Policies: Do the Employees Get It?

Earlier today I had a long-tenured employee ask “What are the procedures for documenting sick leave?”  “ .. . . I realize it is documented someplace but I’m not sure where and I thought you would know it off “the top of your head” saving me the trouble of finding it.”    I smiled.  This document in question is located in both the employee handbook as well as a standalone policy on the HR portal.

Companies devote substantial time and resources in developing policies.  Once policies are developed we roll them out in meetings, post them, put them on the company intranet, distribute them via email, and/or hard copy distribution.   We obtain the signed acknowledgement as proof that the employee received and is aware of the policy - thereby negating any future claims from the employee that s/he "didn't know."   But no matter how or how often policies are communicated, sometimes it seems the company falls short in the communication of the policy.  Are the policies then wasted?  No, but perhaps we need to better understand our audience.  How are our employees receiving the information we are communicating?  Words must always be carefully chosen; nuances must be considered. 

My recommendation, schedule assessments of your company policies at regular intervals. This will allow you to assess the employee understanding of the policies and to obtain feedback.

Yes, you will still have the rare employee who finds it easier to ask HR than look something up.  But, after all, that's why we're here!

Equity in Pay, In the Animal Kingdom?

What makes us human?  What separates us from other primates?  Scientifically, we have similar anatomy and yes, behavior. Sometimes traits that we view as uniquely human are anything but.   As with humans, within primate groups there is always a pecking order.  A primate is either dominant or submissive which has a direct relationship to ranking in the group.  Access to food, feeding competition mates, etc., is also dependent on ranking. 

What happens in a clinical environment when a Capuchin monkey is asked to do the same job as a second Capuchin, but for different pay?  It appears that we humans are not as unique as we think we are.   It turns out that primate behavior reflects some of the same traits as it does for us humans.  Monkeys reject unequal pay too!

A Capuchin was asked to give a rock to a researcher in exchange for a treat.  The Capuchin complies and receives a cucumber in return.  Initially the Capuchin is perfectly happy with the treat and continues to participate in the test.  But then the Capuchin observes a second Capuchin receiving a grape, a far more attractive reward, for performing the same job.  When confronted with this unequal pay for equal work, the monkey becomes outraged!  Now we have a clear indication of how monkeys respond to concepts of unfairness!

The link is here if you want to laugh.  The UpWorthy.  "2 Monkeys Were Paid Unequally; See What Happens Next."

http://www.upworthy.com/2-monkeys-were-paid-unequally-see-what-happens-next

Management and Mr. Likert

Do you ever have to go through your old emails in search of some missing piece of information?  It's akin to a trip down memory lane.  You never know what you will stumble across or where you will end up.    During a recent journey,  I rediscovered this one small email and felt it worthy of discussion.   Yes, the email is cryptic.  But the message screamed volumes to me.

Him:  Are you familiar with Likert’s management theories? 

Me:  Are we speaking of exploitative authority?

Him:  We are.  Like verbatim.

Me.  Yes sir.  (End of conversation)

There are a lot of different definitions of the word “management,” but for the sake of this blog, I’m going with a very fundamental definition. Getting things done through and with people.  

Rensis Likert, an American educator and organizational psychologist, is best known for his research on management styles.  (And let’s not forget The Likert Scale.)   Likert identified a four-fold model of management styles,  each style revolving around decision-making and the degree to which people are involved in the decision making process:

1. Exploitative Authoritative;
2. Benevolent Authoritative;
3. Consultative; and,
4. Participative.    

With that email in mind, let's explore the Exploitative Authoritative management style.  For the EA, responsibility lies in the hands of the people at the upper echelons of the hierarchy.  The supervisor has no trust or confidence in subordinates and motivation is based on threats.  Decisions are imposed on sub-ordinates and teamwork/communication is extremely limited.  Essentially the communication style is almost entirely downwards and the psychologically distant concerns of the employees are ignored. With a style of “do what I tell you,” the overall impact to an organization is extremely negative.

In short, the leader imposes decisions on subordinates and uses fear to achieve employee motivation. 

“E-A leaders are highly production-oriented, display no confidence in their subordinates, provide them no influence in decision making, seldom seek or use subordinates’ ideas, use fear, a threat, punishment and occasional rewards to enforce compliance, and engage mainly in downward communication.”  Organization & Management by R.D. Agarwal.

Let's compare the EA management style against the characteristics of an effective work group.  In an effective work group there is a high degree of confidence and trust in each other.  The values and goals of the group all link in harmony with each other and there is strong motivation by each member to communicate fully and frankly.  An important factor is that employees feel secure in making decisions.  That is 100% at odds with the EA management style.

The “difference between a leader and a manager is that a manager pushes while a leader pulls.  By this, we mean that a manager uses its authoritative powers to push people to reach the set targets and pressurize them to achieve the firm’s goal.  He orders actually.  While a leader pulls, that is, it motivates people and develops zeal in them towards achieving a goal. . . “    The Role and Effectiveness of Leadership in Team-Working: Abstract.

In closing, I ask the following question:  If your employees had the chance, would they "vote" you out of your position?

Generation Gaps: How We (Mis)Communicate

The Baby Boomer generation is starting to exit the workforce, leaving the reins of leadership to the GenXers.  Through this transition organizations are struggling to balance the work styles and communication preferences of 3  - 4 different generations.   Baby Boomer or member of Generation X, through formal writing or an IM, we all need to communicate with each other.   This is where our real generation gap exists.

In my blog entry, Rudeness at Work, stats reflected that younger employees, by an increase of 28% over older workers, contributed to incivility in the workplace.  Question:  Does this present a framework for identifying age-related differences in work attitudes and behaviors?   Answer:  Yes.  In September of this year CareerBuilder surveyed 3,892 U.S. workers and 2,298 U.S. hiring managers ages 18 and over. The results of this survey, Generational Differences in Work Styles, Communication and Changing Jobs, highlighted the contrasts of the generational trends on how each generation approaches work.  It appears as though this isn’t intentional incivility, it's the result of the generation you grew up in and the differences in generational communication styles.   

CareerBuilder Survey Question:  How Do You Like To Communicate at Work?
 

Face to Face

• 60% (Ages 55+) 
• 55% (Ages 25 - 34)

Email/Text

• 28% (Ages 55+)
• 35% (Ages 25-34)

Phone

• 12% (Ages 55+)
• 10% (Ages 25 - 34)

Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are the largest generation born in America to date. The offspring of the Silent Generation, the Boomers experienced* the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the assassinations.   The "We Generation" who were defined by the Cold War and the Space Race. The Boomers recognize the value of relationship building, preferring personal, face to face communication over communicating through technology. Technology is a means of communication, not an exclusive tool to communicate.   Here's where the generation gap comes into play.  The GenX and GenY prefer to use digital communication almost exclusively.

GenXers, born between 1965 and 1980, are defined by Watergate, an era of political corruption, economic inflation, single-parent homes, MTV, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the Challenger tragedy.  GenXers often prefer direct and straightforward communication.  And as a result, they may appear abrupt.    While the gap between Gen X and Gen Y is much larger due to the rate of technology growth, GenXers are highly techno-literate and don't worry about being outpaced by younger colleagues.   

GenY, born between 1980 - 1999, are "The Millennials,"  the generation of Facebook and MySpace.  Labeled as digital natives, the high-tech environment has shaped their values.  They are defined by computers, TV talk shows and the Oklahoma City bombing.   (The Department of Labor statistics estimate that GenY will compromise more than 40% of the workforce by 2020. Their sheer numbers will transform every life stage entered.)  GenY is extremely comfortable in a wired world.

GenZ, born after 2000, is the Digital Generation.  They are plugged in to the Internet by handheld devices, remaining connected every moment of their lives.  With so much of the GenZ life centered around the digital domain, a significant percentage prefers socializing online than in real life.  Through IM, text or Mobile phones, their digital connection to the world is essential.  They have access to the World Wide Web 24/7 and information and knowledge at their fingertips.    With a vague memory of such a key event, they are the generation of 9/11 and homeland security.

As technology evolves, so do our communication options and preferences.  Communicating faster, each generation will have vast differences in their communication methods and preferences.  These preferences may create a dividing line between one generation to the next.  Every organization will need to have increased awareness of the potential miscommunication due to generational differences. It will be critical to know the generation and to connect with their preferred style.

*Generations . . .  are deeply influenced and bound together by events of their formative years.  . . . the events that occur at various critical points in the group's lifetime .. . define their core values."

Generation "dates" are approximate and vary by demographer. 

Rudeness At Work

In my previous blog I addressed language policy's as a tool to assist employers in maintaining a civil and respectful workplace.  Civility, the fundamentals of courtesy, politeness and consideration, are critical to business.  The lack of civility leads to high turnover, lower moral and even a potential loss of business.

In 2011 a survey was published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior.  The survey, titled "Civility in American 2011" addressed civility in politics, education, the workplace, the Internet and the marketplace.   The real interest to me is the section "Incivility Goes To Work."  The study reflected that two-thirds of employees reported that their performance had declined as a result of incivility encountered in the workplace.  43% of Americans (four in 10) have experienced incivility at work with 38% reporting the belief that the workplace was "becoming more uncivil and disrespectful than a few years ago." 

Employers, take note.  As a result of experiencing rudeness, or just awareness, 67% of the respondents reported the need for civility training!  It is up to the employer to determine what is and isn't tolerated in the workplace.  But employees are asking for the education to understand how to communicate with each other and avoid creating conflict.

Statistics provided in the section Who/What is to Blame For Workplace Incivility reflected that the largest offenders were organizational leaders at 65%.   The stats for younger vs. older employees peaked my interest.   Does this present a framework for identifying age-related differences in work attitudes and behaviors?

• 65%  Leadership of the Workplace
• 59%  Employees themselves
• 34%  Younger employees
• 24%  Lack of employee rights
• 6%  Older employees

It is to be expected that a certain level of civility is fundamental to the operation of any business.   The survey reported that approximately 69% of Americans "have either stopped buying from a company or have re-evaluated their opinions of a company  because someone from that company was uncivil in their interaction."  There it is.  A direct impact to your bottom line!

Are there remedies for restoring civility?  Here are some basic steps that any individual can take:

• Active Listening (Listening to a co-workers perspective without interrupting; ask clarifying questions, reflect back understanding of views)
• Communicating critical feedback with consideration
• Assuming that everyone has the best motives
• Remember the small but important gestures - saying "please" and "thank you."
• Be aware of your tone and volume
• Be respectful, even in disagreement
• Maintain objectivity during conflict

In closing, remember the Golden Rule that your mother taught you?  When in doubt, refer back to those words of wisdom (or your mother).

Civility is NOT a sign of weakness.  Civility is about boundaries. 

Employee Satisfaction Surveys

In 2004 Congress mandated that all federal agencies conduct surveys of their employees.  The purpose was to assess the employees perceptions about their work environment and work experiences.  The results of these surveys are used to measure employee satisfaction in areas such as benefits, training, leadership, diversity, recruiting and the work environment. 

Employee viewpoint surveys are extremely important as they provide an overview of how well the organization is doing.  Where properly conducted, the survey can identify an organizations strengths and areas of improvement. The survey is a tool for opening a dialog among the employees and the results can act as a tool for driving positive change. 

Remember, a survey doesn't end once the results are received.  If the survey is not responded to, employees are less likely to participate in future surveys.  The employees expect that management will use the information to make improvements to the organization.  These surveys create expectations.  Conversations around survey results can potentially lead to increased engagement, productivity and profits while reducing turnover and costs. 

Once you have the survey results you should act quickly.    Create a team to review the results.  Select the key items to address and develop a corporate action plan to resolve them over the next 6 - 12 months.  Re-evaluate and adjust your action plan as necessary.  A recommendation is to select three areas to focus your efforts on.  This will allow you to concentrate your efforts and make substantial progress.

• In what areas is positive change most important to your organization?
• In what areas is the positive change most needed?
• What areas are the top priorities?

Follow up regularly on the plan and the progress toward meeting the goals.  Communicate across the organization OFTEN and make the improvements visible.  Employees expect that their concerns are addressed and resolution to occur. 

Employee Satisfaction

Earlier this year an on-line survey by Accenture reflected that 57% (women) and 59% (men) were dissatisfied with their jobs.  While dissatisfied with their jobs, more than two-thirds (69%) said they would stay with their current employer.    I guess that’s a good news / bad news scenario.    The workforce is stable, but it's dissatisfied. 

I’m a firm believer that employees are the key to either the success or failure of an organization.  What happens when those employees decide it's just too much anymore and they seek other opportunities?   Are you willing to loose this intellectual resource?  What will the impact to the organization be?

As an employer, proactive steps should be taken to determine where employee dissatisfaction stems from.  

1. Survey your employees to find out their needs.  Are there little hassles they they are experiencing day to day?   What would make them more satisfied in their work?  Smart employers will listen to new ideas, be open to change.  Provide employees with the opportunities to present ideas for new processes, new efficiencies, to management.
2. Provide training and advancement opportunities.  Is there a career path for employees?  Do they have an opportunity to grow and/or expand their skills?  Achievement can be more important to one employee than another. 
3. Address any compensation concerns.  Is there a perception of “fair pay?” 

 

Office Politics. Is Survival Possible?

Organizational politics refers to behaviors “that occur on an informal basis within an organization and involve intentional acts of influence that are designed to protect or enhance individuals’ professional careers when conflicting courses of action are possible” (Drory, 1993; Porter, Allen, & Angle, 1981).

Politics are the unseen elephant in the living room. We know it’s there, it’s just difficult to define and describe. And politics, seen or not, have a long-term negative affect on the organization and ultimately, organizational outcomes are damaged.  I have provided examples below of some the more obvious results of politics: 

1. Environment: Politics lead to a negative environment; spoiling relationships among individuals.   The overall climate of the organization may have an influence on an employees’ performance through mistrust, threats, defensiveness, low support, and/or poor communication.
2. Demotivator: No matter how much hard work an employee puts in, it goes unnoticed in a politically driven organization.  The employee who works hard is not rewarded suitably versus the non performer who is rewarded due to politics (favoritism rather than merit determines who gets ahead).
3. Increased Stress:  Politics increase the stress levels of employees (mistrust, threats, defensiveness, etc.). 
4. Information: Information is manipulated and either not passed on in its desired form, or is withheld. Managers/Supervisors have an incorrect view of what is happening in the organization.
5. Turnover (Organizational Commitment):  An employees’ desire to remain in the organization and/or willingness to exert effort on behalf of the organization are greatly impacted by politics and behaviors. 

R. Buckminster Fuller (Critical Path) said that rather than attempting to teach people the right things to do, one should design organizations such that doing the right things was simply the path of least resistance.   Good advice.

Here's some ideas to help you survive a politically driven environment:

• Maintain your composure.
• Have those “hard” conversations and make your case.  The truth is hard to resist (however, there may be some harm to the messenger).
• Be the best you can be.
• Never join other voices to persecute the establishment.
• Never join hands to persecute a co-worker.
• Learn to know each co-worker individually and not base a relationship on gossip.

 

Cultural Change - Survival of the Fittest

Are there petty problems, constant crisis, ongoing conflict, power struggles, disagreements and drama? Is there a highly politicized internal environment where issues are resolved on basis of political clout?  Is there hostility to change where experimentation and efforts to alter status quo are discouraged?  If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you’re a victim of a dysfunctional organization.

It takes experienced management to understand how a dysfunctional culture develops and to actively work to avoid it.    As I stated in a previous blog, we “hire ourselves” and as a result, oftentimes dysfunctional factors creep into an organization.  The organization may begin to reflect a Darth Vader aspect of leadership (entitlement, narcissism, abuse of power).   It’s  organizational insanity.  We're doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  And, it's just not happening.    To change the culture we have to consciously change all the elements that have developed over the years to make up the system. 

An organization must be open to reality.    . .. “If a company’s internal culture isn’t healthy – if it isn’t focused on the right values and goals, and if it isn’t behaving in the right way – then ultimately, that will become apparent to the outside world."  With any organization the question must be asked, "are we (management and employees) moving in the same direction, toward the same goals?”

I have read a couple of interesting articles referencing the use of peer pressure.  Because we tend to conform to the behavior of people around us, the use of peer pressure may be key to changing an organizations culture.   Locate those employees that others look up to and admire.  If they are on-board with the culture change, they can model the behavior (best practices) that you want others to follow.    These individuals can enlist enthusiasm and a dedicated effort to achieve the company objectives.  Peer pressures that exists to display the core values.   

Promote positive change.  Bring in new blood, replacing traditional managers.  Change dysfunctional policies, change reward structures, reinforce culture through both word and deed.  Put constructive pressure on the company to achieve good results.  Promote and enable your cultural drivers!

Top 25 Signs of a Dysfunctional Workplace

Ran across this great article from 2008, Top 25 Signs of a Dysfunctional Workplace.  Published by HR World, I thought I'd share some of my personal highlights.  For the full article, the link has been provided. 

 

http://www.hrworld.com/features/25-signs-dysfunctional-workplace

1.  Nothing gets done without the bosses approval.  (Bottleneck anyone?) 

2.  Nothing can get done unless employees go behind the bosses back.  (If "it" works - you're gold.  If not, see #16 below.)

3.  No one is sure who the boss really is.

10.  Reward system?  What reward system?  (You can't have a stick and no carrot!)

16.  "Wall of Shame."  (Boss openly chastises employees in public.) 

21.  What matters is not what you've accomplished in a day, but how many hours you were seen "working."  (Let's reward productivity, not time spent in the office.)

25.  No one ever gets fired, no matter how ineffective they are at their job.  (Would someone please explain this to me????)

 

 

Letting Go - The Culture of Change

The only thing constant is change.    It encompasses every aspect of our lives.  We encourage the acceptance of new ideas and yet we resist the inherent change those new ideas bring.  We fight the loss of old patterns and the acceptance of new ones.   

Changing organization culture is a very difficult goal to achieve.  There are commonly shared interpretations, values and patterns that must be changed and yet are difficult to modify.   When employees face change within the organization, there are two obstacles to their success.  The social-psychological fear of the change and/or the lack of technical skills to make the change work.  For change to be truly successful within an organization, both weaknesses and fears must be addressed.  Leaders need to be open to discussing concerns with the employees, to clarify the meaning of the change.  What the change means and what it doesn’t mean to the organization.  “An organization should not abandon core aspects of what makes it unique, whereas some other aspects of the organization will need to be transformed.”  Culture is undetectable most of the time because it is not challenged. 

We’re going through reorganization.  Yes, structure does make a difference.  But we must transform the culture; change the way we do things, to be successful.  We must incorporate new ideas and practices.   Changing organizational culture is one of the toughest tasks we’ll ever undertake.  In any organization the established organizational culture is reinforced by new hires because we hire ourselves.  To change the culture, we need commitment to the change, understanding of the impact of the change to the organization and its people, and the tools to implement the change.

On-Line Education

I'm a sucker for learning.  For information.  Back in May when I read that various colleges would be offering free on-line learning classes, I jumped at the opportunity.     Enrolling through Coursera, I began participating in the class "Health Policy and the Affordable Health Care Act" offered through the University of Pennsylvania.  With the complete understanding that there may be some bugs in this process, I over-looked the bad video, problems obtaining homework assignments, etc. and have just hung with it.  And, I have to admit, it's getting better. 

Coursera, through its partnership with 16 universities such as Duke, Princeton, Stanford, and Caltech, offers 100+ on-line classes.   Classes in Economics, Health, Math, Statistics, and Business to Humanities and Medicine.  Even a class on equine nutrition through the University of Edinburgh!   There is something here for everyone.  And it appears as though Coursera will continue to increase its catalog of classes.  The University of Illinois recently announced that it will be partnering with Coursera to offer free on-line classes.  And, the University of Washington will be offering 12 to 15 on-line for-credit classes via Coursera later in the year. 

While the non-credited, open-to-the-public classes are free, there may be a fee attached to cover instructor-enhanced on-line discussions or video chats.  Coursera is exploring certificates that would be branded with the university's name and sold to the student.  While they won't count towards a university credit, they would signify the completion of a course or minimum level of performance.

Coming in fall 2012 will be edX from Harvard and MIT.  They'll be throwing their academic hats into the on-line learning ring with an initial offering of 5 on-line classes.

I'm currently enrolled with Duke for two additional classes over the next 12 months: "Think Again: How to Reason and Argue" and "A Beginner's Guide To Irrational Behavior."    With class content like "How to Spot An Argument" or "How to Mess Up An Argument" I just couldn't resist! 

Distance learning is great.  Whether to brush up on new skills or learn some new facts (like how to argue), you can't go wrong.

Emotional Intelligence (Attitude Counts)

Is an employee's attitude more important than his/her skills?  A study by Leadership IQ found that 46% of new hires are either fired or disciplined within their first 18 months.  And in a staggering 89% of those cases, the reason for the action isn't incompetence, but attitude; poor motivation, bad temperament, or emotional issues.  Sometimes it's not about ability - it's about attitude.  Depending on what you read, sometimes the employees with attitudes aren't aware that there is a problem - it's just their way.  Is there a communication issue?  Sometimes it's not what is said, but the manner in which it is said.  So, is it a style issue? 

Your new hire has excellent skills, training and education.  And yet, they are not successful.  Perhaps the missing part of this success equation (High IQ = significant academic performance, professional and personal success) is Emotional Intelligence.

In a 2011 survey, CareerBuilder found that 34% of hiring managers placed a greater emphasis on Emotional Intelligence (EI) when it came to hiring or promoting employees.  71% of hiring managers valued EI in an employee more than IQ.  59% would not hire someone with low Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence is an individuals ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions.  It is the area of cognitive ability involving traits and social skills that facilitate interpersonal behavior.  It brings compassion and humanity to work.  It affects how we manage our behavior, navigate social complexities or make personal decisions.  It is our ability to use awareness of emotions to stay flexible and positively direct behavior.

To ensure that your new hire has what it takes to be successful, it's important to incorporate testing for Emotional Intelligence during the interview process.  What's the benefit of hiring an employee who can't recognize how their behavior impacts (or alienates) their supervisor, co-workers or customers?  As a manager, you need to identify those candidates that have well-developed emotional and social skills and who understand how their words and actions influence their colleagues. Where possible, incorporate behavior testing in your interview process.  Take the time to identify:

• The candidates' self-awareness and ability to self-regulate; 
• Their ability to learn from mistakes; and, 
• Their ability to read other peoples emotions and understand the impact of their behavior on their colleagues.

In closing, what's your Emotional Intelligence?

 

 

 

 



Failure to Adapt

Salary.com ran this great article, "Failure to Adapt to the New Working World Will Leave You In the Unemployment Line by 2020."  It's an interesting article to say the least.  And, from an HR standpoint, continuing your education and remaining at the fore-front of emerging technologies, being able fully embrace such changes, can only be of benefit to the individual.  However, my questions to you, after reading this article, would be "Is revolutionary change underway in our nature of work?"  "Will the introduction of new technologies cause increases in job displacement and result in a continued rise in unemployment?" 

Well, here's that list of the 10 global trends that are killing your career:

10. Global Talent Seeking:  As countries continue to invest in emerging economies - specifically those in Russia, China, India, Brazil, and Africa - and as technology broadens the talent pool, people will be expected to work with others from around the world.  Key skills include knowledge of foreign languages and cultures, and a willingness to consider and accept new approaches.

Career Killers:  Inability to get along with, accept, or understand people from different cultures; being set in one's ways; adhering to stereotypes.

9.  Mixed Generations:  The timing of a turbulent economy, combined with longer life spans, means people are waiting longer to retire.  By 2020, it's predicted the average age of retirement will be 70.

Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd, authors of The 2020 Workforce:  How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop, and Keep Tomorrow's Employees Today, say that by the year 2020, the typical workforce will include five generations - Baby Boomers to recent college grads.  Those who retained Kindergarten lessons of getting along well with others will be in high demand.

Career Killers:  Lack of flexibility and inability to integrate with those from different generations.

8.  Millenial Invasion:  According to a recent study done by Mercer, in 2020 40% of the workforce will be comprised of "Millenials," people born after 1980.  Many of these Millenials will hold leadership roles, and will expect others to subscribe to their value systems, beliefs, and behaviors.  Workers who are successful in working with teams, who are up on the latest tech, and who have plenty of innovative ideas and solutions will do best in a Minnenial environment.

Career Killers:  Lack of flexibility, integrity, and/or entrepreneurism; inability to keep pace with expectations regarding speed and technology.

7.  Mobil Workforce:  Thanks to an increasingly global economy and supporting technology, 2020's workforce will be on the move.  Work will be done less "in the office" and more whenever and wherever it gets done - in a satellite office, at home, on the commuter train, or in a coffee shop.  While this may initially seem more convenient, workers should be ready to bid adieu to 9-5 and say hello to 'round the clock workdays.

Career Killers:  A commitment to punching out at 5 and being unwilling to 'integrate" work and life.  If you won't take work calls at your child's soccer game, you might not make it in 2020.

6.  Technology As a Way Of Life:  Today, we're still at the point where emerging technology is new and "cool."  By 2020, it will be an accepted way of life, and just the way we get things done.  But don't expect more time as a result.  As technology allows organizations to get things done faster, more accurately, and more efficiently, mere humans will be expected to keep pace.

Career Killers:  Unwillingness/failing to keep up to date on the latest technology; inability to keep up with a more rigorous pace; and unwillingness to work longer or less traditional hours.

5.  Environmental Awareness:  As more organizations and individuals commit to being green, behavior toward work will change.  With rising costs of gas seeing no end in sight, efforts will be made to reduce time and money spent on travel (including commuting) and work that can be done at home will be.  Workers will enjoy their employers' more relaxed attitude about time, but will also be self-motivated and self-disciplined.

Career Killers:  Inability to work alone; poor time management; lack of Independence.

4.  Social Responsibility:  According to a list generated by the Society for Human Resource Management, corporate social responsibility is one of the hottest emerging workplace trends.  As companies shift to a broader worldview, employees will be expected to develop opportunities for social responsibility, integrate them into business strategy, and articulate the impact of corporate social responsibility on the organization, the industry, and the world. 

Career Killers:  Not making social responsibility a priority in both your personal and work lives.  Organizations will look for those that can make an impact and walk the walk.

3.  Rising Cost of Healthcare:  The rising cost of healthcare will lean toward unsustainable, and organizations will look to control costs through wellness programs, health risk appraisals, and penalties for smokers.  Expect increased background checks and health screenings that may occur pre-employment or post-offer.

Career Killers:  While there won't be discrimination based on illness or disability, a growing number of organization may refuse to hire people who make lifestyle choices that affect their health, such as smoking.

2.  An Ever-Changing Economy:  When it comes to the economy, the only thing we can count on staying the same is change.  Entrepreneurial employees who can rapidly adapt to unforeseen change have the best chances of keeping their organizations afloat, and will be highly valued.

Career Killers:  Difficulty in adapting to new and challenging situations; inability to meet tests and trials; lack of inspiration and innovation.

1.  Talent Shortages:  According to the Employment Policy Foundation, a growing economy and retiring Baby Boomers will leave a labor shortage of 35 million workers by the year 2020.  Organizations will focus more effort than ever on recruiting and retaining skilled, experienced workers, and will be paying particular attention to the link between performance and meeting business objectives.

Career Killers:  Not acquiring the best education, experience, and skills.  Organizations will be competing for the best, and if you're not the best, expect to be overlooked.

Issac Asimov once said, "The only constant is change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today.  No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be." 

Intelligence and Impact on Sick Leave

The below blog is dedicated to Aaron. He never takes a sick day. Ever. At some point he can cash all those days in and buy a house in Rock Creek.

Okay, here's the blog.

A recently published study, from the UK, offers an interesting theory that the better people performed on childhood intelligence tests, the less likely they were to end up on long-term sick leave. The study involved over 23,000 people whose cognitive abilities were tested in 1946, 1958 and 1970. The ranking of cognitive ability was based on testing both the verbal and nonverbal intelligence. Okay. So now there is a clear link between low intellectual ability and long-term work absences?

• In the 1946 group, 47% of those who were on long-term sick leave had been in the bottom quarter of childhood ability, compared to 13% who were in the highest category.
• Approximately 41% of those off sick from the 1958 group were in the lowest quartile of ability, while 32% of the 1970 interviewees were also in this category.

The authors claimed that strategies to reduce long-term sick leave should involve education. "Our findings suggest that health is only one factor in understanding long-term sickness absence." The U.K. report, written by experts including Max Henderson of King's College London, concluded: "Long-term sick leave is a complex outcome with many risk factors beyond health."

Let's talk about the U.S. for a moment. In 2010 a report in The New York Times addressed the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. This study tracked the 1957 graduates of the state's high schools, approximately 10,000 people, and noted that "those who finished in the top quartile were, overall, half as likely to experience the declines in health that their peers who graduated in the lowest quartile were experiencing." The study, started at UW-Madison in 1957 as a survey of high school seniors' post-graduation plans, evolved into a study of the entire life course. Education, career, family, aging and retirement.

My question to you, is there really a correlation between intelligence levels and the likelihood that someone will end up on long-term sick leave?

Will employers begin testing employees intelligence levels to determine the likelihood of potential long-term sick leave, and therefore the potential impact to benefits?

So, who is regularly sick where you work?