Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Key Findings from the World Economic Forums Future of Jobs Survey (Part II)

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Key Findings from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Survey (Part II) Last week, I shared some compelling results from the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Future of Jobs Survey. To recap, this research set out to represent the current strategies, projections and estimates of global business, with a focus on large multinational companies and more localized companies of significance due to their employee or revenue size. Let’s examine some additional highlights from the report: Emerging in-demand roles: Among the range of established roles that are set to experience increasing demand in the period up to 2022 are Data Analysts and Scientists, Software and Applications Developers, and Ecommerce and Social Media Specialists, roles that are significantly based on and enhanced by the use of technology. Also expected to grow are roles that leverage distinctively ‘human skills, such as Customer Service Workers, Sales and Marketing Professionals, Training and Development, People and Culture, and Organizational Development Specialists. There will also be a variety of roles related to understanding and leveraging the latest emerging technologies: AI and Machine Learning Specialists, Big Data Specialists, Process Automation Experts, Information Security Analysts, User Experience and Human-Machine Interaction Designers, Robotics Engineers, and Blockchain. Growing skills instability: Given the wave of new technologies and trends disrupting business models and the changing division of labor between workers and machines transforming current job profiles, the vast majority of employers surveyed for this report expect that, by 2022, the skills required to perform most jobs will have shifted Global average skills stabilityâ€"the proportion of core skills required to perform a job that will remain the sameâ€"is expected to be about 58%, meaning an average shift of 42% in required workforce skills over the 2018â€"2022 period. A reskilling imperative: By 2022, no less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling. Of these, about 35% are expected to require additional training of up to six months, 9% will require reskilling lasting six to 12 months, while 10% will require additional skills training of more than a year. Skills continuing to grow in prominence by 2022 include analytical thinking and innovation as well as active learning and learning strategies. Sharply increasing importance of skills such as technology design and programming highlights the growing demand for various forms of technology competency identified by employers surveyed for this report. Proficiency in new technologies is only one part of the 2022 skills equation, however, as ‘human’ skills such as creativity, originality and initiative, critical thinking, persuasion and negotiation will likewise retain or increase their value, as will attention to detail, resilience, flexibility and complex problem-solvin g. Current strategies for addressing skills gaps: Companies highlight three future strategies to manage the skills gaps widened by the adoption of new technologies. They expect to hire wholly new permanent staff already possessing skills relevant to new technologies; seek to automate the work tasks concerned completely; and retrain existing employees. The likelihood of hiring new permanent staff with relevant skills is nearly twice the likelihood of strategic redundancies of staff lagging behind in new skills adoption. However, nearly a quarter of companies are undecided or unlikely to pursue the retraining of existing employees, and two-thirds expect workers to adapt and pick up skills in the course of their changing jobs. Between one-half and two-thirds are likely to turn to external contractors, temporary staff and freelancers to address their skills gaps. Insufficient reskilling and upskilling: Employers indicate that they are set to prioritize and focus their re- and upskilling efforts on employees currently performing high-value roles as a way of strengthening their enterprise’s strategic capacity, with 54% and 53% of companies, respectively, stating they intend to target employees in key roles and in frontline roles which will be using relevant new technologies. In addition, 41% of employers are set to focus their reskilling provision on high-performing employees while a much smaller proportion of 33% stated that they would prioritize at-risk employees in roles expected to be most affected by technological disruption. Overall, said the World Economic Forum, the report’s findings suggest the need for a comprehensive ‘augmentation strategy’, an approach where businesses look to utilize the automation of some job tasks to complement and enhance their human workforces’ comparative strengths and ultimately to enable and empower employees to extend to their full potential. However, to unlock this positive vision, workers will need to have the appropriate skills enabling them to thrive in the workplace of the future and the ability to continue to retrain throughout their lives. Crafting a sound in-company lifelong learning system, investing in human capital and collaborating with other stakeholders on workforce strategy should thus be key business imperatives. A mindset of agile learning will also be needed on the part of workers as they shift from the routines and limits of today’s jobs to new, previously unimagined futures. Want to learn more about how you can prepare for the future of work? Check out the new book, Humanity Works: Merging Technologies and People for the Workforce of the Future.

What Happens When Leaders Dont Care Marla Gottschalk

What Happens When Leaders Dont Care Marla Gottschalk Ive just spent the last week with my family at an extended-stay establishment. We are in the midst of repairing our home as a result of water damage. This kind of thing happens all of the time, but its not a fun process. Weve hobbled along with a microwave and a bathroom sink for about 5 weeks. (I can only compare it to camping in your own home without of the advantage of somores.) Finally, we came to a point where had to clear out, board the dog and stay somewhere else. We were more than ready for a reprieve from the construction. For obvious reasons I wont mention the chains name. However, its parent company is one that has been an iconic brand for as long as I can remember. We were glad to be there â€" and likely should have taken advantage of our opportunity to relocate sooner. The staff was extremely accommodating, there were hot meals and it was oh, so quiet. No banging hammers or sanding going on. Perfect. Until we ventured out one afternoon and noticed a note on our vehicle, along with a sizable dent. Unfortunately â€" one of the hotel employees had mistakenly backed up into our vehicle. When the employee (who was very upset about what happened) later called to ask to settle without insurance being involved, I felt I should share what happened with the hotels General Manager. That was a monumental mistake. I expected some sign of life â€" but instead Crickets. As it turned out, she could not have given a damn. She had been alerted to the problem â€" and performed her corporate duty â€" informing us that she (and her brand) had no control over what happens in their parking lot. She was professionally cold. She was dismissive. She was unmoved by the situation. She was quick to usher me out of her office. Surprising, considering that her attitude was the polar opposite of the customer service creed the rest of the staff seemed to follow. She was the anomaly. I get it. You dont (or wont or cant) care. That was very clear. The sad thing is she did have control over quite a lot â€" even if not over her parking lot. Yet she failed to make the most of it. A few come to mind: She could have built upon the goodwill already initiated by her staff. She could have shown empathy and forged a long-term relationship. She could have explored why we were staying at her property and learned the story of her customers. She could have been a leader, ensuring that her customers were the priority â€" not corporate legalese. After all was said and done, we stayed 3 more days at this establishment and didnt hear a peep from her. Nary a note, or a kind word was extended. So, all of the hard work of her staff (and they were wonderful), really wont matter in the long run. Because we will never stay at one of their properties again. I did let corporate know â€" and she wrote a disingenuous note about how sorry she was for what had occurred and if there was anything she might do to call her. (Number given. Although she never even offered her card previously.) Unfortunately, when leaders dont care, customers dont care either. They walk away and never return. That is a shame. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, consultant and coach. She holds the role of Senior Consultant at Allied Talent.

Company Culture What Your Employees Really Think

Company Culture What Your Employees Really Think Mary had been looking forward to seeing the results from her organization’s annual employee engagement survey. She was proud of the culture the management team had fostered â€" one that she believed encouraged collaboration, innovation and honesty. She had managed a team of more than 20 people and, from her point of view, believed they felt the same way about the company. But Mary’s assessment of the culture couldn’t have been more wrong. When she read the results, she couldn’t believe what it said. Team morale was low, trust was at an all-time low and there was a major disconnect with management.  Unfortunately, Mary’s story is typical of many organizations. A new study from VitalSmarts has found an alarming gap between what managers say they want their company culture to be and what employees say is really valued by their bosses.  In fact, research shows that leaders say they want innovation, initiative, candor and teamwork to define their culture. What employees feel is really valued at their company is obedience, predictability, deference to authority and competition with peers. When it comes to culture, there’s a real disconnect between management’s perspective and employees’ perspective. The study  also found, after surveying more than 1,200 employees, managers and executives, that employees have a much more negative view of their corporate culture than their bosses do. And the higher you go up the organization chart, the more positive their perception of the company culture. Why does this matter? Research has revealed that when employees believe that what was really valued was obedience, predictability, deference to authority and competition with peers, they are  32 percent less likely to be engaged, motivated and committed to the organization. This perception also has a major impact on performance: employees are  26 percent less likely to rate their organization as successful at innovating and executing. Overall, organizations have a lot of work to do when it comes to improving company culture. Only 9 percent of employees have a favorable opinion of their company’s culture. Surprisingly, managers and executives were only slightly more optimistic â€" 15 percent reported viewing their corporate culture in a favorable light. While this culture chasm can feel daunting, there is some good news. When it comes to fixing corporate culture, we know the best place to start is with dialogue. In fact, the only way to close this perception gap is with open, honest conversation between employees and their leaders. Employees believe their leaders push one set of behaviors on them but reward another. This is the ideal starting point for dialogue. If leaders are perceived to send mixed messages about what they truly believe will drive performance, they should invite employees to call them out on the hypocrisy. While many leaders believe employees will not be open and honest with them, we’ve found the opposite to be true. When an executive really listens and demonstrated genuine concern, employees will be surprisingly honest. Let’s take it a step further. The study reveals that the healthiest cultures exist in organizations where people speak up and hold others accountable. Leaders trained in these skills can better communicate with and manage their teams. They are also in a position to teach these vital dialogue and accountability skills to their employeesâ€"cascading them throughout the organization. So how can leaders begin to open up the lines of communication with employees? Here are four strategies they can take to start a candid discussion about their culture chasm: Understand the business case Before leaders set off to change the company culture, they must be clear about the business reason for doing so. The worst thing they can do is implement a feel-good strategy. This has little impact and creates cynicism among employees. There are hard, measurable reasons for changing the culture, and leaders must articulate them before they embark on their journey. Focus on vital behaviors Leaders can’t change 10 to 15 behaviors in a company â€" they can really only focus on a vital two or three. Pick the behaviors that will have the biggest impact on performance and stick with them. Listen deeply Before leaders can change the culture, they must know where they stand with their employees. The best way to do this isn’t through a survey administered by outsiders. Rather, they should vulnerably engage with employees who know best. Pair up and meet with groups of 8 to 10 employees. Spend at least an hour asking open-ended questions like, “What advice would you give a friend if they came to work here.” Take action Listening creates expectations. Once employees take a risk to share their perceptions, they start to watch to see if leaders were really listening or just checking off a box. They want to see evidence. Leaders should pick a couple of valued and visible concerns and address them quickly. This builds trust in leaders’ sincerity to make longer-term changes that may involve the employees themselves changing their behavior. About the author: Joseph Grenny is a bestselling author, speaker, and leading social scientist for business performance. He is also the cofounder of VitalSmarts. His work has been translated into twenty-eight languages, is available in thirty-six countries, and has generated results for 300 of the Fortune 500. www.crucialskills.com.

To Add Insight To Injury

To Add Insight To Injury There are many things we can  learn from an injury and today I am honored to share my journey and a story from a friend who has willingly shared her incredible and inspiring story. Katie’s incredible story. Mystery About two and half years ago I started feeling some pretty weird tingling and numbness in my arm which progressed to constant pain throughout my arm up my shoulder and swelling of the arm whenever I was actively moving it. It took several doctors to correctly diagnose the issue. I did  a lot of research to determine what was going on, asked a lot of questions, read medical studies, etc. When I finally found a doctor that said this what you have and this is how I can fix it, I was so relieved and thankful. It was called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and after months of physical therapy with no results, I was a candidate for an extensive surgery where my first rib was removed, scalene muscles in my neck were removed and my pec minor was released or essentially removed as well. Insight: Understand the importance of being your own advocate when dealing with doctors. Dedication The recovery was pretty long and required a lot of patience. Unlike other sports injuries Ive dealt with, if there was any pain in the rehab, it meant stop. Not push through. The rehab also required a lot more work than others Ive dealt with (perhaps in part because of age as well). I had to take care of myself every day like I took care of things like my education or career. I really had to work hard and devote to the rehab and then to the strengthening. I also took the opportunity to change my diet and fix eating habits to be a healthier person (though this had nothing to do with the injury, it was just part of wanting to feel better over all). It was all part of a wake up call that I wasnt 20 years old anymore ha. Today, I am stronger and feel so much better than I did even before the surgery. Insight: Seize this predicament as a reminder to take care of you. Every day.        My Story In my  Roll With The Punches  post, I referenced my ACL injury as an example to keep an open, positive mind no matter what events happen in your life. Fair warning, this post is different. This raw account dives into the post-op and rehab experience and surfaces with my reflections. Reconstruction To prepare my right leg for bone patellar tendon bone reconstructive ACL surgery, the doctor injected a numbing agent  into my femoral artery. As he explained the procedure, my feelings of excitement at being mended began to dissipate and I began to feel scared and started to cry. They gave me something similar to laughing gas or ‘truth serum’ as they joked. Indeed, soon I was telling them about a recent fight my guy and I had gotten into and then I was asleep. I woke up and my leg seemed huge, swaddled from ankle to upper thigh in Ace wrap and caged in the immobilizer “Robocop” knee brace. When I tried to move, it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. The surgery was projected to take around two hours, but my surgeon took four and a half hours! She said that she wanted to pack as many of the bone chips back into my knee since she knew I was a runner and this would hopefully decrease future anterior knee pain. I felt relieved that the surgery was successful and thanked her.  The thought of running seemed so distant. Insight: Have gratitude towards those who help you. (Even when you are out of it). Agony When I did not move it, my right leg was numb. Until the next day. When the numbing wore off, my leg woke up to pain. Throbbing, my-bones-have been-drilled into, the-middle-part-of-my patellar-tendon-has-been-snipped-out-and-screwed-into-place-as-my-new-ACL, pain. I took Percocet and felt nothing lessen. I thought this was one of those amazing painkiller drugs! I called the nurse and asked her if I could take more. No, she said. Not for another four hours. Devastated by the awful pain, physically helpless, I gave up on my usual positive mindset and sat on the ground in our dark apartment and burst into tears. I caved. I was pain tolerant but this was worse than any of my previous experiences â€" worse than eye surgery or a bike accident or when I broke my collarbone. Nothing prepared me for this kind of throbbing, itching, pounding pain. Insight: Go ahead, express how awful you feel. Feel The Love I do not wallow. The “woe is me” mindset is just not my style. So after the initial day two numbness-wearing off, pain pity party, I was back to my Pollyanna self. My guy left for work and I was home alone, crutching around the apartment. But I didn’t feel alone. My family sent flowers and gifts. Friends sent cards, teddy bears, and came over on their lunch hour with groceries or after work to visit. My client sent me a customized care package with magazines, lip balm, hand lotion (the antibiotics dry your skin), gum (and make your mouth dry), and some DVDs. Our dog could tell I was hurt and laid with me carefully on the couch while I dozed or watched Wimbledon (silver lining of having surgery in the summer). Insight: Thank your people and reciprocate when you are able. Strength and Sustenance I drank water or juice with psyllium husks for intestinal health. Eating even cleaner than before, I made spinach, grapefruit, and avocado salads. Everything my physical therapist gave me as homework to do, I did, including Jane Fonda leg lift exercises and massaging the surgery site to break up the scar tissue. Once I was allowed, I went to the gym and lifted upper body weights and did sit-ups. Two weeks post op, I was cleared to swim with a foam pull float, which isolated my torso and arms for a strengthening workout. With my heart rate up I began to feel like an athlete again. Insight: To heal quickly, follow instructions from your PT and eat clean. Patience The exercises got more and more challenging as my right quad muscle finally started to come back. I progressed to step-ups, lateral band walking, and skater jumps. Once I was allowed to go running, I excitedly set off only to feel tremendous pain. I was bummed out and disappointed. My instructor reminded me to stretch and said that I was progressing well ahead of what others are able to at this time in their rehab. I gave myself a break and kept at it. Insight: Be patient and go easy on yourself! Hindsight Some say an injury is a message from the universe  that is guaranteed to reach us. I got the message. A year after my ACL reconstruction, with courage, I left a relationship that was not right for me. I ran in several 10k events  and in one my  pace was 7:51/mi for the 6.2mi race. Two years post-op, I was doing box jumps with the rest of the cross training class. Now it’s been over three years . A month ago, I ran a half marathon. Last weekend, our bootcamp instructor told someone in the class to watch me do skater jumps for proper form. “Great thanks, now everyone hates me, I joked. Teacher’s pet!”  the  others  teased.  I grinned. It was funny. And it reminded me of how far I have grown since skater jumps seemed impossible, and were  initially so challenging, exhausting in physical therapy. As  I moved to the next circuit, I felt  inspired to write this reflection. Final 3 Insights:   Listen and make changes if needed. Realize your triumphs. Surround yourself with  positive people. What about you? Add your “insight to injury” in the comments or @kellymc247 Columnist Archive

Find a Double Major on Resume

Find a Double Major on ResumeThe first step to getting a double major on resume is knowing what you want. You might think you know exactly what it is that you are trying to achieve, but in actuality you might be coming up with your own goals that you would like to achieve. It is important to be honest with yourself about your plans, dreams and goals.There are many ways to find out how to get a double major on resume. One way would be to take a look at the career section of the university's college career center. You will find out if they have a specific major that is assigned to a specific position or not.Also, you can also ask the school's career office if they have an overall GPA that would determine if a particular course was acceptable or not. The higher the grade the more acceptable it is for them to assign it to a certain program.Another way to find out if you can get a double major on resume is to get in touch with the career counselor. They might have specific information on career planning or some additional guidance for students who are looking for extra help in their chosen career path.They will also be able to tell you what courses you need to take to keep up with school. Many times the extra help is provided at no cost to you, and then you will have to pay for books or other expenses that you might have to deal with. Either way, the goal is still to graduate.Many schools offer the students free assistance when they enroll, but they do have a certain amount of help that you will have to pay for. In fact, some students prefer to pay for additional help that they might need.Once you have the help you need, it is time to go out and find it. Check out the online classifieds for double majors in the education field, or try to see if there are any organizations that help you in finding what your dream job is. Most of these organizations are really just the equivalent of career or community organizations, but they can help you in finding that perfect job.A ll in all, you can find a double major on resume if you know what it is that you are after. The first step to getting that dream job is to figure out what you are looking for. By doing this, you will be well on your way to making sure that your dreams come true.

Client Success Story Invest In Your Career Before Its Too Late

Client Success Story Invest In Your Career Before Its Too Late If youre used to falling into jobs this new way of thinking may be foreign to you  You budget for a two-week vacation each year so have you considered saving up to invest in your 30+ year career?  As a positive outcome to the Great Recession, its my hope that more people manage their careers like they manage their 401Kswith purpose, yearly investment and expert help.  In fact, as I recently blogged on WholeLiving.com, outside help can help turn our stalled dreams into reality faster than we could ever do alone.Unfortunately for the 4.4 million Americans experiencing long-term unemployment (over 1 year), investing in themselves is even more of a challenge now that its coming up against paying the rent.Dont wait until you get to this point to invest in yourself and your career.  To get convinced, read on for my client Marys success story.  After she invested in her career she was promoted and has even more to spend on her vacations and her career:Importance of Investing In Yourself Now Before Its Too LateQ: You invested in your career both thru coaching and school.  How does it feel now to see results from your efforts?  Was it worth it?A: Investing in yourself is one of the most critical aspects to a healthy career.  Working with you Maggie helped me identify, assess, and confidently verbalize my strengths. Your coaching helped my confidence tremendously.  Now I know if I focus on what I find inspiring (strengths, areas of interest) opportunity will follow.Q: How did you know it was time to invest in your career?  What motivated you to make changes?A: In todays rapidly changing environment, feeling passion about who you are, where you are and where you want to go is crucial.  You have to be the best because the talent pool is large.  Investing in coaching with you gave me confidence and expertise about my own skills.Q: Any advice for people considering investing in their careers to make a change? (dos, donts)A: Any steps forward, no matter how small, add up over time.  Doing nothing is not a solution.Q: What have you learned about managing your career thats helped you find more happiness in your work?A: Once I identified my strengths through our coaching work it was easy to translate these skills into my workplace.  I also took time to communicate to management these strengths and future goals [and I was recently promoted].  Alignment with goals and strengths is the key to workplace happiness.Thank you Mary and congratulations!  Check out more client success stories!Share your stories of how youve invested in yourself and the benefits youve received.  I know Mary is not the only one taking charge of her career.  You can be too!  Whats keeping you from making the investment in your career happiness and success?  (Photo courtesy of Rob Lee.)

Getting the Most of Your LinkedIn Profile

Getting the Most of Your LinkedIn Profile LinkedIn, that according to this research, is the world’s most popular professional site for networking, has quickly become an indispensable tool for recruiters and job seekers alike. If you’re looking to boost your career, chances are that you’re already using the platform. But is your profile as well-optimized as it can be to attract the right kind of attention, or are you neglecting to make some easy changes? Here are some tips to get the most of your LinkedIn profile! Make Sure Your Photo is Professional Simply adding a photo to your LinkedIn profile can make you 14 times more likely to be found. Whether others click on your profile will in part depend on the picture you choose to use. Stick with a headshot photo where you are making direct eye contact, presenting a friendly smile, and showing a professional front. Beware of any background distractions in the photo and avoid using selfie snapshots, which come across as unprofessional. Present Headline That Speaks to Hiring Managers and Recruiters First of all, don’t be boring. A little bit of humor won’t hurt. Your headline depends on what type of job you are looking for and on your skills and qualification. Use strong language. Strong adjectives and words will make you more professional and reliable candidate. Be specific. Include career-related details that can make a difference (certification or training). But stay concise and channel your efforts on describing yourself, your best traits or biggest professional achievements. Highlight Your Experience in the Summary The Summary section is an important piece of your LinkedIn profile. This is where you can directly promote and market yourself as a professional. Inform hiring managers and recruiters why you are someone they should talk to for a job opening they have available. This is also a section in which to build up keywords that matter, which will help you come up on top in search results. Show Your Experience In a nutshell, the Experience section of your LinkedIn profile is your online resume. To quickly create a LinkedIn profile, review your resume and copy/paste the relevant information into your profile. Its essential that your resume matches your profile because prospective employers will check. However, when you get more time, make sure to add as much as possible to your LinkedIn profile. Employers expect your resume to be somewhat condensed and specific to the job you seek. But your LinkedIn Profile should be more vast and complete. Showcase Your Skills When you add skills to your LinkedIn profile, it increases your profile views by up to 13 times the amount it would otherwise receive. Often, hiring managers and recruiters search for talent based on specific skills required for the job. The more your profile is identified with specific skills and the more endorsements received for those skills, the better your profile will rank in search results. Work to identify and prioritize what skills are important for the job and engage with your contacts to endorse those skills. Ask for Recommendations Take time to request LinkedIn recommendations. Recommendations from people you have worked with carry a lot of weight. To a potential employer, a LinkedIn recommendation is like a reference in advance. Review your contacts and approach the ones who can vouch for your work and put in a good word in the form of a recommendation. Include Your Location Including a location will let recruiters find you easily and can help you connect with other professionals in your area. If you’re looking for work outside of your current location, update it to your desired location but mention your actual location elsewhere in your profile to avoid seeming deceptive. Show Off Your Interests Joining groups and following companies in your current or desired industry shows up on your profile and lets others know more about your career and extracurricular interests. Now you see, that creating an eye-catching LinkedIn profile is not daunting, on the contrary, it is so rewarding and worthwhile. Invest your time in personal branding. Follow these simple tips on how to create a LinkedIn profile for job search and you will definitely get a professional LinkedIn profile that will be on the top of this resource. You will be stunned how fast hiring managers will notice your profile and you will get the desired interview.