How do you balance work and life?
January 6, 2010
I wrote a guest blog this week for Business Women’s Finishing School & Social Club, a work oriented blog that addresses “Everything you didn’t learn in school that will help you survive the work of work”. My blog post describes my experiences in balancing motherhood and work.
A lot has changed since I began my career in the 1970’s. Working women and mothers are the norm, not a novelty. Equal rights are guaranteed under the law not only for women, but for other classes of employees who were formerly discriminated against based on race, age, physical abilities, affectional orientation, etc.
Although the laws have changed, the difficulty of giving work and priorities outside of work adequate attention remains challenging. What’s your story about balancing work and life?
Announcing Kronos Retail Labor Index
September 8, 2009
The following guest blog post from Robert Yerex, chief economist at Kronos, introduces the Kronos Retail Labor Index being announced today:
The most interesting part of my job as chief economist at Kronos is working with the huge data sets made available through our hiring system. Based on application and hiring records from 69 of our retail clients, we have created a metric called the Kronos Retail Labor Index. Over the last three years, this Index has been a leading indicator of not only the retail economy but the U.S. economy overall. The Index is a measure of the relationship between the demand for, and supply of labor front-line labor in the retail sector. The jobs being filled are the front-end of the consumer-retail supply chain. Retailers can make changes at this end of the chain more easily and more quickly than anywhere else. As such these employees are figuratively the “canary in the coalmine” for the rest of the retail industry. Economists are always on the lookout for new leading indicators and this one has great potential. The Index is being made publically available for the first time today and can be accessed at: www.kronos.com/retail-labor-index. Going forward the Index will be updated on a monthly basis. I have had the chance to preview the Index with analysts and press, and the reception has been excellent.
Click here to listen to a podcast of my interview with Dr. Yerex and Steve Earl, director of product marketing at Kronos.
A Cut(co) Above - Training for Life
June 25, 2009
I was telling our board member Mel Kleiman this story yesterday and he suggested it would make a good blog post. Here goes.
My 19 year old son is working for Vector Marketing this summer, selling Cutco knives. Vector is a 60 year old company that sells high end cutlery through a workforce principally comprised of temporary contract employees. The product is very good - my oldest Cutco knives are almost 20 years old. Having been a prior customer, I’ve been fascinated by a close up view of how they develop their reps and keep them engaged. There are lessons here that most employers can and should apply to their own workforce.
- Train your employees to generate the outcomes you require - Cutco has a formula they’ve refined over 60 years and they make sure their employees can execute that formula.
- Keep in regular contact with your employees to understand their progress and motivate them to even better performance - The reps call the office every day to report on their sales results as well as their pipeline building activities.
- Recognize and reward superior accomplishment - Commission rates expand in proportion to the rep’s cumulative sales. Reps who achieve short term challenge goals earn more.
While my son may occasionnally chafe at the structure of the Cutco process, he’s learned a few things this summer beyond how to sell knives:
- Customer communication skills are critical - he has to make appointments to build a pipeline, and he has to make a compelling argument for his product to earn commissions.
- Planning is key to success - if he doesn’t schedule time to make appointments, they don’t make themselves.
- Customer service is hard, but worth it - he’s had a few difficult appointments with difficult people, but has prevailed through patience and humor.
All in all, he won’t retire for life on his Cutco earnings, but he’s learned valuable lessons he can take to the bank.
Pandemics and Presenteeism
May 1, 2009
In light of this week’s worldwide frenzied reaction to the appearance of the H1N1 flu virus in Mexico and its apparent rapid spread elsewhere in the world, it’s important to remember that according to the Centers for Disease control about 36,000 Americans die each year from complications of “normal” seasonal influenza viruses. That’s about 0.01% of the US population. Whether the H1N1 virus turns out to drive higher than average mortality in affected people remains to be seen, but flu outbreaks are clearly a major health concern that employers need to take seriously in order to protect their employees health as well as their organizational well being.
This April 2009 study published by the Journal of Occupational Safety and Health indicates that absenteeism and presenteeism combined cost employers $2.30 for every $1.00 they spend on medical and pharmaceutical claims. As recently as last week, we published the results of a recent Workforce Institute survey in which 30% respondents indicated they are more likely to go work when they would normally stay home due to their concern about financial security. This economic stressor, combined with the looming flu pandemic, makes it more important than ever for managers to curb worker presenteeism.
We agree with advice being offered by government authorities and suggest that employers encourage employees to stay home when they are sick and provide flexibility and the necessary infrastructure to enable employees to work from home when they are sick. At Kronos, we’re practicing what we preach. We closed our Mexico City office until May 6, encouraging employees to work from home, or, in cases where their jobs aren’t conducive to working from home, we have given employees paid time off. We will reevaluate over the next several days to determine if it is safe for employees to return to work.
We have also:
- Encouraged our leadership team to suspend all non- essential travel to Mexico for all employees;
- Encouraged employees to speak to their manager if they are planning business travel and have concerns over the trip given the potential health risks; and
- Encouraged employees who are returning from Mexico (business or pleasure) to work from home for two business days before returning to the office.
Stay well!
Workplace Tug of War - Workers Want More Work
April 21, 2009
Our most recent workforce survey reveals that, not surprisingly, many people’s work habits and attitudes have changed as a result of the turbulent economy.
Some of the key findings:
- 45% of workers surveyed say that they are more willing to take any available shifts in order to protect their earnings.
- 30% of respondents stated that they are more likely to go to work in this economy regardless of their physical or emotional state, scheduling conflicts, or the weather.
- 49% of respondents have considered taking on a second job in recent months because of financial reasons while 27% said that they are actively applying for or have already secured a second job.
- 19% of hourly workers say that because of the economy their managers are reducing the amount of overtime they can work.
- 33 % of respondents say their companies have downsized during the past year because of the economy, and 28% of respondents say that their workload has increased, putting added pressure on employees who remain on the job.
I interviewed author and former McDonald’s executive Paul Facella in this blog a while back. In a recent article in the Boston Globe, when asked whether there’s such a thing as a job that’s “beneath” an unemployed worker in this market, he says bluntly: “I don’t think there is. There’s no question in my mind that tolerance for that kind of switching down is much greater than it was one or two years ago. Most employers looking at resumes a couple of years from now are going to be respectful that people needed to do it to survive.”
That sentiment no doubt also applies to those we surveyed looking for supplemental employment. How are the statistics above playing out for you and your friends and family?
Are Newspapers a Thing of the Past?
April 2, 2009
My Sunday morning ritual for at least 40 years has been to read the Boston Globe and NY Times for a couple of hours. Last Sunday, while reading those papers, I was listening to a CBS story on TV about the looming demise of the newspaper industry.
What is the future of newspapers? A good friend of ours with 25 years as a reporter and editor at a Boston area newspaper was laid off Friday. Mark Lange, a friend and freelance journalist, sent me the attached tongue in cheek story yesterday about Twitter as the future of news. With the breathtaking speed that news content is racing to the web, is this story really so far fetched?
While I get a lot of information online, I would miss that tactile experience of flipping through the paper and finding stories I might not otherwise find online because I wouldn’t be looking for them. That being said, I got a Kindle for Christmas and I love it. I can order books and newspapers and have them in less than a minute. It’s lightweight and a no brainer to carry with me when there’s a possibility that I may have time to read while travelling or waiting.
Should we feel guilty about the traditional newspaper and publishing jobs being lost to digital alternatives, or see this as an opportunity for new contributors to the public conversation?
Where are you getting your news these days?
What Love Teaches Us About Work
February 13, 2009
Unemployment in the United States has climbed to 7.6% and most of us have friends and family who have lost jobs in the recent months. Those of us who are fully employed are likely to be worried about our own job security and how much worse things are likely to get before a recovery begins. We’re doing more work with fewer resources. All of this can create stress within the employer-employee relationship that is not only trying for the individuals involved, but also counterproductive to the success of the organizations they work for.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, I’m reflecting on some of the parallels between successful personal and work relationships. Specifically, in the current rotten economy, what lessons about getting through tough times in the workplace can be learned from successful romantic partnerships ?
I’ve been happily married to the same man for 23 years. Here are a few tips I’ve learned about building that long term trust relationship that serve me equally well at work:
Communication is important - but know when to stop
Letting it all hang out when you’re angry or frustrated with your partner can be disastrous, but the love of your life will probably forgive you. Being emotional in communicating your frustration about extra work and diminished resources with a boss who’s probably similarly stressed probably won’t help your cause.
Impact does not equal intent
Your partner didn’t mean to suggest that his time is more important than yours when he left the dishes in the sink last night. Your colleague in another department who caused you extra hours of work by waiting until the last minute to involve you in a project probably didn’t do so with the specific goal of making you miserable. She’s probably doing her best to meet challenging deadlines with limited resources as well.
Be tough on the problems, not on the people
This technique requires a little inner Zen. When you are consumed with worry about how an issue affects you personally, you will be less effective at resolving conflicts. Distance yourself from your immediate emotions about the topic and work together with your colleagues to attack the problem, not each other.
Do more than your fair share
There is no perfect 50-50 balance in romance or at work. Some days you have to give more than you get in order to achieve your long term goals.
Resilience is key
We all know that change is constant and inevitable. That doesn’t mean we like it. Those who prevail in the survival of the fittest are those who adapt to changes in their environment and don’t dwell on what used to be.
What lessons from home do you bring to work?
Working the Holidays - Who’s Working?
December 16, 2008
Today we’ve published the results of our most recent Harris Survey “Despite Weak Economy, Desire for Time Off During the Holidays Remains Strong”. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they plan to take either the same amount or more time off than they did last year.
Only 19 percent of respondents said they plan to take less time off this year. Of that 19 percent, the top reasons they gave for cutting back on their time off were: to earn extra money (33 percent); because they are facing new restrictions on taking time off than they did last year (21 percent); because they are saving their vacation time to use in 2009 (20 percent); and due to worries about job security (19 percent).
This year’s “Working the Holidays” survey also showed an increase in the practice of giving employees the entire time off between Christmas and New Year’s Day. This year, 20 percent of respondents who work full time say their office will be closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day as opposed to 18 percent in 2007. A New York Times story published on Sunday found this to be an increasing trend as well, with recession challenged organizations across the US seeking to reduce operating costs while pushing employees to use their paid time off benefits to cover the gap.
There is an upside to this story. Despite all the turmoil and anxiety surround our collective economic fate, most people are still choosing time with family during the holidays over face time at the office during what is arguably the least productive work week of the year.
What are your holiday plans this year - and what impact will our uncertain economic climate have on those plans?
Tips for Making Telecommuting Successful
November 11, 2008
I recently interviewed Patty Butler, senior manager of order management and service logistics at Kronos. Patty’s team of non-exempt employees supports the field sales organization by ensuring that their customers’ orders are processed accurately and in a timely fashion. Patty has recently implemented part time telecommuting in her group with great success. For those of you who’d like to do the same, Patty’s experience can help you jumpstart your progress.
Patty’s key tips for success:
- Clearly define how you’ll measure success. Patty focused on feedback from the internal customers, as well as monitoring changes in unplanned absences among her team.
- Start with a pilot and make it clear to participants that the continuation of the program will be directly linked to measurable outcomes.
- Establish rules for participation; i.e. employees have to qualify, telecommuting is not an automatic entitlement. As an example, Patty’s team members have to have been employees for at least 6 months prior to beginning to telecommute.
- Implement supporting technologies to make work-at-home work. In Patty’s case, the team relies heavily on instant messaging as well as a Sharepoint site to minimize the amount of paper processing required.
- Create clear rules around behaviors expected. Patty’s team has established guidelines for how quickly phone calls, email and instant messages need to be addressed.
- Incorporate some time in the office with the team. Patty’s folks telecommute part time and come into the office several days a week in order to maintain the team dynamics.
Patty’s pilot was deemed successful, and as a result telecommuting is now part of their standard practice. The flexibility offered by the work from home option is allowing the team to provide better service to sales reps in other time zones. She’s found her folks to be even more productive at home, due to the lower level of distractions they experience there. In addition, they are happier and more engaged - and working hard to prove that telecommuting is an ongoing flexible work option for them.
Listen to my podcast with Patty Butler:
What’s your view on telecommuting? Do you take advantage of this option yourself?
Why We Need Skype Now More than Ever
September 30, 2008
Perhaps many of you have been Skype-ing for a while, but I’m a recent convert. I mentioned in one of my first posts that I’m a big fan of technology and often an early adopter. Skype’s been around for a while in the UK, but only recently began advertising in the US. I’d heard about it a couple of years ago, but didn’t get serious about trying it until my daughter went to London for the semester and the reality of long distance phone call bills drove us to this VOIP wonder.
Skype allows you to make free (yes, that’s right, free) telephone calls via the Internet. You download Skype to your computer and can connect for free with anyone else who’s got Skype installed on his/her computer. You can also make competitively priced calls to cell phone or landlines from your computer via Skype. If your computer doesn’t have a built in microphone, you need to add that, but otherwise you’re good to go with no big investment. The best part of all - add video! With a cheap webcam attached to your computer, you get a pretty good real time video of the person you’re talking to.
Why now more than ever?
- Whether you’ve got kids living abroad or not, pinching pennies is becoming second nature for all of us whose savings may be shrinking as a result of the current turmoil in the world markets.
- In tough times, it’s more important than ever to stay connected to those we care about - and Skype makes that easy to do.
- As more and more workers are working remotely from their management, this could be a great tool to forge and sustain a more personal relationship with co-workers than the phone alone permits.
Are any of you using Skype (or similar VOIP) technologies at work to support remote workers?
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