Beth SchaeferJanuary 14, 2025Advance Your Career, For the Public Sector, Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Stop the World #3 | I Want to Catch Up

Stop the World; I Want to Get Off  Catch Up

Beth Schaefer IPD Director  

stop the world 3 rectangle

This series on Stop the World has been about taking time to do Important and Innovative work.

I know, easier said than done. Time is a limited resource.  Even if you work overtime, you still only have 24 hours in a day.  You cannot create time, but you can control how you spend your time.  This is what is meant by time management.

You may already do some of these time management strategies, but maybe you will be sparked by a new idea or two.  I am presenting these in “David Letterman countdown style” – starting with most difficult for me to practice on a consistent basis and ending with the one I do the most.

#8 – Write Down Process

I find it is easier to delegate tasks or ask for help if the process I use is written down.  It allows me to easily hand off work knowing the person has direction/instructions.  I will not lie; documenting process takes time to do.  Because it takes time, this makes it the most challenging way for me to manage time.  However, once you get some processes defined, it really allows for teamwork.  Others can help you when work piles up, and you can help them when their work piles up. As an added bonus, documented processes used by more than one person have a better chance  being streamlined, and that streamlining absolutely helps you manage time.

#7 – Prioritize

Prioritizing does not help you complete all your work; it just helps you kick some of the work cans down the road, but they are still down there waiting for you.   This is why prioritizing work does not always feel like a time management win.  However, it can be a win because when you keep kicking the work can down the road, these things can happen before you see that can again:

  • Someone else has completed the work
  • The initiative stalls out, and the project manager moves all the due dates to later
  • A new leader comes in, and the whole initiative goes away

Kicking the can is effective if you choose wisely.

#6 – Be Realistic With Your Time

The first step to being realistic with your time is to actually think through how much time it takes you to do tasks.

Does this scenario sound familiar?:

  1. You make a list of things you want to get done that day.
  2. You do not calculate how long the tasks will take and make the assumption they will all get done.
  3. You do not allow time for any “fires” that may occur that day.
  4. As the clock ticks towards 5, you start to panic and decide “what needs to get done” that day.

To combat the end-of-day panic, take a beat to think about how much time a task will take.  For instance, when I facilitate a meeting, I do not just schedule time to run the meeting, but time to prep the meeting, and time to do the meeting follow-up actions.  This technique really emphasizes how much time meetings actually take.  It also makes sure that when you take people’s time for meetings, you are prepared which respects their busyness, and it causes you to think twice about the usefulness of your meetings.

#5 – Get Rid of Meetings

Because meetings are more than the meeting time — they are the prep time, the follow-up communications, the time to get to the meeting (or logged into the virtual meetings), and time for the meeting-after-the-meeting meetings — meetings eat more time than you may realize.  If you attend meetings that are not useful, consider asking your supervisor to let you skip those meetings stating what work you would be able to complete during that time.  If you are the one scheduling all the meetings that have no purpose, well… you know the answer already.

The reason this time-saver is not higher on the list in terms of easy-to-do is because meetings can be more about work completion.  For my remote team, the meeting is about connection that fuels collaboration and support for one another.  The better you understand the purpose of a meeting, the more you can determine the value of the time.  Balance efficiency with relationships.

#4 – Limit Your Time

Time blocking – setting aside a pre-designated block of time for a specific task – can be quite effective for time management on some tasks. Time-blocking a task can help you focus and work more efficiently. (This is your reminder that most research indicates that multi-tasking is a fallacy).  The time pressure can motivate you to persist on challenging tasks.  Time-blocking can be especially helpful on “black hole” activities such as research, cleaning out email, or innovation and idea-generation.  If you reach the end of the time without sufficient progress, then schedule another time-block for another day and move onto other work.

#3 – Do NOT Be a Perfectionist

Those of you who know me well are saying, “Really?” Yes, I am definitely a recovering perfectionist. The pandemic taught me to let go of perfection.  We needed to punt all the time during the pandemic, and people were really gracious when things did not go as planned.  This showed me that perfectionism is overrated. I have learned to embrace the concept of “good enough.”

Let’s be clear – you cannot approach your work with a “whatever” attitude all of the time.  That is just being a slacker.  Good enough is about picking and choosing moments to accept good instead of great. In a Reddit thread, someone suggested prioritizing tasks by thinking about what adds value to customers and what does not.  If a task does not add value to a customer, figure out how to “half-ass” it. This should be used judiciously, but it can still be an effective time management strategy.

#2 – Work From Home When Needed

Working without meetings or messages or interruptions or chit chat at the water cooler is a great way to get more work done, so stay home and spend the day focusing on the work that needs your deepest concentration. This is easy for me as part of a remote office; however, I started this practice prior to working remotely.  This technique is very similar to time-blocking because you are dedicated to getting specific tasks completed while at home.  For me, the tasks that I get the most value in tackling from my kitchen counter are the ones that take large chunks of time and complex thinking to complete.  Researching and writing these articles are in that category, along with annual budgeting. High-concentration tasks can vary depending on your aptitudes.

Some tips to make this work. Put on your out-of-office, silence your phone, and log out of pop-up Teams messages. If you must be in the office, try closing the office door or finding an alcove in the lunchroom and put on your headphones.  Also practice a do-not-bother-me face so that just a glance can deter interruptions.

And the easiest way for me to manage time…

#1 – Use a To-Do List

This seems basic but many people do not use lists to organize and prioritize work tasks.  I started making lists as soon as I could hold a crayon in my hand, so I have nearly perfected my method. I end each week with my to-do list for the next week.

While this takes 1 – 2 hours of my time, I also take this time to:

  1. Complete any task that I can do in less time than it takes me to write down on my to-do list.
  2. Tap coworkers or clients who owe me completed tasks for my projects to move forward.
  3. Determine if a project needs a status meeting to move forward and get it on the project team’s calendar for the next week.

I know that using my own brain to generate my to-do list each week is old-school; however, my language arts teacher background tells me that writing is one of the best ways to create order out of chaos.  Organizing information (whether handwritten or typed, whether essay or table or list) is thinking.  Creating the to-do list is my own way of taking time each week to think holistically about the work/goals/purpose of IPD.

For me, not enough time is one of my biggest stressors at work.  I am always balancing time in terms of what I need to complete for my team and clients with what I need to check off my list to feel less stress about my job to the time I should spend away from work for a healthy life.

While this Top 8 list provides some strategies for managing time, you may still feel guilty about the steps you take to balance your work time and your personal time. Here are a couple of statistics that can ease your guilt:

  • Research indicates that once you put it more than 50 hours a week, your production decreases to the point of being pointless to work.
  • Americans are towards the top of the list for working more hours in comparison with other countries with an advanced economy. Americans also suffer more health issues and higher insurance costs related to work than any other country with an advanced economy.  So, save your organization insurance costs and work less.

Sidebar

As part of my research, I was curious about the phrase, Stop the world – I want to get off.  Turns out it is the title of a musical from the 60’s.   Set in a circus, it is the life journey of a young boy, who stops the show to have sidebar conversations with the audience every time something disastrous happens in his life.  As an intelligent reading audience, I will leave you to draw your own connections between the workplace and the circus and add your own sidebar comments.

Stop the World Series Resource List
The 7 Habits
Encouraging Creative Thinking in the Workplace
Falling Behind on Work? Take These Steps to Get Back on Track
Finding Your Innovation Sweet Spot
The Hidden Tactic Overloaded Workers Are Using to Catch Up
How CEO’s Make Time to Create That Unexpected Lead Forward
How to Catch up on Work When You’ve Fallen Behind
How to Give Busy People the Time to Innovate
How to Gossip Strategically to Get Ahead at Work
Systematic Innovative Thinking
Top 10 Productivity Killers in the Workplace

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Beth SchaeferOctober 4, 2024Advance Your Career, For the Public Sector, Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog, Workplace Wins

Politics in the Office: Part 3

Top 10 List for Leaders

By Beth Schaefer
IPD Director

Despite your best efforts for a creating a respectful workplace for civil discourse (See Part 1 and Part 2 of Politics in the Office), the day after the election, there will be winners and losers.  Do not assume everyone on your team will share your own response to the election results.

And…as the first 2 parts discussed, it is not just about red and blue, but about policies that will affect people’s families, economic status, religious beliefs, and healthcare.  Regardless of who wins, the people on your team will face an unknown future.  And, the unknown can bring fear, and fear can bring stress.

Consider these 10 strategies to assist your team through the most-intense weeks before and after the election:

  1. Accept a decrease in productivity.  Just like the December holidays or a warm sunny summer afternoon in Minnesota, the pace of work will slow down.  Plan for it rather than fight it.
  2. Plan your schedule and deadlines.  If you know that your team will be especially distracted during the weeks before and after the election, avoid creating deadlines for your most critical projects or project pieces during that time.
  3. Focus on work.  While productivity may decrease, you are still in the workplace.  You can direct people to focus on work rather than half-day discussions at the water cooler.  Consider tasks that are easy to complete.  Perhaps that will be a good week to do some “housekeeping” work (updating files, cleaning emails) that improves productivity overall but is easy to do.
  4. Model respectful discourse.  If you set political discussion boundaries, remind your team that they are still in effect after the election too.  If you did not set boundaries, consider doing so.  Be ready to respectfully end political discussions that are too long or are disrespectful.
  5. Be consistent.  Treat all your team members the same even if their politics are different than yours.   Make sure the guidelines you put in place are evenly enforced.  If someone’s political discourse is disrespectful or harassing, as the leader, you need to address it.  See Part 2 for strategies.  When your team sees that you are serious about a safe space at work, it can reduce their stress.
  6. Schedule check-ins.  If you do not currently do 1:1 check-in with your team members, this may be a good time to start.  Use check-in time to see if they are feeling extra stress in general.  You can do this without asking about political preferences. If they are having trouble focusing, suggest work that needs to be completed, but is not too challenging. This is also a good time to address any political talk that is not following the guidelines.
  7. Listen with empathy and seek to understand.  Even if your politics are different, you can still listen to why people are disheartened by the results and provide empathy.  See the article Heard! for a review of empathetic listening strategies.
  8. Suggest a media break.  If the elections seem to be stressing out members of your team, suggest they step away from media and social media for a few days.  Research is clear that social media can compound stress.
  9. Be ready with resources. Have your organization’s Employee Assistance Program links at the ready.  Share them with individuals as needed or proactively share them with your team.
  10.  Care.  While this article is framed through the lens of workplace productivity, genuinely caring about your individual team members is one of the best ways to help them avoid burnout– whether it is due to the election or any other endless factors that contribute to life and work stressors.

Follow Up Note: In the Part 2 article, I failed the beginning assessment for leaders.  I am happy to report that since I wrote that article, my organization provided training to staff and leaders on what types of political activity are acceptable in our workplace.  The session was informative and clarified several guidelines for me.  Since I work in education, our workplace guidelines are probably a bit trickier than most, and that made the training all the more helpful.

Resource List

7 Ways Employers Can Help Combat Election Anxiety in Their Workforce

How HR Can Guide a Workplace Through the Fraught 2024 Election Season

Navigating Pre- and Post- Elections Tensions in the Workplace

Polarizing Politics: How Leaders Can Protect and Support Psychological Safety in the Workplace

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Beth SchaeferAugust 6, 2024Advance Your Career, For the Public Sector, Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog, Workplace Wins

Politics in the Office: Part 1

Many of us are familiar with office politics – advocating for power in the workplace.

Increasingly, the angst created by office politics is taking second place to angst generated by politics in the office.

The 2024 Presidential election is being touted as “high-stakes.”  This sense of urgency makes it almost impossible to keep political discussions out of the workplace.  And, with all that comes with high-stakes election rhetoric, it seems almost impossible to maintain a welcoming workplace culture that is inclusive to all points of view.

During my career, I have played many roles in workplace political discussions. Here are some roles I have tried out over the years.

The Observer

The Observer listens to what is being said, but remains silent.  The Observer may (or may not) have a viewpoint, but attempts to appear neutral or mysterious on political views. Never weighing in has several advantages:

  1. You never reveal your ignorance of politics or your lack of attention to current events.
  2. You never reveal your apathy of politics and risk having someone tell you that you NEED to care and take a stand. It is your FUTURE!
  3. You never offend anyone because you have never said anything.
  4. You never get lectured by someone who follows you down the hall or catches you in the parking lot trying to convince you of how wrong you are about your beliefs or vote.

The Apathetic

The Apathetic does not care.  And they are vocal about it so that all who work with them know that they find politics to be a waste of time. This allows them the freedom to disengage from any political discussion. While we may find it easy to make presumptions about The Apathetic, there could be several reasons for political apathy:

  1. Perhaps they do not feel that either side can fix anything.
  2. Perhaps they are embarrassed by the behavior of political leaders and wish to avoid association with any side.
  3. Perhaps they are young and free and having too much fun to worry about THE FUTURE.
  4. Perhaps, they are too busy working 2 jobs or caring for 3 children or caretaking parents or fighting a medical illness to take the time needed to truly study the issues for an informed opinion.

    The Apathetic can present as The Observer IF they do not ever voice their apathy.  Once you take a pronounced Apathetic stance, you will be immersed in workplace political discussions: See #4 from The Observer.

    The Worker

    The Worker has definite opinions on the state of the country and is current in their knowledge of the political landscape. The Worker may even agree with most of the political rhetoric being heard in the workplace. However, The Worker wants time spent at work to be about working. They want workplace harmony so that they can get things done. If and when progress is derailed, The Worker wants those challenges to be related to the work. I am often The Worker, and I use similar techniques to The Marginal (see below) to manage political conversations in the workplace. Because The Worker is head-down productive, the Worker might be mistaken for The Observer or The Apathetic.

    The Marginal

    The Marginal believes their opinion is the opposite of most of the people they work with.  As our politics become more combative, more us vs them, more we’re right and you’re wrong, and more all or nothing, I can often find myself in the margins.  Even if I want some of the same outcomes as the majority, the approach and rhetoric being used makes me uncomfortable. I do not want to nod my head in agreement nor do I want to find myself facilitating a political discussion.  The Marginal role is difficult and uncomfortable; you can feel limited on options:

    1. Go along to get along. You pretend to agree with political platforms touted by others to avoid an argument, but you may feel like a fraud.
    2. Speak up. You can speak up and spark a discussion, but you risk isolation and see (again) #4 of The Observer about people following you to your car.  And, do you risk promotion if you disagree with the wrong people?
    3. Divert. The weather is always a good option. This option, while a safe route, can make you feel shallow because it avoids important life topics- at least at work.
    4. Avoid. You take steps to avoid certain coworkers or even workplace gatherings and meetings to avoid having to navigate this political situation.  This option can also limit your workplace productivity.

    The Majority

    The Majority believes that their opinion is the opinion of everyone in the office.  As a young teacher, I firmly believed that those I worked with were on the left.  This appeared to make workplace political discussions easy to navigate because I thought I could predict which statements would be acceptable and which statements would generate animosity.  The environment felt safe because even if I never said a word, I could nod in agreement.  As I spend more time in the workplace, I realize that I am probably never in the majority, but more likely, surrounded by:

    1. Observers
    2. Apathetics
    3. Workers
    4. Marginals

    When in the role of The Majority, I was making a lot of assumptions about the people in my workplace. And, most likely, I was making many coworkers uncomfortable with my “I have all the answers” political statements.

    Perhaps, you have also played (or play) these same roles.  In reflecting on these roles, I realize that I do not think I have ever received any guidance for how to handle politics in the office.  September’s article: Politics in the Office: Part 2 will provide some resources that we might all find helpful to navigate the workplace during this 2024 election season.

    Sources Cited

    No resources were used in the writing of this article – just my own experiences, observations, and reflections of XX years of being a part of the American workplace.

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    Beth SchaeferDecember 27, 2023Advance Your Career, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

    Eyeshadow Can Change Your Life | A Workplace Blog

    By Beth Schaefer
    IPD Director

     

    The Workplace Resolution Concept

    It’s January, and the start of a new year, so the IPD January article focuses on the New Year and the resolutions or fresh starts that come with it. To freshen up the article idea, I decided to take a different approach and focus the article on workplace resolutions.  A quick search on the internet showed me I was not the first to take this “fresh approach” (You can scroll to the end to see the lists I compiled).

    Even as I am encouraging you to set a workplace resolution and pondering my own, I wonder if I need the extra stress of a resolution.  Isn’t the workplace already filled with deadlines, goals, benchmarks, and KPIs?

    The Eyeshadow Resolution

    And, then I think of the year of the Eyeshadow Resolution: my most successful resolution ever that occurred about 10 years ago.  I was at a New Year’s Day brunch and pressed into sharing a resolution- which I tend not to make or share, but with excessive badgering, I stated that I would resolve to wear eyeshadow every day.

    The year of the Eyeshadow Resolution was the year that I lost 60 pounds.

    I always laugh at that result and explain it as a fluke, but while researching workplace resolution lists, I came across an article that explained why the Eyeshadow Resolution was so successful. To summarize the research: use your resolution to change your process, not set a qualitative number with a deadline.

    The Process Resolution

    At the time, the eyeshadow goal served the purpose of keeping people from being in my business, but I had fallen into a bad habit of not getting out of bed when the alarm went off.  Occasionally, I got up on time to get fully ready for work (back in the day when you traveled outside your home to the office and wore a matching top and pants and makeup).  Instead, I hit the snooze button and eliminated parts of my morning routine with each button tap. Not wearing makeup was the first elimination so I could sleep 10 more minutes, followed by other options such as not eating breakfast or not packing a lunch.

     

    By resolving to wear eyeshadow each day, I had to quit hitting the snooze button.  To quit hitting the snooze button, I had to go to bed earlier so that I was less tired in the morning. To be less tired and get a good night’s sleep, I had to be sleepy at bedtime. To be sleepy at bedtime, I started doing more exercise and activity.   The Eyeshadow Resolution led to a change in my sleep process which led to overall positive changes for my daily routine that included: activity, sleep, breakfast, and packing lunch.

    The Resolution Frame

    A resolution is a big-picture change.   While it offers intent, it does not provide a plan.

     

    A goal is a measurement.  While it offers a concrete pass/fail measure to a resolution, it does not provide a plan.

     

    A process resolution is the key to achieving a goal and a resolution because it contains the first (of perhaps many) concrete steps to change.

     

    To frame a resolution as a change in process is easier said than done, but if you are in a resolution rut, this may be the lens for you to reframe and achieve a goal.  I have taken some of the workplace resolutions I found and attempted to frame the process to help get you started.

    The Final Notes

    At the time of publication, I am still pondering my process resolution goals for both my personal life and my workplace.

    In full disclosure, during the past 3 years, I have gained 30 of the 60 pounds back.  Since I work from home and mostly adopted a default routine during the pandemic, it is probably time for me to make an intentional process resolution on my work-from-home routine.

    The positive of any resolution is that while we mostly feel that we fail, research provides proof that we do not.

     

    • Even though 43% end their resolutions by February, that leaves more than half who are still forming a new habit after the first month.
    • New Year’s resolutions are 10 times more likely to succeed over other methods of change.
    • You cannot win if you do not enter. 8% of people fully achieve their resolution.  You can be part of that 8% – especially if you are smart about the resolution framing.

     

    I wish your process resolution success in in 2024.

     

    The References

    4 Reasons to Make New Year’s Resolutions Even if You do not Keep Them

    5 New Year’s Resolutions for Work in 2024

    10 Meaningful New Year’s Resolutions for Your Office

    30 New Year’s Resolutions that will Inspire You at Work

    New Year’s Resolutions at Work Can Work

     

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    Beth SchaeferApril 7, 2022Advance Your Career, Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

    The Great Resignation Transformation Part 3: Make Your Move | A Workplace Blog

    by Beth Schaefer

    IPD Director

     

    “Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

    If I go, there will be trouble….

    And If I stay it will be double…”

    by, ironically enough, The Clash

    If you have been reading The Great Resignation/Transformation series, you have already done the following to assess your current career situation:

    And based off that analysis, you have determined that your career is best served by making a move to a new organization.

    In addition to the assessments listed above, take these additional actions to ensure a smooth career move:

     

    Research compensation for the role you want in the area/region you wish to work.

     

    Define your “workplace self.”

    Take 15 minutes every Friday to write down what parts of your job that week were the most satisfying.

    • Watch for patterns so you can look for more of that type of work in your new role.
    • Use this information to craft questions you can ask when an employer says, “What do you need to know about us?”
    • And, if asked, “What do you like about your current role?” you will be ready for that too.

     

    Do the list of 3’s.  For each of the following questions, write down your top 3:

    • What 3 things about the work you do now generate passion and excitement?
    • What are your top 3 technical skills?
    • What 3 adjectives would your co-workers use to describe you?
    • What are your top 3 workplace skills or fields of expertise?
    • What are your 3 biggest workplace contributions in the past year?

     

    Craft your story even though your resume is a necessary tool; it is not your whole story.

    Look at the parts that make up your whole:

    • You are not just your job title.
    • Look at your history of projects; see how they add to your story.
    • Look at who is in your network; see how they connect to tell your story.
    • Create a list of work anecdotes that demonstrate your desirable co-worker traits that will transfer to any situation or role.

     

    Build your brand about your “workplace self” using your story pieces.

    Sum up your story:

    • Write your 1-paragraph career story.
    • Write your 1-sentence brand or elevator speech.
    • Make sure all your social media platforms use those pieces to align with the professional image you want to project.

     

    Stay visible.

    As much as you can, make sure the work you do at your current role reflects your brand.

    • That will ensure that those you work with can verify your self-assessment and provide positive recommendations.
    • While searching for your new role, keep your list of successes updated and ensure that your profile in your cover letters and resume matches.

     

     

    Make friends.

    Make sure you are liked by bosses, coworkers, clients, and customers.

    • They will be contacted for references.
    • Help people.
    • Worry about results, not credit.
    • Be nimble and efficient.
    • Be positive about your work and the organization.

     

    Reintroduce yourself.

    Broaden your circle outside your department, division, and organization.

    • This next ring of influential spheres may have shrunk during the pandemic- much more than you realize – while you were hanging out at home in your elastic pants…

    Find an authentic reason to reach out to those you have lost touch with  – both in and out of the organization:

    • “I saw this conference/webinar/new restaurant, and I thought you might like it”
    • “Someone shared this article/template/software with me, and I thought you might find it valuable”
    • “I am back in the office; are you? Let’s grab some lunch/coffee/HH”
    • “ I see your job changed during the pandemic; I would love to connect and hear about your new role.”
    • “Congratulations on your new promotion…”

    Tap your people to influence decision-makers for the roles you hope to get.

     

    Expand your network.

    Block time each week to send invites to your network of people for longer conversations.

    • Write an email.
    • Send a text.
    • Make a phone call.
    • Message through LinkedIn.

    Make a goal of conducting a networking conversation each week.

    • To prepare for these conversations, prepare a list of questions to ask the other person about themselves; you do not need to talk about yourself.
    • They will remember the feeling of your conversation, not what you said.
    • Run out of people? Make a grid.  Across the top, list all the categories of people you have: kid’s sports teams/activities, volunteer work, neighbors, relatives, friends, retired coworkers, college buddies, etc.  List 10 people under each category.  Repeat when you run out of people.

     

    Maintain your emotional well-being

    And, if you are leaving BEFORE you have your next role, consider doing these actions too:

    Be productive with your time out of work: take a part-time job, travel, execute a DIY project, or take a class. These types of actions will help you:

      • Keep a schedule so that returning to work will be a smooth transition.
      • Practice desired work skills, such as project management.
      • Demonstrate dedication to a schedule or self-improvement.
      • Say fun and interesting things in an interview.
      • Provide additional references for your potential new employer.

     

    Plan your finances so that you have some money to live on during your transformation.

    • If you leave without a new role lined up, plan on 5 months to get a new job, but have 6 – 12 months of expenses saved.
    • If you are attempting to try out new roles, have some funds to pay into health insurance if not covered by your temporary agency.
    • Even if you are moving from one role directly to another, you may have some transitional expenses such as health insurance payments to bridge between the roles.

    Good luck!

    For additional information, check out the references used for this article.

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    Beth SchaeferMarch 4, 2022Advance Your Career, Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

    The Great Resignation Transformation Part 2: You’ve Got Leverage | A Workplace Blog

    While a record number of people are leaving their jobs (see the series introductory article: Is The Great Resignation Time for Your Career Transformation?), you may not have to leave to get a better deal.

    Because so many people are leaving, this may be a good time to negotiate a new situation at your current organization.

    Here are 10 steps to improve your current work situation:

    Step 1:  Know what you want

    Visit the article Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Great Resignation Transformation to answer 12 questions to figure out what you want from your career and the organization you work for.

    Step 2: Know what you are worth

    Make sure you are armed with information about the market for your occupation.  When people are in a role for a long time at the same organization, they can lose touch with the “market” for that role.  Occupations are influenced by the laws of supply and demand.  Understand the supply for your occupation for your region (or broader if you can work virtually).  Do the math to fully understand how many openings or the percentage of vacancies for your role.  Also, research the going pay rate for your role.  Be aware of what others at your organization are paid for similar work.  Be aware of the rate you would be paid for starting that role at another organization.  Remember to calculate benefits into the equation.

    Step 3:  Prepare your campaign 

    While you are not running for office, you do need to build your platform.  Do not assume that your hard work, dedication, or achievements have been noted or recorded.  Again, do your homework.  Compile a list of your projects, achievements, impact.  Did you carry the workload of others who were missing due to family or health reasons?  Get that on the list.  Did you implement a process to save the company money?  Add it to the list.  Did you win an award for customer service?  Put it on the list.  Go back through evaluations, coworker emails, and customer feedback and compile all the positive comments.  Have “data” to support the good work you do.

    Step 4: Start your campaign

    Research continues to show that engaged employees are much more productive than other employees.  When you are in meetings, on phone calls, interacting with customers, be positive about your role and your organization.  Make sure that others know how much you like your job and indicate your interest in continuing to work for your current organization.  Have a conversation with your boss and your boss’s boss (informal or formal) and make sure they know that you are interested in a clear plan to keep moving your career forward in their organization.  If you can, ditch tasks that do not contribute to your plan and take on tasks and projects that demonstrate your interests and abilities for your defined career path.

    Step 5: Step up

    Even though there is a worker supply deficit, be ready to take on more responsibility to get more salary and benefits.   With several openings, this is a good time to look at the next org. chart layer and find a role that you want.   Suggest the change as a win/win to your leadership.  Provide the career path you mapped out within your organization or work with your leadership to build a path to that role if you need some more experience or skills to take that step.   Most likely, they will want to work with you and develop you to keep you – a known reliable quantity — rather than take their chances on an unknown hire.  The important element is to make sure they know that you want to stay, achieve, and succeed.

    Step 6: Seek and take professional development

    Whether it is free through your company, or free through others, like the IPD Expert Insights webinars, putting these on your calendar will show others that you are interested in learning and moving forward.  In addition, good training will also infuse your creativity and self-reflection while increasing your skills and abilities.

    Step 7: Create the win/win vision

    While you do want to make sure that changes to your role are in your best interest, they must be framed in a win for the organization as well.   Do not come across threatening, “Meet my demands or I am outa here!”  You want to use your stakeholder management skills to collaboratively craft changes that are mutually beneficial. Even if you are ready to leave if the organization falls short of your ask, you do not want your attitude to burn reference bridges or tarnish your reputation after all your hard work for the organization.

    Step 8:  Be ready to ask for exactly what you want 

    Especially here in the Midwest, we are not inclined to use direct language—either when touting our worth or when asking for what we feel is fair compensation.  Do not hint; be prepared to state out right what you need.   Also, be ready to negotiate your initial ask.  If you want more than a higher salary or if you know that more money will be tough to get, be ready to ask for better benefits or for working conditions that will suit your work/life balance better.  Take the Evaluate Your Employee Benefits Assessment to build the package that you want.   Prioritize what you want.  And know your “deal-breaking points” and what you are willing to let go of to stay.

    Step 9: Create joy and happiness at work

    Experts tell you that true joy is generated through fulfilling a purpose.  If you want to stay with your organization, find ways to connect your work to your personal purpose, personal values and personal mission statement.  Purpose and joy are not dependent on the everyday flow of good and bad moments, but transcends them.  However, happiness is OK too.  Find ways to have fun each day.  Take your breaks so that you stay energized and productive.  Be a co-worker that others want to work with.

    Step 10: Find Balance

    A natural instinct can be to work long hours and take on extra work to prove your worth to your organization.  While most people have moments where their job requires that extra effort, consistently working longer hours does not usually lead to recognition or reward by the organization.  Some roles, like sales, may be structured that way, but for most of us, working unreasonable hours only leads to burn out – which is not beneficial to you or the organization.  Find outside interests for your time that will provide additional recognition and reward.

    In Summary

    Managing your own career maturity is not that different from managing your work projects and operations.  Take stock, figure out the gaps, and put a plan in place to close the gaps that move the needle on maturing your career.

    For additional information, check out the references used for this article.

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    A woman in a business suit leans her head on her hand, looking straight at the viewer, with a laptop in front of her. She looks tired.
    Beth SchaeferFebruary 22, 2022Advance Your Career, Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

    The Great Resignation Transformation Part 1: Should I Stay of Should I Go? | A Workplace Blog

    The Great Resignation Is On!

    This series of blogs studies the impact through the personal lens of your career ladder.

    Series Introduction 

    Part 1: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
    (Coming in April) Part 2: You’ve Got Leverage
    (Coming in May) Part 3: Make your Move

    Before making any big decisions about your career, take a beat to assess your current working situation.   Some of you may be saying, “I just spent the whole pandemic doing that!”   Perhaps.

    Evaluation is an important step because if you do not understand your current situation or what you want, you may go through a lot of change to end up in the exact same situation.  Or… you could land in a situation where you are worse off.

    Current research indicates that 40% of people who leave an organization boomerang back around and rejoin it.   Therefore, before putting yourself through the emotions of change that go along with endings and beginnings, it is good to give the decision some thorough consideration.

    Just as we teach in our business architecture courses, you need to understand the customer (you) and define the current state before you can assess gaps and make future plans.

    Before making a move, evaluate:

    1. Your reasons for leaving
    2. Your current organization’s culture
    3. The total benefits and upsides of your current situation

     

    Why Do You Want To Leave?

    Before making any decisions about leaving, you should make sure you understand what you are seeking that you are not finding in your current work situation.   Answer these 12 questions to determine the “why” behind your desire to depart.

    1. Am I seeking a new boss? If so, what traits am I looking for in a boss or organizational leadership?
    2. Am I seeking better benefits? Is so, specifically what benefits do I want?
    3. Am I leaving because I am burned out? How would a new organization rejuvenate me and prevent me from burning out again?
    4. Am I leaving because I feel my role is being eliminated? How do I ensure my next role would not disappear?
    5. Do I want a different work location? Do I want to go into the office instead for working from home?  Do I want to work from home?  Do I want a shorter commute?  Do I need a job closer to my daycare?
    6. Do I want an organization that values me more in terms of appreciating and recognizing the work I do?
    7. Do I need a role with a clear career ladder and professional development to help me keep moving forward?
    8. Would I like more mentoring and coaching?
    9. Would I like to make more money? What is my range?
    10. Do I want a role that increases my responsibility or decreases my level of responsibility?
    11. Do I want to be a supervisor or manager, or would I prefer an informal leadership role?
    12. Have I learned something about work/life balance during the pandemic? Do I need to adjust to my work life to strike that balance permanently?

    After answering the questions, consider how far away you are from the ideal role you seek. If there are just a few items that miss the mark, can you have a conversation with your current employer to get those items aligned to your needs so that you do not need to leave?

     

    Is It My Organizational Culture?

    Do not underestimate the role that culture plays in your job satisfaction.  In recent Great Resignation surveys, toxic culture was listed 10 times more than compensation as a reason to leave.

    Your workplace culture is the shared values, beliefs, and attitudes of the people who work there.  The workplace culture is heavily influenced by leadership’s actions, the organization’s stated mission and values, and most importantly, if those 2 things are consistent.  Is the organization and its leaders doing what they say they are going to do?  Are they putting resources towards the values they promise to deliver?  Once there is disconnect between “the talk” and “the walk,” it opens the culture door for lack of trust and disrespect that can permeate the entire organization.  This can make for a miserable work situation.

    Take this True/False quiz to help you assess your current workplace.

    It is really difficult to fix an organizational culture situation, but The Great Resignation may provide you the opportunity to seek work elsewhere and leave it behind rather than staying trapped.

     

    What Are My Benefits?

    If you have worked in a sector or with one organization for a long time, it is easy to think that all organizations offer the same perks and benefits as your current one.  That is not the case – especially if you are switching across government, corporate, and nonprofit organizations.  For example, I have worked in education for my entire career; I am still surprised when my corporate-employed friends talk about how they will spend year-end bonuses that equal 1 – 3 months’ salary for me (or more).  Oh, that’s right, some corporate jobs get bonuses; very few government jobs offer any bonuses.

    Without careful examination, you may discover that you have taken a perk for granted, and the ones that you used and valued the most are not present in the new job.  And, in the worst case scenario – your salary increase disappears to pay for benefits that you no longer receive!

    Use this form to tally your current benefits and make sure you understand your financial perks.

    Now that you have your current situation defined and you know what you seek, the next 2 articles will give some tips for closing that gap by staying or by leaving.

    For more information on this topic, see the list of articles used in the research.

     

     

     

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    Beth SchaeferFebruary 8, 2022Advance Your Career, Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

    The Great Resignation Transformation Intro: Is The Great Resignation Time for Your Career Transformation? | A Workplace Blog

    To coincide with the IPD Expert Insights free webinar series on transforming the workplace using the Modernization Playbook, I thought I should take a look at workplace transformation on a personal level.   For the first time in quite a while, workers are in demand so it stands to reason that they in a position to force their employers to “do better,” not only on compensation, but on benefits, working conditions, and even employee engagement.

    America is in the midst of The Great Resignation: I found plenty of statistics that confirmed this, but this set paints the picture quickly and clearly:

    • 24 million Americans quit their jobs between April and September 2021
    • 4 million Americans quit their jobs in September
    • 5 million Americans quit their jobs in November
    • Vacant jobs are still setting records with December 2021 showing 10.9 million openings in the U.S.

    Since many of these departures were related to the pandemic and people not wanting to be in roles required to interact in-person, it is not surprising that as the economy recovers, current demand has risen for Industries related to travel, hospitality, and recreation.

    However, the shift in how America works has also created vacancies in software and IT services, corporate services, and finance.

    A MarketWatch article cited statistics from Glassdoor after it released its annual 50 Best Jobs in America for 2022.  The IT field was on top – actually taking all top 10 spots.  Enterprise Architect was in the #1 spot.  You can make $144,997 annually and with 14,021 job openings, you can probably find something to meet your work/life balance needs. Think of the value-add you bring to an IT role if you added some business architecture to your resume!

    Not wanting to do IT?  Some non-tech jobs in the top 50 included:  HR Manager (#13), Corporate Recruiter (#17) and HR Business Partner (#39).  Also all roles that would benefit from business architecture training.

    When I started on the topic of career transformation, I was going to write one article; however, I found so much information that I decided to write a series instead.  The Career Transformation Series will help you assess your own career situation and provide some possible actions steps for you to take so that you capitalize on The Great Resignation.

    Beth Schaefer, Director

    IPD at Metro State

    A woman in a business suit leans her head on her hand, looking straight at the viewer, with a laptop in front of her. She looks tired.

    February

    Part 1: Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

    Evaluating Your Current Organization and Situation

    This article will include information about evaluating your current work culture, the signs for departing, and a workplace asset assessment.

     

    March

    Part 2:  You’ve Got Leverage: 

    Using The Great Resignation to Transform Your Current Situation

    If you decide to stay, this article will focus on the steps you should take to move your career forward, including tips for negotiating better compensation, steering for a promotion, and building your personal career brand.

     

    April

    Part 3: Make Your Move:

    Leveraging The Great Resignation to Make a Career Change

    If you decide to go, this article will provide resources for casting a wide net, preparing for a career transition, and ensuring you negotiate compensation in line with your worth.

    If you are interested in researching on your own, check out this list of resources to get started.

    Register For The Marvel of the Playbook

    Tuesday, March 1, 2022 Noon – 1pm

    CLICK HERE
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    Beth SchaeferDecember 16, 2021Advance Your Career, Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

    The Beatles & Your New Year’s Resolution | A Workplace Blog

    Are you in need of a New Year’s Resolution, or a Performance Goal?

    If you are as old (mature) as I am, you will remember the craze around a little book by Robert Fulghum entitled All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten.

     

    Now, we have the 2021 version of that book: The Beatles: Get Back documentary. The documentary itself does not call out or highlight lessons, but you can find tons of social media lists that discuss how this documentary is a playbook for production and creativity.

    Turns out, the The Beatles not only Get Back; but they also got your back, too.

    Here is a Baker’s dozen on lessons for productivity/creativity/problem solving that you can use for self-reflection.

    Take a look at the list, pick one lesson you can improve on, and make it your 2022 Resolution!

    1.Wait To Speak.

    When brainstorming, one person speaks at a time; listening is more important than speaking.

     

    2. Be Silly.

    If you do not speak up with an idea because you are scared of looking stupid or silly, your best ideas will never get put into action.

     

    3. Be Silly (Yes, Again).

    Have fun with the people you are collaborating with.  Humor only helps productivity – moments of levity can spark creativity.

     

    4. Always Say, “Yes.”     Or, Maybe “Yes, And…”

    Do not dismiss the ideas of others – especially, if you do not have an alternative idea to suggest.  “That is a good idea, and we could also…”

     

    5. Let It  Be  Go 

    If you keep bringing up an idea that no one else can embrace, let it go and move onto the next idea. (See me demonstrating silliness here with my word play on a Beatles song?).

    6. Do not seek perfection.

    Rather than revising and revising and revising until you have the perfect product, just get something going.  Build the skateboard, then the bike, then the motorcycle, and then the car.

     

    7. Embrace accidents

    (Like Covid?) and build on the directions they take you.

     

    8. Eat and drink.

    The science is right.  If you do not take time to stay hydrated and fuel your body, your problem solving will suffer.

     

    9. Give credit.

    If someone else has the winning idea, give that person their kudos for it.

     

    10. Switch gears.

    If something is not coming together, move onto another idea or project and circle back with fresh eyes and thoughts.

     

    11. Try it out.

    Even if something does not seem quite right, try it for awhile to confirm it’s not right, or to see how you can improve it.

     

    12. Respect others.

    Even if someone in the group is less experienced or seldom speaks up, their perspective is valuable (or even more valuable) for its lens and freshness.

    While these lists are over the internet, here are a few sites I referenced:
    Nick Jakusz from 95.8 The River, The Morning Crew at 98.7 KLUV, and Brittany Wi at The Huffington Post
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