The disadvantage is this type of exit can be costly too, involving a separation payment in exchange for a release of claims. However, such a payment could cost less than litigation. In addition, with no litigation, no depositions, no significant time spent with lawyers, the amount of time saved is significant.

If a person is trying to decide which approach is best for them, are there a couple of things they should ask themselves?

[Bischoff] I recommend employees consider two things:

(1) How do you intend to explain the situation to future employers? And,

(2) Would you be eligible for unemployment benefits?

Balancing these two considerations will help make the decision. If you really need some temporary income while you find another job, then ask to be terminated. When asked about a terminated employee in a reference check, it is pretty likely that the terminating employer will only give dates of employment and job title. If you want to be the one making the decision and explaining it as your decision, then quit. Tough decisions, but necessary.

I totally agree that there are some very tough decisions on whether it’s better to quit or get fired – for employees and employers. My thanks to Kate for sharing her experience with us. Be sure to follow her on Twitter and check out the Zelle blog, “The Employment Law Navigator.” Hopefully, this isn’t a situation that occurs regularly but it is good to know the nuances of voluntary and involuntary terminations to make an informed decision – regardless of what side of the table you’re on.

Image taken by Sharlyn Lauby in the Wynwood District of Miami

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7 Ways to Manage Expectations Effectively

HR Bartender is published on a WordPress site. It’s reported that WordPress runs about 25% of all global websites. So understanding WordPress is an important investment in managing HR Bartender. The WordPress community in South Florida puts on a conference each year called WordCamp Miami. If you’re interested in learning more about WordPress, you should see if your city is hosting a local WordCamp event.

This year, one of the speakers focused his session on how to manage expectations. Steve Zehngut is the founder of Zeek.com, a consultancy dedicated to building software solutions. While I was listening to his session, I realized that the information he was sharing about managing expectations didn’t only apply to software project management. It applies any time we are trying to manage expectations in the workplace.

Managing expectations isn’t easy. In the business world, we need to communicate with others all day every day about the things we’re prepared to do (and not do.) We have to communicate with others the consequences of behavior (or non-behavior.) Steve shared his list for managing expectations and I wanted to share it with you. I loved that it was titled “A whole bunch of words that end with the letter Y”:

Honesty means that we reveal the truth when it comes to setting expectations. It might be tempting to concoct some little white lie to push back a deadline, but honesty is better. Accountability demands honesty.
Transparency is related to honesty but it’s defined as revealing information so others can see the truth. I really liked the distinction between honesty and transparency – and how they can work together to build credibility and integrity.
Integrity happens when we become a trusted advisor and/or colleague. This gives us the ability to manage expectations more effectively because the person we’re communicating with believes our message.
Accountability is defined as taking responsibility for our actions. And not just ours, but the organizations we work for. We simply can’t say, “I didn’t do it.” When the reality is – maybe the company did do it.
Consistency translates into being a person of your word. Every. Single. Time.
Vulnerability is necessary because none of us is perfect. We have to be prepared to admit mistakes, making apologies, and work toward finding solutions.

NUMBER 7. The last one Steve mentioned was Respect. And he set it up by saying it’s the one word on the list that doesn’t end in “Y.” But that’s not true. I viewed respect as a twofer. Respectability is the quality of being socially acceptable. If others do not find us respectable, it’s kind hard to do items 1-6 above. It’s also important to deliver any expectations respectfully. We can’t wait until we’re completely exasperated with the situation to convey expectations.

Regardless of our position, managing expectations is an important part of what we do every single day. Incorporating a whole bunch of things that end with the letter Y could help avoid a whole bunch of conversations that end with the question “Why?”

Image taken by Sharlyn Lauby during the 2015 Great Place to Work Conference

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Quick Shots for #HR and #Business Pros – Employee Perks Edition

You guys know I’m on the advisory board for The Workforce Institute at Kronos. Each year, the board puts together a list of the Top 5 Workplace Trends for the year. On this year’s list we find unique benefits and employee perks emerging as a competitive advantage. I do believe as the recruiting market becomes more challenging, organizations will look for ways to set themselves apart.

Over the past few months, I’ve run across a few perks that companies might find interesting. This article from The Atlantic about student loan repayment as an employee benefit is very interesting. But let’s face it, not every company has the budget for that. That doesn’t mean you don’t have options.

For example, check out this post on Unum’s new WorkWell blog with “5 no-cost or low cost employee perks.” Perks can be things that benefit both the employee and the company.

Speaking of things that benefit everyone, I must admit, I’m terrible about exercising when I travel. But, I ran across this interesting fitness product called FitKit. It’s a customizable case with resistance bands, exercise cards, nutrition tips, etc. The case can include your company logo. They have a travel version so a person could use the FitKit in their hotel room without going to the fitness center.

This service isn’t available everywhere but Manicube offers in-office manicure and barbering services. As much as we want our salon services to be long and relaxing, sometimes we need them to just be fast and good. I could see this being a treat that organizations bring in every once in a while. Everyone loves a good manicure (guys too!)

Oh, and finally, I can’t resist including a fun day that companies can celebrate. March 4 is “Take Your Action Figure to Work Day.” Yes, this is real. Their website says the day is to “celebrate comics, animation, games and everything nerdy and geeky.” Nerdy AND geeky?! I’m in. Have your employees bring in their fave action figure. Take some photos. Bring in lunch. Have some laughs. Sometimes those moments are the best perks of all.

Lucha Libre luchador image taken by Sharlyn Lauby at the local I Love Tacos

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Make Training More Impactful With Peer-Based Learning

I know this will sound really weird coming from someone who designs and delivers training for a living but, all learning opportunities do not have to be training. In fact, training can have a greater impact when it’s delivered in concert with other learning opportunities. It’s about bringing the right methods together to create the best experience for the learner.

I’ve never worked somewhere with a formal training department. Oh sure, the corporate headquarters had a formal training and development department. But at individual locations, we delivered training with the employees on site. So peer-based learning was very popular. And we learned how to identify the subject matter expertise in employees so they could share that expertise with others. Here are four ways we tapped into the knowledge and experience of our workforce:

Lunch and learn. There are so many topics that can be conveyed in this manner. Reserve a conference room, bring in pizza or sandwiches, and allow a SME to share their knowledge. Lunch and learn sessions are great for topics that might change regularly or need constant reminders. They are also a terrific way for SMEs to become comfortable presenting information.

Happiness Bar. Similar to a lunch and learn, the happiness bar could be a place where employees learn from each other. I’ve seen this type of peer to peer interaction at conferences and could see it working during a company town hall or safety fair, etc. Possibly even for long-term employees to help new hires. 

Peer-to-peer feedback. There is no rule that all feedback must come from your immediate supervisor. In fact, sometimes it’s better for some feedback to come from anyone BUT your immediate supervisor. Organizations should consider teaching every employee in orientation how to deliver feedback. It creates a workplace where employees can support each other.

Coaching. Like feedback, there’s no rule that all coaching must come from a member of management. If given the proper tools, employees can coach each other. Obviously, there’s a larger commitment involved than simply providing feedback. Peer-based coaching could be very valuable during the onboarding process and with virtual teams.

Mentoring. This shouldn’t be viewed as an age driven relationship. Mentoring is about using SMEs to convey knowledge on an individual level. And it benefits everyone. The mentee is learning. My guess is the mentor is learning as well. The organization benefits through the success of the relationship.

Any of these programs – mentoring, coaching, peer-to-peer feedback, and lunch/learn – can complement an existing onboarding program, classroom training, eLearning course, or management development program (just to name a few.) The value is in using the vast experience currently found within the organization. What a great way to engage talent by having them share their knowledge with others!

Oh, and P.S. While we’re talking about peer-based learning, let’s not forget peer-to-peer recognition. When learning does happen, it’s important to recognize it – both in terms of the person who conveyed the knowledge and the person who received it. Shawn Achor wrote a nice piece on Harvard Business Review about peer-to-peer praise at work. He’s going to be speaking on the subject at Globoforce’s WorkHuman 2016 event in May. For details, check out the WorkHuman site. As an HR Bartender reader, you receive a $300 discount on registration using the code WH16SL300. Look forward to seeing you there!

Icelandic street art image taken by Sharlyn Lauby after lunch at Primo Ristorante in Reykjavik.

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Strategies For Handling Burnout

One of the workplace topics being discussed with more frequency is employee burnout. It’s commonly included as one of the contributing factors to employee disengagement. But what exactly causes burnout?

During the Massachusetts Conference for Women, I had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion specifically focused on burnout. It was interesting because the group talked about stress and burnout in a unique way. They said that stress is something we have on a regular basis. When we’re dealing with something that has consequences, when something we care about is at stake, we experience stress. It can occur when there are good things taking place in our life such as buying a new home or getting a promotion. It can also happen when there are unfortunate things taking place such as death, divorce or illness.

Ways we can manage stress

There are several different ways we can manage the stress in our lives. We can bookend or protect “me” time on our calendar. We can make sure we have time to exercise, sleep and eat well. If our jobs involve travel, we can use “airplane mode” to decompress a little.

However, burnout occurs when there is a collapse of our stress instincts. Instead of saying burnout is simply too much stress, we need to think of burnout as a breakdown in stress management.

Recognizing the signs of burnout

The group was very open about their personal experiences with burnout. They identified two noticeable behavior changes:

Being exhausted every day. Not just tired but exhausted and wanting to withdraw from life.
Being cynical. More than being a pessimistic. Everyone and everything was wrong.

While these might not be the only signs of burnout, the signs discussed offered a way for individuals to take time for self-care and self-reflection. So if someone thought they were experiencing the signs, the could take steps to re-engage and work toward developing a positive stress relationship. A couple options that the panel mentioned for reducing the signs of stress and burnout included:

Utilizing organizational resources such as an employee assistance program (EAP.) Sometimes when we’re talking about stress, we have a tendency to think of dealing with too many emails or social media fatigue. Truth is people are dealing with all kinds of stresses we’re not aware of. And it might be difficult to ask for help and/or the find availability of resources. As human resources professionals, we need to make sure programs are well publicized.

Resilience training. I’ve heard a lot about this lately. Resilience training helps employees move past their inner critic and deal with setbacks. It’s very easy to tell someone, “Hey – don’t beat yourself up.” But it’s not easy to do. Organizations want employees who are open to change, which means they need to be open to making mistakes. Resilience training can support those efforts.

We might joke around about needing a Happy Hour to unwind after a long day in the office. But, make no mistake, stress and burnout are serious issues that need to be dealt with in a serious way. Each of us as individuals need to identify our stressors and find our own methods for managing stress. That doesn’t mean we have to go it alone. But we do need to be self-aware.

Image taken by Sharlyn Lauby wandering the streets of Reykjavik, Iceland after speaking at the Flora Icelandic HR Management Conference

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The One Thing Employees Love About the Performance Review Process

In the human resources world, we talk all the time about ditching, killing, abolishing, etc. the performance appraisal. And I understand that the concerns about the effectiveness of the performance review are very real. But I ran across this article on the blog Get Rich Slowly that really showcases a facet to the issue that we’re not talking about.

Pay increases.

Many organizations tie pay increases to the annual performance review process. If the annual review goes bye-bye, what happens to the pay increase part?

My guess is that the one thing employees like about the performance review process – besides really good constructive feedback – is the pay conversation. They like it for two reasons: 1) because it’s about their pay but 2) because they don’t have to prompt the conversation. Employees know that once a year, they get to talk about pay.

No one likes asking for a pay increase.

Even when employees know they deserve more money, it’s a hard conversation to have. I remember many years ago, being the director of human resources at a location where I knew I wasn’t being paid competitively. I loved my job, but the pay was low. Finally, our corporate offices issued new compensation pay ranges and we were given the task of making sure that every employee was paid appropriately within their pay range. My boss came to me and asked if anyone was being paid below the range. I said yes, we had one person who was paid below the range. Only one person out of hundreds of people. He asked who. And I struggled to say it was me! Even when I had all the data to back it up. (Side note: I did get my pay adjusted. But the point is…talking about money is hard.)

As organizations start to have conversations about the performance appraisal, they need to remember all the other processes that are tied to the performance review. The annual review is not a stand-alone process. It impacts other things in the organization, like pay increases.

Companies also need to get prepared for more pay-related conversations outside of the annual performance review. For years, managers have been able to postpone pay-related conversations by telling employees, “Let’s address that during the annual performance review.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It was an opportunity for a manager to do their homework and possibly request additional monies for an employee. With the elimination of the annual review, the annual money conversation changes.

We’re asking employees to take more ownership in their careers. We want them to be self-managing and accountable for their training and development. Next on the list will be initiating the pay conversations. The question becomes are companies and managers ready?

Image taken by Sharlyn Lauby during a fun afternoon at the Las Vegas Neon Sign Graveyard

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