What to Do When You Are Being Investigated at Work September 8, 2018 by Sonia Johnson Your manager wants to meet with you and has set up a time with your local HR contact. There’s been a complaint against you about some action or behavior that violates company policies. Whether or not you’re guilty, your employer is required to conduct an investigation, and you may or may not have anybody on your side. This is surely a bad situation to be in, but knowing what to expect and how to handle your case could help. Your manager wants to meet with you and has set up a time with your local HR contact. There’s been a complaint against you about some action or behavior that violates company policies. Whether or not you’re guilty, your employer is required to conduct an investigation, and you may or may not have anybody on your side. This is surely a bad situation to be in, but knowing what to expect and how to handle your case could help. 1. Keep your appointment with the investigating committee. Your manager, HR, and any other neutral party could be involved. No other meeting can be more important than this one (barring personal exigencies). Your job maybe on the line. Avoiding this meeting will put you in a bad spot, and like it or not, be viewed as insubordination. If you must cancel, which you should do only if you have a really unavoidable reason, reach out to the other parties and explain clearly. Try doing it in person and propose an alternate time. Do You Know What You’re Worth? 2. Listen. Whether this is the first time you are hearing the accusations, or you have already been given a heads-up before going to HR, be cautious and listen to what you are being accused of. Often people are so ready to object and prove they are innocent, they fail to comprehend what is being discussed. So pay close attention to what is being said and what isn’t. 3. Consult a lawyer. Set up some time with an employment lawyer, to understand what your next steps should be. Professional help, although expensive, could be useful in salvaging your reputation and/or deciding on your next steps. 4. Share your side of the story and offer proofs. Depending on the nature of investigation, HR may or may not share the name of the complainant(s). But, you would want to understand the context of the complaint to be able to defend yourself. So ask for as many details as possible. If you are able to gather eye witnesses or show documented email trails, make your case. Be completely truthful and cooperate during the investigation. 5. Do not retaliate. If you know who has complained against you, do not under any circumstance try to get back at them or retaliate in any manner. That will just make your case worse, and can be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination. 6. Ask to understand your options. If the investigation proves your innocence, then you go back to your normal job, if not, know what your options are. Can some training help? Could you resign, instead of being terminated? (Note that if you choose this course, you might not be eligible for unemployment benefits.) If you are guilty, know that it will go in your file, even if you are given the option to resign, and you maybe blacklisted from approaching the organization for future opportunities. What you can do, however, is request that your employer to note your exit as a voluntary resignation so your future employment with other organizations is not hampered. Know that they may not honor your request. If you have been wrongfully terminated, i.e. if the investigation was not thorough and you were not given a chance to explain yourself, you do have the option of choosing legal recourse. By Padmaja Ganeshan Singh ——- Remember, her at the Society For Employee Relations, we provide personalized help and guidance for employees who have become targets of HR investigations. If your Human Resources department summons you, or you are worried that you will have problems with Human Resources, consult us today.
Advantages of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace August 8, 2018 by Sonia Johnson Cultural diversity in the workplace occurs when a company hires employees from a variety of backgrounds, race, gender, age, or religion. A diverse working culture benefits companies in countless ways. It can contribute to an organization’s efficiency and create a competitive advantage. Here are some benefits of a workplace that hires teams with cultural diversity in mind: Cultural Diversity leads to Higher Morale When diversity is managed well, and employees are subject to cross-cultural or diversity and inclusion training, the result is that all people feel validated and considered important no matter their differences. Giving employees the opportunity to work with people who bring different skills and views to the table helps them recognize that everyone is important for different reasons. Feeling valued improves the morale of each worker and promotes positivity in the workplace. Cultural Diversity gives you Different Perspectives When people from different backgrounds and cultures work together, they are exposed to varying viewpoints and ideas. This helps people become accustomed to hearing and sharing different perspectives and presenting their ideas. Allowing culturally diverse employees to brainstorm brings a wide variety of solutions to the table. Solutions based upon different experiences and schools of thought. With more ideas to choose from, the chances of finding the best possible final solution is improved. Cultural Diversity has a Global Impact In an increasingly globalized economy, workforces that are culturally diverse can help companies expand their business in. Being able to communicate effectively in different parts of the world is a key benefit, as well as knowing how to create relationships and understand the cultural nuances and differences in doing business in foreign countries. With a workforce that understands these concepts, you create the opportunity to effectively develop your business in a global market. Cultural Diversity increases your Community Relations Many communities are becoming increasingly culturally diverse. It’s important that companies recognize this and mimic the communities that they serve. Companies need to be able to communicate effectively with customers and understand their needs, no matter the customer’s language or culture. Having people on staff who have the background and skills to do so are vital to an organization. Communities and customers also prefer to engage with those that employ people who are similar to them. For this reason, hiring and managing diverse cultures is an advantage in a competitive market space. Culturally diverse workers are one of the greatest assets your business can have. Although workplace diversity comes with some challenges, the benefits more than outweigh the difficulties you may encounter, especially with the use of proper management techniques and training.
31 Genius Tips for Making Your Workday Easier August 8, 2018 by Sonia Johnson We all know that work involves, well, work. Even if you love your job, it can’t always be easy, and it can’t always be fun. But, sometimes we want our jobs to be a little (or a lot) easier. We want to get our work done more quickly, to not feel overstretched or overwhelmed, and to have more time for the things we really love. The good news is, there are ways to do that (without being a total slacker). Check out our favorite tips and tricks below for being more productive, removing things you don’t need to be doing from your to-do list, and overall making doing your job a much more pleasant experience. 1. Don’t Plan on Doing Too Much Here’s a secret for you: Most to-do lists are way too long, which leads to overwork and stress when it doesn’t all get done. Instead, assume you can only get one big thing, three medium things, and five small things done a day (fewer if you have a lot of meetings). We’ve created a template to help you plan a more reasonable to-do list. 2. Focus on High-Reward Tasks Focus the majority of your energy on those tasks that are going to create the biggest results. You’ll look like you’re doing much more, but secretly with less effort. This is often called getting the low-hanging fruit—the rewards you can achieve with the least effort. 3. Work in Sprints It’s been said time and time again that the secret to getting more work done in less time is to work in bursts, with breaks in between. The intervals you choose will depend on your work and preferences, but, whatever you go with, set a timer, do your best to stay focused for that period of time, and then actually get up and take a break in between. You’ll feel more energized during your work sessions and ultimately be way more efficient. 4. Give Each Day a Theme Do distractions keep derailing you from focusing on the actual important things? Use Jack Dorsey—the co-founder of Twitter as well as the CEO of Square’s—secret and try giving each day a theme. That way, when distractions come up, you know to either punt them to another day or, if you have to, deal with them quickly and get back on track. 5. Start With the Most Difficult Task By getting the hardest thing on your plate out of the way first thing in the morning, the rest of the day will feel way easier by comparison. Plus, then you won’t waste mental energy all day thinking about this challenging thing you have to do. 6. Follow Your Energy Everyone has certain times of the day when they’re more or less productive. If you schedule big projects during your energy downtimes, you’re making your work way harder on yourself. Instead, try mapping out your ideal day based on your energy levels. 7. Don’t Fight it When You’re Feeling Useless Probably one of the hardest things to do at work is to force yourself to work hard when you’re really not feeling on top of your game. So, unless you have a pending deadline and absolutely can’t, put off that particular task and do something more suited for your mental capacity. Writer Katie Douthwaite suggests that this is a great time to get those boring, monotonous tasks knocked out. 8. Use Templates Whenever You Can Why reinvent the wheel every time you have to do something? Have an email you have to write often? Use a template. Need to create a presentation? Use a template. Redesigning your resume? Use a template. You get the picture. 9. Set Up Canned Responses Better yet, if you use Gmail, set these templates up as canned responses, so you don’t even have to leave your inbox to drop them in and send them off. 10. Set Up Auto-Text If you’re often responding to messages on the go from your phone, make it easier on yourself by setting up auto-text. For example, “pitch” could expand to fill in your elevator pitch—meaning you don’t have to type the whole thing out every time on your tiny keyboard. Read here for more on how to set it up. 11. Or Don’t Type at All You can also use your phone’s talk-to-text feature to more easily and quickly respond to messages. Productivity expert Alex Cavoulacos explains how she uses it to her advantage here. 12. Shorten Your Emails We’re going to take a wild guess that answering emails takes up a lot of your time and energy. What if you made it all easier for yourself by setting a limit on how long each response can be? Obviously, some messages necessarily have to be longer than others, but challenge yourself to keep them under five sentences long (or even shorter!) as often as possible. 13. Just Have a Conversation Long email chains got you down? When a conversation starts getting too convoluted, consider whether it would be easier to just hop on the phone or set up a meeting to talk it out. Sometimes a 10-minute conversation can eliminate hours of email messages. 14. Eliminate Follow-up Emails Nothing makes answering emails harder than your inbox constantly filling up with follow-up emails from people you haven’t gotten the chance to respond to yet. So set up an auto-responder that lets people know you’ve received the message and will respond in due time—hopefully dissuading the eager beavers from constantly emailing you back. You could even include answers to commonly asked questions, to potentially help the messenger help herself (and prevent you from having to answer at all). 15. Employ the OHIO Strategy How many times do you open an email, read it, and then leave it in your inbox to deal with later? Don’t do this! It’s actually taking up more of your time and energy to process it multiple times. Instead, follow the OHIO (only handle it once) strategy and deal with it immediately, whether that’s by deleting it, answering it, shooting it off to the right person, or, for larger messages that will require more time, parsing it out into tasks to put on your to-do list. 16. Get Rid of as Many Decisions as Possible Decision fatigue is real—and it could be making your days way harder. To keep it from affecting your work, eliminate as many decisions as possible. This could mean wearing a work uniform so you don’t have to pick an outfit every day, bringing the same thing to lunch for a week, or setting up a standing meeting with your boss so you don’t always have to reach out asking for one. Whatever it takes to put a lot of your decisions on autopilot. 17. Stop Multitasking This habit may make you feel like you’re getting more done, but it’s actually slowing you down and making your work harder than it needs to be. So do your best to focus on one task until it’s done, and then move onto the next thing. You’ll find your mind is clear and your work is better (and easier). 18. Leave Yourself a Cliffhanger Sometimes the hardest part of work is getting started on something. So, make it easier to jump into a task by leaving yourself a cliffhanger. This means, if you’re dragging your feet starting a project, just start, do a little bit of it (even if it’s not your best work), and then leave it unfinished to come back to the next day. Getting going will be way easier once you already have somewhere to jump in. 19. Remove Something From Your To-Do List Seriously consider each item on your to-do list to see if there’s anything that’s actually not important. This especially applies to things that keep getting put on the back burner. It’s worth asking yourself, “If I’ve been putting this off so much, is it really that necessary?” 20. Say “No” to Something In addition to removing something from your plate, consider saying “no” a little more often to new asks. Obviously you can’t do this all the time to just get out of work, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed or you get an ask for something non-work related (like doing an informational interview with a friend’s kid), suck it up and say “no.” Here are some suggestions for how to say it nicely to your boss and to your friends. 21. Constantly Question Meetings In case you haven’t heard, meetings can easily become a huge waste of time. Every time you schedule a meeting—even a recurring one—you should really be questioning whether it needs to happen at all, whether you’re alotting too much time for it, or whether you need to be in attendance. If you feel like the answer to any of these questions is “no,” consider adjusting (or talking to your boss to make sure you’re using your time as effectively as possible). 22. Have a “To-Don’t” List To help yourself say “no” more and cut down on decision fatigue, start a “to-don’t” list—a list of things you should never waste your time doing. Check out these ideas to get you started. 23. Delegate Some of Your Work Is there a task that you’re doing that you really, really dread, or that you feel like is really no longer part of your job description? Consider whether it would be worth delegating it to a more junior employee or, if you’re really drowning, whether it’s time to bring in an intern or new direct report. Here are some guidelines for figuring out when delegation is the right way to go. 24. Or Crowdsource It! Writer Jennifer Dziura suggests crowdsourcing as a way to “make less effort for yourself while making clients and users happier.” In essence, it’s working along with the client or user to make proposals, presentations, and the like. To learn more about how it can play out in your everyday work life, check out her article. 25. Do a Work Swap Have a task you’re dreading or really not sure how to handle? Ask a colleague in your department if she wants to swap! Basically, you send one of your least favorite tasks her way, and she sends one of hers to you. You won’t have to drag yourself through something you’ve been dreading, but the work will get done—potentially even better than you could have done it yourself; someone who hasn’t been aggravating over the assignment might quickly be able to see something you couldn’t. 26. Avoid Perfectionism (Except Where it Really Matters) Putting pressure on yourself to make all your work perfect is not only stressing you out, it could be slowing you down and causing you to procrastinate finishing things because you’re worried they’re not just right. In some cases (big end-of-year report to your boss, copy that’s going out to the world) this sort of attention to detail is critical. But in others (sending an email to your colleague, getting a first draft of a presentation to your team), focusing on perfectionism is making your life harder than it needs to be. 27. Look for Ways to Streamline Processes Is there a task that always takes you forever to complete? Something you feel like is way harder than it should be or something that is taking up far too much of your time? Rather than just trucking through it time and time again, see if there are any ways you can streamline these processes. Maybe it’s talking to other companies to see if they’ve found an easier way. Maybe it’s coordinating with other departments to see if they can help save you time or effort. (For example, is there something the engineering team might be able to quickly build you that would save you tons of time?) 28. Hire a Virtual Assistant for Small Things We all have those menial things that take us hours to complete but could easily be done by someone else. If you don’t have someone in the company to delegate them to, consider hiring a virtual assistant to help you out. They can do anything from scheduling travel plans to proofing your reports to doing the tedious design work on your next presentation—pretty much anything you dread starting and really don’t have to be doing yourself. Check out efficiency expert Marissa Brassfield’s advice for figuring out if something is worth outsourcing. 29. Get Everything Super Organized Your files. Your computer folders. The top of your desk. Your inbox. Take the time now to get organized so that finding the things you need is never the hurdle to getting started on a task. And hey, it can all be done in just 30 minutes! 30. Don’t Let Your Colleagues Interrupt You Your co-workers probably mean well, but their constant stream of IM updates, quick questions for you about the latest project, or chit-chat about their weekends can seriously mess up your flow of focus, making it way harder to get difficult tasks done. Set up systems that alert your office mates when you’re in the zone—whether it’s a do not disturb message on your chat or huge headphones that signify that you’re not to be bothered—and communicate them clearly. 31. Take a Nap See if you can sneak in a power nap during your afternoon slump. Even 20-30 minutes of shut-eye can give you more of an energy boost than coffee could, improve your mood, enhance your analytical and learning abilities, and banish stress—making the rest of the day much easier and more pleasant. So shut your door, sneak off to your car, or do whatever it takes to get in a quick bit of sleep. By Erin Greenwald
7 Types of Toxic Bosses— Tips for understanding and dealing with a boss who keeps you down. May 5, 2018 by Sonia Johnson In a riff on the word “frenemy,” the word “bossemy” was developed to describe this complicated form of workplace relationship in which the person who greatly influences your success seems to have sabotage on the brain. Here are 7 types of bossemies that can make work more stressful than it needs to be. Bossemy #1: Office Royalty Nothing is too good and nothing is good enough for this boss. “Office royalty” narcissistically and genuinely believe that they deserve deferential treatment and blind adoration from others, whether they are leading the company or just stepping onto the corporate ladder. If you report directly to office royalty, objectively and accurately evaluate this person’s “global and local influence” on your own career success. Remember, though, that no one should be expected to ‘bow and scrape’ to anyone beyond the normal limits of respectful, professional behavior. Doing your job well is encouraged, but being expected to provide strawberries and cream is a little over the top. Bossemy #2: The Diva This boss is willing to work a team full speed non-stop, but quickly step up to bask in the praise that the team, itself, rightfully deserved. Divas often demand obsequious obedience from staff who may respond in a wide variety of ways. Some may bask in the limelight if favored with a smile; others may ask, “How high?” if asked to jump; others may yawn, scratch their heads, and wonder what all the fuss is about; and still other may feel resentment at the arrogant audacity of a diva. When the diva is truly top dog, it can be especially frustrating if there is no choice but to meet the diva’s needs or satisfy her whims to keep from rocking the boat too strongly. Patience at work, patient friends with whom you can kvetch, and the ability to keep a firm work/life balance are all helpful in dealing with the work place divas you encounter. Bossemy #3: The Stealth Bomber Stealth bombers are dangerous bosses as they can spot weaknesses, plan attacks, and exact retribution and revenge for even imagined slights. If you report to this type of boss, keep your eyes on the prize and your work ethic clear. If your boss tries to set up in-fighting within a team, don’t allow yourself to be drawn into the ring. Show your colleagues respect, give your best on the job, and find ways to build up team morale and group cohesion outside of the workplace, if possible. When a team is united, it is a lot more difficult for stealth bombers to isolate one member to target for a strike. If you are a target of a stealth bombing boss, make sure you keep solid documentation of any related incidents as well as your solid performance. Bossemy #4: The Whiner Working alongside a whiner is wearing on the nerves, working for a whiner is even worse. If your supervisor is making you miserable with his own misery, you may need to learn how to practice “smiling meditation” or “eyes-open/ears-closed meditation” when he is on a roll of lamentations. As an employee, knowing the triggers and doing what you can, if anything, to protect your boss from them is helpful. No matter how crazy a boss can make you, remember that your boss is still your boss. Doing what you can to contribute to operational success makes everyone look good. Bossemy #5: The Pleaser You are much more likely to work beside than for a pleaser, as pleasers are unlikely to move too far up the chain of command. Pleasers seldom send out signals of having management skills, as they seem to spend their time trying to please the managers to whom they report. If you report to a pleaser, you may find yourself working long hours towards impossibly optimistic deadlines as your boss tries to please upper level management by agreeing to unrealistic demands. Maybe you can initiate a “heart-to-heart” with the boss sharing your concerns about failing to deliver on impractical promises. Pleasers typically like to please both their own bosses as well as their staff members, so your feedback may actually be taken to heart. Bossemy #6: The Scandalmonger Most everyone likes to be “in the know” on the job. Unfortunately, your “inside connection” may be more of a scandalmonger than a trustworthy confidante. If your boss is your “go-to-guy,” this can present a double-edged sword. If your boss shares inside information about impending organizational changes, it can be professionally helpful. Knowing what is coming down the pike can help you plan for career moves that propel you closer to your overarching professional goals. However, some bosses pump employees for updates on what is happening at their level or, perhaps even more risky for employees, in their lives. You may feel torn between being candid or cautious with your boss. Choose the path that protects your own long-term investments over those of others or of the organization. Remember that your boss may have the latest newsflash about the company, but may be spilling the scoop on someone’s secrets that were shared in confidence. If you have shared your own personal updates, the news the boss is sharing with others may very well be your own. Bossemy #7: The Outright Bully In the workplace, bullying may be practiced differently depending on the bully’s gender. Women frequently use much more “defensible” or “subliminal” methods of bullying colleagues. They know how to be mean in such a way that men might not even recognize a bully-shot was fired. Facial expressions, glares, passive aggressive actions, and back-handed compliments are examples of how women will bully their co-workers. Men may use office pranks, verbal harassment, and other more overt behaviors. Dealing with workplace bullies can be an exhausting job and can lead to physical as well as emotional stress. Unfortunately, the power hierarchy may facilitate the bullying of employees by supervisors who are prone to this behavior. Women are at an especial disadvantage, as few women are trained to confront those who harm them and this makes them easy targets for their tormentors. If you feel you are being bullied, immediately begin documenting what is happening between you and the bully. Because many bullies have seldom been confronted about their behavior – from childhood into adulthood – calling them on the behavior may lead to a resolution. Left unchecked, bullies typically don’t stop on their own – they may move from target to target, but the bullying tends to continue. If you feel that sexual harassment is even a small part of the bullying from the onset, immediately file a complaint with your human resources department. The Five O’Clock Whistle We typically spend more waking hours with the people with whom we work than with our families, loved ones, or friends. When you are on the job, remember that it is just a job. No job should be the measure of your worth and no job should come before your own well-being. Because you cannot change anyone’s behavior but your own, focus on doing what you can to build up your own self-esteem, professionalism, and commitment to success. This is a lot more healthy than dreaming of ways to retaliate against a boss. In summary, when dealing with a toxic boss, be sure to thoroughly document what is happening. Next, consider a face-to-face meeting with your boss to discuss your concerns — keep your cool and stay objective, if a meeting occurs. If this doesn’t work out, contact your HR department to seek resolution. And if the situation is beyond repair, your commitment to your own professional growth will benefit your search for a new job, if needed. Culled From Psychology Today Authored by Suzanne Degges White PhD
Stop Begging To Be Hired! March 8, 2018 by Sonia Johnson The hiring process is a one which is beneficial to both the organization and job applicants. By its bi-directional nature it is a mutual assessment of two prospective partners. The fact that one party, the corporate entity has deep pockets does not diminish their need for YOU the applicant. It is employees that create, occupy and drive the success of the legal entity, the organization. This is a critical reminder to enhance and enrich the course of your job search. When you reduce yourself to nothing, despite your years of education and/or hard work, the consequences of demeaning yourself and groveling from work lingers with you negatively. It has been shown to have a long term adverse effect on the candidate’s internal dialogue and belief in themselves, even when they get hired for positions. Be confident and strategic. If you don’t have the qualifications and experience, get it, or create a clear narrative of how what you possess works for the position that you seek. Begging and desperation can get you the job, but data shows that you are unlikely to enjoy it and will probably lack the respect of your hiring manager, especially if you were hired based on your pleading and begging. In the past I participated in various HR, Law and Employment research funded by groups of companies in all sectors. One of my stunning finds remains the HR lag, in terms of keeping pace with business evolution. The other most shocking thing was the eight (8) year long Hiring Project that we executed. We applied to companies, were interviewed, and used our experiences, and additional data provided by senior management to improve their hiring processes. It was astounding to find the qualifications and experience for recruiters in many organizations is not sufficient. Further, most times, recruiters and hiring managers are not well trained, and are placed at the lower end of the importance spectrum. Although, recruiters and hiring managers have a disproportionately critical effect on companies, too many organization still treat recruitment without the respect, training and attention it needs. Thus frequently, the outcome, except for the more exceptional recruiters and hiring managers, is that you are sitting across from a hiring manager or recruiter that is unaware of the biases and limitations, they often unconsciously have about candidates. Begging does not help increase respect for your skills, as it elevates recruiters biases against you— even if you get hired based on your pleas. Please note that if you have sought work for more than two years without success, it is imperative that you seek career guidance from an experienced Career Coaching professional. Such a professional should have a record of success, and the education and experience to provide you a robust guideline on how to succeed in your search. Preparation for the job interview, and the use of constant research to improve your interviewing process, cannot be over emphasized. Interviews are conducted with humans with as much or more implicit and other biases as you possess, and they making the decisions about you. To the extent possible, do all that you can to neutralize existing biases, by avoiding things that are distracting and unique to you. For example, I wear four rings on my right hand. When I am attending certain meetings, I do not wear those rings. I like my rings. I identify with them as they were gifts I was given for excellence in professional, and other personal achievements. But they could distract from the conversation, and could cause more implicit or explicit biased associations by the interviewer. So, it’s not worth it. Make sure it is a bi-directional discussion. You should determine if the company deserves you. Yes, internal confidence manifests externally too. Know your worth If you know you are suited for the job, and are not hired for it, move on. Review, Strategize and Move on. For Job Applicants, here are some signs that you might be interviewing with the wrong company: If the recruiter does not know the goals of the organization and cannot explain how your position fits into the macro picture of the organization’s needs. DO NOT ACCEPT A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW, AND DO NOT CALL THEM TO FOLLOW UP. If the hiring manager appears not to know core components of the job very much or seems intimidated by your experience or astute preparation for the interview –you will not enjoy working for such hiring manager. If the hiring manager is hostile or distracted, END THE PROCESS QUICKLY. If the number of candidates being interviewed for the same position exceeds four or five applicants and/or the applicants are all from the same industry— do not expect to be challenged and excited by such a job, if hired. Only unprogressive companies in this era of creativity and ingenuity, hire people from the “same” industry (except where they have specific, verifiable and near incontrovertible reasons). If you are interviewed more than three times, and it is not a senior executive position, AND the reason for numerous interviews explained to you during the recruitment process as such– RUN AWAY. If ninety (90%) percent of the organization looks the same, and diversity seems to be a by line that no one executes, at least based data on the staff composition–PAUSE! Companies that lack DIVERSITY or lack leadership diversity, often prove very problematic for even non-diversity candidates. It is most likely operating out of a 19th century business model. It might be a tasteless and meaningless work experience. LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR MEANINGFUL WORK. Nothing, including a job, or search for it, is worth sacrificing your personhood, or Self-worth. You are a whole person, and your life should be far more than just work. Don’t diminish yourself. Seek EFFECTIVE AND SEASONED professional guidance. There is a new spate of people who claim to be masters and experts at coaching and everything imaginable, most are not! Verify before you dole out money and/or time to them. Most times, the girth and success of service you obtain, is a direct result of the quality, pricing, experience and knowledge of the company or professional you hire for this purpose. Choose wisely. Now, go forth confident and powerful for that job for which you are qualified. Never allow anyone or circumstance to stop you from achieving your goal. Author: Sonia Johnson Esquire
Being a Workaholic Nearly Killed Me. Here’s What I’m Doing Differently January 8, 2018 by Sonia Johnson I’ve written about my heart attacks several times before, but bear with me, because I’m still in the long process of healing and understanding what it’s all about and how I need to change my life. Quick recap: Last July I had two heart attacks which led to the discovery that I had major heart disease, serious enough to need a sextuple bypass. I was in the hospital for three weeks, and even months later, I’m still recovering, physically and emotionally. When all that sh*t went down, I was astounded that I had heart disease because I lacked most of the warning signs: I wasn’t overweight, didn’t smoke, and had no history of heart disease in my family. However, I was under enormous stress–partly because of family issues (one of my two children is high-needs) but mostly because I was constantly anxious about work and therefore stressed all the time. What’s weird is that I was stressed even though: 1) I work my own hours, 2) I set my own workload, 3) I only work with people I like, 4) I make very good money, 5) I get to work from home, and 6) I do work that I generally enjoy. In other words, there was no objective reason for me to be stressed about work. In fact, I sorta fit the profile of the exact opposite of a workaholic. Or so I thought. According to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, you are still a workaholic if you allow work to intrude into your thoughts all the time and if your feelings about work are tied up with anxiety, regardless of how many hours you actually spend on the job. So I was a workaholic and didn’t even know it. And it almost killed me. And when I say it almost killed me, I’m not exaggerating. All but one of seven my heart arteries were blocked, some of them 100 percent. I was literally on the edge of death and it’s a miracle that I’m still alive. In fact, due to the operation, I’m in better health than before the heart attacks. That’s the good news. But here’s the bad news: Even with my new regimen of heart medicines, those blockages may return. And because I’m not overweight and don’t smoke, there’s really not much “ballast” to throw overboard to keep my ship afloat. I eat heart-healthy, but I pretty much did that before the heart attack. I’ve also stopped drinking alcohol, but I’ve always been a “two or three glasses of wine a week” kinda guy. So even with heart medicine, I’m high risk for more heart problems. So you see, if I can’t lick my workaholism, it will literally kill me. I have a feeling that I’m not the only one who’s facing the challenge of way too much stress at work. So, in the hope that it might inspire, here’s specifically what I’m doing to prevent both the workaholism and the heart disease it causes: I’ve abandoned unrealistic goals. The root of much of my work-related stress was a deep-seated feeling that I wasn’t living up to my potential because I hadn’t fulfilled two goals I’d set for myself about 20 years ago: Write a NY Times nonfiction bestseller. Write a novel that would be made into a movie. In setting these ambitious goals, I was “shooting for the horizon.” However, while that might work for some people, I made myself miserable every time I failed to achieve those goals. So, even though I wrote several well-received and successful business books, I never hit the NY Times bestseller list. And while the novel I wrote did garner some Hollywood interest, nothing came of it in the end. So, even though most people would probably be proud to have done so well, I felt like a failure because I didn’t reach the horizon for which I’d aimed. So while “aim for the horizon” goals might work for some people, for me they’re toxic because I beat myself up when I think that way. So I’ve scaled down the goals, big time. I just can’t afford to think that way any longer because it will kill me. I’ve redefined who I really am. As you might have noticed, there was more than a little grandiosity behind those ambitious goals. Indeed, I had such a high opinion of my potential that I hated that I wasn’t fulfilling that potential. And that hate was a HUGE source of stress. For example, (and this is really embarrassing and I’ve never told anyone this) I used to have a little mantra: “I’m a famous author.” I’d repeat this silently to myself hoping that if I convinced myself it was true, it would become true in the real world. After the heart attack, I realized that I can’t think of myself that way, not if I want to stay alive. Rather than try to be somebody I’m not, I have to accept the fact that, at best, I’m a moderately talented writer. And a reasonably good father, husband, and friend. And that’s OK. I’ve stopped doing work I don’t enjoy. If there’s one thing that I KNOW I can do really, really well, it’s write compelling marketing messages, marketing copy, cold emails, email marketing chains, website copy, etc. I can usually double or triple the sales revenue of a typical client. Needless to say, clients have been more than willing to pay me big money to rework their marketing message. However, while I’m really good at it, I just don’t enjoy this kind of work. It’s too simple and too repetitive, like fishing with dynamite. Even when I make good money, I have to FORCE myself to hit deadlines. My desire to do a good job for my clients was in direct conflict with my desire to avoid doing this kind of work. That’s been a recipe for crazy stress. So no can do no more. I make health my No. 1 priority. Prior to my heart attack, I went through periods when I’d work out regularly, but in the past decade or so, I’d made working out a lower priority than “getting the job done.” As a result, I rarely worked out. Needless to say, this wasn’t a smart move, heart-wise. Today, regardless of how much work I might have on my plate, or what’s going on in my sometimes crazy home environment, I work out every day…before I do anything else. Just as important, I don’t get all frantic about working out because that would just create more stress, negating the purpose of working out. If I have to take a day off from working out because, say, I have an appointment, that’s OK. I’m filling my life with gratitude. As a workaholic, I was addicted to the ambitious goals, the grandiosity behind them and the stress that it caused. My addiction drove me to achieve more and more and more. And it was killing me. So now I’m jettisoning all of that, which leaves a huge metaphorical and metaphysical hole inside me. If I’m not that workaholic guy, who am I? I’m trying–really hard–to fill that hole with gratitude. I’m trying to use gratitude as a fuel that will keep me going, still writing and still creating. I’m not sure how to do that but, seriously, my life depends on it. I used to think it was me against the world and I was a self-made man. I now realize that I’ve been very, very lucky. Insanely fortunate. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stick around long enough to enjoy my good fortune. Anyway, if you stuck around long enough to finish this post, I’m open to any advice or suggestions as I go forward. Frankly, I’m sailing in what, to me, are uncharted waters. Wish me luck! Author: Geofrey James
9 Types of Unconscious Bias and the Shocking Ways They Affect Your Recruiting Efforts December 8, 2017 by Sonia Johnson How many decisions have you made today? 5? 10? 15? Chances are you won’t be able to put an exact figure on it. That’s because we make countless decisions every day without even realising it. Even as you sit here reading this you’re making decisions. Decisions about me, the content, the questions I’m asking you. And the answers to all of these questions are influenced heavily by something researchers refer to as “unconscious bias.” What is “unconscious bias”? “Ok, so what is unconscious bias and why is it influencing my decisions so much?“, I hear you ask. Well, simply put, bias is an inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group. In other words, unconscious bias are unconscious feelings we have towards other people – unconscious feelings that play a strong part in influencing our judgement of certain people and groups, away from being balanced or even-handed, in many different areas of life. One of the most prominent areas of life where bias can play out is the workplace. In fact, one of the strongest biases we have in the workplace is gender bias. Why? Well, our feelings about gender and the stereotypes we’ve all associated with gender are something we’ve developed throughout our whole lives. How we’ve been brought up, where we’ve been brought up, how we’ve been socialised, our socialisation experiences, our exposure to other social identities and social groups, who our friends are/were, as well as media influences, all affect how we think and feel about certain types of people – and especially about what makes a man a man and what makes a woman a woman. It’s important to mention however, that most bias stereotypes, do not come from a place of bad intent. It’s just a deep seated, unconscious stereotype that’s been formed in our brains through years of different influences we often had no control over. For example, just think about of all the phrases you’ve heard associated with women in the workplace over the years, like “The Glass Ceiling”, “The Maternal Wall” and the “Gender Pay Gap”. How does bias affect our actions? “Most of us believe that we are ethical and unbiased. We imagine we’re good decision makers, able to objectively size up a job candidate or a venture deal and reach a fair and rational conclusion that’s in our, and our organisation’s, best interests,” writes Harvard University researcher Mahzarin Banaji in the Harvard Business Review. “But more than two decades of research confirms that, in reality, most of us fall woefully short of our inflated self-perception.” Yes, in reality our biases affects us and our decision-making processes in a number of different ways: Our Perception – how we see people and perceive reality. Our Attitude – how we react towards certain people. Our Behaviours – how receptive/friendly we are towards certain people. Our Attention – which aspects of a person we pay most attention to. Our Listening Skills – how much we actively listen to what certain people say. Our Micro-affirmations – how much or how little we comfort certain people in certain situations. Whether we are aware of it or not, each and every one of these things will affect who we select to come in for an interview, how we interview them, who we hire and our reasons for hiring them. So, how do you stop yourself from falling prey to the dangers of unconscious bias? The first step is simple – make the unconscious, conscious. By acknowledging the different types of unconscious bias we can start to address them. 8 Types of Unconscious Bias and How They’re Affect Your Recruiting Process In recruitment, the following types of bias are all very common: 1. Conformity Bias Based on a famous study that’s been around for decades, conformity bias relates to bias caused by group peer pressure. In the study, a group of people is asked to look at the picture on the left and say which line in Exhibit 2 matches the line in Exhibit 1. One individual is told to say what they think. The rest of the group is told to give the wrong answer. We can see that line A of Exhibit 2 matches the line in Exhibit 1, but when the individual who doesn’t know this is a test gives the correct answer only to be informed that the rest of the group has said Line B, the individual decides to scrap their own opinion in favour of the groups’ opinion. A phenomenon that occurs in 75% of cases. Just think how this may play out in a panel talking about a candidate. If an individual feels the majority of the group are leaning towards/away from a certain candidate, they will tend to go along with the group thinks rather than voice their own opinions. 2. Beauty Bias This is the view that we tend to think that the most handsome individual will be the most successful. But this can also play out in terms of other physical attributes a person may have. For example, while 60% of CEOs in the US are over 6 foot, only 15% of the total population is over 6 foot tall. And while 36% of US CEOs are over 6.2 feet, only 4% of the US population is over 6.2 feet tall. So again, this shows some bias in terms of how we perceive a CEO should look like. In recruitment, it’s common that recruiters will look to fill a role with someone who shares similar physical attributes to the person who held that role before, or who they believe looks like the kind of person who should have the role based on their preconceived bias. 3. Affinity Bias This plays out a lot in terms of recruitment! Affinity bias occurs when we see someone we feel we have an affinity with e.g. we attended the same college, we grew up in the same town, or they remind us of someone we know and like. For example, when we interview someone we feel we have some affinity with, our micro-affirmations play out a bit more than they usually would with someone we felt we didn’t share an affinity with. For instance, if they tell us they’re a little nervous we may smile at them more, offer more words of encouragement etc. Whereas, if a person we shared no affinity with told us the same thing, we wouldn’t be quite as warm towards them as we had been to the candidate we felt we shared a connection with. After the interview, you’d then speak in much higher terms of the first candidate and how much you feel they’d “fit in” over and above the second candidate. 4. Halo Effect Halo is when we see one great thing about a person and we let the halo glow of that significant thing affect our opinions of everything else about that person. We are in awe of them due to one thing. For example, when looking through someone’s CV/resume we may see they went to a particularly highly regarded college where they received a certain high grade, or they had undertaken some very sought after work experience program. Upon seeing that, we tend to see everything else about that person surrounded by the glow of that achievement. 5. Horns Effect The Horns effect is the direct opposite of the Halo effect. The Horns effect is when we see one bad thing about a person and we let it cloud our opinions of their other attributes. For example, when interviewing someone we might be put off by the fact that they speak very slowly because our unconscious bias has caused us to assume that someone who speaks slowly is unintelligent. If we assume they’re unintelligent, everything they say or do for the rest of the interview will be clouded by our judgement. 6. Similarity Bias Naturally, we want to surround ourselves with people we feel are similar to us. And as a result, we tend to want to work more with people who are like us. In terms of recruitment that may mean that we are more open to hiring individuals we see parts of ourselves in. 7. Contrast Effect This plays out regularly in recruitment, particularly amongst recruiters who spend large amounts of time sifting through CV after CV or conducting interview after interview. For example, if we’re looking at a number of CVs/interviews in a row, one after the other, we tend to compare each CV/interview to the one that came before it. We judge whether or not the person in front of us did as well as the person that came before them. When really, the only thing we should be comparing are the skills and attributes each individual has, to the skills and attributes required for the job, not those of the person that came directly before them. 8. Attribution Bias This is the most common form of bias in the recruitment process as it affects how we access other people. When we do something well we tend to think it’s down to our own merit and personality. When we do something badly we tend to believe that our failing is down to external factors like other people that adversely affected us and prevented us from doing our best. When it comes to other people, we tend to think the opposite. If someone else has done something well we consider them lucky, and if they’ve done something badly we tend to think it’s due to their personality or bad behavior. 9. Confirmation Bias This is one that recruiters have to be extremely careful about! When we make a judgement about another person, we subconsciously look for evidence to back up our own opinions of that person. We do this because we want to believe we’re right and that we’ve made the right assessment of a person. The danger of conformity bias in recruitment, is that our own judgement could be very, very wrong and could cause us to lose a great candidate for the job. Author: Siofra Pratt
Why The Best Leaders Are Fulltime Learners October 6, 2017 by Sonia Johnson Tell me something you’ve learned recently. It’s a question we ask in most interviews to determine whether a candidate has the intellectual curiosity we look for in team members. If she can’t tell me anything she’s learned in the last month, I know it won’t be a good long-term fit, simply because an eagerness to learn isn’t inherent. Last year, I wrote an article titled “Why Leaders Must Be Readers,” and while I still wholeheartedly believe this, my thinking was too limited. Reading is just one way to learn. Leaders must be learners. It doesn’t have the same ring to it, but it’s just as important. I respect leaders who are continuously learning because I know they’re challenging their own assumptions and bringing more knowledge to the table each time we converse. Learning can take many different shapes, so here are a few examples of ways that you can continuously be learning as a leader — and encouraging your team to do the same. Read!! Article by By Kelsey Meyer from Forbes Magazine Not to beat a dead horse, but reading really is important. Read the opinions of others, and discover the ways in which you agree or disagree. Debate topics you’ve read about with your team; I promise you’ll learn from them. Listen Listening to podcasts is another great way to learn. If you aren’t sure what you should be learning about, one of my favorite podcasts is “How to Do Everything.” You’ll learn about everything from bug drones to how to end a text conversation.
This Is the Real Reason Startups Succeed–and No, It’s Not Money February 8, 2017 by Sonia Johnson The number of self-employed people in the U.S. has grown by nearly 150,000 since 2014 to 8,751,000. This number is up from 8,602,000 at the end of 2016. That data, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is in many ways exciting, especially for a business coach. Yet I can’t help but think about the failure and disappointment that lies ahead for the majority of small-business owners who are included in this data. According to Bill Gross, founder of Idealab, it’s not idea, plan, business model, team, or surprisingly, even the money that’s the most significant factor in a startup’s success. It’s all in the timing. Gross studied 100 companies and discovered that a startup’s timing accounted for 42 percent of the difference between success and failure. In this Ted Talk, Gross uses one of Idealab’s startups as an example. Z.com was an online entertainment company. They raised enough money, had a great business model, and even signed well-known Hollywood talent to join the company. The problem for Z.com was that broadband penetration was too low in 1999-2000. Do you remember trying to watch video content online back then? It was miserable. You had to put codecs in your browser and find workarounds for all sorts of issues. These challenges forced the company out of business in 2003. A mere two years later, YouTube launched a similar platform that would quickly grow into the insanely popular video-sharing website it is today. The difference? The codec problem was solved by Adobe Flash and broadband penetration quickly crossed 50 percent in America. You may have a brilliant idea, but if the timing is off you are likely to fail. Here are some important things to consider. Are you personally ready? One of the top things entrepreneurs talk to me about is exhaustion. They’re overwhelmed on a number of levels, and guilt is especially high for parent-entrepreneurs. Not to mention the costs associated with starting a business. Too many new entrepreneurs take out an equity line on their home, only to find themselves in perpetual debt. Frankly, it’s difficult to circumvent some of these problems, so you have to be prepared for them. Is this the best time in your life to start a business? How will you balance the sacrifice, keep yourself healthy, and maintain a strong, supportive mindset as you invest yourself in your new venture? Be honest with yourself and your family. If you’re not prepared to put many aspects of your life aside for hours a day, this may not be good timing for you. How’s the competition doing? When I owned my coffeehouse, people assumed I would despise Starbucks for creating such competition. But there’s much to learn from the giants, and companies like Starbucks are responsible for creating a culture that can pave the path for smaller companies. Today, independent coffeehouses have a significant opportunity; I don’t think that would be true if it weren’t for Starbucks. Examine your prospective competitors. What are they doing well and what are they lacking? How will you be different–even better? Is there no competition because your idea is groundbreaking and innovative? If yours is an emerging market, test the idea rigorously, and not just with family and friends. What’s the market research say? What are the barriers to success? How do you know there’s a demand for your product or service? What evidence is there to show you will succeed? What problem do you solve and what opportunity or experience does your idea present to consumers or businesses? Have others attempted something similar and failed? These failures are a perfect learning opportunity for you. How do you differentiate yourself in the market? Have you gained enough traction to attract funding? Gross points out that acquiring funding is “easy” if a company has gained enough traction in the market. People often believe that if they have a great idea, someone will come along to back it. That’s a rarity. On the other hand, not all investors look for significant profits before they consider funding a startup. You can de-risk your investment opportunity by demonstrating market engagement. Since timing is everything, don’t be too slow or too fast in entering the market. Your timing is evidence of your ability to make smart decisions and evaluate risk. Small business makes the world go round in my opinion. Time it right, and you’ll enjoy the ride. Author: Marla Tabaka