Author: Eduindex News

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USE \’THE INTERRUPTION STRATEGY\’ TO TACKLE THE DIVERSITY GAP

When looking at the statistics presented by some of the most innovative companies in the world, the picture is painfully clear. Google reports that 3 percent of its employees are Hispanic and just 2 percent are black (compared to 17.4 percent Hispanic and 13.2 percent black in the general population). Apple\’s employees are 55 percent white and only 2 percent black, not to mention 70 percent male. LinkedIn\’s employee base is only 3 percent Hispanic and 1 percent black.
That\’s all in spite of the fact that the U.S. population will soon be more diverse than ever: Census data suggests there will be no ethnic majority in the next 10 to 30 years.
So, how can HR leaders address this problem? As Joan C. Williams writes, “When an organization lacks diversity, it\’s not the employees who need fixing. It\’s the business systems.\”
There are many emerging strategies to increase diversity and eliminate bias in organizations — including several focused on using big data to tackle the problem. Let\’s take a look at one such data-based method: the \”Interruption Strategy.\”

The Interruption Strategy

In her Harvard Business Review article, “Hacking Tech\’s Diversity Problem,\” Williams introduces a new metric-based approach to increasing and retaining diverse employees in organizations. “The Interruption Strategy\” aims to break what she calls the “diversity industrial complex\” — the common approach of making a few token hires, implementing sensitivity training, creating mentoring programs and other similar vague changes. Rather than relying on conversations and extensive training, the Interruption Strategy is based on implementing “bias interrupters.\”
Bias interrupters are things that change basic business systems in a way that stops a pattern of bias where it begins. Here, three steps your organization can take to implement the Interruption Strategy:

Step 1: Determine Whether There\’s a Problem

Using a focus group, determine if minorities in your organization are facing common discrimination and biases. Are minorities hired at the same rate? Do they have equal pay to their majority counterparts? You should also run a data report on the state of diversity in your workforce: If, like LinkedIn, you run a data report showing that only 1 percent of your global workforce is black, then you have a diversity problem.

Step 2: Identify Key Metrics

Once you\’ve identified a problem, you must identify your metrics. If you\’re not sure where to start, take a look at these four things: how people are hired, how work is assigned, what happens during performance evaluations and how compensation is determined.
For example, you may look at your hiring practices and find that your minority applicant pool is significantly smaller than your competitor\’s. Your key metric is now your minority applicant pool, and your next step is to experiment with different ways to interrupt the process leading to such a small applicant pool: How can you expand your recruiting reach? Is something preventing minorities from considering your organization a desired place to work?

Step 3: Experiment, Measure Success and Keep Trying

Once you have determined a point of bias and related key metrics, it\’s time to experiment. Come up with a bias interrupter, try it out and measure the results. If it wasn\’t successful, try something else. If it was moderately successful, look at what led to its success and optimize your strategy.
To continue with the applicant pool example above, what basic business system can you change in an attempt to attract more minority applicants? Look at how job postings are written. Is it possible that changing the tone or language could remove a barrier for minority applicants? For example, when giving an overview of the organizational culture, do you mention a commitment to creating a work environment that reflects the community in which it is located? Is your organization committed to celebrating the uniqueness of each employee?
Long term, the Interruption Strategy can be used on a continuous basis to ferret out instances of bias that are preventing organizations from reflecting the diverse U.S. population. With a creative and focused team, various metrics can be tested, and the blockades of bias that minorities face in the workplace will begin to crumble
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

6 STEPS TO DEFINING YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES

Organizational culture can be seen as a “personality\” created by the organization\’s values, attitudes and behaviors. This “personality\” attracts and keeps great talent, creates a positive public image and helps build long-lasting relationships with stakeholders, vendors and customers.
But a good organizational culture doesn\’t spring up out of serendipity. It requires intentional and thoughtful identification of the core values the organization is built upon. Last month, I discussed how strong personal values can direct your organization in a positive direction, but it\’s also important to identify values for the whole team .
Here, six steps to identifying those organizational values and building a strong company culture:

1) Assess Your Current Organizational Culture

First, take a benchmark of your current culture. To do this, you need to truly assess where your company stands—not what you think it represents or what you want it to represent, but what impression the current brand truly gives off. What do people say about your organization, both externally and internally?
To figure out your organizational identity, interview vendors, clients, employees and your leadership team—either in focus groups or via an online survey. Ask them what words they would use to describe what\’s important to the organization and how effective the organization is at putting those values into action.

2) Review Your Strategic Business Plan

Next, think about your company\’s future. Where does your organization want to be in one, three or five years?
Since your corporate culture is closely tied to your business strategy, it\’s important to define where you\’re headed early on the values process . Meet with your executive team to figure out a plan for revenue, growth, staff, productions and expansion.

3) Determine the Culture Needed to Achieve Your Plan

Now that you have a clear picture of what your organizational culture is today, and where you want your organization to be in the next one to five years, it\’s time to look at your organizational values in this context.
Review your strategic plan and answer this question: \”In order for us to get from point A to point B, what organizational culture do we need to achieve?\” Consider the variety of personalities, backgrounds, skills and education you want to have on your team.
For example, some of Starbucks\’ core values are diversity, customer service and quality products. When you walk into a Starbucks store, you know you can expect a diverse staff, happy clientele and delicious drinks.

4) Decide If Your Values Need to Shift

Now that you know the culture and the talent you need, you can start to finalize your new—or revised—set of values. Take a look at your initial survey or focus group results, and decide if those are the values needed to reach your strategic goals. One tool that can be tremendously helpful is a pack of Values Cards.
You can put them on a conference table, and let the executive team start picking the ones they identify with the company. Or you can pick a few values, and explain why you think they are the most relevant to your organization\’s mission.

5) Define What Your Chosen Values Really Mean

An organizational value is not just a word painted on the wall. It must be clear what specific behaviors and processes the employee is supposed to do at work to honor this value.
For example, if your organization values loyalty, who does this loyalty refer to? Does \”loyalty\” mean the client comes first? Does it mean your team comes first? What about loyalty to your boss? Members of the organization should have a clear understanding of how to put each value into action.

6) Incorporate These Values into Organizational Processes

Finally, your newly defined values will need to be integrated in all operational areas, including the talent lifecycle. During recruiting and hiring, ask candidates about their own values and reiterate values in employee contracts. Within on-boarding and employee development, align your values with performance reviews and compensation.
A solid foundation of values for your organization will not only help you hire the right people, but also build an organization culture that\’s engaging, genuine and most of all, impactful.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

WANT ENGAGED EMPLOYEES? YOU NEED VALUES FIRST

Employee engagement may be the latest HR buzzword, but that doesn\’t mean you should ignore it as a fad. With only 13 percent of employees engaged at work around the world, the majority of employers have a lot of room to improve — and positively impact the bottom line while they\’re at it.
A recent report from Dale Carnegie found that companies in the United States with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202 percent. Similarly, according to Gallup, organizations with high engagement levels also report 22 percent higher productivity.
Of course, there\’s no lack of advice on how to join this club of highly engaged and high performing organizations, but I think any engagement effort comes down to a crucial foundation: your values.
As a company leader, in HR or at the executive level, strong personal values allow you to guide the organization in a positive and genuine direction. And when your organization demonstrates strong values, then you will begin to naturally attract and hire employees who share and aspire to the same values. Building a culture of purpose and engaging employees still takes significant time and strategy, but finding the right kind of people to work at your organization is a crucial part of starting this journey.

How to Define Your Values

If \”values\” seem like a vague concept to you, let me put it this way: What defines you at your core? It\’s not an easy question to answer — and it shouldn\’t be. Over the years, I\’ve found that this five-step exercise can provide an inspirational start:
1) Identify a peak moment in your life
Can you recall a moment where your life couldn\’t get any better? When everything felt aligned? It may have even felt like the best day of your life. Now, describe this peak moment in detail. If you are working on this exercise alone, write the description. If you are doing this with someone, talk about this moment for 2-3 minutes while the other person takes notes.
For example, one of my peak moments was taking leaders on Safaris for the Soul in Africa. I loved watching the leaders grow during the two-week program and hearing the wildlife sounds.
2) Discuss the values exemplified in this moment
Why do you remember this moment so clearly and fondly? Think about why it stands out to you as a defining experience in your life: Was it the place? People? Activity?
There were three things that contributed most profoundly to my peak moment: being outdoors, working with people to develop their potential and being adventurous.
3) Pick the most important value out of your list
Remember that your values apply to both your personal and professional worlds — pick one value from your list that you think is particularly important to you in any context.
For example, I would choose \”adventurous.\”
4) Define what the chosen value or values mean to you
Why did you choose this value out of all of the ones you listed? In what other ways have you displayed or followed this value in your life? This should be a personal description — so don\’t worry about creating a \”dictionary\” definition that could work for everyone.
In my mind, for example, \”adventurous\” means choosing an unconventional path, trying lots of new things, going to new places, exploring options and tinkering with ideas to find solutions.
5) Choose a value name that resonates with YOU
Your value doesn\’t necessarily have to be one word — it could be two words, or a short phrase. Think of what name exemplifies your value. It could be the original word you wrote on the list, or a brand new one.
Most people would simply call the value I identified “adventurous.” However, the word adventurous doesn\’t resonate with me — instead, the name “wind in your face” is much more memorable.
After walking through these five steps and coming to a clear value, go back to step one using the same or different peak moments until you\’ve identified five or so core values.

Putting Your Values to Practice

As a leader, it\’s especially important that you exemplify these values in the workplace and use them to guide your business decisions. You need to walk the talk.
Before you make an important decision, review your list of values and consider how your potential courses of action align with each of your values on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not aligned at all). When you\’re done, you want at least an average of 7 — less than that likely means the course you\’re considering will not only lead you astray, but your company as well.
By integrating your personal values into all aspects of business, you will begin to direct the company in a more thoughtful manner and encourage your colleagues to do the same. I also highly recommend working through the values exercise with your leadership team, even if you\’ve already done it alone. By helping each member of the team find his or her individual values, you will move toward remedying the colossal lack of engagement in today\’s workforce.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

WITH 27 MILLION WOMEN IMPACTED EVERY YEAR, IT\’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT MENOPAUSE AT WORK

It started with persistent fevers. Then there was night after night of insomnia. On top of that, I was completely unable to focus on my work. I went to see my doctor expecting to walk out of the office with some antibiotics, or at the least, a reassurance that I\’d feel better soon.
Instead, my doctor said matter-of-factly, “It\’s menopause.\”
I was confused, as it was the last thing I expected to hear. But I was also angry. Why? My symptoms made it extremely difficult to work—and, according to my doctor, I was experiencing light symptoms. I wondered, how are millions of women in the workforce dealing with symptoms worse than these on a daily basis? Why isn\’t this issue addressed in HR policy? Why aren\’t leaders talking about this regularly?

The Facts

First, let\’s take a quick look at the sheer magnitude of the workforce impacted by menopause. More than 27 million women between the ages of 45 and 64—which comprises 20 percent of the American workforce—experience menopause each year. By 2018, this number is predicted to rise to 31 million. Symptoms can last between two and ten years, and it\’s possible for symptoms to start as early as 35 years of age, before officially reaching menopause.
When going through menopause, women experience hot flashes, headaches, insomnia, loss of energy, anxiety attacks, brain fog, aches and pains, and dry skin and eyes. This translates to 20 percent of the workforce potentially coming to work with little sleep, intermittent headaches, and an achy body.
Yet, somehow, discussing policies around menopause—or even mentioning it—is taboo in the workplace. The British Occupational Health Research Foundation found that 20 percent of women believe menopause has had a negative impact on their managers\’ and colleagues\’ perceptions of their competence. The University of Nottingham found that many women don\’t even want to disclose the issue to their manager, particularly if the manager is younger (male or female).
It\’s time to bring menopause to the table, in order to benefit both those experiencing menopause and the organizations that employ them.

Five Menopause Policies Every Employer Should Have

1. Educate Management
This is a no-brainer that often goes overlooked. Managers should know the symptoms and challenges women face during menopause, so employees feel comfortable disclosing their experiences and managers can approach the situation knowledgeably.
2. Offer Support
Appoint a person (or a few) to act as advocates for women in the workplace going through menopause. This person should know about any special absence allowances, related wellness programs and flex policies. They should also speak to leadership or management on behalf of women if needed/requested.
Alternatively or in conjunction with an internal advocate, you can offer a wellness hotline which provides access to coaches, dietitians, and other advisors for women experiencing menopause.
3. Expand Benefit Programs
Many women are looking to alternative therapies for managing menopausal symptoms such as acupuncture, Chinese medicine and bio-identical hormone replacement. Though women often see significant improvements from these treatments, paying out of pocket for integrative health treatments can be cost prohibitive. Including these options as part of a benefits package would enable more women to seek treatments.
Organizations can also add sick day policies that cater to menopause-related sickness or absence. Women should experience no disadvantage if they need time off during this time.
4. Include Menopause Activities or Speakers in Wellness Weeks
When organization host a \”wellness week\”, they often bring in yoga instructors, massage therapists, nutritionists, chefs specializing in healthy meals and more. Why not add a component to the wellness week that addresses menopause? Some possibilities are a yoga instructor who can offer poses and breathing exercises particularly for women in this group, a dietician to recommend the best diet for symptoms or a funny speaker to \”break the ice\” on the topic while educating the team.
5. Allow Flexible Schedules When Needed
If a woman is struggling to sleep or feels nauseous at work, a flexible schedule or work from home policies can help tremendously by letting her work and manage her symptoms. As long as she is still being productive and delivering results, it shouldn\’t matter if she\’s not in the office at 8am or needs to take a work from home day once in a while.
I hope leaders will take a serious look at the reality women face in the workplace when experiencing menopausal symptoms, and truly consider how they can mitigate the inherent challenges. By implementing these tips, leaders have a real opportunity to make a positive impact on how we provide for women\’s health and productivity.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

WITH 27 MILLION WOMEN IMPACTED EVERY YEAR, IT\’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT MENOPAUSE AT WORK

It started with persistent fevers. Then there was night after night of insomnia. On top of that, I was completely unable to focus on my work. I went to see my doctor expecting to walk out of the office with some antibiotics, or at the least, a reassurance that I\’d feel better soon.
Instead, my doctor said matter-of-factly, “It\’s menopause.\”
I was confused, as it was the last thing I expected to hear. But I was also angry. Why? My symptoms made it extremely difficult to work—and, according to my doctor, I was experiencing light symptoms. I wondered, how are millions of women in the workforce dealing with symptoms worse than these on a daily basis? Why isn\’t this issue addressed in HR policy? Why aren\’t leaders talking about this regularly?

The Facts

First, let\’s take a quick look at the sheer magnitude of the workforce impacted by menopause. More than 27 million women between the ages of 45 and 64—which comprises 20 percent of the American workforce—experience menopause each year. By 2018, this number is predicted to rise to 31 million. Symptoms can last between two and ten years, and it\’s possible for symptoms to start as early as 35 years of age, before officially reaching menopause.
When going through menopause, women experience hot flashes, headaches, insomnia, loss of energy, anxiety attacks, brain fog, aches and pains, and dry skin and eyes. This translates to 20 percent of the workforce potentially coming to work with little sleep, intermittent headaches, and an achy body.
Yet, somehow, discussing policies around menopause—or even mentioning it—is taboo in the workplace. The British Occupational Health Research Foundation found that 20 percent of women believe menopause has had a negative impact on their managers\’ and colleagues\’ perceptions of their competence. The University of Nottingham found that many women don\’t even want to disclose the issue to their manager, particularly if the manager is younger (male or female).
It\’s time to bring menopause to the table, in order to benefit both those experiencing menopause and the organizations that employ them.

Five Menopause Policies Every Employer Should Have

1. Educate Management
This is a no-brainer that often goes overlooked. Managers should know the symptoms and challenges women face during menopause, so employees feel comfortable disclosing their experiences and managers can approach the situation knowledgeably.
2. Offer Support
Appoint a person (or a few) to act as advocates for women in the workplace going through menopause. This person should know about any special absence allowances, related wellness programs and flex policies. They should also speak to leadership or management on behalf of women if needed/requested.
Alternatively or in conjunction with an internal advocate, you can offer a wellness hotline which provides access to coaches, dietitians, and other advisors for women experiencing menopause.
3. Expand Benefit Programs
Many women are looking to alternative therapies for managing menopausal symptoms such as acupuncture, Chinese medicine and bio-identical hormone replacement. Though women often see significant improvements from these treatments, paying out of pocket for integrative health treatments can be cost prohibitive. Including these options as part of a benefits package would enable more women to seek treatments.
Organizations can also add sick day policies that cater to menopause-related sickness or absence. Women should experience no disadvantage if they need time off during this time.
4. Include Menopause Activities or Speakers in Wellness Weeks
When organization host a \”wellness week\”, they often bring in yoga instructors, massage therapists, nutritionists, chefs specializing in healthy meals and more. Why not add a component to the wellness week that addresses menopause? Some possibilities are a yoga instructor who can offer poses and breathing exercises particularly for women in this group, a dietician to recommend the best diet for symptoms or a funny speaker to \”break the ice\” on the topic while educating the team.
5. Allow Flexible Schedules When Needed
If a woman is struggling to sleep or feels nauseous at work, a flexible schedule or work from home policies can help tremendously by letting her work and manage her symptoms. As long as she is still being productive and delivering results, it shouldn\’t matter if she\’s not in the office at 8am or needs to take a work from home day once in a while.
I hope leaders will take a serious look at the reality women face in the workplace when experiencing menopausal symptoms, and truly consider how they can mitigate the inherent challenges. By implementing these tips, leaders have a real opportunity to make a positive impact on how we provide for women\’s health and productivity.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

WITH 27 MILLION WOMEN IMPACTED EVERY YEAR, IT\’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT MENOPAUSE AT WORK

It started with persistent fevers. Then there was night after night of insomnia. On top of that, I was completely unable to focus on my work. I went to see my doctor expecting to walk out of the office with some antibiotics, or at the least, a reassurance that I\’d feel better soon.
Instead, my doctor said matter-of-factly, “It\’s menopause.\”
I was confused, as it was the last thing I expected to hear. But I was also angry. Why? My symptoms made it extremely difficult to work—and, according to my doctor, I was experiencing light symptoms. I wondered, how are millions of women in the workforce dealing with symptoms worse than these on a daily basis? Why isn\’t this issue addressed in HR policy? Why aren\’t leaders talking about this regularly?

The Facts

First, let\’s take a quick look at the sheer magnitude of the workforce impacted by menopause. More than 27 million women between the ages of 45 and 64—which comprises 20 percent of the American workforce—experience menopause each year. By 2018, this number is predicted to rise to 31 million. Symptoms can last between two and ten years, and it\’s possible for symptoms to start as early as 35 years of age, before officially reaching menopause.
When going through menopause, women experience hot flashes, headaches, insomnia, loss of energy, anxiety attacks, brain fog, aches and pains, and dry skin and eyes. This translates to 20 percent of the workforce potentially coming to work with little sleep, intermittent headaches, and an achy body.
Yet, somehow, discussing policies around menopause—or even mentioning it—is taboo in the workplace. The British Occupational Health Research Foundation found that 20 percent of women believe menopause has had a negative impact on their managers\’ and colleagues\’ perceptions of their competence. The University of Nottingham found that many women don\’t even want to disclose the issue to their manager, particularly if the manager is younger (male or female).
It\’s time to bring menopause to the table, in order to benefit both those experiencing menopause and the organizations that employ them.

Five Menopause Policies Every Employer Should Have

1. Educate Management
This is a no-brainer that often goes overlooked. Managers should know the symptoms and challenges women face during menopause, so employees feel comfortable disclosing their experiences and managers can approach the situation knowledgeably.
2. Offer Support
Appoint a person (or a few) to act as advocates for women in the workplace going through menopause. This person should know about any special absence allowances, related wellness programs and flex policies. They should also speak to leadership or management on behalf of women if needed/requested.
Alternatively or in conjunction with an internal advocate, you can offer a wellness hotline which provides access to coaches, dietitians, and other advisors for women experiencing menopause.
3. Expand Benefit Programs
Many women are looking to alternative therapies for managing menopausal symptoms such as acupuncture, Chinese medicine and bio-identical hormone replacement. Though women often see significant improvements from these treatments, paying out of pocket for integrative health treatments can be cost prohibitive. Including these options as part of a benefits package would enable more women to seek treatments.
Organizations can also add sick day policies that cater to menopause-related sickness or absence. Women should experience no disadvantage if they need time off during this time.
4. Include Menopause Activities or Speakers in Wellness Weeks
When organization host a \”wellness week\”, they often bring in yoga instructors, massage therapists, nutritionists, chefs specializing in healthy meals and more. Why not add a component to the wellness week that addresses menopause? Some possibilities are a yoga instructor who can offer poses and breathing exercises particularly for women in this group, a dietician to recommend the best diet for symptoms or a funny speaker to \”break the ice\” on the topic while educating the team.
5. Allow Flexible Schedules When Needed
If a woman is struggling to sleep or feels nauseous at work, a flexible schedule or work from home policies can help tremendously by letting her work and manage her symptoms. As long as she is still being productive and delivering results, it shouldn\’t matter if she\’s not in the office at 8am or needs to take a work from home day once in a while.
I hope leaders will take a serious look at the reality women face in the workplace when experiencing menopausal symptoms, and truly consider how they can mitigate the inherent challenges. By implementing these tips, leaders have a real opportunity to make a positive impact on how we provide for women\’s health and productivity.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

IS UNCONSCIOUS BIAS SNEAKING INTO YOUR WORKPLACE?

“Okay you guys; it\’s time to get down to work,\” Jordan says to her team. “Man, this is really going to be a challenge,\” Luke replies, exasperated. “Oh brother, here we go, another late night at the office,\” Sarah sighs loudly.
This conversation seems like a typical team exchange about a big project, right? Well, it is—and it drives me crazy. Why? Because of the language used: \”you guys,\” \”man,\” \”oh brother.\” This is a mixed gender team, yet the pronouns and expressions are entirely male.
It\’s true that male pronouns are traditionally used to represent all members of a group regardless of gender. However, defaulting to what\’s “traditional\” is very tricky. One could argue that traditionally, women didn\’t really have a voice in business anyway, or that traditionally, women were not leaders. The problem with “traditions\” is they can be safe-havens for unconscious bias.

The Problem with Unconscious Bias

When language promotes bias, the impact is bigger than you might expect: it expresses an inherent belief that male teams are better. Or worse, that women don\’t even belong on a team at all. The language may appear neutral or non-sexist, in that it applies to everyone, but it discriminates against women because it reflects the values of the men who created or developed the workplace. Another poignant example is the expression, “Are you man enough for the job?\” Even if sayings like this are meant to be harmless, they contribute to many of the challenges women face in the workplace. For example, consider this: How often do you assume the CEO of a company is male?
It\’s not only men and women that are guilty of this, the Oxford Dictionary is also an offender. Anthropologist and Ph.D. student Michael Oman-Reagan identified the following biased definitions (and more) in the Oxford Dictionary:
However, gender-biased language isn\’t all we\’re guilty of. I hear age-biased language about millennials all the time. For example, “I just hired a new kid.\” The hire is most likely a “recent graduate\” or “young person\” which are better terms to use than kid.
I even saw generational bias in a recent article: “…many kids admitted into top schools are emotional wrecks.\” If this is the language we use to describe young people, then our words subconsciously allow us to treat them like children, which partly explains why Gen Y feels like no one takes them seriously. Is this really how we want to treat the second biggest generation, who happens to have the most educated people in its cohort?

When to Watch Your Words

That brings me to an important question: Are leaders giving enough thought to the language they use daily? I\’m not talking about overtly offensive language or ethnic slurs. I\’m talking about the subtle language we say on autopilot, the type of language that comes from—and worse, reinforces—unconscious, biased behavior.
My challenge for all of you is to eliminate these biased words from your vocabulary and try these alternatives instead:
  1. \”You guys\”: Instead use \”everyone,\” \”all of you,\” \”team\”
  2. \”The kid\”: Instead use \”the young person,\” \”young lady,\” \”young man\”
  3. \”Oh man\” or \”Oh brother\”: Instead use \”wow,\” \”ugh,\” \”yikes
  4. \”Attendees and their wives are invited\”: Instead use, \”Attendees and their guests…\”
  5. \”Congressman\”: Instead use \”Member of Congress,\” \”legislator,\” \”representative\”
  6. \”Mankind\”: Instead use \”humankind,\” \”humans,\” \”people\”
  7. \”Manpower\”: Instead use \”personnel,\” \”staff\”
  8. \”Salesman\”: Instead use \”salesperson\”
Seems simple enough, doesn\’t it? After you start with the eight words above, you\’ll begin to notice how much this language is used on a daily basis. All it takes is practice and awareness to help lower the burden of bias on the women and young people around you. Remember: language creates action and action becomes accepted behavior which informs organizational culture. Your language, and your actions, matter.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

5 TIPS FOR MANAGING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AT WORK

Bias—a tendency to believe that some people and ideas are better than others—wreaks havoc in the workplace. It keeps women and people of color out of the boardroom, limits job opportunities, prevents organizations from the true monetary and cultural benefits of a diverse workforce, makes it difficult for Baby Boomers to get jobs and more. While it\’s easy to identify and limit bias when it\’s overt, that\’s not always the case—in fact, bias can often be completely unconscious.
Even those with the best intentions behave in biased ways, and simply have no idea they\’re doing it. Most of us use biased language without giving it a second thought.
Companies like Google, whose employees are 70 percent male, 3 percent Hispanic and only 2 percent Black look to unconscious bias, or hidden bias, as a way to explain their inequitable diversity statistics. How else could such a well-educated, well-intentioned company account for hiring mostly young white and Asian men?
The good news is that unconscious bias hiding in plain sight works in management\’s favor, because the concept is relatively blameless. If we all have hidden biases, then working to eliminate them won\’t single us out—hopefully increasing employees\’ and leadership\’s willingness to learn.
Here are seven tips for managing unconscious bias that you can use for yourself, your team and your company\’s leadership. Remember: No one is immune to unconscious bias and all initiatives should be company-wide.

1) Take an Implicit Associations Test

A good place to start is with an Implicit Associations Test (IAT), developed by Tony Greenwald, a University of Washington professor who started researching unconscious bias in 1994. The test takes five minutes and cuts through the perceptions of our own biases on gender, religion, race, sexuality and more. Prepare test takers for the fact that about 75 percent of people who have taken the race IAT show biases.

2) Watch Your Language

Avoid words or phrases like: \”the kid,\” \”oh man\” or \”oh brother,\” \”manpower,\” \”you guys,\” \”attendees and their wives,\” etc. These phrases are biased and feed the subconscious biases of those around you. Here is more information about biased language, including a table of alternative words to add to your vocabulary.

3) Identify Entry Points for Bias

Start by taking a look at these four things:
  • How people are hired
  • How work is assigned
  • What happens during performance evaluations
  • How compensation is determined
Where does bias have the opportunity to influence each process? For example, when looking at how people are hired, you may notice that 70 percent of people interviewed are men. You could then strip names and other identifying aspects from resumes before review to see if those statistics improve. This tactic is referred to as the interruption strategy. In addition, you could ensure the interview panels are more diverse—for example, when one gender has more decision making power than another, it perpetuates gender bias . People tend to hire and promote people who look like them.

4) Visualize a Positive Interaction

Psychological research shows that visualizing a particular situation can create the same effects behaviorally and psychologically as actually experiencing the situation. In addition, brain studies reveal that mental imagery impacts several cognitive processes in the brain, including attention, perceptions, planning and memory. This means you can train your brain for action through visualization.
What should you visualize? You can imagine yourself in a positive and productive meeting with team members who are of a different ethnicity, generation or gender from you.

5) Encourage Workers to Hold Each Other Accountable

Part of making a concerted effort to eliminate prevailing bias is working together. This is especially key when it comes to hidden bias. Awareness is the first step to enacting any sort of change, so help those on your team be more aware of their behaviors so they are able to self-correct. This goes for management and leadership, too. All major organizational changes need to have complete buy-in and support from leaders.
Biases come in all forms. There are biases against each generation, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, working parents—even a person\’s height can cause bias! It\’s important to realize that all biases hurt the success of organizations. By creating an environment for open dialogue, you can make a strong effort to address this issue.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

WILLIAM TINCUP: 7 STEPS TO DEFINE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

HR leaders spend a lot of time thinking about how to support and enrich other people\’s careers. But it\’s also important to turn the lens on ourselves, making sure we\’re fully present and fulfilled at work. To wit, we asked William Tincup, principal analyst at Key Interval Research, for his advice on polishing up your personal brand:
Would you hire yourself? Don\’t answer just yet.
Just for a moment, think of yourself as a product. What are your features, benefits and attributes? What is your brand strategy? In order to create your true and unique brand, you need to ask yourself some hard questions. This won\’t be easy, but I promise it will be worth your time.
To get started, here are 7 suggested exercises to follow as you define your personal brand.

1. What is your vision?

What is the vision behind what you do, who you are, how you behave?
Try to visualize what your life and career looks like now, 6 months from now, 3 years from now. What are some of the paths that enable these visions? Even if your vision of your future self is blurry, it\’s okay. You just need to have an idea—an inkling—of said vision. No one else is going to manage your career, it\’s up to you.

2. What are your values?

What do you really stand for? What line cannot be crossed?
Your brain should hurt when you conduct this exercise. At the edges of these thoughts are: What would you be willing to die for? There are no easy answers, but you must be in touch with your values. Period. Those that don\’t understand their own values, generally speaking, end up having their values trampled.

3. Where do you flourish? Where do you fail?

You need to have an understanding of where you shine, what support structures you need and what types of people inspire you. These qualities will define the \”Feng Shui\” of your employment and help you predict success.
Being able to predict your own failure and—hopefully—avoiding it is another story. You must be able to explain that to your bosses and potential employers, and step away from opportunities that you know will be toxic. Read: \”The only times I\’ve ever failed in life is where I tried to be someone else. If you want me to be someone else, let\’s part ways now.\”

4. Admit that when you\’ve sucked, you\’ve sucked in a big way.

Most candidates try to present themselves as perfect. All recruiters know know they\’re lying. Get comfortable with your warts—all of them. If you cuss, own it. If you\’re a social drinker, own it. When you\’ve let others down, own it. Tell the truth. And, more to the point, if your potential employer wants someone that\’s perfect, you were just going to get fired anyway. Save everyone the time and sorrow. Own up to your flaws.

5. Why are you so awesome?

Own up to your strengths, too. Inventory all of the amazing things you\’ve accomplished. Turns out, you\’re probably pretty awesome—don\’t be afraid to share it. Modesty is attractive, but too much humility will make you appear either weak, not compelling or both. It\’s hard to know when to beat your chest, but take your inventory of success and be brave enough to spread the word about your awesomeness.

6. When are you rational? When you are emotional?

Personality experts would have you believe that personality is everything—who you marry, who you befriend, how you act at the Christmas party, etc.
I\’m not sure I buy the depth of that, but I do believe personality is critical to matching employers happily with employees. So, as an employee, how well do you really know your own personality? No perfect answer. Just inventory yourself and ask some really difficult questions: When am I at my rational best? When do I become emotional, and why?
In this exercise, you\’re just trying to become aware, that\’s it. So you can tell a compelling story about your personality. Like fingerprints, it will be only yours.

7. How do you make other people better?

I\’d use a sports reference here, but that\’s really boring and lazy. Truth is, we\’ve all been in situations (groups, classes, parties, etc.) where we\’ve seen it with our own eyes: a person making everyone around them better. We\’ve also seen the opposite—a person who destroys the things and people around them. People be damned. Success be dammed. Scorched Earth.
You should be able to articulate, specifically, how you can and will make everyone you interact with better. This is where you align your brand with your company\’s brand.
So, there are seven (simple?) exercises. You\’ll think of more “brand called me\” exercises as you think about yourself as a can of soup or box of cereal. You\’ll come up with more inventories. The game is simple and yet oddly complex: know thy self.
And by “thyself\” I mean your \”true and unique\” brand. If the exercises above were easy for you, then start to inventory your passions and your competencies, and look for the sweet spot where you align those with your brand. Oh, and by the way, 99 percent of Americans haven\’t created this said alignment.
That stat was completely made up, but you get the idea.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

New Orleans Jazz: Culture & History Come Alive Through Music

Ever since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Brennan Bugbee (Class of ’16) has been curious about visiting the city. Bugbee is a UVM environmental chemistry student with a history minor, and a loyal fan of the New Orleans Saints. When Bugbee learned that he could earn UVM credit to travel to New Orleans to study history and culture, while fulfilling his diversity graduation requirement, he jumped at the opportunity.
Bugbee is no stranger to travel in the United States. “I’ve been lucky to travel with my family,” he says. “Most of my travel experiences have been on the East Coast, but I have gained a little piece of first-hand exposure to regional and cultural diversity every time.” Over the years, he’s explored nearly 25 different states across the country.
Never having traveled to the Deep South, Bugbee wanted to better understand the cultural and ideological differences that sometimes come into play in national politics. “I wanted to know more about what shapes national conversations and policy decisions,” he says.

Gaining Exposure to New Orleans Jazz Culture and History

Bugbee registered for the New Orleans: Music and Culture travel study course last spring with Professor Clyde Stats, a musician. The course met a few times before traveling to New Orleans over spring break to prepare students for the trip.
“The class leading up to our trip really helped me to prepare for the experience,” he says. “I’m a history minor, so I was really interested in learning about the significance of the landmarks we visited.”
The course also explored the transformation of jazz as a musical genre. “We got to experience live performances at music halls all over the city, where we could hear the generational evolution of the music being performed,” he says.
With a historical understanding, the students could situate the different sounds and styles into cultural and historical context. History came to life through music. “I came to understand the concept that music is an expression of cultural identity, which is the product of ethnic tradition,” Bugbee says.
Students develop their cultural competency and understanding through experience. “In studying the history of a melting pot of races, New Orleans’ sociology explains the evolution of the musical genre. We saw how the history, culture, and musical expression are very much intertwined,” he says.
Indeed, cultural studies were infused throughout the experience. With its proximity to the Gulf of New Mexico, New Orleans has a booming fishing industry. Bugbee enjoyed exploring culture through the traditional cuisine of the region; especially the seafood.
“It’s very hard to find fresh seafood in Vermont and it’s probably impossible to find alligator gumbo anywhere around here,” he says, adding that he tried many of the local favorites and enjoyed exploring his palate in a new place. “In my opinion, eating local cuisine is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture because everyone loves food and there are so many different variations to explore. It’s easy to find something new that you’ll enjoy.”
Life in the city was a bit of a change for Bugbee, who grew up in a small Vermont town. It did not feel like an uncomfortable stretch for him to explore the city. “I love people-watching in Burlington, so I felt a similar connection to New Orleans, except that New Orleans is on a different scale. There is just more to see and experience.”
The course mixes traditional classroom learning with field visits, enabling students to learn through experience.
“Everyone I met was very hospitable. Tourism is a main industry for the city of New Orleans, and people don’t seem to mind if you are curious and ask them questions.”
Bugbee suggests that students who are considering a travel program consider their readiness before they go. “To enjoy your trip, you need to be able to handle a new environment far away from home, which is easy if you have the right mind set,” he says. “It’s important to be open-minded to accepting a culture other than your own and interested in learning as much as possible about it.”
Reiterating the value of his experience, Bugbee said, “Travel helped me to discover things I never knew I liked and gain a more global perspective.

HOW I MOVED FROM HOSTESS TO HIRING LEADER

I took my first job out of high school because of tiramisu. Yes—the dessert.
It all started with those decadent layers of vanilla cream, espresso soaked cake and rich chocolate shavings. Let me explain. When I was in school and determining where to apply for a job while in college, I knew I wanted to work for a company that I truly believed in. One whose products I actually enjoyed for myself, and whose people I felt would support me. And the product I loved more than almost anything else? California Pizza Kitchen’s tiramisu. If you’ve tried it, you understand.
I started as a hostess, learning the ropes of how a restaurant works, testing products (lucky me) and working with a team of motivated individuals. Fast forward 13 years, and I was a recruiting leader for CPK restaurants and headquarters, responsible for building the same teams that I joined when I started. When did I take the 90-degree turn toward hiring? And how did I move from hostess to leading this important team, all at the same company? It was all thanks to a wealth of growth opportunities, the desire to keep learning and a whole lot of passion for the company purpose.

My Journey, Fueled by Tiramisu

When I entered CPK as a 17 year old, I wanted a job I liked. Plain and simple. As a college student in Southern California, I was looking for energy, friends and a steady income to support my life outside of class. Starting as a hostess, I figured the job would be pretty simple: greeting and seating guests; managing reservations; collecting menus. But right off the bat, I learned everything one could ever need to know about being a hostess. I tested menu items to make sure I could describe our cuisine; I learned the order of service so I could project wait times, help fill in when I needed. and juggle many people and many tasks all at once.
Eventually, I saw an opening for a serving position, and I took it. I began training new servers and hosts that came in, moved locations (more than once) and was encouraged to apply for a restaurant management position by leadership. With training in place to bridge the gap between running a section of tables to running a shift and overseeing a restaurant, I was able to make the transition to restaurant management. It was a major responsibility that I enjoyed and was grateful for—but ultimately, I had to choose whether I was going to continue in restaurant management or try my hand at something new.
A favorite manager of mine told me about a position in recruiting that had opened up at the company—and all of a sudden, it just clicked. The importance of creating a company environment that people wanted to be a part of was not lost on me—in fact, I lived it. And building the kinds of opportunities that I had at CPK for others would be perhaps the most meaningful way I could spend my days. So I interviewed, got the job, and worked my way up from there.

The Value of Potential

I could sit here and chalk up my ladder-climbing to personal tenacity, hard work or a headstrong desire to always keep moving. And sure, maybe some of it was that.
But really, it was the internal mobility that CPK offered me and the rest of its employees—the fact that they not only trusted, but invested, in my potential. According to a Gallup study from 2016, 87 percent of the working millennial population says that professional development is crucial in a job. As the number of workers who stay at a job for more than four years decreases, companies have to work with employees to build careers on their terms—or else they’ll just leave. And contrary to popular belief, most employees don’t want to jump ship: In fact, a Cornerstone report found that 66 percent of people look internally for a new position first. The problem? Only 32 percent of employers encourage people to work in other departments.
I was lucky to work at a company among that 32 percent for my first job, and it’s something I’ve continued to value in an employer at every step in my career. Companies like CPK—then Oakley, and now Cornerstone OnDemand—trained me for what I could be in the future and gave me the skills I needed to take the next steps, whether that was a server, a manager or even a recruiter. For CPK, they held onto an employee that was passionate, engaged and skilled—and in today’s constant hunt for quality candidates, those employees can be hard to find.
As a Director of Talent Acquisition now, I understand why this approach worked so well. My employer showed me my value, when they could’ve just shown me the door. In a market that feels scary, huge and impersonal, a company that treats employees as individuals and invests resources in helping them find their place (continuously) is one that breeds happy workers—and always has a full pipeline.

Vermont Eighth Graders Rank High Globally in Math, Science

A recent U.S. study shows that eighth graders in three states, including Vermont, outperformed most students across the world in math and science.
Vermont eighth graders placed fourth globally in science when ranked against the 49 states and 47 countries and jurisdictions. Only Singapore, Massachusetts and Taiwan ranked ahead of Vermont. In math, Vermont eighth graders came in at seventh, behind No. 1 South Korea and then, in order, Singapore, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Hong Kong, Japan and Massachusetts.
The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education, and compared the 2011 test scores of eighth graders worldwide. American eighth graders take the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). Outside the U.S., students take the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In 2011, students in only nine states took the TIMSS. In order to compare the scores of states and countries, the study used the NAEP scores to predict how well the American students would do on the TIMSS.
“This is an important study because it is one of the first studies that links federal NAEP test data by state to the TIMSS results,” said Dr. Cynthia Gerstl-Pepin, associate dean of the University of Vermont’s College of Education and Social Services. “It shows that national policy arguments suggesting that the U.S. education system is failing are unfounded. Instead it shows that some individual state education systems are incredibly successful while others are struggling.”
Gerstl-Pepin was “not surprised at all” by Vermont’s high ranking.
“Vermont consistently has set high standards for teacher preparation, what students should learn and how they show what they learn (in terms of assessment/testing),” she said.
It makes sense to use NAEP and TIMSS tests for comparison because both require high-level thinking, Gerstl-Pepin said, similar to Vermont’s New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) tests. Other states’ tests, however, are arguably much easier, she said.
“The fallacy of No Child Let Behind is that it allows states to have lower standards and to use state assessments/tests that cater to those low standards,” Gerstl-Pepin explained. “Vermont education leaders have consistently had high standards for teachers and students, and the NECAP tests used to assess students in Vermont consistently reflect those high standards.”
Going forward, comparisons among states should become even easier.
“The new Common Core Standards mean that state education systems are expected to use one of two national assessments: the Smarter Balanced Assessments or the Partnership of Readiness for College and Careers,” Gerstl-Pepin said. “Vermont has chosen the Smarter Balanced Assessments because the tests are more sophisticated. They do not just tell you whether a student is meeting standards but can also be used by educators to inform how they can help a student improve.”

Jobs and Career Outlooks with a Healthcare Administration Degree

There has never been a better time to pursue a healthcare administration degree. As the “Baby Boomer” generation retires, they create a two-fold need for qualified candidates entering the field of healthcare. Retirees leave their positions wide open for the next generation of healthcare administrators and – as they age – they create a larger demand for employees in all aspects of healthcare. Whether you plan to begin your career in the field of medicine and work up to an administration position, or plan to enter the field of healthcare administration directly after obtaining a degree, your job and career outlooks are resoundingly positive.
What can you Do with a Healthcare Administration Degree?
The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Handbook projects employment rates for healthcare administrators will grow by 17% over the next eight years. This is significantly faster than the average job growth statistics for other careers. In addition to the rising Baby Boomer population, rapid technological changes put additional pressure on hospitals, doctors’ offices, and medical clinics to hire healthcare professionals with the most current and in-depth understanding of medical coding and classification software as well as electronic health record (EHR) systems technologies.
In order to have the best prospects of securing a job in the field of healthcare administration, candidates need to be educated at accredited universities offering a variety of classes designed to support well-rounded graduates. Healthcare Administrators do more than just “manage.” They are responsible for:
  • All aspects of day-to-day healthcare facility management
  • Keeping up (and adhering to) the latest healthcare legislation and policies
  • Employee hiring/firing, creating and sticking to budgets
  • Acting as public relations representatives for their healthcare facility.
That’s a tall order for any employee which is why finding the right candidates can be incredibly challenging.
Landing a Job as a Healthcare Administrator
There are several things you can do to increase your chances of landing a job directly after graduation.
  • Attend an accredited college with a reputation for graduating competent and prepared graduates with a healthcare administration degree.
  • Take classes with a wide subject base to show future employers you are not only a successful healthcare manager, you are astute in the areas of accounting/finance, technology, and customer relations. They need to know you can jump in and perform competently on multiple levels.
  • Take advantage of any career experience opportunities your campus offers so that you can become educated in a variety of healthcare arenas. You never know whether your degree will take you to a large urban hospital or a small rural non-profit clinic. The more experience you have the better.
While nobody would say healthcare administrators have it easy, the position can provide a lifetime of both personal and professional satisfaction.

Vermont Eighth Graders Rank High Globally in Math, Science

A recent U.S. study shows that eighth graders in three states, including Vermont, outperformed most students across the world in math and science.
Vermont eighth graders placed fourth globally in science when ranked against the 49 states and 47 countries and jurisdictions. Only Singapore, Massachusetts and Taiwan ranked ahead of Vermont. In math, Vermont eighth graders came in at seventh, behind No. 1 South Korea and then, in order, Singapore, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Hong Kong, Japan and Massachusetts.
The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education, and compared the 2011 test scores of eighth graders worldwide. American eighth graders take the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). Outside the U.S., students take the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In 2011, students in only nine states took the TIMSS. In order to compare the scores of states and countries, the study used the NAEP scores to predict how well the American students would do on the TIMSS.
“This is an important study because it is one of the first studies that links federal NAEP test data by state to the TIMSS results,” said Dr. Cynthia Gerstl-Pepin, associate dean of the University of Vermont’s College of Education and Social Services. “It shows that national policy arguments suggesting that the U.S. education system is failing are unfounded. Instead it shows that some individual state education systems are incredibly successful while others are struggling.”
Gerstl-Pepin was “not surprised at all” by Vermont’s high ranking.
“Vermont consistently has set high standards for teacher preparation, what students should learn and how they show what they learn (in terms of assessment/testing),” she said.
It makes sense to use NAEP and TIMSS tests for comparison because both require high-level thinking, Gerstl-Pepin said, similar to Vermont’s New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) tests. Other states’ tests, however, are arguably much easier, she said.
“The fallacy of No Child Let Behind is that it allows states to have lower standards and to use state assessments/tests that cater to those low standards,” Gerstl-Pepin explained. “Vermont education leaders have consistently had high standards for teachers and students, and the NECAP tests used to assess students in Vermont consistently reflect those high standards.”
Going forward, comparisons among states should become even easier.
“The new Common Core Standards mean that state education systems are expected to use one of two national assessments: the Smarter Balanced Assessments or the Partnership of Readiness for College and Careers,” Gerstl-Pepin said. “Vermont has chosen the Smarter Balanced Assessments because the tests are more sophisticated. They do not just tell you whether a student is meeting standards but can also be used by educators to inform how they can help a student improve.”
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

THE 4 MOST IMPORTANT MINDSET SHIFTS TO MAKE IN 2020

My head is spinning. As someone consumed with workforce trends, January is my jackpot. Each day I probably receive 100 or more emails, newsletters and Google alerts about what thought leaders and experts suggest will be dominant 2020 workplace trends. Fortunately, there are some themes running through all the prognostications:
  1. Competition for skilled workers will intensify.
  2. Labor shortages for most workers will continue.
  3. Artificial intelligence will not displace masses of workers (this year) but will amplify disruption.
None of these forecasts are “breaking news.” But it’s not that past year forecasts were wrong— these trends simply continue unabated, and our challenges grow exponentially. To see how right or wrong these predictions are, we’ll need to wait another 12 months. But suffice it say, you shouldn’t—no, you can’t—wait one minute longer to start implementing solutions. The luxury of waiting and reacting to past events is long gone.
Solutions don’t lie in simply purchasing more technology, training based on corporate buzzwords or using more hashtags like #employeeexperience, #culturaltransformation, #wellbeing, or #diversityandinclusion, either.  Rather, change that works requires a series of mindset shifts. Here are what I feel are the four most important shifts needed to succeed and grow in 2020 and beyond. I came up with an acronym DICE to remember them: Disruptive, Infinite, Curious, and Empathetic. 
You might wonder which one is most important or which should come first. It doesn’t matter. You can’t disrupt and transform the status quo effectively without shifting all four. So let’s roll the DICE!

Disruptive Mindset

Many companies make the mistake of making disruption their goal. But that’s not what a disruptive mindset is all about. According to Charlene Li, author of The Disruption Mindset, “disruption doesn’t create growth, but growth creates disruption.” 
The disruptive mindset is more than a certain self-perception or an inclination. It’s consistent and persistent behavior that challenges the status quo. In her book, Li details four disruptive leadership mindsets: the Agent Provocateur, Realist Optimist, Worried Skeptic and Steadfast Manager. Which one best describes you—and is it allowing you to grow your organization or sustain the status quo?

Infinite Mindset

While we’re on the subject of disruption and challenging the status quo, the infinite mindset is a natural fit. Simon Sinek, the author of The Infinite Game, believes that the pursuit of being number one may be a losing strategy. Instead of taking on an attitude of winning, a person with an infinite mindset takes on an attitude of improvement. 
Sinek writes, “It takes unbelievable courage to completely change the way we see the world… If we can learn to embrace infinite mindsets, not only have we increased and enhanced innovation, seen trust and cooperation thrive, but we’ll actually love our jobs…” 

Curious Mindset

If there is one mindset that underpins the others, it’s curiosity. Disruption requires openness. The infinite mindset seeks continuous improvement. Empathy, which we’ll get into in a moment, requires stepping into the shoes of others. You can’t do any of these without a curious mind. 
Dr. Todd Kashdan suggests that unleashing curiosity requires being comfortable enough to make mistakes, share your anxiety and embrace your vulnerability. It’s time to restore the “mad-scientist” mindset of a 5-year-old. Is your company providing a safe haven for curiosity, an environment where people feel comfortable deviating from the norm and evolving? 

Empathetic Mindset

The importance of empathy continues to grow: It now rests high atop the list of desirable characteristics of exceptional leaders and skills for top talent even in highly technical fields like the UX industry. According to the Wall Street Journal, about 20% of U.S. employers now offer empathy training, up significantly from just a few years ago. (Whether you can actually train someone to be empathetic versus act like they are is a story for another day!) 
Empathy has been used to describe a variety of experiences, so a definition may be particularly helpful: Empathy is the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. In other words, seeing the world through their eyes and experiencing their feelings. 
In building up this necessary soft skill, individuals will be better positioned to inspire other employees, build more communicative teams, and earn loyalty. Not to mention, since empathy is an exclusively human skill, anyone worried about saving their jobs from an automated future would be wise to develop it.