Guest Article: Invisible Boundaries by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Balance.
Crossing the line.
Setting expectations.
Role clarity.

Boundaries.

Work/Life Boundaries at Work
Okay, I need to say right away...I struggle with this. In my mind, I need to be available, on-call, and ready to jump into the action at any moment. That's what leaders do, right? 

We're available!

We've decided to forgo a large part of our personal life for the greater good of the organization!

We're role models of leadership effectiveness!

Well, I do love being all of those things...but I'm learning that I don't love being all of those things, all the time.

Boundaries at Home
Where is the balance point between committed leader, and committed person outside of work?

Where is that fine line that separates "dedicated" from hurtful intrusion? 

Is there a sign I should be looking for; or, perhaps that sign comes in the form of a tangled plan that is influenced by our work?

There is no easy answer. One of the thrills of leadership, for me, is the action and drama and sudden intensity that requires a savvy response as the "world" is getting all worked up. But when that world is always worked up it can begin to negatively impact our personal lives.

That's not good...for us as people, or as leaders.

How About You
How do you find the 'life balance' that integrates all of your responsibilities? Where do you draw the lines that ensure you don't give too much of yourself away?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Invisible Boundaries»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Would You Fire Your Employee for Saying This? by Ben

In the last week the media world tied itself into a knot after a writer at The New Yorker wrote a scathing critique of Chick-Fil-A’s continued success in New York. The issue, in part, was that the critique wasn’t totally focused at Chick-Fil-A itself but had its sights set on Christian values. A few quotes from the piece:

• The brand’s arrival here feels like an infiltration… because of its pervasive Christian traditionalism.
• Its headquarters, in Atlanta, are adorned with Bible verses and a statue of Jesus washing a disciple’s feet.
• The restaurant’s corporate purpose still begins with the words ‘to glorify God.’

My question for you today: would you have fired your employee for saying or writing this kind of thing, knowing that his or her actions reflect on you as an employer?  

Bloomberg’s rebuttal was one of the most insightful responses to the article because it not only highlighted much of the anti-Christian sentiment, but also demonstrated that the hatred for Christianity is in part a hatred of immigrants, minorities, and women, as they hold disproportionately large segments of the Christian faith. Full disclosure: it’s my Christian faith, as well. A snippet from the Bloomberg piece:

In other words, American Christianity is growing heavily through immigrants who are people of color. If Christians are really so scary, maybe it’s time to build that wall.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the article shouldn’t have been published. I don’t think the New Yorker owes anybody an apology. I’m a free-speech guy, and I don’t believe any group should be placed beyond criticism or mockery. But if you plan to mock, it’s useful to know whom you’re actually mocking.

Narrow-mindedness of this sort is alarmingly common on the left. A few years ago, a well-known progressive commentator mused to his large Twitter following that sometimes he wishes all the Christians would just disappear. I would like to believe he was simply too uninformed to realize that he was wishing for a whiter world.

Now, the question I’m posing today is whether you’d terminate someone for this kind of language at work. In this case the author of the piece has some leeway to stir the pot as a member of the press, and if the goal was to get interest and readership then they have definitely made that happen with this particular article. How would you respond if an employee posted something like this on their social media channels?

If you look close you can see me in the middle, ready to start the 2017 Chick-Fil-A 5k race

My response for the author (not that he needs another one) would be to eat where he wants to eat and leave the rest of us alone. Nobody forces him to eat at Chick-Fil-A. The same freedoms that allow him to write silly clickbait articles like this one are the same freedoms that let him choose where and when he eats his food. And I can’t speak for New York locations, but the ones here in Alabama offer the most pleasant ordering and dining service experience of any fast food restaurant I’ve ever visited in my thirty plus years. The food is good (breakfast is my favorite), but it isn’t something miraculously out of this world. Bottom line: whether they’re serving me and my family well to help the bottom line or to “glorify God,” as is their mission, the end result is still the same for my side of the equation.

Back to the story at hand… Employers, especially for the rest of us in outside the news and publishing industry, how would you respond to an employee writing something like this on their Facebook page, a personal blog, or posting a video with these kinds of comments on Instagram/Snapchat?

 

Article source:Ben - Would You Fire Your Employee for Saying This?»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Comfort Betrays by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"I didn't see that coming."

"I'm not sure how that happened...everything was working so smoothly."

"What do you mean we're not on schedule?"

(Near) The Top of My Game
I have been unbelievably blessed in my career. I have grown as a professional, as a leader, and ultimately as an executive. Looking back it is clear the opportunities I've had, and the organizations I've worked for...and still do today...have been a #HealthcareHR guy's dream come true.

...and that is part of my struggle.

How many of us continue to push ourselves when things are going well as compared to when we are hungry for success? Is that even possible? Compare the boxing champion who is at the top of their sport with the #1 ranked challenger in the world who wants to take that title away so badly.

How does the champion keep the competitive fire burning?

What are the steps the champion builds into their routine to ensure sustained success?

You + Team
I don't believe there is a magic formula. There isn't a secret to success that is out of reach.

For me, it comes down to a simple plan:
- develop personal habits that drive success (document and repeat them each day)

- build an accountability team that isn't afraid to challenge you to improve

Software won't do it. The latest app won't do it. Listening to self-improvement "gurus" for hours and hours won't do it either.

You have to do it. Get focused. Develop the habits that work for you. Build the team you need. Get started.

...and sustain it.

How About You
Has success crept up on you, and now you have more at risk than ever before? 

This is not a crisis...this is a chance to maintain your competitive edge. This is how you're going to stay sharp, and effective, and continue to think bigger.

What's next for you?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Comfort Betrays»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Future-Proofing Your Skills for an Automated Workplace by Ben

In a recent interview, I heard motivational speaker Jon Acuff tell the interviewer that he sincerely hopes that nobody looks for their dream job as their first “real” job. Instead, he explained, that first job is there primarily to teach someone how to have a job.

How to deal with people. How to handle pressure. How to solve problems.

Those and other similar soft skills will be increasingly important as the workplace sees increasing automation through artificial intelligence and robotics.

Soft Skills Rising in Importance

In a recent study of school-age students, randrr found that students had high career aspirations at a young age, but they were tempered as they got older. However, one of the key recommendations in the report stood out to me (emphasis mine):

Educate based on the real needs of the work world. 40-60% of tomorrow’s jobs don’t exist yet so choosing majors based on job demand trends is improbable. Students will have exposure to a variety of careers throughout their lifetime, especially as technology changes and plays an increasingly predominant role in everyday lives. We may not know what jobs will be available 10-15 years down the road, but we can continue to educate and study trends to help students develop the skills, agility, knowledge, and self-awareness required to find jobs that they love and are a good fit for.

This is a similar approach I’m taking with my new book, Artificial Intelligence for HR. In the book, I look at the core soft skills that machines can’t easily replace, as those will be in higher demand in the coming years as we see more technological advancement and automation in the workplace. Some of the key components that make up the competency model I’m developing:

• Compassion: feeling empathy for others is a highly human skill. While we have algorithms that can detect cancer cells better than humans, who would you rather have deliver that diagnosis, a robot or a living, breathing human?
• Creativity: computers work within constraints and parameters. Build enough rules, and the computer can do anything within those rules without fail. But throw in a level of ambiguity or a new challenge and you see the system crash. People are uniquely designed to handle these types of issues.
• Credibility: predictive algorithms are great–when they are programmed appropriately, that is. if a computer is programmed by poor information, the output will be poor as well. Humans have the ability to see when outputs don’t reflect logical findings or reality and adjust course accordingly.

What skills do you think will be more important in the future, whether within the workforce or for us as HR and talent leaders? 

Article source:Ben - Future-Proofing Your Skills for an Automated Workplace»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: The Grind by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "the grind?" Is it how you feel about your job? Is it the burden of life in general? Is it a faux commitment to fitness? 

I'm guessing you didn't feel good about it.

The Grind Can Fuel
If I were to answer those questions honestly, I would admit that sometimes I fall into the negativity trap associated with the grind. I hate that.

What happens most of the time however, is that the grind becomes fuel for me. It moves from another lame excuse about "how busy I am" and "that life is so hectic" and moves me to look at things differently.

Without the pressure of "the grind" I wouldn't take risks.

Without the need to deliver I wouldn't try new things.

Without the constantly changing business world, I would just be another boring leader who thinks talking about work versus actually having to deliver as an executive is "the grind."

The Grind Can Drain
There is a dark side to the grind...one that can overwhelm, exhaust, and wear us out. The biggest risk of this grind is that we believe it is permanent.

Let me say that again...the biggest risk is that we believe the negative grind is permanent.

It's not. Ever.

Work can be frustrating, so what?
Life can be frustrating, so what?

How About You
Important things are supposed to be difficult some of the time. 

That stress can be turned into energy to do things you never thought possible. That pressure can be focused on new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways to take you, and your organization to a new level of performance.

How are you going to embrace the grind today and make a difference in your world?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - The Grind»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: 4 Millennial Myths and a Very Hard Truth [Podcast] by Ben

I haven’t done a great job of keeping the podcast shared here because I’m now publishing about once a week, and I typically have time to publish about once a week on this blog as well. If you have missed any episodes, like how to forecast your workforce planning (episode 25 interview with H&R Block’s head of hiring) or how to get the most out of an HR conference (episode 26 interview with Donna Quinney of Ignite), be sure to subscribe to the feed by plugging this link into iTunes or searching for the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app! 

If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know that this “Millennial thing” gets me. It gets me good. I can’t stand to be lumped into a giant demographic with tons of red flags and stereotypes. That’s why I recorded this podcast with Kristina Minyard (fellow Millennial) to talk about the four myths we see in how people expect this generation to want to be treated. It’s fun, entertaining, and a great opportunity to hear from some actual people that SHOULD know what’s going on, not another “generational expert” that’s milking your fears of what generations want for money.

See? It gets me. :-)

Show Notes

Episode link: https://beneubanks.podbean.com/e/were-only-human-28-4-millennial-myths-and-a-very-hard-truth/

Millennials are entitled–they think they need a trophy. Millennials need constant praise and feedback. Millennials can’t survive without technology.

These kinds of conversations happen every day at employers globally. But are they true? Do they reflect reality? In this episode, Ben talks with Kristina Minyard (a fellow Millennial) about some of these and other comments that are directed at Millennials around the world

It’s hard to get through a day today without hearing something about Millennials in the workplace. Recently this demographic group surpassed all others, taking the slot as the largest population in the workplace. In this entertaining and insightful episode, listeners will not only change how they think about Millennials and generations in the workplace–they will also rethink some of the marketing messages they see targeting this group on a daily basis.

If you enjoy the episode, be sure to give us a rating on iTunes! We appreciate it.

Connect with Kristina on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hrecruit

Learn more about Ben’s new book on how artificial intelligence technologies are changing the face of HR: http:/AIHRBook.com

Article source:Ben - 4 Millennial Myths and a Very Hard Truth [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: 7 Reasons Leaders Should Focus on Developing Employee Soft Skills by Jennifer Miller

Why are we still talking about the importance of leaders developing employee soft skills?

Here’s why: the more that automation in all of its forms become part of our daily work lives, the more we need to bring to bear the one thing that a machine will never be: human.

And that humanity is most often talked about in the context of developing “soft skills”—those uniquely human traits that allow us to grease the wheels of human interaction. Here are seven reasons leaders need to focus on developing their employees’ soft skills.

Soft skills never go out of style. The term “soft skills” was coined in the early 1970’s as part of a US Army training manual, but the idea has been around forever: “people skills” are important. What you learn about the latest tech will be obsolete in months (or weeks!) but your ability to read someone’s emotions and respond appropriately will always have value.

We can always get better. When it comes to being more human, there’s always room for improvement. Think about it, do you know anyone who is perfect 100% of the time at listening, verbal communication, demonstrating empathy. . .  really, any number of other soft skills?

Soft skills are crucial in today’s workplace. According to this Deloitte white paper, 60% of “crucial proficiencies” as identified by the World Economic Forum are non-technical.

STEM focus might negatively impact social skills. It’s anecdotal, but there is a feeling from hiring managers that the focus on churning out STEM-educated students may also diminish their soft skill abilities once they hit the workforce.

Technology in general has affected how younger employees interact. According to this Fast Company article, younger employees are deemed lacking in collaborative skills as well as general communication skills such as making phone calls and presentations. They’re much more comfortable texting or Snapchatting someone.

Your white collar job is not safe from bots. All sectors of work are being affected by automation and artificial intelligence. The best line of defense for your employees (and you too!) is to develop your social and emotional intelligence.

You will soon lead a human/bot hybrid team. Dana Theus, career coach and workplace futurist, asks us to consider a team composed of humans and bots—a team where leaders must manage robots and humans with equal skill. Although it’s still likely years away for most managers, making this mindset shift now can mean the difference between thriving as a leader and obsolescence.

Soft skills, people skills, emotional intelligence—whatever you phrase you use for the term “being good with people”—remain as important as ever for workplaces. Automation will not fully replace leaders, as long as they learn to work with technology, not against it.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - 7 Reasons Leaders Should Focus on Developing Employee Soft Skills»

Guest Article: 3 Tips for Staying Compliant with a Reduction in Force (RIF) by Ben

Ask any business leader and they’ll tell you that a reduction in force, or a RIF, is one of the hardest activities to carry out. Often times good employees are hit by these decisions through no fault of their own, and the resulting morale issues can doubly affect the workplace in a negative way. That said, there are times when a RIF is an essential part of business continuity and operations. Today we’re going to explore some of the key things to know about RIFs.

What is a RIF?

A RIF is a time when employers have to reduce their employee headcount. This can be a handful of workers or a significant population. There are a variety of reasons why these might occur. For instance, maybe the company lost a large contract or a product has not sold as well as was expected, which means the workforce planning forecast was too high.

Essentially the employer finds out that the number of workers on payroll is more than the necessary number required to continue operating the business, and those additional workers need to be identified and separated. However, it’s not as simple as seeing that there are twenty extra workers that need to go — it’s important to pick the right ones so that the company isn’t hindered by this process any more than necessary.

3 Tips for Managing a Compliant Reduction in Force

A RIF is hard enough to go through without running afoul of legal requirements. No HR team wants to manage this fairly emotional process only to find out there are additional headaches and legal challenges on the other end. With that in mind, these three suggestions help to run a successful (and compliant) RIF:

1. Get clear on the skills your company needs post-RIF so that you make the right decisions about who to retain and who to remove as part of the RIF. This is a core part of the HR strategic planning process and should not be overlooked in this exercise.
2. Understand the WARN Act and its requirements. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires companies with more than 100 employees to provide 60-calendar days of notice in advance of plant closing and mass layoffs. Failing to comply with the law could cost the employer up to 60 days of back pay and benefits for each employee.
3. Do an internal adverse impact analysis to understand the likelihood of legal action based on decisions. While we can’t always know what will happen, this is a great preventative measure. For additional ideas and examples, including how to calculate adverse impact, be sure to check out the rest of my post on how to stay compliant with RIFs.

What has been your experience? Any other ideas that might be worth remembering during this process?

Article source:Ben - 3 Tips for Staying Compliant with a Reduction in Force (RIF)»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR