Quiet Strength: A Book by Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts’ Coach)

In Tony Dungy’s book, Quiet Strength, he describes his philosophy for managing life, especially work. We look favorably on most anything that relates to sports, so this new book by Dungy caught our attention. The book is an autobiography written by the first African-American coach to lead his team to a win in the Super Bowl. In the book, Dungy sets forth a list of responsibilities that he uses with his players. We feel that these responsibilities can also serve as a basic guide for workplace managers accountable for mentoring their employees:

• Be a pro.
• Act like a champion.
• Respond to adversity; do not react to it.
• Be on time. Being late means either it is not important to you or you cannot be relied upon.
• Execute. Do what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it.
• Take ownership.
• Do whatever it takes; no excuses, no explanations.

While, of course, the game of football and professional athletes are Dungy’s frame of reference, we think his basics will serve equally well in the more common workplace.

It's all about engagement

While there is now a growing concern, and even refutation, of the annual rating of college and universities by U.S. News and World Report, we’d like to comment on a corollary to their “Best Colleges” rankings – another listing of colleges and universities that is not being criticized by the colleges themselves. A number of colleges and universities are now using the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The purpose of the survey is to assist educational institutions in determining “how and where they can improve the undergraduate experience on campus.” There are now 257 colleges and universities using this survey, including at least five in the Philadelphia region: Chestnut Hill College, Gwynedd Mercy, Temple, Ursinus, and Widener. According to the NSSE, taking part in certain activities (i.e., performing community service or tutoring other students) during college boosts students’ performance in many areas, such as thinking critically, solving real world problems, and working effectively with others. The NSSE is extensive in its measurements, and one of the primary issues being derived from it is the concern that too many students seem to not be engaged in their studies or preparation for their futures. To see how individual colleges are addressing this apathy, the NSSE considers five “benchmarks,” which can be used to compare the college’s effort against national averages for institutions of the same type. The benchmarks are:

• level of academic challenge
• active and collaborative learning
• student-faculty interaction
• enriching educational experiences
• supportive campus environment

CEC Associates’ interest in the topic is that there is, clearly, a direct correlation between the engagement of many young people in schools and new hires in the workplace. Prior to our awareness of the NSSE, we shared a brief book review through email with our readership on the same topic. The name of that book is Motivating the “What’s In It For Me?” Workforce (written by Cam Marston, John Wiley and Sons, 2007). The focus of that book is that effective management currently requires an awareness of generational differences and knowledge of the strategies needed to address those differences. That book includes a useful tool for managers confronted with generational issues. There is a “Quiz: Generational Voices, Who Am I?” that can be used to classify employees as “Mature, Boomer, Xer, or Millennial” as a guide to developing specific management strategies based on generational differences. Another resource for those interested in the generational reality of being engaged is the research by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in Talented Teenagers: The Roots of Success & Failure. Csikszentmihalyi takes a more positive approach by reporting, for example, on the results of his research regarding the “reasons for engagement.” By identifying the positive reasons, managers have still another approach to motivating employees. Is there, in fact, a troubling apathy in the workplace that is rooted in generational factors?

Stress is going around

If, as we learned recently, maple syrup trees are stressed and bees are stressed, is it any wonder that Americans are feeling more stressed, too? In a press statement on October 24, 2007, the American Psychological Association (APA) released the findings of their latest survey on this topic. A summary of the report points out that one third of Americans are extremely stressed, and nearly half of Americans (48 percent) reported that their stress has increased over the past five years. Stress in America continues to rise and has become a major health problem. A key factor in the increased stress level is the workplace. The survey showed that 52 percent of employees reported they considered or made a career decision (looking for a new job, declining a promotion, leaving a job, etc.) based on workplace stress. Leading sources of stress in the workplace include: - heavy workload (45%) - low salaries (44%) - lack of opportunities (40%) - uncertain job expectations (40%) - long hours (39%) And what do the APA findings mean for employers? They mean that employers, small, medium, and large, would profit significantly by conducting stress management programs designed to identify and address workplace stress. Exemplary disability management programs have, from the beginning, recognized the need to pay attention to workplace stress and formalize ways to achieve stress reduction among employees. Formal stress abatement programs in the workplace have been shown to be effective in reducing stress, and it is reasonable to pay attention to this reality. Jerry Kramer, an all-star right tackle for the Green Bay Packers, wrote in 1967 with Dick Schaap, three books about his experiences, especially as they related to the great Green Bay coach, Vince Lombardi. Kramer reported that someone once asked him if Lombardi had ulcers (code in those days for a high stress level). The answer was “No, Coach Lombardi doesn’t have ulcers, but he is a carrier.”

In Search of Excellence: Tom Peters Reduxed

Unfortunately, Tom Peters’ book, In Search of Excellence, is now 25 years old. We say unfortunately because we aged with the book as well. Peters claims that essentially all of the concepts he espoused at that time held up well over the past 25 years. One issue that he addressed in the original text was that women were overly ignored in business. He said, “They buy everything and control the wealth.” In a recent interview with USA Today, when asked about how that issue fared over the years, Peters indicated that nothing has changed. “[Women] buy everything and control the wealth, but constitute 2% of Fortune 500 chief executive officers. They are on the short end of the leadership stick. It’s a missed opportunity. You take a different approach to financial advisory services if women are your customer [sic] than you do if men are. It’s the same in many industries, and it’s stupidity not seeing the opportunity.” One concept from the original book that we have used repeatedly over the years is his “well-managed companies” designation. We have suggested, and stand by our original application, that “well-managed companies” have aggressive, state-of-the-art disability management programs in place. That was true 25 years ago, and it is true today.

FMLA Update

The most contentious issue of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) at this point is the termination of employees after the 12-week period of time off. This issue is especially a concern for mothers. There is mounting evidence that the FMLA fails the most in cases involving parents. The FMLA became a federal law in 1993. The basics of the act provide for 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for:

• the birth and care of a newborn (or adopted) child of an employee (male or female)
• the care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health care problem
• medical leave when an employee is unable to work.

The FMLA applies to employers with 50 or more employees. The question is: “Do workers have a fundamental right to care for their families?” This question is the title of an article on the subject that appeared in The New York Times Sunday Magazine on July 29, 2007. CEC Associates has been assisting employers with compliance issues in the broader context of disability management programs since the inception of the FMLA. Still, we are interested in the views of others on this issue of discrimination against caregivers. What responsibilities do employers have under the FMLA, especially as those responsibilities relate to parents?

Going Green in the Workplace

“Going green.” What exactly does this phrase mean to the workplace? As the worldwide “Live Earth” concerts brought climate change and other environmental problems to our awareness, people were asked to take small steps in their lives to help better the environment. “Going green” is a phrase that has sprung up over the past year, encompassing all the ways homes and workplaces can become more environmentally friendly. Making your workplace good for the environment is more important now than ever because the earth is facing the challenge of dwindling resources. The rising cost of energy is only one of the problems we will face in the coming years if we do not take action now to undo some of the damage to the environment. By changing simple things in and around your workplace, a difference can be made. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided a list of simple things we can do to make the workplace more “green.” From switching to fluorescent light bulbs to putting recycling containers in place – there are many inexpensive ways to conserve. Other options include replacing office equipment with Energy Star appliances and having your building reach an Energy Star rating, which is issued to a work environment that typically uses 35 percent less energy than a “normal” office. Using public transportation and carpooling are other suggestions given. Although becoming “green” takes some work and sacrifice by the office community as a whole, the benefits of being energy efficient will pay for themselves in lower operating costs and energy usage. How “green” are you? Use the EPA’s Emissions Calculator or My Footprint to find out how much carbon you produce a day. To learn more about reducing your daily impact, visit the EPA’s page on Action Steps for tips.

Graduation and a New Career

We assume that most college graduates know what they want to do when they graduate. They have chosen a field, majored in it, and are well-prepared for the road ahead. But we also know that a significant number of college graduates do not know what they want to do, what they are good at, or what will be required of them in a given field. So, what can a recent grad who might fall under one of the situations described above do to enhance their odds of finding a satisfactory career? What can an individual do to find a valid and productive job match? Students may have heard of the answer, but have not taken advantage of it. The answer: Participate in a professional career assessment! Assessments are part of the real world. Sophisticated employers have long used assessments as a tool to select an employee who will best fit into the plan for growth of the company. Finding the employee who will be an asset is critical, and smart employers know this. Successful businesses excel in not leaving anything to chance, and finding the right employee is a core part of this thinking. Some high schools and colleges provide state-of-the-art assessments and counseling while others do not. Furthermore, students who have been fortunate enough to have had good career counseling may have changed their thinking as a result of their college experience. Quality assessments have become the key step in building a quality workforce, and well-managed companies use assessments as basic tools. Are you uncertain about your job path? CEC Associates offers career assessment services that may be helpful to you! Have you ever participated in career assessment? Do you feel it was beneficial to you, and if so, how?

Ageism in the Workplace

Employees (or even potential employees) can experience discrimination or disparate treatment in the workplace. One form of discrimination is known as ageism. Ageism refers to negative discriminatory practices based on a person’s age, both older and younger. How does ageism affect the workplace? Generally, when we think of ageism, we imagine older workers experiencing difficulty finding employment or being treated as competent in the workplace. Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary defines ageism as “a tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment.” If a mature worker is displaced from a position after years of experience, others may hesitate to hire him or her because of age alone. Some older workers are seen as less than competent because of their age. Employers may perceive the older worker as costing too much, having an obsolete skill set, or being a liability for employer-sponsored health insurance. It’s easy for a 54-year-old job hunter to find himself wishing he was 24 again after encountering these roadblocks! Younger workers too are not immune to the effects of age stereotypes and prejudice. Sometimes employers believe that young people have fewer financial obligations and perhaps less drive to excel than the more mature worker. Younger workers often complain that the duties they are given are boring and unchallenging, which may cause them to seek other employment. Additionally, potential employers may view younger workers as testing the waters in career “exploration” and perhaps as less committed to a particular workplace than someone with more experience. Employers may have the impression that young people are “flaky” and unreliable. The younger worker’s ideas and critiques may be written off as “the ramblings of youth.” Oh, to be one of those older and respected members of the workforce! 1. Have you ever experienced ageism in the workplace? 2. Have there been situations where you caught yourself believing such stereotypes? 3. How would you suggest we combat ageism at work?

Breaking the Language Barrier at Work

Language is a crucial element to any culture, and that includes the corporate culture of the workplace. Different industries deal with different technical terms, or “jargon,” as they might be called. While this language is familiar to a specific individual’s workplace, as is the case when trying to learn a foreign language, seemingly commonplace terms can create a language barrier when used outside of a specific corporate setting. In an interview with BBC News, Nicola Clark of Investors in People stated that “if used inappropriately, jargon can be an obstacle to understanding, which ultimately can impact on an individual’s performance and an organisation’s productivity.” At CEC, we created the Workipedia Lexicon in order to provide our clients (as well as the general public) with an understanding of the various terms used in the fields of disability management and occupational rehabilitation. By clearly defining the terms that are familiar to our industry, people who we deal with outside of it can obtain a better understanding of our methodologies and purpose. Do you feel that corporate jargon creates a language barrier for you (or your clients)? How do you propose it be remedied?

Technology: Friend or Foe in Workplace Relations?

In the never-ending quest for increased productivity in the workplace, more and more companies are employing increased technology to make workers able to communicate more effectively with each other. Email, cellphones, and Blackberrys are just a few examples of the many technological methods of communication available in the modern workplace. But are these “advances” causing a decline in old-fashioned social skills that are often necessary to move up the corporate ladder and broaden one’s network? Is it possible that our growing reliance on sterile text on a screen is costing us our basic communicative skills, such as body language, eye contact, and ability to deal with face-to-face interaction? Some companies say yes, and they’re putting a stop to it. In a recent news story, Jay Ellison, executive vice president of U.S. Cellular in Chicago, enacted a ban on email on Fridays. He said that, “Some [emails] are very valuable, and some of them are just an excuse not to communicate or to protect myself from something that’s going on…. We tend to use email as a kind of a tool to hide behind issues versus getting up and talking to people.” While his employees initially balked at the idea, they soon found that picking up the phone to deal with issues helped them to learn more about their coworkers (in one case, many of Ellison’s coworkers learned that a woman with a gender-neutral name was, in fact, a woman). But it’s not just employees that can get frustrated with technology. Customers, too, are feeling the aggravation with endless automated menus and voice mail and email messages that seemingly vanish into the great beyond (perhaps they’re colonizing with the lost socks from the dryer?). John Naisbitt, author of Mind Set! urges “any CEO whose company has a voice answering system to call his company and see whether he can get through to himself.” Who hasn’t vented about the twenty minutes it took to get through to “a warm body” while calling the credit card company? By the time you finally do speak to a person, you may be so angry (because chances are, there was a problem that prompted you to call in the first place) that you take it out on them, who in turn may take it out on his or her coworkers, and the negativity continues to spread. Do you feel that the growing dependence on email is costing workers their basic social skills? Do you tend to use email if you don’t want to see or hear the reaction of the recipient? Do you feel that technology is more of a hinderance than a convenience? We look forward to hearing your opinions!

Do Liberal Arts Majors Have an Edge in the Workplace?

What happens when a panel of higher education and business leaders look at what a college education should consist of? They come to the conclusion that college graduates must be able to do more than simply prepare themselves for their first job. USA Today published an article urging colleges to focus on liberal arts. The conclusion was that “in an economy fueled by innovation, the capabilities developed through a liberal education have become America’s most valuable economic asset.” The report identified four “essential learning outcomes:” 1. A broad base of knowledge across multiple disciplines 2. Intellectual and practical skills, such as teamwork and problem-solving 3. A sense of personal and social responsibility, including ethical reasoning 4. Experience in applying what is learned to real-world problems Specific recommendations include having all students complete: - Writing-intensive courses - Undergraduate research - Service learning and internships Employers appear to be supportive of the report’s findings: - 69% of employers surveyed said that combining broad knowledge with more in-depth focus is “very important” - 63% said that too many recent graduates do not have the skills to be successful in today’s global economy Obviously, some of you have had liberal arts experience while others have not. If you participated (or are participating or plan to do so) in a liberal arts curriculum, do you feel that your experience has been a help or a hindrance in the workplace? For those of you who chose another course of study, do you feel that you were adequately prepared for meeting the demands and expectations of the workforce? Do you agree or disagree with the article?

When the Social Contract With Your Employer is Broken

Most of us, at some point in our lives, get a job. When we begin work, whether we’re aware of it or not, we initiate a “social contract” with our employer. We have expectations of the employer, and the employer has expectations of us. Expectations, based on role, experience, culture, gender, and a myriad of other factors originate a social contract between the employer and employee. Social contracts are not new. They have been around since Aristotle and were made famous by Jean-Jacque Rousseau’s book, The Social Contract. The idea is that in addition to any specific contract we might sign with the employer, we also get an unwritten contract. A written contract might place special terms of employment such as pay levels, vacation policies, and intellectual property rights, into legal form. The unwritten agreement is called a “social contract.” The social contract assumes particular protections in various matters such as discrimination in terms of gender, race, age, religion, and disability. The social contract includes issues such as: coming to work on time, being respected in the workplace, cooperation, collaboration, and receiving rewards for productivity and creativity. Even an expected “good morning” could be part of an unwritten agreement or “social contract.” When the social contract is broken (breached), when employers or employees do not fulfill their unwritten social contract obligations, resentment ensues, tensions build, and relationships break down. Breached social contracts are what make working intolerable for many people. Our new blog is designed to begin a dialog with people in the world who are concerned about human factors in the workplace, and we begin the blog with the idea that, as Arthur Miller once wrote, “Betrayal is the only truth that sticks.” Breached social contracts result in employer and/or employee betrayal. We believe that social contracts in the workplace are:

• a minimal employer obligation;
• a minimum employee obligation;
• extremely tenuous as they are understood today; and
• in need of open consideration and critical discussion.

Please join in the discussion at our new Human Factors in the Workplace blog. Your response about social contracts will help address an issue that should be critically important to all of us focused on improving the workplace experience. For one perspective (ours) on the subject, read the linked article.