Memo from the Playground Bench

Out of the countless things I have learned as a parent in the last four years, what's resonating right now is that one thing can have many purposes. My daughters find new and different ways to play with ordinary objects and toys that seem to me to have one specific application and as I watch them play, I'm constantly amazed at their ingenuity. Today, for example, they decided that a toy drill and a fairy wand, when attached together with a headband, made an excellent oar for some pretend sailing in their "swimming pool" (the couch). And in a pinch, I have figured out how to make a diaper out of a towel and some binder clips, and secure a wriggling toddler in a restaurant seat with a scarf.

(Sidebar: If you have young children, let me also suggest a couple of "kidhacks" I've come up with in my need to be creative - a half-sheet baking pan is not only good for chocolate chip cookies, but keeps a heck of a lot of play-dough and paint off the kitchen table during those rainy-day craft activities. And the one that I just discovered, after 4 years of frustration - when you lose the straw inserts out of your sippy cups, cutting up a bunch of disposable plastic straws and keeping them in the silverware drawer is an ideal way to avoid going on Amazon every week to buy replacement straws from whatever brand is the preferred sippy cup of the month in your house (excuse me for a second while I answer the door. It's the UPS driver).)

But what do all of these things really have to do with my post (besides maybe helping out a fellow parent with a couple of helpful tips)?

They remind me of the power and importance of adaptability. When kids figure out that a toy can have multiple purposes for play, they're fueling their imaginations and satisfying their curiosity, which sets them up for a great future. But when we do it as adults? Well, that's just powerful beyond measure. Being adaptable means being open to change. It means pivoting in an alternate direction, quickly and efficiently, to learn or do something new or different. It means being willing to take a risk. It means that when something unexpected, uncomfortable or just plain un-likeable happens to us, we brush it off, find the good in the situation and move on to deal with it.

Adaptability (or if you want, call it grit, determination, flexibility, etc) is such a key competency for a successful career. Read an article, blog post or interview with or about Richard Branson, Indra Nooyi, or any number of other successful leaders and they will inevitably mention adaptability in some form or fashion as a critical leadership skill. Certainly there's a Darwinian element to all this - adapt or die - but it's also about knowing that when you are able to adapt, you can innovate, change and improve that much more easily and successfully. Here's another reason - "91% of HR directors think that by 2018, people will be recruited on their ability to deal with change and uncertainty". That's pretty compelling.

So how do we practice and improve our adaptability, so that we become more flexible, open and innovative (and perhaps more promotable, employable or someone that investors find more worthy of supporting)? Here are 3 things you can do right now (or at least, this week) to get better at this critical skill:

1. The next time you start a repetitive task, one that you do without thinking (order your lunch, facilitate a meeting, peel an orange) - do it differently. Actively and consciously stop before you start and try completing that task differently than you normally do. For lunch - order something different or try a new spot (bonus points if it's a cuisine you think you don't like!). For the meeting - instead of reviewing the agenda first, ask everyone to go around and state their desired goal for the meeting. And for the orange? Cut it in half and suck out the juice instead of carefully peeling it section by section. You might find you like your new approach!
    
2. If you come across something you don't know or don't understand, instead of seeking the easy answer (oh Google, I do love you), do some deeper research to truly learn something new. When we really take the time to significantly increase our knowledge, we gain new perspective and understanding about how something works or why it does what it does. That creates openness and flexibility to looking at something in a different way, and while it might take a little more time, the insights you achieve can be fascinating AND useful.
    
3. Be open to making mistakes. When you feel like you might fail at something, let yourself go and don't automatically pull back to a safe position. At the gym, in the kitchen, at work (when you know a mistake won't impact your job) - push yourself into a zone that isn't 100% comfortable and where you're unsure of what might happen. Allowing the risk of failure (or actual failure itself) to become part of your experience creates an expanse of insight and lets you test your muscles (physical, mental or emotional) to understand your own capabilities. BTW - this is why a key performance competency in many organizations is the ability to attempt and achieve "stretch goals".

Most of us go into any new situation with a set of expectations or beliefs about what is going to happen. From there, we build "rules" about what must occur and when it doesn't go the way we think it should, we get stressed, uncomfortable and sometimes downright "stuck". Being able to continually grow, improve and gain more of what you want from life comes from a willingness to try new things, take risks and pivot easily to face change. With these three simple ways to break your own "rules", you might find that your power to adapt becomes stronger quite quickly, and opens you up to all sorts of exciting new things in life and work!

Perspective. It's different.

I was driving home recently with my two little ones in the car, and we were talking about everything we were seeing out the windows along our route.  I kept pointing things out ahead of me ("hey guys - look at those horses!", "wow - that's a cool tree") and one or both of them would say "Where, Mommy?" or "I don't see it!".  After a few minutes of this, I was starting to get frustrated...why couldn't they see what I was seeing?! It was all right in front of us - surely it wasn't that hard for them to get it?

But of course they didn't.  Because they had a totally different point of view than me.  I could see straight out the windshield up ahead and their perspective from the back seat was more about what was rolling past them beside the car. And I realized that as my frustration grew, so did my negative reaction. The game we were playing was no longer fun and I just wanted to be done with it.

And then I had an "aha" moment...this is what we do at work with our co-workers, employees and leaders.  It's what we do with our partner at home.  With our kids.  With our clients. With our service providers and healthcare providers and best friends and the guy who honks loudly at us on the street.  All. The. Time.  We get so wrapped up in our own perspective that we fail to understand that someone else's point of view may be totally different, not necessarily because they are being stubborn or don't want to agree with us...simply because they just see it differently.  And then we shut down.

When their view out the window reveals trees and ours allows us to see the entire forest, of course we are going to have a difference in what we understand, how we understand it and what we want to do with that perspective.

The results of our varying points of view and our inability to recognize them can range from simple misunderstandings to full-blown breakdowns in relationships and productivity. Think about it. How many times did something not go the way you expected between you and another person? Is it possible that many of those times, it was less about the action, decision or words and more about not having the other person's view? The loss of a piece of business you were convinced you sold or a candidate turning down a competitive job offer might be based on perspective - theirs, not yours.  Same with that project you were working on that fell apart in the final days or the conversation with your boss about your performance...different perspectives can cause more than just a little frustration.

So how do we break out of this cycle to become more open to someone else's viewpoint and ultimately to win the moment, the project, the day and the relationship?

Here are my 5 steps to improving your perspective in relationship to someone else's. 

1.  Start with a step back. Literally.  When you start to feel frustrated that someone else isn't seeing what you're seeing, change your view. Step away from your current position to broaden your line of sight. Get up from your chair, back up a few steps or move sideways. You will immediately see more and in doing so, can change the focus of the conversation.

2. Acknowledge the difference. Put your current conversation on pause for a moment, and let the other person know that you think there is a difference in focus or point of view which should be discussed. Sometimes, the simple act of putting the thing that is creating discord on the table can resolve the frustration or disagreement. 

3. Ask a question. Seek to understand what that other perspective involves and why it exists. Asking open-ended questions (why, what and how) not only lets someone know you care about their thoughts, but will also give you insight into what they are thinking and why.

4. Give a little. Acknowledging that the other person's perspective has value and that there is merit and possibility within it goes a long way to achieving agreement and ultimately, a positive outcome.  Saying "I see what you mean" or "Ok, now I understand why that might work" is an engaging way to change the dynamic of the conversation. You aren't giving in, but you are creating a more open environment for collaboration.

5. Do something different. Sometimes the easiest way to resolve a difference in perspective is to change what you're doing that is creating the issue. Put the current topic aside and talk about something else, or agree to part ways and come back later. If it's something that needs resolution or action immediately, doing something different could mean just changing how you're talking about the situation - bring in another person to moderate or ask the individual you're interacting with if they're willing to move to different room.

At the end of the day, multiple perspectives have a ton of value.  When we see things from different viewpoints, we gain new insight and obtain important details that we didn't previously have. We make others feel good as well, because we acknowledge that someone else's opinion or view matters.  And, well, when we're all in a good mood, things are just likely to go better, aren't they? 

That's what I'll be doing the next time I'm in the car with my littles...remembering that what they see is different from me, and having fun looking at things from their perspective. I have no doubt I'll be seeing a whole new world!

Advancing Your Career - Listen to the Recent Radio Interview

Dec. 2015 - Vickie was recently interviewed by Bert Martinez on his web radio program, Money for Lunch.  She and Bert talked about the right time to look for a new job, how to navigate change in your organization, using your alumni network to advance your career and when it's appropriate (and not!) to use text messaging in your job search.

Listen to the interview here - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moneyforlunch/2015/12/18/steve-g-jones-dr-marlene-boas-vickie-kozhushchenko.

Vickie's segment starts around 33:10.

5 Things All College Seniors Need to Know. Before. It’s. Too. Late.

We’re almost at the end of another year.  You’ve probably just spent lots of time giving thanks and eating too much pie, and we’re heading right into the gift-giving, gift-getting and gift-returning season.  After that comes champagne, silly hats and that inimitable song about not forgetting old acquaintances. 

If you’re a college senior or in the final stages of your MBA or master’s degree, the end of the year also means there’s only a few months left until graduation…quickly followed by one of the most important milestones of your life- the Career Launch. The job search process (which you’ve hopefully already started!) is time consuming, tedious and can be pretty confusing.  Luckily, most colleges and universities have excellent Career Services offices, replete with expert staff, resumé reviewers, interviewing skills workshops and company profiles galore.  If you haven’t yet stepped foot inside that office, stop reading this right now and get there immediately!   But as the end of the year arrives, you would also do well to heed one of the verses buried deep in that traditional end-of-year ditty, “And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine!” 

Talk to anyone who graduated in the last 5, 15 or 50 years and they’ll likely tell you that the most impactful and important career moves they made were the product of relationships and networking.  As you launch your career, you will meet, work with and work for hundreds and hundreds of people, many of whom will remain close colleagues and friends for life.  Those individuals will ultimately become your professional network and the best resource when you need or want to make a job move or career change.  At the moment, though, when you need to find your best “first” job so that you can launch a successful career, your current network is also a critical part of your efforts, and one you shouldn’t overlook. 

Conducting your job search while in school can be frustrating.  You’re gaining all sorts of great knowledge from your classes, team projects and professors but you probably have little “real world” experience, which is what most employers are looking for.  But you can’t get that real world experience until you get out of college to start a full-time job!  Below are five things you can do (starting now!) to augment your job search, improve your odds and find a work experience that is the right fit for you.

5.  Sign up for LinkedIn.  LinkedIn is a powerful social media tool for professionals and can give you all sorts of insight into people, companies and industries that you might not get otherwise.  Once you’re logged in, build your network by requesting connections to friends, former co-workers and peers, research companies you’re interested in and start following thought leaders through LinkedIn Pulse.  You’ll be amazed by how many people you get connected to quite quickly, and that online professional social network will stay with you throughout your career.

4.  Get out of your (comfort) zone.  Ask your friends and co-workers who they know at companies that interest you.  You might be surprised to find that your sophomore roommate’s mother is CIO at that marketing firm you want to interview with.  While asking for a job outright is a no-no, more seasoned professionals typically welcome the opportunity to share their insight into a company and its culture.  Obviously, you should approach any introduction to someone new with respect, courtesy and a healthy dose of humility but don’t be afraid to take a leap to meet someone new. 

3.  Use your school’s alumni network.  Every college and university has an extensive base of alumni in many industries and geographies across the globe and you can often gain direct access through your career-counseling department or alumni affairs office.  These are folks who have something significant in common with you and many of them truly enjoy ‘paying it forward’.  This is a great way to gain knowledge about an industry or organization that you’re curious about, as alums are often willing to spend a little more time talking to you than they might to someone unknown who calls from out of the blue.  Develop a ‘pitch’ email and voicemail message that briefly and succinctly introduces yourself and requests a connection.  Keep in mind, this is not a way to request a job offer – you are simply extending your network by introducing yourself to new people and your only ‘ask’ should be a quick conversation to learn more about the type of work this person does.   If you can, search by location, industry or title; it will help you find individuals who do the kind of work that interests you. 

2.  Stay away from the text message.  No, really.  Stay away. Texting is a fantastic way to catch up quickly with a friend, tell your mom you love her and set the meeting place for your project team.  It’s NOT how you should make new connections for your network.  Regardless of whether your best friend has told you to contact his uncle for an intro or you’re connecting to your manager’s boss from your internship two years ago, pick up the phone - or at least send an email.  It’s more personal, it’s more professional and there’s a lot less room for error!  Just think of how many times you’ve sent a text you had to apologize for or said ‘LOL’ because of Autocorrect!  You don’t want that to be the first impression a potential boss has of you, do you?!

1.  Don’t stop networking.  Ever.  Everywhere you go from now on, you have an opportunity (and an obligation to yourself) to network.  Think of your professional network as an extended group of friends who you will help for years to come, and who will also do you a few favors now and then.  The beauty of a large network is that it opens doors for you to learn, grow, meet new people and build your career as far and wide as you want it to go.  Whether at an employee meeting, in the line at your neighborhood coffee shop, or checking out vendors at a conference, get contact info and then request a LinkedIn connection or send a ‘Nice to meet you’ email.  Something as simple as a new connection from an unexpected source has landed many people their dream job. 

There are so many things to think about as you secure your best ‘first job’ out of college.  When you’re doing a year-end review of your job search and checking your list (twice, of course), don’t neglect your network.  Remember what the song says, “And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine!”.  Building your network now has infinite benefits.  Guaranteed, it will serve you well – today, tomorrow and over many years to come as you grow your career – and grow your life. 

Salaried employees likely to receive significant wage increase in 2016, per Department of Labor

Do you have salaried employees?  Do they earn less than $45,000 per year?  Have you heard about the proposed wage threshold change for exempt employees?

Earlier this year (July 2015), the Department of Labor issued an 'NPRM' - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - which is submitted periodically to update regulations covering various areas they govern, including wage and hour laws.  Wage and hour laws are, among other things, drivers of minimum wage requirements.  This particular proposed ruling would mean that employers must, in addition to ensuring the position passes the 'duties test', pay an employee in an exempt position between $800 and $1000 per week (assume that's around $45,000/year if full-time)*.  The current wage threshold is set at $455 per week, meaning that in order to consider a position as exempt, the employer must pay at least that much in weekly wages.  For a full-time employee, that equates to $23,660/year. Bottom line - if you have salaried employees currently making between $23,660 and (approx) $45,000 per year, you will be affected.

While it may seem excessive to propose raising a wage threshold by approximately 110% in one fell swoop, consider this - salaried exempt jobs are typically viewed as having more responsibility than hourly jobs and are often perceived to be higher paying jobs; the current threshold of $23,660/year is only 20% higher than the highest state minimum wage for hourly employees (Washington - $9.19/hour), and there are many cities across the country that have introduced living wage ordinances where the hourly minimum wage is in the range of $12 to $15 per hour.  Federal minimum wage for hourly employees was set at $7.25/hour in 2008 but since then, 22 of the 50 states have implemented a state minimum wage higher than federal minimum wage.  Cities and states are responding to the changes in economic conditions by acknowledging that hourly employees probably need to earn more than $7.25/hour to survive and support their families.

So, why would the DOL consider imposing such a significantly impactful ruling on employers? Well, first and foremost, because they were required to do something - in early 2014, President Obama issued a directive to the Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, to update and streamline the existing "white collar" exemptions.  The fact sheet available on the DOL's website that explains the reasoning for the proposed ruling indicates a need to ensure wage thresholds are adjusted for inflation. 

But there is another, underlying reason that is becoming more clear as time goes by, directly related to the first - as increased numbers of hourly employees vocalize their frustration and anger with employers at the low wages they receive in relation to economic pressures (remember the major protests outside McDonald's headquarters and WalMart stores across the country during the spring and summer of 2015?), surely it won't be long before salaried employees, who are not required to be paid overtime and can work as many hours as is necessary and required by the employer, start to do the same.  And perhaps, instead of (or as well as) standing outside a major superstore or a fast-food restaurant with picket signs and bullhorns, these employees will just start to refuse to work all those hours.  Because at the end of the day, whether a salaried employee works 32 hours or 62 hours in a week, he or she is (likely) going to be paid the same amount, and while a 32-hour week might allow that employee to pick up a second job elsewhere, 62 hours in a week probably would not (assuming a second job was even an option).  The reality is that many full-time exempt employees work more than 40 hours each week; and most certainly do additional work above and beyond those 40 hours at other times when not in the workplace - answering emails after the kids have gone to bed, reviewing spreadsheets on the weekends in advance of budget season or fielding employee phone calls at any hour about schedules and call-offs.

And now we come to the dilemma that many thousands of employers are going to face, should this proposal become a final rule:  overnight (likely sometime in the summer of 2016), the number of employees who will meet the exemption test will decrease dramatically and an employee who was being paid (for example) $25,000 or $35,000 or $45,000 and was working in an exempt position, will no longer be considered exempt.  The employer will either face the prospect of instantly being required to classify that employee as hourly and pay overtime on every hour the employee works in a week over 40, or keeping the job in an exempt capacity and increasing that employee's salary to the new threshold (as previously mentioned, likely somewhere around $45-50k).  That's a pretty big financial hit - likely hundreds of thousands of dollars for a mid-size employer with an employee population that is at least 35% salaried exempt. The DOL believes that "average annualized direct employer costs will total between $239.6 and $255.3 million per year".**

So, as an employer or a manager of people, what can you do to prepare?  Certainly, read up on the proposal and understand its potential impact on your business (you can find good explanations here and here and here).  Work with your HR and Finance teams (or a qualified consultant) to evaluate where you have risk and identify some options for mitigating that risk.  There are various solutions to address the outcome of the proposal rule - while increasing the salary of each individual under the wage threshold is one, and converting those jobs to hourly positions is another, you could also consider redistributing job responsibilities to other exempt positions.  It's going to be important to know what your options are, evaluate them and make informed decisions well before the Final Rule is imposed.

* The requirement is that an employee must be paid a weekly wage at or in excess of the threshold.  The DOL's proposal is set to raise the threshold to somewhere between $920 and $970 a week - the final amount hasn't yet been confirmed; this amount is the 40th percentile of the typical weekly earnings for full-time salaried employees in the United States in 2013.

**DOL FAQ's on Overtime NPRM