Tag: Moving forward

Did you know that age remains that last acceptable form of bias in the workplace? While there are volumes we could write on why this is the case, I’d like to appeal to a different logic for why age should be included in every company's diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives: because age diversity in the workplace is good business.

Currently there is a whole new level of awareness regarding DE&I initiatives and how companies can do better. But, while it’s common to have veterans, sexual orientation, gender identification, and race included in DE&I initiatives, with the exception of a handful of forward-looking businesses, age is typically overlooked. In fact, according to PwC, only 8% of companies in the United States include age as a criterion for their DE&I strategy. They include companies such as Adobe, Mercedes, SAP, and Accenture. These are companies that see the value of hiring older people with 20 years or more of professional experience.

Companies that don’t include “age” in their DE&I initiatives miss the advantages of having an age and cognitively diverse team. Typically, there’s more than one way to solve a problem. Within any given team, each person’s unique problem-solving approach is based on a blend of their different backgrounds, experiences, personality, and the different ways each of us processes information. The more diverse a team is, the more likely that team is to approach a problem from different angles. Conversely, homogenous teams are more likely to approach a problem from a similar viewpoint, limiting their number of potential outcomes.

Then there’s the experience issue. Too often older professionals are taught that listing “20+ years of experience” on their LinkedIn profile or resume can be a liability. While it’s true that job candidates need to articulate the skills and capabilities they have developed over those 20+ years, the fact is that experience matters. Take a friend who told me about an experience at a design firm where her age (she was 45 at the time), and her years of experience were an advantage. She sat through a presentation on new packaging design for a client that was quite edgy. The design team was mostly younger professionals, as was the client team, which approved the design. They were ready to move to production, but something didn’t sit well with my friend. That’s when she asked the team, “has this been approved by the client’s legal department?” Everyone was silent and eventually revealed that no, it had not been approved by the legal team.

It turns out she asked that question because she recalled a similar experience at an ad agency decades earlier. While it may seem obvious in retrospect, my friend’s perspective helped the team avoid a packaging design faux pas and likely saved the firm from hefty legal bills and potential damage to their brand image. This isn’t an unusual occurrence. According to Deloitte, diversity of thinking is the source of creativity, enhancing innovation by about 20 percent. It also enables groups to spot risks, reducing them by up to 30 percent.

A Demographic Shift

With 25% of the workforce being over age 50 by 2024, it’s business savvy and practical to be intentional about hiring older workers. Before the pandemic, there was a huge labor shortage. Experts such as Andrew Scott, author and Economics Professor at Oxford University have predicted that although there are layoffs happening now, there will be another labor shortage in the next 3-4 years. The companies that embrace this change and hire and train older workers are the companies that will outperform their competition.

Why It Matters

Ageing happens to everyone (if we’re lucky) so it’s strange that people who are age biased don’t realize that they are discriminating against their future selves. In “This Chair Rocks” by Ashton Applewhite she writes, “discrimination on the basis of age is as unacceptable as discrimination on the basis of any other aspect of ourselves that we cannot change.”

Many capable people are not considered for an interview because of their age. Every person of every age should care about this social issue because it affects our health, our economy and our retirement savings. Younger generations don’t want to go through being discriminated against either. Ageism has become the last socially acceptable discrimination so it’s important to check your own bias when hiring.

Homogeneous Thinking

Older workers have historical insights and can see patterns that younger workers don’t always recognize. When a team is composed of homogenous backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, the members’ thinking tends to be homogeneous and the result is typically reduced innovation. Team members tend to favor age diversity because it leads to positive outcomes. According to Randstad’s Q2 2018 global survey, 86% of workers prefer to be in a multi-generational team, reflecting different opinions and insights they gain from those older and younger than themselves. Nearly the same percentage (85%) say an age-diverse team helps them come up with innovative ideas and solutions and is mutually beneficial to all team members. Leadership will need to pursue different perspectives in order to be effective.

Lower Turnover Saves Money

Older workers stay in company positions on average 5 years compared to 2 years for younger workers. A 2019 CAP study found that it can cost up to 213 percent of annual salary for highly educated executive positions, meaning the real cost of replacing an employee who earns $100k a year is $213,000.

Customer Demographics

If your customer base consists of 25% people who are age 45 and older, your employees should reflect that percentage as well. This is a critical way to relate to your customers better, understand, and meet their needs.

It’s obvious that broken systems and inequities need to be changed or disrupted.  Innovation happens during a crisis out of necessity and now more than ever, entrepreneurs are needed to help solve big problems. Being a resourceful and creative entrepreneur has the potential to transform current hardships into valuable solutions for people who need them most.  

Friends have made comments such as, “I wonder what’s going to happen?” While nobody has a crystal ball, what if we asked ourselves different questions to help shape the future for good? How can we take action rather than staying on the sidelines? Whether it’s a business or non-profit, the time is ripe to get creative and make a positive impact.

Although it may sound like the worst time ever to start a company, companies such as Netflix, MailChimp, Airbnb, Square, and CNN all started during a recession. As Stanford economist Paul Romer once stated, “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste” meaning a crisis creates opportunities for progress and innovation as well as hardship.  

If you’re a future entrepreneur wondering how to get started on an idea and dig into a problem to solve, consider the following questions:

• What problem makes you so mad you could scream?  
• What kinds of interests or skills do you already have and what could you expand on or take courses in during this time?  
• How can you help someone in an industry you want to impact right now?  
• Are there existing groups, organizations, businesses doing something positive that resonates with you?
• What are the biggest trends happening now and what gaps do you see happening in the future that will inevitably need a solution?

Additional advice from Harvard Business Review’s article, “Turn Your Covid-19 Solution into a Viable Business” suggests, “In order to determine whether your new product or service is addressing a long-term or short-term problem, I recommend that entrepreneurs start by looking to the past. Construct a market-opportunity analysis using data from 2019 and earlier. Was the problem you are addressing now a problem then? And, if so, how big was it? Next, list what specifically changed with the emergence of Covid-19 that created or amplified this problem and the need for your innovation.”

Finding a problem to solve is not about making an accurate forecast.  It’s about getting really curious and looking at overall trends and discerning what doesn’t work.  

For example, senior living or “graduated care” has increased in cost to the point of ridiculousness.  At the same time,  30% of Boomers have not saved for retirement, nor have 50% of Gen Xers.  What are the ramifications of this trend in the senior living category?  If these generations can’t afford to live in a graduated care facility, more people will need to age in place - so what tools will they need to do this successfully?  How will loneliness be treated for example?  Looking at different trends can help develop insights and see gaps that others don’t see.

The word “ally” has become a charged one in the last few weeks.  As a white person, it’s not enough to say we are an “ally” when it comes to Black Lives Matter.  Unless we commit to taking anti-racist actions to dismantle the racist systems from which we benefit, being an ally is a hollow promise.  Why not take the next step and take deliberate action for change?  When talking about being supportive of the African American community, be specific.  Say what you will do and preface it by saying, “I will take action by——.”

What Can We Do To Truly Act?

Explore your own bias:  Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have biases. If we cannot recognize our own bias, we cannot act to stop it from inflicting harm - even if unintentionally. Test yourself for hidden bias.  It’s difficult to work with others and break down biases if you haven’t broken down your own first.  Take the Implicit Association Test from Harvard which aspires to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data online.  “Project Implicit” was founded by three scientists in 1998; from University of Washington, Harvard University and University of Virginia. Take the test here

Educate Yourself:

As Leanne Italie of Associated Press wrote in the New York Times recently, “As a new generation steps up, activists and historians believe there’s important work to be done for white people: Listening to black voices and following rather than trying to lead, for one, and undertaking the deep introspection required to confront unconscious bias and the perks of privilege that come just from being white.” Books such, “How to be an Anti-Racist” and “White Fragility” are an excellent start to become more informed.  Here are additional resources to consider:

• Harvard Business Review: Moving Beyond Diversity To Racial Equity by Ben Hecht  He wrote, “Organizations must commit to sustained steps over time, to demonstrate they are making a multi-faceted and long-term investment in the culture.”
• Podcast: The Economists Asks Melody Hobson:  Melody Hobson said, “If you are a business in the 21^st century and you’re not diverse, you’re committing corporate suicide. You can’t be successful without diversity.”
• Podcast: Professor Galloway & Peter Henry:  Peter Henry is Dean of NYU. He’s an Economist, Author and Board Member of Nike. He said, “Fundamentally, law enforcement can act with impunity and kill black men? That’s a problem. . I never left home without identification in case I was ever pulled over. We have to want to fix it and have voters who are actually going to make change.”

Support Black Owned Businesses

The outpouring of support for black-owned businesses to celebrate Juneteenth or a Black Lives Matter march is good but think about how to sustain that support. Consider how you spend your dollars and whether your spending behavior mirrors the values and people you want to support. Being intentional about supporting black business owners and founders helps assure their success. It is one of many ways you can amplify black voices.

White Loudness

This is not a time for white silence. Speaking up about inequities, bias and racism at work will be needed.  Be prepared to get uncomfortable.  As Rosabeth Moss Kanter Author and Harvard Professor said, “It takes courage to speak up against complacency and injustice while others remain silent. But that's what leadership is."

DEI initiatives

Look at your company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and ask questions.  How’s it measured?  What are your company’s goals?  How can we get better?  Is it transparent and shared consistently with your team?  If not, why not? According to research, diversity is good business and proven that the more cognitive, age, gender, and race diverse teams you have, the better the business outcomes.

Engage & Vote

Institutional racism in our society cannot be rooted out without leaders willing to acknowledge and dismantle it. Get involved and educate yourself on issues and candidates at all levels of government where important policies are set. Support organizations such as When We all Vote, Fair Fight, and All on the Line that combat voter suppression tactics and help ensure every citizen can cast their vote.

It’s going to be a commitment over time for real change to happen.

As Ben Hecht of Harvard Business Review wrote, “The work of building and maintaining an inclusive, racially equitable culture is never done. The personal work alone to challenge our own individual and professional socialization is like peeling a never-ending onion.”

What does the word purpose bring to mind? A reason for being, feeling fulfilled, making a difference? Why should getting older make this seem more unattainable? What has changed? As a mid-career professional, do you find yourself asking who you are, where you fit or how to make the most of your life? If so, you’re not alone.

When you first started your career, you probably had a planned trajectory with a purpose in mind. Somewhere along the way, however, your circumstances (or your motivations) may have changed. What you valued twenty-five years ago may be vastly different from your current considerations. How you deal with change (or transformation) can affect all aspects of your life and how you find purpose.

Need a reboot?

If your sense of purpose needs a refresh and you need to be inspired, how do you begin? Is there a manual for this?

First, some inspiration: Since we are in the season of graduations, it seems fitting to explore a few of the overarching lessons learned from the award-winning address of Professor Clayton Christensen to the 2010 Harvard business school graduating class, “How Will You Measure Your Life?” Many have found his insights valuable not only for recent grads but useful to revisit for those further along in their careers. He passed away in January 2020, making his words even more poignant.

Reinvention, resilience, and being prepared for anything are a few things that might be on people’s minds. Another might be what exactly to prepare for in the “future of work”, post-pandemic workforce.  

Impact of Automation & AI

Staying curious about the future of work is a good idea because according to Forrester Future of Work Research, by 2030, 29% of jobs will be gone and there will be only 13% growth in job creation as a result of continued automation. So how can mid-career professionals remain relevant in a post-coronavirus reality?  The answer is to commit to a lifetime of learning. When faced with a tight job market, professionals with advanced job skills will be in higher demand.

Automation generated by artificial intelligence technology is accelerating faster and will significantly reduce the number of mundane tasks and jobs available.  While this will allow people to spend more time on complex problems and more engaging work, those mundane jobs will go away forever. Technology skills will continue to be popular for employers but not all tech skills are created equal. For example, Forrester also predicts coding skills will be replicated through automation. Technology areas that will be in demand are in artificial intelligence and data science. Forbes talks more in-depth about the impact of AI here: AI Will Obliterate These Jobs by 2030, Forbes

The Non-Techie

Not all companies are looking for someone with an artificial intelligence or data science background, however.  In fact, the more “human” the position, the more likely it will be in high demand. Companies are realizing the importance of an employee’s potential and assessing soft skills that are less likely to be automated such as leadership skills, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

McKinsey & Co has identified several trends and careers that will be in demand in the coming years as a result of accelerated technology and automation. Here are some of the non-tech careers and industries that have been listed:

• Writer/Content Strategy
• Human Resources/Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

We found some incredible free resources that are aligned with these three industries and wanted to share them so if you’re interested and want to learn as much as possible about these areas during this crazy time, we hope it’s helpful.

Writer/Content Strategy

• In this course, Shani Raja, a former Wall Street Journal editor, will teach you the four ingredients of good writing: simplicity, clarity, elegance and evocativeness. It’s on Udemy, it’s free and it’s an hour long.  To get it, you’ll need to give them your email address. Well worth it: Secret Sauce of Great Writing by an ex WSJ Journalist

• If you want to become a blogger (and better writer and content strategist), Jeff Bullas has valuable information to help you get started.  His website is located here: Jeff Bullas Marketing Tips
• A marketing content course by a well-known blogger named Sonia Simone is also quite popular: Strategy of Content Marketing (coursera free)

Human Resources & Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Demand for human resources professionals is higher than the national job growth average for all other professions. Take a look at the job growth projections predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics over the next decade:

• Human Resources Managers — 7%, a little faster than average
• Human Resources Specialists — 5%, as fast as average
• Training and Development Managers — 8%, faster than average
• This course is a good primer to find out if you want to move forward and get certified by the Society of Human Resources: Recruiting, Hiring, Onboarding Employees, Coursera
• SHRM is the gold standard for the HR industry and although they do not allow a newbie to take their certification courses, there are other specialized courses that can be taken for a fee (and yes, they can get expensive).  Here is that link:  SHRM Inclusive Workplace Culture Specialty Credential

Diversity Equity & Inclusion 

As a result of Black Lives Matter, it’s shined a light on many inequities in the workplace, including age bias at the hiring level.  Now more than ever, companies are being more forthright about their DE&I initiatives and holding themselves accountable. Measuring it and making a commitment to change helps to attain talented job candidates and can increase the morale of one’s organization.

• Once we’re all aware of our own bias, there are ways to manage it so that we can better channel the diversity potential in the workplace for greater performance and innovation. This course is by ESSEC Business School and it’s free: Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Microsoft teaches a free course on bias. While it’s not exactly DE&I, it’s related and helpful in conversations about this important topic and how technology created by a certain demographic is inherently biased:  eLesson: Unconscious Bias

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Resources

We’re located in Portland and the forest fires have been a sober reminder that climate change is advancing and we need to make urgent changes.  Whenever there is a need for policy change, it’s ideal to be at the forefront of the problem and dig into the areas where certain skills could be needed.  This course is by SDG Academy and it’s free of charge (takes 1 week to complete).  The goals include a set of key areas of focus, as well as detailed targets to put our planet on track.

What you’ll learn:

• What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
• How modern advancements and connectivity can help us achieve the goals
• The importance of sustainable development
• Why you should care about the Sustainable Development Goals – as a corporation, as a university, as an individual
• The  SDG course is here and it’s free: What Will It Take to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 

To pique your overall curiosity, Oxford University offers free lectures and courses called “Curious Minds” Oxford University Curious Minds.  If you type “free certifications” into their search engine, loads of amazing free lectures and content appears. 

For those who are pressed for time but still want to learn something new every day, check out the videos on TED-Ed of the infamous TED talks. There are also mini-courses on technology that can be emailed to you created by Google, such as free, 5-minute lessons for finding jobs and advancing your career.  And last but not least, there is a site that focuses only on free courses (many created by universities), doing the heavy lifting for you.

Nobody knows how this will all play out. What we do know is that a public health crisis along with an economic downturn will result in rapid innovation in a number of areas.  Disruption is occurring in industries such as education, healthcare, hospitality, travel, and manufacturing supply chains to name a few. Artificial intelligence implementation is predicted to accelerate leading to an increase in AI jobs.  International Data Corporation, a market research company, says it expects the number of AI jobs globally to grow 16% in 2020.  The urgency is apparent.  Another research firm, CompTIA said, “The pandemic has revealed a number of shortcomings in the data infrastructure of the U.S. health-care system, and also exposed similar gaps in supply chains, e-commerce, remote work capabilities and elsewhere.” 

If you think your current job might be easy to automate, search for courses and jobs where automation would be tough to duplicate.  Teaching, leadership, and social skills, communication, creativity, and writing skills all involve human emotion and judgment which AI lacks.  As rapid changes occur, jobs that can’t easily be automated are going to be something you’ll want to be aware of and learn about for your future.  As Daniel Pink said, “my generation’s parents told their children, ‘become an accountant, a lawyer, or an engineer; that will give you a solid foothold in the middle class.’ But these jobs are now being sent overseas and being automated. So in order to make it today, you have to do work that’s hard to outsource, hard to automate.”

Bachelors + More:

McKinsey & Co. conducted research about automation in the U.S. labor market and revealed that having an education emerged as the strongest demographic predictor of future success.  People who don’t have an undergraduate degree are more likely to be in a vulnerable population.  When executives were asked about reskilling their employees in another McKinsey & Co study, they were in favor of it since it helps with retention.  However, a majority of them admitted they didn’t know how to begin the reskilling process. Midlife professionals will need to develop their skills to prepare and position themselves for the future. Being aware of trends will help as well.

Jobs Trending Upwards:  

Beyond positions in the technology sector such as data scientist, developer, and almost anything having to do with artificial intelligence, there are positions that are in high demand currently and continuing to trend upwards.  If you know a foreign language, keep your skills sharp.  It turns out that interpreters and translators saw the greatest increase in need because hospitals were treating non-English-speaking COVID-19 patients. Number ten on the list is Writer/Author.  Other occupations experiencing a surge in hiring include respiratory therapists, general practitioners, psychiatrists, and epidemiologists. 

Reskilling, being able to adapt quickly and embrace new technology will help immensely when searching for a new job or pivoting to a new career.