Beth SchaeferJune 2, 2021DEI Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Five Criteria For High-Quality Diversity Training | A Workplace Blog

The workplace is full of buzzwords … Some that you may know and love (?) are: pivot, synergy, transparency, bandwith…

Most started out positive, but have devolved into a joke because they are more talk than walk (another overused workplace buzzphrase).

This year, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” have also become words the workplace uses more and more. The difference; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) are not just buzzwords.

These values deserve and need to be a focus in our workplace goals and strategies and are far too important to just end up a part of the buzzword pile.

Instead of just talking, taking action to make real change should be part of the strategy going forward and training for your workplace is often a good first step.

Please be aware that the popularity of DE&I has made many trainers become sudden experts; all eager to sell your organization on their training.  When I searched Google 1,370,000,000 results came up under “Diversity Training.”   With so much to choose from, how do you sift through all of these training options and find one that will actually be affordable and make a difference?

To save you time, I researched what makes a good DE&I trainer and combined the information I found into five key criteria.

Training and trainers should…

  1. Focus on changing behavior, not just increasing awareness.
  2. Directly teach actions of inclusion. Do not assume that people know how to intuitively be inclusive even when they want to be.
  3. Encourage leaders to also attend training that is focused on improving their own DEI-related skills.
  4. Offer organizations assistance in setting DE&I strategy and training goals that are actionable and in the forefront of the organization’s goals and work.
  5. Have individuals set a measurable diversity goal to work on outside of the training session. The goal should be just outside their comfort zone with support that encourages, not shames mistakes.

Please keep in mind that even if diversity training for your organization seems impossible right now, you can use the criteria as an inspirational list while you start putting resources towards meaningful intentional workplace changes.

 

 

Resources

 

 

 

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Beth SchaeferMay 6, 2021For the Public Sector, Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Why It Makes Dollars and Sense to Improve Workplace Mental Health | A Workplace Blog

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Things You Can Do Now To Improve Your Organization’s Mental Health – Even While Working From Home

In the past, I would have dismissed this topic as something that is so distant to me, I would not even need to glance in its direction.

I would much rather focus on other topics that can claim May as their month:

American Cheese – and not just the slices in cellophane wrappers, but the artisan chesses.  The American Cheese Society encourages you to visit a local cheese producer.

Asparagus- hard to grow, but easy to cook.

Barbecue – obviously, go out to eat

Bikes – featuring National Bike to School Day on May 5th

Even, Correct Your Posture Month sounds more appealing than a discussion about mental health, and oh, so easy, to celebrate.  This website says to stand up from your desk every 30 minutes.

 

Mental Health – no so fun and not so easy to focus on.

While, in theory I know the stigma attached to mental health and seeking help needs to be removed; when it comes to myself it is easy to think, “I am just fine – thank you very much.”

In actuality, being just fine would put me in the minority. 

Forbes reported that 75% of U.S. Workers have struggled at work this past year due to anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and other recent current events.

While many companies are mentioning their support systems more frequently to help their employees with mental health – like the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that Metro State employees can tap into, I feel it quite unlikely that I would make that call because I feel “stressed.”  Perhaps, you are like me.  Even though you are struggling with stress, you are not ready to make an official call for help.

So, what can you and I do to contribute to positive mental health of our workplace – especially when working from home?

#1. Take Care of Me

Yes, you first.  

You cannot help others if you are unhealthy.

  1. Keep a regular schedule each day that includes specific times to:
    1. Stop and start work
    2. Connect with family and friends, and
    3. Provide self -care (time to eat, exercise, and sleep).
  2. Use relaxation techniques, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 Coping Technique
  3. Distract and redirect energy into activities that bring joy – for me – gardening
  4. Schedule time away from screens and get fresh air
  5. Set up an ergonomically correct work station

 

#2. Take Care of Your Coworkers

Now that you cannot gather around the water cooler each day, this is even more important.

  1. Show empathy when others share their anxiety
  2. Schedule time to routinely check in with coworkers to ward off isolation
  3. Encourage them to use the EAP if you hear something troubling
  4. Encourage them to be assertive, yet courteous, and say “no” to work or deadlines that go beyond understood boundaries
  5. Encourage them to do the five items above in “Taking Care of Me”

 

#3. Take Care of Your Staff

Leaders have extra responsibility in maintaining a health workplace culture.

  1. Make sure your staff is aware of EAP resources
  2. Routinely schedule 1:1 time with team members:
    1. Provide space for them to “not be OK”
    2. Help them feel connected to the vision and mission of the organization
    3. Clarify their role and responsibilities
  3. Encourage staff to set and keep regular work hours. Make sure they know that working from home does not equate to being available 24/7
  4. As guidelines change, create coworking spaces where your team can meet in person now and then
  5. If the position allows, provide flexibility for staff to control their own schedules

 

If your organization needs some nudging to help you create a healthy work- from-home structure, remind them that

healthy people are more productive:  they…

  • Call in sick less
  • Reduce the organization’s turnover rate
  • Have more brain capacity available to be problem-solvers
  • Reduce healthcare costs

One final note, *I am not a mental health professional.*

This blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment or therapy.

Now, quit reading this screen and go for a walk.

 

Resources
5-4-3-2-1 Coping Technique for Anxiety from Behavioral Health Partners Blog from the University of Rochester Medical Center
Coping with Stress on Healthline
How to Keep Your Mental Health in Check When You Work From Home from We Work Remotely
How Working from Home is Impacting our Mental Health by Bethany Garner from Business Because
The Impact of Mental Health on Employees’ Productivity by Dennis Relojo-Howell on Psychreg
Mental Health and Remote Work: Survey Reveals 80% Would Quit their Jobs for This by Chris Westfall on Forbes
What Employers Need to Know About Mental Health in the Workplace published on McLean: Harvard Medical School Affiliate
Working Remotely During Covid-19  Center for Workplace Mental Health sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation
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Beth SchaeferApril 6, 2021Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Pandemic Changes That Will Stick | A Workplace Blog

“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”
John Drucker

For this article, I am taking a quick glance at how our workplace environments are likely to change in the long-term as a result of the pandemic.  It is a non-scientific shallow dive that will most likely align with what many of you have already deciphered through your own observations. For me, I find this topic intriguing because:

  1. My own personal work space will be quite different (see article on IPD move)
  2. The modes of delivering IPD instruction will continue to flex
  3. The way I interact with clients and coworkers will be quite different
  4. And (most importantly) IPD needs to prepare people for their future roles so they flex and adapt with post-pandemic work situations.

I am interested in knowing what training you and your team will need from IPD to be productive in the post-pandemic world. As we move through this transformational journey, let me know what you need.   Email me (beth.schaefer@metrostate.edu) with your thoughts, and IPD will use those as a starting point for a survey to direct the development of new training courses – whether for you as a leader or the people you lead.

You can slice and dice the effects of the pandemic on business in many different ways:

  1. Industries that will flourish or perish
  2. Products that will remain in high-demand while others drop down
  3. Habits of consumers driving new services while discarding others
  4. Gender workload differences and pay
  5. Awareness of systemic inequalities in workplace opportunities
  6. Urban real estate declining and small town living increasing in demand

For the purposes of serving you better, I am looking at the main business change in your work environment- The Remote Office along with the strategies to ensure we are at least as productive as we were pre-pandemic.

For me, the biggest jolt has been the shift from working in the communal office setting to working solo and remotely.  Almost every other change (such as increased automation, a new focus on AI, moving out of the urban setting, and the uptick with DIY and crafting) can be connected to this one change.  And, it generates a long list of new skills you may need or are still figuring out how to do better:

  • How to avoid “Zoom fatigue”

  • How to function in “hoteling space”

  • How to best communicate – especially the smaller pieces you use to say over the cubical wall or by popping your head into an office

  • How to call upon others to help you quick problem-solve or brainstorm without making it a formal virtual meeting

  • How to communicate project progress

  • How to redo all processes to fit a virtual world

  • How to structure your day

  • How to draw lines between work and home or blur the lines between work and home

  • How to prioritize your work

  • How to find, read, and draw your own insights on data

The good news is that you are getting some help from your organizations.   According to my sources, most of you are seeing that:

  1. Your company is losing its fear of being an early-adapter of technology
  2. Your work processes are becoming more automated
  3. Your options for hybrid (some remote, some in office) work are opening up

However, some changes are bit more challenging.  The same sources said that your managers still struggle with:

  1. How to rate and monitor your production instead of your time
  2. How to support your mental health
  3. How to manage teams with the lack of workplace structure
  4. How to make adjustments now that the systemic inequalities are coming to light

While public and private roles share many commonalities in the post-Covid workplace, public sector managers will have additional challenges when marrying disruption with a system based on stability.  In particular, they will face unsustainable labor agreements with a shrinking tax base and less aid.  When they can hire again, their system touts longevity as a hiring benefit to younger generations who do not care about working for the same organization for 20 years but prefer flexible employment options.   To get the change they need, professional public sector leaders will need to get their councils, boards, and legislators to vote in drastic and dramatic changes.

Again, please take a minute and let me know areas or topics where you need some support or more information.   Email me with your thoughts, and IPD will use those as a starting point for a survey to direct the development of new training courses – whether for you as a leader or the people you lead.

I will let you know how I do on my own transition from private office at work to my den at home, and back to my new shared collaborative work space once it is built.

Beth Schaefer

IPD Director

Sources

ABC News

BizJournal

Careers in Government

Forbes

Government Executives

Harvard Business Week

McKinsey & Company

Vault

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Beth SchaeferFebruary 11, 2021Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog, Workplace Wins

Build Bridges Within Your Village | A Workplace Blog

By: Beth Schaefer    Director, Institute for Professional Development

I believe mentoring can help Minnesota build a competent workforce for all generations of workers by satisfying the workplace needs and personality traits that every generation has.

As an example, I am a Gen Xer.  According to experts, that makes me independent, innovative, and a strong communicator.   While at work, I am likely to seek problem-solving opportunities and enjoy working with competent colleagues; because of this, mentoring provides a clear outlet for me to meet my Gen Xer needs.

The Y’s (aka Millennials) are tech-savvy, collaborative, and focused on the greater good; they want meaningful work.  Mentoring fits their traits and provides the meaningful work they seek.

Baby Boomers, along with being optimistic and hard-working, enjoy mentoring. The opportunity to mentor others is often listed in their workplace needs, so a connection to mentoring is obvious for them.

So, all the generations agree (on this one thing, anyway), that we should find more ways to mentor in the workplace.

Being a part of the Village is more than just giving, it is receiving.  A new generation of workers is entering the workplace, and as much as we can teach them – there is a lot we have to learn.

Gen-Zers have plenty of skills to contribute.  Just some of their noticeable workplace traits are:

  • digitally fluent (and who could not use that during a pandemic)
  • practical (and who could not use that during a pandemic), and
  • flourish in diverse workplace settings (and who could not use that – always).

They will be seeking culturally competent employers.  Is your workplace culturally ready to recruit and onboard this next generation of valuable workers?

Consider mentoring as a rewarding step to build the cultural competency of all the valuable generations in your workplace.

Generation traits and needs from Hobsons Associates.

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Beth SchaeferFebruary 6, 2018Advance Your Career, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Always Be Networking | A Workplace Blog

Always Be Networking

By: Beth Schaefer    Director, Institute for Professional Development

My friend and career coach, Kathryn Johnson, once told me that you should always be networking for your next job – even if you are happy with your current one.  If you are dissatisfied with your current role, then networking is all the more important.

Broaden your idea of networking and consider using these 8 strategies suggested by Monster.com.  These same strategies work even if you wish to move within your organization.  Of course, I am partial to #6 – in addition to learning gaining new skills, it can serve as a great platform for networking – especially for those who prefer a smaller crowd and do not want to “work the room.”

  1. Use your name as your brand, especially in email
  2. Meet an employer’s need
  3. Maintain a smart online profile
  4. Ask for help
  5. Become active in a professional association
  6. Take a class or get a certificate
  7. Take on a new project at work
  8. Be flexible

Some say that standing still is the same as moving backwards.  Do not stand still in your career.  Use these strategies to be constantly cultivating your career options.

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Beth SchaeferMarch 9, 2015Advance Your Career, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Your current position: Pinnacle or Plateau? | A Workplace Blog

By: Beth Schaefer
Director, Institute for Professional Development

You finished your degree … you have a new position … you have an enhanced paycheck … Ahhh, time to relax. Wait!

This is not the time to kick back and put up your heels.

Letting a new job or position is a step in your career, not a stopping point – which is why Stephen Covey places professional development in his time management chart. Covey defines four quadrants of time management: Quadrant II is Important, but Not Urgent. The activities in Quadrant II include:

  • Preparation
  • Planning
  • Prevention
  • Relationship Building
  • Personal Development

Although Quadrant II activities are important because they are not urgent, we tend to postpone them.  Don’t!  These are the types of activities that, in the long run, will make you more valuable to an organization than just handling crises and putting out fires.

Here are 7 actions you can take to ensure that you remain relevant and keep your career moving forward:

1. Have a vision. Where do you see yourself in five years?

2. Develop a path. What broad steps do you take to achieve your vision?

3. Make the most of opportunities. What projects in your organization are going undone for which you could volunteer?

4. Become a better communicator. Are you able to listen to others so that you not only hear their words, but understand their motivation?

5. Commit to your education. What classes or professional events and conferences should you be attending?

6. Interview Role Models. Who works in roles that you would like to have, and what can you learn from their career journeys?

7. Make professional development a priority. Where can you carve out time each week for Quadrant II activities?

Your organization is practicing continuous improvement. Are YOU? Get started, today. Schedule a time on your calendar to assess your opportunities and plan your first action.

References:
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Professional Development tips: take control of your professional career @ www.BCJobs.ca
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