Category: Beyond Talent

Beyond Talent is our line of resources for professionals in the workplace who are individual contributors without people supervision responsibilities. Read this category for blogs on professional and career development to excel in your current role or help you prepare for your next level career.

  • Women, Stay in the Room!

    Women, Stay in the Room!

    I was 24, interviewing for a job in economic development, of which I knew almost nothing about. Moving because of my husband’s job prompted me to start looking in my hometown, and an indirect connection had landed my résumé on the President’s desk.

    Through conversations with the President, I felt like this interview was just the last step before they would hire me.

    The board chair was there. I knew him, but not well. He was the mayor of our town when I was growing up.

    I never will forget what he said to me. “You know, economic development has always been a man’s job.” I momentarily thought, am I in the wrong place? Or in the wrong century?

    He went on to say, “Allison (the person who was in the Vice President role I was interviewing for and was leaving because she was moving) has shown me that women can do this job.”

    Gee thanks. Was he trying to compliment her or me or was he trying to put me in my place? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t yet know how to read him, but I did for the first time stop to think twice if this was the job I wanted. Not because I thought I couldn’t do a “man’s job” but because I didn’t want to work in a place that thought certain jobs were for women and certain ones were for men, and that I would have a higher standard of proving myself because of my gender.

    I took that job, and both the board chair and the President and CEO became an advocate for me. I am forever grateful to both of them.

    As I now sit at the #HRTechConf listening to the pre-conference sessions on Women in HR Technology, I was reminded of this conversation that took place almost ten years ago.

    Cecile Alper-Leroux, VP, HCM Innovation at Ultimate Software, told us after one panelist said she is typically the only woman in the room, to “Stay in the Room.” If women in the workplace want to gain relevance, they need to stay in the room.  Even if a man, or a woman, tells them that the job they are in or applying for is a “man’s”.

    To stay in the room you need to:

    1. Accept the invitation. Don’t let comments, like the ones I heard, keep you from accepting the invitation to a career path, job or simply the next meeting. Show up.
    2. Invite yourself. If you aren’t invited and you should be, invite yourself. If you had value to add, add it.
    3. Invite others. Hopefully, if you’ve earned a seat at the table, you’re helping another woman find her seat. Invite her to come along with you, to the meeting, to the conference, to the career path. And don’t assign her the role of taking notes. As Trish McFarlane said in this panel, “Women often bring each other down.” Pave the way for the next person to stay in the room by realizing that doesn’t require you to exit the room. It isn’t a competition.
    4. Invite your true self to the room. Be authentic – be you. You don’t have to act like a man to do this, or another woman, even if she is the one who invited you to the room. Know what makes you unique and bring that to the table to add value.

    Are you prone to stay in the room, exit, or never show up in the first place?

     

    Interested in learning more about diversity and inclusion? Join Mary Ila at SHRM’s Diversity and Inclusion Conference as she tackles the topic of hiring for fit AND diversity.

    See session information here.

  • The Art and Science of the Side Hustle: How to Pursue Your Passions and Get Paid

    The Art and Science of the Side Hustle: How to Pursue Your Passions and Get Paid

     

    Written by guest blogger: Ben Eubanks, upstartHR

    I couldn’t sleep. It was 4:17am and I had stared at the clock for half an hour. Might as well get up and get started. I rolled out of bed with a big smile. It was my first day as the new owner of Lighthouse Research, and I felt like it was what I had always been preparing for all throughout my career.

    This scene played out a few months ago when I officially took over an HR technology research and advisory services firm, but I’ve been an entrepreneur for quite some time now. I started the journey back in 2009, and I have continued my various “side hustles” over the years. Looking back, it has been an incredible joy. I’ve taught myself many new skills, had the opportunity to work with and meet some very interesting people, and grown by leaps and bounds professionally.

    I completed some research in October 2016, and the number one thing that my audience was curious about was how to get into contracting/freelancing either as a part time or a full time opportunity, so I know this is top of mind for many people. Maybe you’re one of those people as well? If so, I’ll give you some helpful advice and insights that I have picked up along the way.

    Handling a Second Job/Gig/Activity

    As I mentioned, I’ve been doing something outside my “day job” ever since 2009. For most of that time, it has been the blog. However, I’ve also done speaking/training, HR certification study instruction for one test prep company, freelance writing, HR consulting, etc. Today I’m working part time as an HR consultant to help stay plugged into the HR community, because I left my practitioner position back in 2014 to become a technology analyst/researcher.

    Handling that second position is not always easy, but it’s doable. I have three kids (and another that will be born shortly). I go to church. I volunteer. I have other responsibilities, and I make sure they all get taken care of. Here are a few things to consider if you want to start your own side hustle:

    • Does your day job take up more than 60 hours of your week? If so, you probably can’t fit in additional work. It’s time to back that down, find another job, or put your side hustle dream on hold. Be willing to talk with your boss or explore other opportunities if it means you get to pursue the dream you’ve been holding back on.
    • Do you enjoy working on projects, connecting with new people, and wearing the “business” hat? I know that accounting, billing, etc. is one of the least favorite activities for many independent workers, but it is a part of life. Today there are many tools to help make this easier, from apps for tracking business mileage to online banking for keeping your business expenses/revenues separate from your personal funds.
    • Are you self-motivated? This is touched on below in the “passions” discussion, but it’s important that you can make something happen when it’s time to get to work. Some people don’t have the discipline to focus when nobody is standing behind them, and if that’s you, then you will have trouble making the transition to self-employment.

    How to Monetize Your Passions

    The first part is obviously to know your passions, right? Yet I see so many people that start off with the thought, “How can I make some money? What’s hot right now?” That’s a torturous path, because you can only work so hard at something that you don’t truly care about.

    In my case, I started with something that was top of mind for me, but it also tied to an activity I love. Back in 2009 I earned my HR certification. During my preparation, I started writing my thoughts and study schedule online as a way to hold myself accountable. One week, I got off schedule due to a personal issue, and I received several emails from people asking where that week’s blog was! It was then that I realized that this was bigger than a project to keep myself on track—others were interested as well.

    After I received my certification, I took my study notes, added some lessons learned, and started selling it from my website as a $19 eBook. I’ve sold hundreds of those since 2009, and I actually took it down a few years ago when I started selling a higher priced course that expanded upon the eBook content. The fun part is that I don’t have any hands-on work involved in these purchases. I created them once, and now when someone hits my site or joins my email list, they learn about the courses and can purchase them without me having to do anything. The course is delivered automatically, and everyone walks away happy.

    That’s just one example, but hopefully you start to understand how this kind of business works. Questions? Feel free to hit me up at ben@upstarthr.com and I would be happy to help however I can.
  • 3 Performance Management Lessons from Kindergarten

    3 Performance Management Lessons from Kindergarten

    color-code

    Our son started kindergarten last month. We are fortunate that he has a wonderful teacher at an outstanding school.

    However, his behavior in kindergarten started out a little rocky. The teacher took a few weeks to teach them about what behavior was expected in class before she started notifying us as parents about their behavior at the end of each day using the color-coded system you see in this picture. After two days of yellow and then a day of orange came home, you better believe the Ward household was not a happy place.  Consequences happened, but we’ve begun to see his behavior improve.

    This system seems to be the method that most classrooms are using now, and I think it calls to my attention some key insights- both positive and negative- for performance management in the workplace.

    1. Keep it simple. I’m still a little confused in this system as to what color is good, or best and what is bad. I stated in a workshop on performance management last week that while it makes intuitive sense to me that red is bad, why is pink the best? Isn’t that close to red on the color wheel? That doesn’t make sense to me. Then one lady in the audience raised her hand and said that at her kid’s school, red was the best. Really? Confusion abounds. Do we really need such complicated systems to monitor performance? In the workplace, I advocate for a three point scale. Does not meet expectations. Meets expectations. Exceeds expectations.  Isn’t it really that simple?

    2. Communicate expectations upfront. The teacher has done a good job of showing the kids at the beginning of school what her classroom expectations are and responding with appropriate consequences and rewards given the color-coding system. She gave the kids time to get used to it before the wrath or praise of parents started. (Our little one tattles on himself, so we knew before we actually started getting the colors that things weren’t going so well…).

    Do you communicate performance expectations upfront? Your onboarding process should include, day one, a discussion about the performance management system you have in place, the expectations you have for each employee, and an opportunity for those employees to ask questions to clarify those expectations. It will positively impact performance if they actually know what good performance looks like.

    3. Give people opportunities to grow and an environment to thrive. I have been pleased to see that the teacher doesn’t seem to label the kids because one day was a bad (or great) day. Pink or red doesn’t define you for life. I think too often when it comes to performance, we assume that once we see bad performance, we are never going to see any good. However, when we understand what makes people tick, we can better adapt to what job responsibilities and environments give them the opportunities to grow and thrive.

    Andrew casually mentioned at the beginning of this week that they were all sitting at new tables with new friends. Although I haven’t confirmed this with the teacher, I think that she, after a month with all them, has learned which kids influence each other positively and which ones seem to have a not so good effect. The little boy Andrew has become instant friends with in his class is not at his table anymore. I think they talk too much and end up getting each other in trouble, and the teacher knows this, so, I’m guessing, she modified their environment to help them succeed.

    Keep it simple. Communicate expectations. Create an environment for growth. Does your performance management system and philosophy do these three things?

  • 4 Tips for Succeeding as a Woman in Male Dominated Career Field

    4 Tips for Succeeding as a Woman in Male Dominated Career Field

    Today’s post comes from a guest blogger, Sara Beth Wilcox.  Sara Beth is Project Manager with a large construction company.

    With high aspirations to be an architect, I went to Auburn University and spent a year in the program before my professors told me what I already knew: I was not a good fit.  I switched to Building Science and found immediately that it had all the things that made me want to be an Architect and was a better fit for my interests and skills in organizing and scheduling activities in a sequence to reach a finished product.

    As a reflect on my work, there are four key observations and advice from my first ten years working as a female in a sea of males on construction sites:

     

    1. Shake it off.  People are going to assume, and usually will ask if you are the secretary when they walk into a construction jobsite trailer.  Once people are informed that you are not the secretary, they usually have additional comments about the fact that you are a female in construction. Sometimes these folks are genuinely interested in what got you interested in construction, sometimes their comments are mean and intended to be so. Work to learn how to discern between the two and when you encounter the latter, let it roll off your back then get in your car and turn on Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off”.  I find it impossible to remain angry after a good “haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate …” sing along.

    2. You can be a part of the team and still be you.  You can be a part of the team without having to be “one of the guys”.  About 99% of my coworkers hunt. I do not.  And I do not have to hunt for them to like me.  Support your team by sharing in their excitement when they kill the big buck or call in the turkey but do not try to tag along or fake interest unless you genuinely enjoy it.  Have your own interest and use those to your advantage.  In addition to already mentioning Taylor Swift, I am going to further perpetuate the female stereotype here: I really love to bake. And, I have found that my co-workers and field staff are usually more willing to help me when I bring homemade cookies to a meeting, this is known as the ultimate win-win.

    3. Be real.  I was at a conference recently speaking on a panel with other women in construction. A fellow female panelist advised the high school students we were talking to: ”NEVER let them see you cry”, the “them” referring to male counterparts. I was more than a little taken aback by this statement and disagree completely. We all deal with things differently. Unfortunately, when I am stressed I cry.  I wish it wasn’t true but I have tried my hardest and there’s just no getting around that knot in my throat when I experience a major disappointment or setback at work. This does not happen on a regular basis, but it has happened and will happen again. I try to seek privacy but sometimes it is just too late. I am not ashamed by the fact that I deal with stress differently than my male peers, it is who I am.

    4. Work hard; comparisons aren’t necessary.  Construction is hard work. It is physically and emotionally (see above) taxing on me. Do I have to work harder to prove myself because I am female? Do I make the same as my male co-workers? I honestly have no idea.  (I am able to focus less on fair wages because I trust the company I work for. I recognize not everyone has this luxury and am not suggesting that it should be overlooked if you think as a female you are making less than your male counterparts.) I work hard because I love what I do, I do not want to let my co-workers down, and because it is the right thing to do for my company. Someone smart once said “Comparison is the thief of Joy.” So true, and it’s also the thief of productivity. The less time you spend comparing yourself as a female to your male coworkers, the more time you have to give your job your all!

     

    Be Yourself. Work Hard. And don’t spend much time thinking about being a female in a male dominated industry. When you do come across something that distinguishes you from your male counterparts: recognize it, embrace it, then get back to work!

    Are you a female or a male in an industry dominated by the other gender?  What is the best advice you have for navigating in your role?

  • Count Your Problems and Be Thankful

    Count Your Problems and Be Thankful

    An employee of yours is late for the third time this week; you know you are going to have to have a discussion with him. Your company has had a stellar year. Now you’re worried about what size check you are going to have stroke to Uncle Sam come April 15th. A customer calls mad because their name was spelled wrong on a letter you sent to them. You realized you sent a marketing piece to print containing incorrect numbers. To top it all, your computer crashed and, ouch, you don’t have your files backed up.

    Leaders deal with problems day in and day out and better yet, we’re responsible for fixing them. The buck stops with us.

    Yet good leaders realize that most of the problems that they deal with are of the fancy variety (as Editor and Chief of Southern Living, Lindsay Bierman describes in his November issue letter). No one is dying; no one has maliciously been harmed.

    This doesn’t negate the fact that the problems still have to be handled and can be stressful to deal with, but it is the realization or perspective that most of our problems are of the first world variety means that we are better equipped to handle them in a proactive and effective manner.

    During this week and month of thankfulness, count your problems, realizing most of them are of the fancy variety, and give thanks.