Marla Gottschalk

Monday, Monday: Why Doing What You Love Can Make Tomorrow Better

October 14, 2012June 29, 2015by Marla Gottschalk6 Comments

Do you spend Sundays ruminating about how you’d like to avoid Mondays? According to Gallup, that transition won’t be nearly as traumatic if you report feeling engaged with your work. We are all recognizing the power of employee engagement in organizations today – and it seems this construct is likely related to a host of other relevant variables, including your mood.

Gallup measured the progression of specific emotions during the course of our work week – with survey participants reporting their attitudes on a variety of topics including feelings of happiness, anger and stress. Not surprisingly, those who identified as “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” reported more negative responses, which subtly evolved during the course of a work week. The data held some fascinating findings.

Some examples:

Happiness. There is an obvious difference in experiences of reported “happiness” – where those with lower levels of engagement, were less likely to report it. (For some reason this discrepancy peaked on Tuesdays for those identified as “actively disengaged”.)
Smiling and laughing. You guessed it! Those that reported feeling engaged at work, also reported smiling and laughing more. Just over 65% of “actively disengaged” respondents reported smiling and laughing “a lot” (on Tuesday), as compared to 90.7% of those reporting themselves as “engaged”.
Stress. Although all respondents were more likely to report higher levels of stress on Monday, as compared to Sunday, those reporting lower levels of engagement seem to be more susceptible. (Reported stress dipped a bit on Fridays, for all respondents.)
Anger. Those who reported feeling disengaged, were more likely to report feelings of anger. On Tuesdays, for example, more than one-quarter of those defined as “actively disengaged” reported experiences of anger the previous day, in comparison to 9.2% of those identified as “engaged”.

Engagement is continuing to emerge as a key workplace challenge in the evolution of work – and more focus on this area will certainly follow. What helps you feel engaged at work? Tell us your story.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist and coach. Connect with her and continue the conversation on Twitter and Linkedin.

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Organizational Culture

Facebook: Will Its Culture Survive?

October 5, 2012February 4, 2014by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

Like you, I am fascinated by Facebook. Not by the foresight of their young founders to tap into the power of “connecting” — or the billion people who utilize the platform. I am fascinated by how they have structured their work. Their rebellious approach to product development (discussed here in Venture Beat’s post “The Hacker Way and here at Wired) has catapulted Facebook into its more recent evolution as a publicly traded business.

History tells us that things will likely change for Facebook going forward. Ten years out — I cannot help but wonder if their unique culture will continue to survive fully intact. With mounting doubts concerning the future, things can begin to shift.

It seems that the essence of Facebook lies in how they approach the development their products. For those unfamiliar with the process, they subscribe to the “Hacker Way” — a disruptively innovative development philosophy. The process flies in the face of the conventional wisdom concerning product development. At the core, the method emphasizes quick turnaround, where “multiple iterations and improvements” are completed on an “as you go” basis.

There is no long suffering, or protracted process before testing a new idea. They implement first — and perfect later.

More of how Zuckerberg described the method:

“Hackers believe that something can always be better, and that nothing is ever complete. They just have to go fix it — often in the face of people who say it’s impossible or are content with the status quo.”

The process in itself, is aspirational. However, publicly traded organizations exist within a larger system of checks and balances. With Facebook’s evolution into a publicly traded organization, it’s external system has become decidedly wider. Along with this, comes the possibility of pressure to change their ways and conform. There has already been speculation that they may acquiesce to more traditional development timetables, which could signal trouble that their unique culture is in danger.

Some other cultural concerns:

Intended mission. As stated in his letter to investors, the initial impetus for Facebook was to connect people socially. He admits openly, the idea was not originally intended to be a business. As such, their founding orientation and purpose, differed from other businesses, who begin with the notion that there is a defined product to sell. This fact can exert pressure on the organization.
Retaining passion. Cultivating code is one thing — but maintaining a passionate workforce is another. How will Facebook keep their employees “hungry” to create products, a year from now, or five years from now? Will the mindset of the employee group evolve in response to the changing status of the organization? Will the level of challenge present in the content of the work remain motivating? As organizations grow, this often becomes a looming challenge.
Tolerance for failure. Most highly innovative cultures such as Facebook, have a higher tolerance for failure as compared to more traditional organizations. They also have a collected mindset to support that tolerance. Will investors continue to embrace the philosophy, as well?

I am anxious to see how this culture evolves going forward. Any predictions?

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist and coach. Connect with her and continue the conversation on Twitter and Linkedin.

Career

Friday Catalyst: Are you still feeling it?

September 28, 2012September 29, 2012by Marla Gottschalk4 Comments

On Fridays, I have been sharing the fantastic presentations of the TEDtalks. Today, I’m meandering down a different road, highlighting the passion we might have for our jobs – and hopefully the excitement we feel for our career path.

How do you know when things need to change? How do you know when it’s over – and it is time to explore a new realm?

Well, I believe it’s all about anticipation.

How are you feeling about your work when you get up in the morning? Are you excited about what you do? Are the ideas already bouncing around in your head, by the time you pour your morning coffee? That’s the way it should be.

Are you anticipating what is going to come next?

Uncategorized

The Problem with That “Iffy” New Hire Could be You

September 26, 2012March 2, 2014by Marla Gottschalk3 Comments

We have all been there. You find yourself doing more than a million things — trying your best to meet all of your obligations, while staying ahead of the curve. Meanwhile, back in the office a member of your team (a key assistant for example) gives little notice and moves on to another role. Because of limited time at home base, you have to delegate some of the responsibility for sourcing and interviewing applicants to someone else. Clearly this is not an ideal situation. However, it is unavoidable.

A leading candidate emerges. Certainly, you have had the opportunity to review the resume and hatted briefly with the applicant. But, you haven’t had the opportunity to really probe the details face to face. The bottom line is that you are not entirely comfortable with the decision to hire — although you cannot really put your finger on the issue and form a credible objection. So, the decision is made and the individual is hired.

Time passes and you find the new hire in front of you, ready to be on-boarded onto your team. But, after a short time a glaring problem becomes obvious , and you suspect they are simply the wrong person for the role. Your mind begins to race forward to impending disaster.

What now? Are they relegated to the status of another “bad hire”? Will your team suffer?

You might find yourself secretly hoping their tenure with your organization is a short one. However, I would like to suggest another route. Challenge the “gut” feeling (which by the way could be off-base) and take the high road. Give them every possible opportunity to become a contributing member of your team. The costs of a “bad hire” can be sizable, not only in terms of lost effectiveness —but in lowered group morale. It is in your best interest (and that of your entire team) to salvage the hiring decision.

Here are some ideas to maximize the situation:

No grudges allowed. Examine your emotions in this situation and don’t let them cloud your better judgement. Put the brakes on your doubts immediately – a positive outcome never comes from a place of negativity.
Do not share your skepticism. Do not share your concerns to the rest of your staff — relay only your confidence in their new team member.
Make the vision crystal clear. Be sure the details about the “culture” of your work group are well communicated to the new hire. Discuss group “mores” such as dress, meeting protocol and chain of command.
Take a deeper look at their skills. Gather all the information possible considering strengths and weaknesses. What can you emphasize that will make them an integral and productive contributor?
Train them. Don’t throw the new hire “to the dogs” without the proper know-how. Be sure they are prepped and properly trained to succeed.
Engage. Engaged employees are more productive. Ask them who they would like to become “work-wise’, through their new role. Let them know that you are there to help them grow and gain meaningful experience. Through this process there will be a higher probability of developing a bond with your new hire.

Not every talent decision is a clear success story right out of the gate. But we should make an effort to give each and every relationship a decent and fair chance to succeed.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist and coach. Connect with her and continue the conversation on Twitter and Linkedin.

Career

Mentors and Getting Closer to Our “Real”

September 15, 2012May 14, 2014by Marla Gottschalk3 Comments

This morning as I drank my coffee, I listened to Eddie Vedder singing “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town”. It is a haunting melody about life and thoughts and the passage of time. As my husband passed by, the music caught his attention.

“Who’s singing?”, he asked. “Pearl Jam”, I said. “I thought that was Eddie Vedder”, he replied. “Such a great vocalist, it’s a shame he is so studioized.”

Of course, he was joking — as Vedder was essentially performing alone with his guitar. But this led me to think about how we present ourselves everyday in the workplace. Are we “studioized”? With all of the talk about authenticity and transparency, are we really “real”? How does this affect our forward progress?

In the course of my work, I concentrate on the stories of work life and career. Of course I believe that work is an integral component of an individual’s life, but the process of finding the best path is often wrought with challenges and emotions. However, when you get to the core of it all, work is all about reaching your potential and hoping to find a bit of fulfillment there. In my opinion, the best part of work — is when the “real” you is at the root of success.

How do we become a closer representation of our “real” selves at work? This seems like a complicated question — yet it might be surprisingly simple to answer; Admit to being human and find a guide. Seek a mentor — an advocate — a sounding board. An individual that will help you explore both your strengths and weaknesses, and inch closer to that “real” you.

I am a great believer in mentoring. Mentoring can open our minds and envision who we can be, and what we can accomplish.

So, I recommend looking for that mentor with great conviction. Use all of the tools available to you, to find that individual. Expose them to the individual you would really like to become at work. Learn to listen to the inner voice that directs you to points unknown, and explore those thoughts with a mentor. Through this process, we might learn to trust, our single, toughest critic — ourselves.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist. You can also find her on Twitter and Linkedin.

Career

Career Transparency and Women at Work

September 5, 2012December 19, 2013by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

As women, we all have a personal story concerning the road we have taken to achieve work life balance. I have a career saga to tell – as you have your own unique story. All of the challenges and frustrations that we have experienced, are certainly ours to own and share. Of late, I am optimistic that we are moving to a new stage in the evolution of work for women, supported by the changing tide of culture and transparency. As organizations become increasingly open about who they really are and what they have to offer us, we might finally become more comfortable expressing who we really are and what we can realistically offer them.

Transparency, a force which has swept the workplace off its proverbial feet, is on course to set the stage for real communication in the employee-organization realm – and I am glad for it. Hopefully, this developing transparency will have a positive impact upon the unique set of challenges and stereotypes women face in the workplace. It remains, that many women would like to spend time at home at key points in their work lives. They should be able to freely to admit this, and have this need met without fear of reprisal or career suicide.

If you have had the opportunity to read the Atlantic article, Why Women Still Can’t Have It All, by Anne-Marie Slaughter, you’d know exactly where I am going with this. With a healthy dose of work life transparency, there is an opportunity for women to know what they are really up against when entering the world of work. We all should discuss the realities openly – because the essence of being happy at work, might lie just as much in being honest about what we cannot do – as much as what we can do.

In the early days of my career, I saw manifestations of the “super woman” myth on a regular basis. As a research manager at a large telecom company, I recall the story of one of our vendors placing business related calls from her hospital bed, shortly after giving birth. Everyone seemed impressed and remotely amused by the story – but I found the behavior perplexing. I thought to myself; Why did she feel the need to do such a thing? But, the answer was really quite obvious – she had to prove to everyone that she was committed to her career, even though she chose to have a family. I am hoping that we won’t hear such stories in the future – and that there are less heroic displays of career loyalty required.

As Slaughter goes on to discuss, young women today are becoming more open about what their role will look like, in comparison to their spouse or male co-workers. I believe that subtle, yet real differences will remain, and it is wise to validate that difference. Offering women accurate information about combining work and family won’t necessarily predispose them to take on a less challenging career – it simply offers them the option to realistically plan for it.

In today’s world, young men and women have similar expectations concerning holding roles with increased responsibility, and opinions concerning the division of labor within the home are also evolving. Men appear to be developing a stronger role within the home – a trend which will certainly augment honest work life planning going forward. But, other issues need to fall into place as well. This includes the help of organizations to wipe out stereotypes in the workplace – a much-needed, deep-seeded cultural shift. Slaughter describes that problem perfectly, and open discussions concerning gender parity are in order. (In this regard, I am anxious to see how the career of Melissa Meyer develops as she embarks upon her journey.)

In the past it seems that the question posed to women as they embarked upon a career was, “what are you willing to give up to be a great success”. Going forward, I am hoping this becomes a thoughtful and honest discussion, with advantages to be reaped by both organizations and employees alike. Possibly a dose of transparency concerning the roles ahead, provided by those of us who speak from experience, can lead to more effective outcomes.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist and coach. Connect with her on Twitter and Linkedin.

Career

Sunday Notes: The happy secret to better work – Shawn Achor TED Talks

September 2, 2012September 2, 2012by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

Uncategorized

How Not to Hate Job Interviews

August 31, 2012March 25, 2014by Marla Gottschalk19 Comments

Many of us have serious reservations about job interviews. I assure you, that I do as well. My reasons for concern may be a bit more complicated than yours. (For example, they can serve as an excruciatingly poor selection tool if implemented unwisely). However, your reasons for hating interviews are every bit as valid. I’ll venture to say, that you probably dislike interviews because of how the interview — or the interview process — makes you feel. You are not alone.

I am extremely sympathetic. However, let’s go out on that proverbial limb and face your concerns (and your emotions). I’d like to challenge your mindset, and train you to approach the entire experience differently. You see, the funny thing is, as much as I have always questioned the true merit of employment interviews — I’ve never hated being interviewed. I’m convinced that my lack of hatred has everything to do with how I view the process. More specifically, accepting the things that probably will not change about interviews and re-categorizing the experience as one tremendous opportunity.

Here is what I mean:

Embrace being “judged”. Bring it on. While being interviewed, people will certainly form opinions concerning your skills, abilities and even your personal demeanor. Tell yourself that is just fine — remembering that when people cross your path you do exactly the same thing. During the course of your career, managers and coworkers will make judgments about you on a daily basis. So what? Convince yourself to view each of these judgments as a challenge to effectively build your unique “brand”.
Be astute and “try on” the organization. Remember — this may be the company with which you develop a long-term relationship. Consider that point carefully. Be thankful you have the chance to gather as much information as possible. Take the opportunity to size up leadership and where the organization is really headed. What is your impression? Do you see yourself working there? Getting a bad vibe? Explore this — as it may be the only forewarning you’ll receive.
Say “thank you” to organizations behaving badly. Has the organization not acted as you would have expected? Unprofessional? No follow-up? Don’t let these behaviors derail you. Welcome this type of behavior as a clear and present warning. If an organization doesn’t seem to show concern for you from the start, this is most likely a glimpse into your future. I am reminded of Maya Angelou’s discussion with Oprah, where she explained, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” The same premise extends to an organization. Unless there is some remarkable explanation as to why they have not bothered to contact you (for a month), be grateful for the realistic preview and run in the opposite direction.
Accept ambiguity. Even though there was an ever-present possibility that the outcome wouldn’t go in my favor, I tried to embrace the opportunity to be interviewed. Unfortunately, “not knowing” is simply part of the process. But to be completely honest, the world of work is full of ambiguity. It is best to adjust to it and attempt to remain positive while you are waiting. Nothing is set in stone after you complete an interview — but at the same time, this makes the possibilities endless.

If you change your view of employment interviews, you may have an easier time processing the accompanying negative emotions. I’d like to guarantee that the experience will be easier for you to handle in the future. However, that is at least partially up to you.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist and coach. Bring her ideas to your organization and connect with her on Twitter .

This post previously appeared at Talent Zoo