Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Beyond Work

Beyond Work is our line of resources for people and community leaders looking for something new and innovative outside, be it a new job, career change, or personal development outside of work.

  • What’s Your Value? 2 Ways to Know and Get What You’re Worth

    What’s Your Value? 2 Ways to Know and Get What You’re Worth

    Out looking for a job or considering a discussion with your boss about a raise?  If you are, you need to do your research to consider what the knowledge, skills, and abilities you have are worth in the marketplace and to the company in which you work or are negotiating with. (Note:  The best time to negotiate your worth is before you accept a job. Once you get locked in a job and a salary range, usually the only way to get a substantial raise is to switch jobs either through a promotion or a move to another organization.)  

    Get the facts about what you’re worth in the market.

    The first thing to do is compare what you do with salary data that is free out there.  Some places to look review salary data: 

    Career One Stop

    Salary.com

    Salary Expert

    BLS

    Take all these sources and compile them to average out what an overall market range is for your role.  Having the facts about what the market will pay for your skills will help you create a case for your value. 

    Know what you’re worth to the organization and suggest that worth be tied to your compensation package. 

    Next, you need to consider how you will or are currently adding value to the organization that may be outside the scope of the traditional job description tied to published salary data. If you are, we suggest instead of trying to get that value quantified through a salary, really prove this worth by suggesting that part of your compensation be tied to that extra value you add. You don’t get that extra unless you create a win-win for the company.  

    For example, if you are awesome at looking at company processes, realizing where there are inefficiencies and cutting costs which leads to increased profitability and margins, gather your numbers and facts and present a case to get a share as a part of your compensation of that increase profitability you created or know you can create.

    If, through your efforts, you are able to bring in more clients or business, quantify this and request part of your compensation be tied to a cut of the increased revenue that comes from your efforts. 

    Most employers will be impressed with the initiative you take to tie your results to company results. Yeah, it is riskier to not have it all in guaranteed in salary, but the alternative is more than likely a 2-3% increase a year and no one gets rich off this.  

    How do you make a case for your value? 

    Want more? You may also like: 

    Know Your Value

    Why you should STOP being afraid of negotiating salary

  • 4 Tips to Help You Delegate Learned from Grocery Delivery

    4 Tips to Help You Delegate Learned from Grocery Delivery

    Publix grocery delivery has changed my life!  Well maybe that is an exaggeration but discovering how easy and beneficial this is at nine months pregnant is a game-changer.  If you haven’t tried it (or another type of grocery delivery service) I suggest you do.  It is saving me at least two hours weekly prepping for the grocery store, going to the grocery store, shopping, and then unloading all groceries.   

    It’s delegating a task that you can’t create (or are the best person to create) value from at its finest.  It’s what millionaires do. The best kind of delegating.  

    Leadership is a game of delegation too. It is a game of defining vision and then creating tasks/objectives to achieve that vision in a way that selects the best people to do each task/objective in a way that optimizes returns. It should kill two birds with one stone: allowing you as a leader to optimally maximize your time and the time of others while teaching and imparting valuable skills to others.  

    I’m in a transition much like my grocery store delegation in my business right now. With very competent and capable staff members, a new baby on the way, and a new business launch this year that is hyper-focused on key growth objectives, I’ve spent much of the last three months delegating things to others that I know they are better suited to contribute value to than I am in a way that also grows their skills and learning. 

    In all of this, I’ve learned some keys to maximizing the delegation game: 

    1. Realize the importance and reason for delegating. This is pretty much described above, but reading the two posts linked out in the text above will really provide additional context for this: 

     It’s what millionaires do. It should kill two birds with one stone.

    Once you understand this, it’s pretty clear to see that spending $99.00 a year on grocery delivery service and a $5.00-10.00 tip each time for the driver is totally worth it. Not that I would be spending the same exact time each day that I would be going to the grocery store billing clients, but I can do the math and know my two hours each week is much better spent on other things.  Much like if I delegate important tasks that someone else can do better than I can, it frees up my time to contribute value in the best way I can. 

    1. Have a mode to support the transfer of task/outcomes/objectives that is easy to use. This is usually in the form of some type of technology that works well. The Publix grocery delivery app is so easy to use, and I haven’t had any trouble finding the products I need.  Since I can pick specific products with specific SKU’s it makes the delegation of what I want easy for the person that is shopping for me.  It is clear and straightforward.  

    In business, we use a CRM/project management tool called Insightly.  Everyone on our team can create business contacts, opportunities, projects, and tasks and assign things to others in an easy and intuitive way.   I can check it at regular intervals to see progress on things without having to bother the person working on something, and I also get notifications when things are completed via email and my phone. The Publix grocery app does the same thing. I know exactly when the person starts shopping for my groceries, I can track what items he/she has in their cart, and it notifies me when they are on their way with an arrival time.  

    1. Have a mode to support communication when clarity of task assignment or objectives is needed. Not everything can easily be communicated through an app, but tools like being able to put notes in my produce items (such as, “I want green bananas instead of ripe yellow or brown ones.”) can help you specify what is needed.  They can also reach out to you to ask questions about your grocery needs if they need clarity via the app. 

    Obviously, business communication isn’t as easy as whether you want your bananas green or yellow.  But the same principle applies. The way this looks like for us is an open channel to always call or email me with questions and vice versa related to project scope or tasks. In addition, we hold monthly one-on-one meetings to communicate and clarify roles and responsibilities and calibrate towards the ultimate goals. 

    1. Have a mode for feedback. One delivery led to some rotten grapes and some green onions that looked like they had been soaked in water and drowned. The app always sends a push notification asking you to provide feedback on the experience and your groceries. I was able to note this feedback, and they refunded my money for both items. 

    When we are trying to use delegation as a way to grow and develop others, feedback channels always need to be open and need to be two-way. Our monthly one-on-ones help to foster this dialogue.  For example, our newest team member is still adjusting to moving to a new city for this role and also transitioning from a very structured work environment (otherwise known as be here from 8 am-5 pm M-F) to a very unstructured one (where it is we don’t care how and when you get work done, just get it done by always keeping the vision, mission, and the customer’s needs top of mind). We discussed her concerns related to this transition period during our last one-on-one and also discussed ways to help with this different way of working that she is suited for, but still not accustomed to. This was also a time for me to ask her what I could do differently, or would be helpful in communicating with her given the adjustment in proximity to me and co-workers she is collaborating with as we all work remotely. 

     

    What lessons have you learned to help you delegate more effectively?  

  • Why a Decline in Teens Working is Bad For Them and Bad For Business

    Why a Decline in Teens Working is Bad For Them and Bad For Business

    The diamond on my ringer finger I can thank in part to a teenager engaging in summer work. My husband worked during the summer every year starting at age fifteen. And although I wasn’t even on his radar at age 15, nor do I think marriage to anyone was at that point in time, his hard work and savings from that hard work led to a lovely diamond on my hand that he paid cash for.

    He worked painting schools, mowing grass, driving a forklift at a lumber yard and building tree stands while in high school. His college work experience transitioned from labor-intensive endeavors to work related to his college major and ultimate career goals.

    My husband was fortunate that he didn’t have to pay for college. His parents saved for it and paid for it as did some scholarship money. And he was fortunate that he didn’t have to buy his own car. His grandmother did. So, you can say he was fortunate that he had money saved from summer work that didn’t go to pay for things that most kids use summer earnings for.  But in my opinion, it wasn’t so much about the money he gained from summer work, it was what he learned from it that created value.

    But according to a report by the Brooking Institute, “all school and no work becoming the norm for American teens”:

    From 2000 to 2018, the labor force participation rate of 16- to 64-year-olds fell 3.6 percentage points. In previous work, we have shown that declining labor force participation among young people contributed substantially to this decline. In this analysis, we describe how teenagers (16–19-year-olds) have shifted away from working or seeking work and the impact this shift has had on the aggregate labor force participation rate.

    The lack of labor participation from teens is contributing to the overall lack of labor supply in the United States.  This is a problem at the macro level.

    But a bigger problem I see at the micro-level is that teens are spending so much time on school and other endeavors that they aren’t learning the value created from first jobs at an age where that learning is truly more valuable than what can be learned in the classroom or in trying to pursue two more points on an ACT score.  And this is actually hurting the macro picture more by affecting the ability of teens to transition into the labor force successfully full-time and contribute in meaningful ways.

     

    This is because work at an early age teaches:

    1. The value of a dollar.  In a workplace where financial stress is an increasing concern, early work could help students understand earning their own money, saving, and how far their earnings actually go. You never know when you are going to want to buy a diamond. Thank goodness we didn’t start out our marriage strapped with a loan to pay off the ring on my hand.
    2. Showing up on time and being present is more than half the battle. My husband often says that his summers were more demanding than his school year.  He had to be at football workouts at 5 AM in order to be at work by 7 AM.  Having to maintain a full work schedule and juggle other activities is an important learning step and is one in which a lot of teens may be learning too late.  And one in which I fear school and sports/extracurricular activities don’t accurately mirror in the real world.
    3. An understanding and exposure to different things that can help teens best discern what they want to be when they grow up. My husband learned really quick the value of education (much more than focusing on it directly like a lot of teens do now) sweating in 100+ degree heat building tree stands and working at a lumberyard for minimum wage.  When he was older and working in the field he thought he wanted to pursue, it helped to confirm a connection to the work and the types of role(s) and work environments he’d like to pursue.  For example, he realized that even though he was good at it, he preferred operations over financial areas of health care administration, and discovered he desired to work in a not-for-profit setting as opposed to a for-profit one.

     

    We’ve got to stop and think for a moment as individuals and as a society, what are the best means to an end?  In the end, I think we as parents, teens, teachers, and business leaders want to help young people engage in things that lead to long term success and allow them to define what that success looks like for themselves.

  • 7 Pieces of Advice for Becoming a Great Speaker

    7 Pieces of Advice for Becoming a Great Speaker

    Spending the last week at the National #SHRM19 conference with 20,000 plus people provided the opportunity to see and hear a lot of speakers across a diverse group of topics and styles.   

    As I reflect on what made some stand out over others, I find this list of advice helpful to myself as a speaker and hopefully to you too, regardless of the size of the audience or the subject you may find yourself addressing: 

    1. Pictures and stories are worth 1000 words. If you can illustrate with a picture or a story, don’t put the words on a slide. No one reads a bunch of words on a slide.  The fewer slides and the less content on the slide, the better.  
    2. Establish your legitimacy and expertise through your content, not through bragging on or touting yourself.   I heard one guy say to begin his presentation, “I have thousands of clients, both national and international.  I consult all over the world on this stuff.” I almost tuned him out there and then ended up walking out of his presentation because the delivery of his content was mind-numbingly boring and the slides had so much jumbled information on them, it was impossible to follow. 
    3. Don’t sell your topic during your presentation. People have already shown up for the topic. Give them what you’ve promised you’d deliver by sticking to the topic you advertised you’d be speaking about. 
    4. Get to the point. Talk about what people came to hear, but make sure you give background info to frame your point when needed.  There is a delicate balance of making sure you provide context to people who may not know much about the topic compared to those who may be in the room that is seasoned on the topic.  Balance providing context without boring the experts.
    5. Engage the audience in some way through discussion, social media activity, writing and or personal reflection exercises with a partner. 
    6. Provide tactical things people can actually go back to the office and do/apply. 
    7. Follow-up with resource materials and slides to your audience via email or through the appropriate conference channels. 

     

    What have speakers you’ve seen done that made them stand out as a great speaker? 

  • Leadership Reminders From my Night in O’Hare

    Leadership Reminders From my Night in O’Hare

    Things don’t always go as planned. 

    After a great week at SHRM19 in Las Vegas, I planned to be back in the comforts of my own home Wednesday night. But thanks to bad weather and a missed connection, I spent the night at Chicago O’Hare Airport. I was exhausted and just wanted to get home. But what could have been a miserable experience turned out to be an adventure. And as I sit here watching the sun come up over Chicago, waiting for my flight home, I’m reminded of a few leadership lessons. 

    1. Be flexible. Things won’t always go as planned. Be willing, and able, to adjust to unexpected changes. Be willing to consider plan B or plan C, and sometimes Plan D. And don’t be surprised if someone else comes up with a better solution. As I stood in line last night waiting to try to get a flight home, I considered my options, which included flying into Nashville and driving almost two hours back to Huntsville. When I finally got up to the ticket counter, the customer service rep came up with a better solution for me, she switched my airline from United to American and was able to get me on an early morning flight and have me home by 10 AM when every United flight wouldn’t have gotten me home until late afternoon. 
    2. Be patient. Try to look at the situation from other perspectives and understand what those involved are trying to accomplish or are enduring. Due to the bad weather, the line at customer service took me almost two hours to get through. I was tired and not looking forward to a night in the airport, but I knew that it was due to circumstances outside of anyone’s control and the Delta customer service reps were working diligently to help fliers find a way to their destinations. Even though I stood in line for so long, the experience was a positive one and I didn’t mind the long wait. (the free fruit snacks and bottled water helped!)
    3. Seek out a mentor or partner. Find someone who has been there and done that who you can learn from, or at the least, someone who is in the same boat that you can walk the walk with. Last night while grounded in Milwaukee I met Allison on the plane. She too attended the SHRM Conference and was trying to get back to Huntsville. We decided to stick together through this adventure and that made it much more bearable, and even fun. And since neither of us has ever found ourselves missing our flight and stuck overnight in an airport, it was nice to have someone else to figure it out with. 
    4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes you just can’t figure it all out on your own. Others may have information or solutions that you need, you just need to ask. After getting our return flight figured out, walking for what felt like forever to our new terminal gate, and trying to figure out how we were going to get any sleep, we met a very nice housekeeper and asked her how we could get a blanket. She led us to the jackpot! Thanks to her help we found two bags full of fresh blankets and were able to use them to make ourselves “beds” on the floor so that we could get at least a little bit of sleep during the night. 

    You don’t have to be in a leadership role to practice leadership. How do you practice leadership at work or outside of work?