Category: Career

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Career

Human Engineering Skills

“15% of one’s financial success in life is due to your technical knowledge and about 85% is due to your skill in human engineering.”

– Dale Carnegie

I love when smart people say what I’ve been thinking in a much more eloquent way than I ever could (I guess it’s a long time until I get some quotes of my own…). I’ve been at a training all week to get certified in one of my favorite approaches to life – Crucial Conversations – and our trainer led with this quote on day one.

I’ve always believed that for most jobs (at least the jobs I come across in my world), there are many technically qualified people. It’s not hard to find people who have the technical skills to do what you need done – marketers, trainers, writers, accountants, volunteer managers, sales people. It’s much harder to find people who have the personality and people skills to blend with your team. But “human engineering” sounds WAY cooler than people skills, so that’s what I’m going to go with from here on out.

Hiring for human engineering skills and then training for technical knowledge isn’t a new concept. Nor is the importance of said people skills. I do think, however, that we often lose sight of its importance because it’s an intangible and we don’t know how to ask for it in a job description or posting. Describing it as the “X Factor” isn’t helpful, nor is the “It Quality.” Yet, we somehow know those people when we see them. Carnegie seems to almost quantify it and make it sound quasi-scientific with the term human engineering – like it’s an actual valuable skill rather than some touchy-feely business you can’t quite put your finger on.

Crucial Conversations builds on this idea. Through these concepts, we can identify successful human engineering skills that result in better handling of difficult discussions. And I would certainly make the argument that knowing how to handle difficult situations is what separates the good human engineers from the great ones (and increase their own financial success – thanks, Mr. Carnegie!). I’ve always admired people who can say almost anything to anyone, regardless of the situation, and walk away with everyone feeling better about where they ended up. I absolutely think those are skills are worth paying for – knowing how to get to the heart of the issue, speaking candidly and establishing mutual respect. They’re more rare than we think and it’s time for the market to recognize the necessity of those skills and pay up.

I’ll have more to say about Crucial Conversations in the future, but for now, check out the book and get yourself to a training if you can. Developing your human engineering skills is well worth the investment, and if Carnegie is right, that investment should come back to you in no time at all.

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Career Libby

Weakness?

My friend recently went on a job interview. It was a group interview, just her and five staff people sitting around a table…gulp! That’s fairly intimidating, but she said it all went well…until the last question:

“If you were interviewing you for this position, what would be your biggest concern about your taking the job?”

That’s basically code for what is your biggest weakness. How do you respond to that? She said she came up with something clever and somehow turned it into a positive (lots of bobbing and weaving!). And that’s exactly what you have to do, right? In life – especially at work – you constantly have to turn a negative into a positive, continually finding ways to overcome areas in which you do not excel.

But you can’t let your weakness define you – if you do that, you’ll never move forward. If you can’t answer that question by spinning it into a positive, game over. Maybe it’s a little cheesy, but a “weakness” is simply an opportunity to learn new things and build your skills. If you look at it as a flaw, you’ll never stretch and grow. Yes, it’s true that introspection is difficult, but the rewards of overcoming your weak spots are what will propel you into awesomeness. And get you the job.

– Libby Bingham

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Career Karen

Make an 80% Decision

The difference between a great decision and a mediocre one is one word: doubt.

I’d rather make a great decision and be 80% successful with 20% room for error, than to second-guess my decision, doubt it and then do 100% n.o.t.h.i.n.g!

I’m someone who will default to performing at 80%. The advantage? Things get done. Not perfectly, but they get done.

In school, when children bring home a straight A’s report card they sometimes are rewarded with gifts and money and other fun things. However, when you come home with a straight B (minuses!) report card, I’m pretty sure there’s no bicycle in the driveway waiting for you.

But here’s the thing: I’d rather perform with B’s and get things done. The bicycle can wait.

Why? Because there’s no such thing as perfect. If I adopt that mindset, my stress levels will be through the roof.

I’m comfortable with an ‘almost perfect’ outcome.

For example, my company is being built on 80%. If I didn’t have this philosophy, I’d still be in Vancouver in a senior leadership role for a luxury footwear company working a 9-5 job. Well, actually, more like a 60-hour a week job.

Taking a leap of faith is like committing to doing something at 80%. The remaining 20% is the cushion, the room for error, the room for growth and, best of all, room for the “aha!” moments which arrive at my doorstep unannounced. The 20% buffer rocks!

My mistakes don’t define my success. However, they absolutely contribute to my success. My shortcomings, those moments where I find myself thinking “I have no idea what to do” turn into amazing lessons for my personal development.

Yes, in the moment or errors, I’m being stretched wayyyy out of my comfort zone. It’s like I’ve been thrown into a stormy ocean of “what to do ” waves! But I don’t drown. I’ve never drowned. Each time I’m in that “I don’t know what to do” predicament, a life vest of new thinking is thrown my way.

Those 20% flawed moments provoke me to ask this question: “What am I going to do about it?” and “How do I get through this?” They force me to look beyond my limited understanding, to seek out help and ask for insights. I read more, explore more and research more. That 20% flaws create an “uh oh” in me that forces me to think. And when I take time to think, I’m welcoming life to teach me. I am a student. I open myself to knowledge and understanding that far surpasses my limitations.

My 20% mistakes keep me motivated and, in turn, I remain true to my original commitment: “Get it done.”

If one of the principles enveloping my business is, “Karen, you’ll figure it out. You’re 80% ready, go for it. Get it done.” then the 20% room for error plays an essential part and empowers me all the more.

Why are we worried about doing something at 80%? Our reputation? Our ego? Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to function at 100% in our decision-making and in our execution?

Quite frankly, the only way you can do anything at 100% is within a team context. When I was fortunate to lead an incredible team of managers at John Fluevog Shoes, I felt like we were unstoppable energy with limitless possibilities. My 80% contributed to someone else’s 80% and so on and so on. A team of 22 people performing at 80%, well, do the math. The beauty of teamwork and leaning on each other, knowing that I can only get straight A’s if I do it with y.o.u. is unbelievably empowering, life-giving and successful. Together we join our flawed performances, we weave a tapestry of unique fabric and create a masterpiece.

Embrace your 80%. Embrace his 80%. Embrace her 80%. And let’s fill in each other’s gaps.

Don’t be afraid of the 20% errors. It’s only 20%. Life’s too short to be uncertain. Be a great decision maker. Stay the course. Get it done. Learn. Grow. #pressrepeat

– Karen Thrall

*also published on www.karenthrall.com

 

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Career Libby

What’s Next?

It’s a new year, and with that comes all kinds of interesting newness: new resolutions, new sweaters, new opportunities. But with newness also comes change, and change is scary. Yes, it’s exciting; yes, I should embrace it, but man, it’s scary.

It is possible that within the next month or so, my life will be very different than it is now. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Part of me is dreading it – I have routines and things that I do and don’t do – I like it. But I’m also ready for more – changes at work, changes of those routines that I love, changes in my family dynamic.

But what if it all goes south? What if the changes are “worse” and my new routines are rote rather than reassuring? What is my obligation to this change? Do I have to like it? How long do I have to adjust to the change?

So, here’s the thing…I’m not sure I have a choice: I am not affecting change in my life, change is happening to me. So what’s the difference?

The difference is that I have to step up – I have to meet the change head on and make it work for me the best I can. It means more work on my end and it also means more unforeseen factors for which I can’t prepare. It also means that it is extra exciting – nerve-wracking, in fact – and that the rewards may be even greater than they would be if I had chosen a path myself.

As I tell my son, the only thing you can control is your attitude: you need to make the best of whatever situation you find yourself in or all you’ll have is a bad experience. So I’m embracing this change. I will race towards it hoping to catch it off-balance and have it fall into my arms, out-of-breath and grateful. I will make it work for me.

Wish me luck.

– Libby Bingham

 

 

 

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Career

Collaboration: Where to Start

A friend of mine passed along a couple articles from the January-February 2016 Harvard Business Review, and as usual, she was right on with her guess of what I’d find interesting. One of the articles was Collaboration Overload, by Rob Cross, Reb Rebele and Adam Grant. I’m afraid poor ol’ collaboration is one of those really important concepts that’s fallen into the buzzword bucket. In many cases, we’ve been told to collaborate, but we haven’t really been taught how to do it effectively. We end up providing a final product and asking for feedback (which of course we don’t really want) so we can check the box to say we worked with another person or team. Ta-da! Collaboration!

Boo.

What I liked so much about this particular article was the author’s definition and exploration of collaborative resources, which can help us understand the type of collaboration and help we need. They outlined three personal resources we can each contribute to add value when we collaborate:

  • Informational resources are knowledge and skills—expertise that can be recorded and passed on.
  • Social resources involve one’s awareness, access, and position in a network, which can be used to help colleagues better collaborate with one another.
  • Personal resources include one’s own time and energy.

They go on to discuss how informational and social resources aren’t finite – they can be shared without the giver losing those resources. If I share knowledge I have or introduce you to a person I know, I still have that knowledge and I still know that person. But when I give you my time, no one else can have that time (despite how good at multi-tasking I may think I am).

The problem is that we typically default to asking for another’s time when we attempt to collaborate, depleting the most scarce resource by default when we may not have to. The idea of asking myself what type of resources I need from someone seems a great place to start when I think about how I want to collaborate. I may need actual face time for an exploratory conversation. Perhaps I need a piece of historical context. Or I might just need my project presented as a priority to someone else who can help me. But not all of these require me to set a 30 minute meeting in someone’s day.

I’m going to try this lens for a while and see if it helps me clarify what I need from people. My network is my most valuable resource and I never want anyone to feel like I wasted their time, in a meeting or otherwise. How can you make the best use of your resources?

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Career

Bad Behavior Isn’t Good Performance

A recent Washington Post article, Beware the rule-following co-worker, Harvard study warns, points out four signs of a toxic employee. Three of the four weren’t necessarily surprising, but it’s the fourth that really caught my attention.

Simply put, the study found that toxic employees tended to be more selfish and over-confident than their non-toxic colleagues, which is no big surprise. The third finding was that toxic employees tend to follow the rules more strictly, sometimes to the detriment of providing good service, or embracing the rules that keep them at the top of the pyramid. And while that’s interesting and perhaps counterintuitive, the finding that really got me is that toxic employees tend to more productive than the average worker. More!

What I find interesting about the productivity finding is this: that high performance oends up being an excuse for other poor behavior. I think we’ve all encountered such a scenario before. “Sure, Jim can be a pain, but his numbers are great!” It’s beyond frustrating when you’re on the receiving end of Jim’s pain – whether it’s passive-aggressively not responding to you or blatant disrespect, the message you receive is that it’s okay to treat people poorly as long as you’ve got success in another metric. And that’s how we end up with toxic employees who are more productive – not only do we allow it, but we often reward it, especially when that productivity means more profit.

This is the reason we as organization leaders need to integrate values and behaviors into job descriptions and performance expectations. There should be no paradox of good performance trumping poor behavior – good performance must include good behavior. They absolutely can’t be separated if you want your organization to be successful. They’re never easy conversations, but addressing the toxic behavior will not only help your other employees, it will save you money. Harvard says so!

 

 

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Career Karen

Enabling in the Workplace

In my last post I shared my personal reflections and experience surrounding the topic of enabling.

Let’s translate this hurdle of enabling into the workplace. What does it look like when someone begins to enable?

I want you to fill in the blanks before you continue reading. Humor me, pretend you’re an enabler. How would you answer these 9 statements?

  1.  If I don’t show support, the person will think I’m _______________.
  2. If I don’t show understanding, the person will think I’m ________________.
  3. If I complain, the person will think I’m ________________.
  4. If I get upset, the person will think I’m ___________________.
  5. If I express my honest thoughts, the person will think I’m ______________.
  6. If I feel hurt, the person will think I’m _________________.
  7. If I say no, the person will think I’m ___________________.
  8. If I don’t agree, the person might _________________.
  9. If I don’t agree, the person could _________________.

Unlike popular thinking, it’s not “yes people” that move up the corporate ladder. They will move up, but only at the mercy of a pecking order.

“If I dot all my I’s and cross all my T’s, they’ll choose me.”

Nope.

“If I show support and agreement to my direct supervisor, they will endorse me in my career within the organization.”

Not necessarily.

Only you can move up the ladder. No one can take you there but yourself.

The primary trait that will move you up in your career is a genuine confidence in who you are and your capabilities. That’s what leaders look for.

Confident people are great listeners and engage with fellow stakeholders. They’re team players and forward thinkers who are considerate and inclusive.

Confident people aren’t afraid of stating their thoughts and expressing their opinions because their ultimate desire is to build a great future with a great team.

When we enable, we are acknowledging that we are not confident.

You now have a second chance to answer the above questions. This time, answer them with confidence, with intelligence, with experience and with expertise.

When we respond from a place of confidence, we interpret events, circumstances, environments, conversations and people from a healthier perspective. (Notice how different the above statements are interpreted in the list below.)

  1. If I say what I think and express my honest thoughts, I’m showing my team commitment because _______________.
  2. If I ask for clarity because I lack understanding, I’m showing my team commitment because _______________.
  3. If I’m dissatisfied with the outcome and express my complaint, I’m showing my team commitment because _______________.
  4. If I’m displeased with the outcome and I’m troubled, I’m showing the team my commitment because ___________________.
  5. If I’m disappointed in the team’s unity and express my discouragement, I’m showing the team my commitment because _________________.
  6. If I say no, I’m showing the team my commitment because ___________________.
  7. If I don’t agree, the person will know that _________________.
  8. If I don’t agree, the person could respond with _________________.

Enabling is responding with fear.

Confidence is responding from your true identity. And in your true identity, there is no need for fear.

It’s one thing to accommodate and remain flexible because you want to be. Being flexible is an attribute of team playing. Being accommodating can have a great impact when it’s offered from a place of fearless confidence.

However, it’s considered enabling if you accommodate and remain flexible because you’re afraid of what people will think or you’re afraid the outcome will have a negative impact on you.

What replaces the brokenness of enablement? The valor of confidence.

– Karen Thrall

* also published on www.karenthrall.com

 

 

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Career Libby Uncategorized

Mindset and Success

My son, who is in second grade, is going to be taking some tests in the next few months; the results will determine whether or not he is eligible to be in a gifted and talented program moving forward. It’s a tremendous opportunity if he gets in, and my husband and I want him to be prepared, but he already is feeling a lot of pressure to succeed. We are trying really hard to put it all in perspective. We’re looking for practice examples so that the types of questions are familiar to him when he takes the test – not to “hothouse” him, but so that he’ll have less anxiety. In looking for those, my husband found a Ted Talk by Eduardo Briceño that expounds on the power of “mindset.” According to Briceño, people fall into one of two categories: fixed mindset or growth mindset. Apparently, if you have a growth mindset, you are better able to deal with losing/failing – you can turn it into a learning event and actually grow and get smarter.

We’re hoping to diffuse the pressure my son is putting on himself to do well by sharing this idea with him. In reviewing it and anticipating our conversation, it occurs to me that I could benefit from a deeper understanding of these concepts myself. In a recent post I talked about how I’m nervous about taking on some new areas at work and how this both frightens and excites me. I have always been a pretty high-achiever in life, but every time I am given a new skill to build or experience to try, I am rife with self-doubt. From a very young age, I have thought of myself as “unable to do math” – this is clearly an example of the “fixed” mindset. My opportunity to work on some new projects in areas less familiar to me is a chance for me to embrace the “growth” mindset. It isn’t fair for me to promote this to my kid without believing it myself. So, I am going to embrace it with abandon…and who knows? If it goes well, there could be a career in the mathematical arts in my future!

– Libby Bingham

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Career

Expecting the Unexpected

I saw a teaser on LinkedIn last week about taming your schedule. As someone who feels like my calendar has gotten completely out of control these days, I was obviously intrigued. Shane Atchison talks about a skill he leaned from a mentor of his and titled his post Scheduling for the Unexpected. The idea is simple – block a portion for your day for the inevitable surprise. It’s not a question of whether or not something will come up, but what that will be. Atchison shares that he schedules some time at the end of the day, typically an hour, and that helps him keep on track. And while he does usually need that time, on the rare occasions he doesn’t, he’s able to leave work an hour earlier and prioritize something else.

This certainly isn’t a new concept, but I so love the idea of scheduling unstructured time (I know, I know…scheduling unscheduled time? Could my Type A be any more obvious?). I personally do best with structure and plans. It helps me organize, stay focused and not feel overwhelmed. That does mean I’m not always great when the unexpected comes my way, but I want to be better at being more flexible, and this seems like just the tool to help. The idea of building in time to handle what I didn’t expect really resonates with me. The hard part, of course, is sticking to it. That time, at least for me, will always be the first thing to go as the calendar gets tighter and demands pile up. But that’s also something I’m trying to be better at – sticking to my priorities. So if carving out time for the unexpected means I feel less crazed and I can get things done? Sign me up. I’m blocking the time on my calendar right now.

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Career

What All the Cool Kids Know

It’s cool to know what’s going on. Nerd culture has gone mainstream and being unimpressed and unconcerned went out with flannel in the 90’s. And while fashion trends come back around, I sure hope it won’t be cool again to be uninformed. I like knowing what’s going on. I don’t mean in the annoying, all up in everyone’s business sort of way, but rather, in the way that I can easily make connections and know where to find information. Sure, it may sound altruistic, but let’s be honest. It makes things easier for me. I can figure out where to plug in to make sure my projects get the attention they need. I can get a new perspective or improve an idea I have when I consider someone else’s point of view or a new audience.

When we talk about communication and knowing what’s going on, it’s easy to point out what someone else isn’t doing for you – what they’re not giving you, how they’re not making it easy or what they’re not sharing. But in the middle of that, it’s important to take a look at what you’re doing that keeps you in the dark. Keeping your head down and staying at your desk is a great way to ensure you don’t know what’s going on. Ignoring readily available resources is just silly. Zoning out in a meeting is a sure-fire way to miss an important detail. I know we’re all busy, but how much time does it really take to read your company newsletter? Sure, it’s another logon to remember, but taping into your organization’s intranet or social media platform is a great way to access bits of information while you’re away from the office. And attending social events at work will help establish more personal connections, and we know we enjoy working with people we like. We also like to tell them what’s going on, ask their advice or share a challenge. And when people share with us, we learn.

Take it upon yourself to learn about what’s going on in your organization. Don’t wait for the formal updates or for information to come to you. Ask your colleagues what they’re working on. Include yourself in conversations as appropriate. Offer to help outside your area. Participate. Read. Raise your hand. All the cool kids area doing it, so don’t just sit back and wait. Make it your business to know what’s going on.