Horizon Point writes about dozens of leadership, career, workplace, and workforce topics. Sometimes we write whatever we want. Read this category for general blogs from the HPC team.
Horizon Point has been working on two NEW Career Development Practitioner Training Offerings available Fall 2024. One will be a School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) Training. The other, an Alabama Workforce Challenges & Solutions course.
School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) Training
Horizon Point’s SCDA Training is designed for providers who work in many settings and help prepare students for meaningful work and managing their careers. These providers work with other staff to coordinate the design, implementation, and monitoring of school and community-based efforts to improve the chances of students entering the job market with skills, knowledge, and credentials to be competitive.
The objectives for the SCDA Training are organized into two primary competency areas (1) knowledge of skills related to student advising and (2) knowledge of skills related to working with business and industry. SCDA Training can be offered independently, for those with school experience, or it can be offered in collaboration with Facilitating Career Development (FCD) Training for those who want more information on providing quality career development services. SCDA Training is a total of 48 hours of instruction.
We are experiencing unique workforce challenges in Alabama, and solutions seem out of reach. As educators, employers, and community leaders, we can move the needle forward and create workplaces that put People First. Our Workforce Challenges and Solutions training focuses on practical methods to get more people working by understanding the challenges and implementing solutions.
In this workshop participants will:
Examine the Labor Participation Rate and relevant labor market trends
Discuss research and data around why labor participation rates are in decline
Explore strategies to remove barriers and pull people into meaningful work
As you can see, this has been an exciting time for Career Development at Horizon Point. We hope that you take advantage of all that we have to offer this Fall!
How would your grandmother state your organizational values? Well, ChatGTP might give you some insights.
As I sat down with a client to help them form their values statements after the values mapping session I facilitated, we decided there were a few words that just weren’t right. They were close, but we needed a better word or two, so we stuck what we had into ChatGTP. After various takes on the language, including how your southern grandmother would say it-with of course, several “bless your hearts” thrown in from ChatGTP and some laughter from us- we landed on descriptors that resonated with the behaviors we were trying to articulate through shared language.
There is a lot of talk about what AI- Artificial Intelligence-is going to do to this world, or has already done. Jillian highlighted how it was a focus at the Annual ATD conference in her recent blog post. As she said, we are all relatively new to it and not very good at it, but think it deserves some attention.
Whereas many people want to make AI out to be the next major moral dilemma or our times, the way everyone is going to “cheat” in school and on the job, or what is going to take all our jobs away, I think taking more of a practical approach to what AI is and can do for business, specifically HR deserves some focus. So we are going to spend some time learning and then sharing that learning with you in a series of blog posts.
Over the next few weeks, we will be writing about how we and others are using AI to impact HR practices that will hopefully provide insights into how you might use it at work as well. We will talk about the tools being used, give you some thoughts on how it might make you a better practitioner and leader, and provide insights on what we see may be coming next.
AI may not be right for your organization just yet, but it may help you get a good laugh in or channel the language of your inner grandmother when you are trying to find just the right words for your next job description, proposal, or values statements. Or, you could try CanvaAI and let it illustrate your next blog post…. Which illustration do you like better?
Summer is in full swing. The days are long, the kids are out of school, and the office may not be quite as bustling as it usually is whether it’s the physical office space or your email inbox because people are taking vacation. Have you heard of slow productivity?
I myself just took a long vacation, kicking off the summer for two weeks at the beach, but working intermittently while there. It was a long spring, and for the first time our family was able to check out for more than the standard one week, once a year vacation and get away.
While there, I dove deeper into some of Cal Newport’s work around slow productivity. He postulates in his book Deep Work that there are four philosophies for deep work. The type of work you do, your natural disposition, and the season of life you are in all play into which one is best for you.
They are:
The Monastic Approach- Eliminate all the shallow work you can to focus deeply on one thing
The Bimodal Approach- Create clearly defined stretches for deep work and then back to regular routine for stretches of time
The Rhythmic Approach- Daily deep work sessions that occur at consistent times each day
The Journalist Approach- Fit in deep work when and where you can. To note, this approach is not for the novice of deep work!
Watch this cool video to get a good overview of these.
While I find something that is appealing in each one of these approaches, you, like me, may not be at a stage in life or working at a place or in a field where one or some of these are realistic.
Even though only one approach is called “rhythmic” all of them have some thought of a rhythm tied to them, and it takes some reflection on what rhythms work for you. And these may change overtime.
In looking at some of the research as well as my own experience, some thoughts on rhythms emerge to order to do deep work and do it well and consistently:
Daily Rhythms- To do your best work:
Break every 50 min to an hour, get up and move around if you work with your mind, sit down and rest if you work with your hands
Utilize time blocking techniques to complete tasks that take deep thought; batch work shallow work into a time block to get it done efficiently
Honor the “trough” period of the day when your energy is lacking (most people’s is in the early afternoon) by scheduling shallow work or a break during this time
For more great thoughts on daily rhythms and the research behind it, read When.
Weekly Rhythms– To do your best work:
Take one hour to plan at the beginning of each week (or at the end of the previous week) to map out your “big rocks” for the week and schedule time to get deep work done
I like to have one day a week that does not have any meetings or appointments scheduled to focus on deep work and catching up
Get a Full Focus Planner to help you with the weekly rhythm and big rock setting
Monthly to Quarterly Rhythms- To do your best work:
Reflect- What worked and what didn’t in the previous period? Celebrate what did.
Refocus- Chart out goals for the upcoming period and block time for those that may require or need the bimodal approach for deep work if you are lucky enough to have the autonomy to deploy this approach.
Again, use the Full Focus Planner to help with this. It operates on a quarterly model so it naturally helps you structure your thinking around reflecting and focusing.
Yearly Rhythms- To do your best work:
Honor the seasons if your work has periods of intensity and down time and schedule accordingly; deploy the bimodal approach if you can.
Our approach at HPC is every three years a sabbatical occurs for deep rest and deep reflection. This is a period of six to eight weeks of complete time off from work.
Overall, rhythms and slow productivity create the opportunity for reflection that helps foster deep and creative work. As the CEO of Airbnb Brian Chesky stated on Adam Grant’s podcast, if you don’t create rhythms, “you’re just on the treadmill and that gets boring and anxiety ridden fairly quickly.”
How do you create rhythms in your life to do work and do it well?
I finally had the opportunity to attend an ATD International Conference & Exposition, known as ICE by true ATD-ers. This year’s event in New Orleans featured a stellar lineup of keynote speakers, a broad range of learning sessions, and countless opportunities for relationshipping and professional growth.
Matthew McConaughey Was There
Known for his captivating storytelling and unique perspective on life, Matthew McConaughey’s keynote, “Greenlights: Rethinking Success and Leadership,” drew from his personal experiences and professional journey. He shared insights from his #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, Greenlights, which chronicles his life’s pivotal moments and the lessons learned along the way.
His speech emphasized the importance of resilience, authenticity, and embracing life’s challenges as opportunities for growth. McConaughey’s engaging storytelling and down-to-earth wisdom resonated deeply with attendees, leaving them inspired to lead with courage and creativity in their own careers.
And So Was Artificial Intelligence
That section about Matthew McConaughey was written with ChatGPT (except for the picture I took from wayyyy in the back). Since I got home from the conference, I’ve been challenging myself to use more AI tools. I’m a Millennial, I’m no Zoomer digital native.
I’m excited about the potential of AI in helping HR and TD professionals provide higher quality services, and I’m also bristling at the fact that I’m not very good at using it yet. I like being good at things (set up for the next section on Daniel Pink!), and I’m not good at AI. But I’m trying. That’s probably the biggest takeaway for me from ATD42; none of us in talent development are all that good at using AI just yet, but we’re trying!
I Filled Up My Notebook
I took feverish notes during every session I attended. I’m usually the one just taking pictures of the slides (I still did) and maybe sending myself links to view later. ATD24 was so juicy for me that I had to scribble down everything everyone said for 4 days.
My favorite note that I immediately shared with the HPC team was from Daniel H. Pink, one of our all-time favorite authors. He’s cheeky. He grounds his writing in real, relevant research. The quote I wrote down, underlined, and sent to the team was, “Make a To Don’t List”.
For context, Dan meant that sometimes we get so stuck on “getting sh*t done” that we get in our way. In his own life, his To Don’t List includes things like:
Don’t start the day answering emails
If I’m not willing to do it next week, don’t say yes to it
Dan also says he keeps a notebook at his desk that is specifically for acknowledging and recording progress. At the end of every day, he writes down 3 ways he made progress. He admits that he never looks at it again, but the act of writing down his progress to close out the day helps him leave his desk feeling accomplished. I’m going to try it, and I hope you will, too.
There Was Something For Everyone
This section was also written using ChatGPT, when I asked it to summarize the conference. It’s a pretty good summary! ATD has something for everyone.
Learning Tracks and Sessions
The conference featured a diverse array of learning tracks designed to cater to various aspects of talent development and HR management. These included:
Career Development: Focused on helping professionals advance their careers and develop others’ skills.
Future Readiness: Addressed the skills and knowledge needed to prepare organizations for future challenges.
Instructional Design: Covered the latest trends and best practices in designing effective learning experiences.
Leadership & Management Development: Aimed at enhancing leadership skills and strategic management capabilities.
Learning Sciences: Explored evidence-based methods for improving learning and performance.
Learning Technologies: Examined the use of technology to facilitate learning in the modern workplace.
Managing the Learning Function: Discussed strategic approaches to managing learning and development programs.
Measurement & Evaluation: Focused on assessing the effectiveness of talent development initiatives.
Networking and Expo
The ATD Expo was a major highlight, featuring exhibitors showcasing the latest tools, technologies, and services in talent development. It provided attendees with hands-on experiences and the opportunity to explore innovative solutions that can enhance their organizations’ learning and development programs.
Additional Highlights
Preconference Learning: Offered intensive workshops and certificate programs for deep dives into specific topics.
Career Center: Provided career coaching, resume reviews, and networking opportunities to help attendees advance their professional journeys.
Virtual Experience: Ensured that those unable to attend in person could still participate in key sessions and network with peers virtually..
How is Your Soul?
The theme for ATD24 was Recharge Your Soul. I absolutely felt recharged when I left, so much that I couldn’t stop talking about it (still can’t).
Robert “X” Fogarty asked us in the opening session how our souls were doing, and I can’t speak for anyone else, but I needed to hear that. So much of what we do in HR and Talent Development comes from the soul. If the soul’s not doing so hot, the impact isn’t there either.
X started Dear World, and I totally recommend checking it out. At Horizon Point, we are People First and we put People First, and we believe that people’s stories are important. Dear World is all about using stories to inspire and connect people. Take a look at their work, and also ask yourself, “How is your soul?”.
We are only in May and already we have seen a number of employment law updates this year that have a huge impact on employers. Johnson, Paseur, & Medley, LLC shared the info in the images below with us:
Fair Labor Standards Act
The #1 change everyone is talking about and preparing for is the recent update to FLSA. Effective July 1, 2024, the salary threshold for a position to be eligible for exempt status will increase to $43,888 ($844 per week) and will increase again effective January 1, 2025 to $58,656 ($1,128 per week). This is almost a 65% increase in the threshold and will have a significant impact on many employers and employees. In addition, the highly comped threshold will increase from $132,964 to $151,164 effective January 1, 2025.
As the first deadline is quickly approaching, employers should be reviewing the current salaries of all exempt staff to determine how many employees this will impact and how to proceed with each position. Below are a few things to consider:
If an employee’s current salary is close to the new January 2025 threshold, would it be more beneficial to increase their salary to meet the new requirement.
If an employee’s current salary is between the July 2024 and January 2025 thresholds, when should you move them to a non-exempt status and how far in advance should you communicate that change to the affected employees?
For those employees that you will need to convert to non-exempt, is moving them to a salary non-exempt position the right option for your organization? This means that you guarantee an employee their full salary for hours worked up to 40, but would still be required to pay them overtime for hours worked in excess of 40 per work week.
When do you need to have these converted employees set up in your timekeeping system so that they can begin to track their hours, and do you need to schedule training for these employees on how to use the timekeeping system?
Does your organization have highly comped employees who will be impacted by the threshold increase and if so, what is the best way to navigate that impact?
And the biggest question employers must ask is what financial impact will this change have on your organization and how can you mitigate that impact?
Also, employers need to be prepared for the long-term effects of the most recent FLSA changes, as it also includes an increase every three years, with the next increase going into effect July 1, 2027. The rate of change has not been determined and will be calculated every three years based on current calculation methods, so the full impact of future increases is still unknown.
To assist employers with understanding the new FLSA rules, the Department of Labor has scheduled two webinars that employers can sign up to attend for free.
Non-Compete Agreements
In April, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a ruling banning most non-competes effective September 4, 2024. This ban includes non-competes for all employees, including senior executives. Current non-competes become null and void for most employees, with the exception of senior executives. If senior executives have a current non-compete, they can remain in force if those individuals earn at least $151,164 and are policy makers. However, effective September 4th, no new non-competes can be entered into with senior executives.
As part of this ruling, companies who have current non-competes in place will be required to notify all employees, excluding those current senior executives, that the non-competes will be null and void effective September 4, 2024. To aid in this effort, the FTC has provided sample language employers can use.
While employers can no longer utilize non-compete agreements, there are alternatives to help protect proprietary information, such as a non-disclosure agreement or confidentiality agreement. In addition, Federal Trade Laws provide a great deal of protection to employers.
EEOC Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace
A few weeks ago, the EEOC released final guidance for employers on the legal standards and employer liability that apply to harassment claims. This new issuance was designed to update and consolidate the previous five guidance documents issued between 1987 and 1999. Since the last guidance was issued, there have been significant changes to discrimination laws, including the landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) in which the Supreme Court ruled that sexual orientation and gender identity were protected under Title VII.
The newly issued guidance includes a significant number of examples to illustrate various forms of harassment and discrimination, not only from coworkers, but also from vendors, customers, and other third parties. It also addresses the changes in the workforce, such as remote work, increased use and modernization of technology, and social media harassment.
In addition to these changes, there have been some significant guidance documents released recently, as well as a significant decision by the Supreme Court that impacts discrimination claims.
In addition to the updates above, there are a number of items that HR professionals and business leaders should keep on their radar this year.
CROWN Act of 2024: The CROWN Act has once again been presented in the House. If passed, this legislation would provide discrimination protection against individuals with hairstyles that are commonly associated with national origin or ethnic background.
