I had a little “incident” at home.  I tried to open a jar and couldn’t do it.  Actually, it’s happened a few times recently and each time, my eight year old son comes to my rescue.  I hate to admit that getting older can mean that I lose certain abilities such as strength or dexterity.  I was also reluctant to have someone help me, let alone someone so much younger who was then able to do the task with ease. Then I realized, it’s the way the world works.  The techniques that he was using were different than my approach and ultimately, his way worked better for me.

As we age, there are many things that the younger generations can do that we cannot.  I’ve experienced it on the other end of the spectrum too, where someone more senior to me may be resistant to my help or expertise.  It’s human nature to want to do things for ourselves, in the way that we are used to doing them.  However, by doing this and not capitalizing on the skills of others, we are only limiting ourselves.

Benefits of allowing others to teach you

• Learning new skills to aid in your job or personal life
• Exposure to new technologies to improve inefficiencies you experience
• Allowing yourself to be inspired by the “spark” or passion that another person can share when they teach you something

It’s well known in the business world that if you find a mentor who is more senior to you, they can share their experience with you.  This leads to improved skills and knowledge and ultimately to higher level positions or pay increases as you develop.  Lesser appreciated is the reverse, when a younger, less experienced individual shares their knowledge with you, it can also lead to increased skills, revenue or higher level positions.

My point today is open yourself up.  Regardless of age, having teachers and mentors of all ages will help you become a more well-rounded leader.  Do you have people in your life who mentor you?  Does their age or experience level impact your development?  Share about them in the comments.  I’d love to hear some great mentor stories!

Yesterday I had quite a scare.  I went to a local restaurant for lunch with a friend.  We were having a wonderful time and had just received the check when suddenly there was a loud explosion and the whole building shook.  My first thought was that a bomb had gone off, but in mere seconds I realized that everyone in the restaurant was alive and well.  I turned my head to the left and just two tables away from me, at the front wall of the restaurant, a car had smashed into the building.

Several of us jumped up and ran to the front wall.  I could see a woman fall out of the car to the ground.  I knew I had to get involved and help, so I quickly asked if there were any nurses or doctors in the restaurant as I began looking for towels to put under the victim’s head.  We all ran outside as one customer called 911 and three of us cared for the victim who was in and out of consciousness.  We were able to determine she had family to call, so another customer did that.  We all held her hands and told her we were with her as we waited for the ambulance.  It was cold and we did not have a blanket but we tried to keep her sheltered and as warm as possible.  She was taken away and I may never know if she made it, but I’m hoping and praying she did.

She was by herself and had she not been able to tell us, in a brief moment of consciousness, how to reach her son, we would not have known who to contact.  I thought of myself in that situation and realized that unless someone tried to go through my phone and guess who to call, I would be alone.

I wrote last year about being prepared for emergencies in the home and in the workplace.  I now add to that list that it is critical to be prepared for an emergency in your car.  

• Place emergency contact information in your glove box in case you are in an accident and cannot communicate with rescuers.
• Have a blanket and gloves in the trunk
• Carry a first aid kit

*Now, from the archives of January 2011…

Stillness, and the house is quiet.  Faintly in the distance, the sirens begin to wail.  The volume increases as the wind is picking up.  My heart rate picks up a little bit too as I glance out the window and see the trees beginning to sway.  Without scaring the children, I quickly call them to me.  I tell them to put on their shoes and winter coats and grab their favorite “baby”.  I gather the house phone, my cell, and a flashlight and we all head to the basement.  We sit through the hail, the thunder, and driving rain.  Then, as quickly as it began, it’s over.

A few minutes later is when I first hear about the tornado that touched down on the other side of the city, approximately 30 miles from my house.  Not far from my childhood home.   The tornado hit areas with the precision of a scalpel. One house would be blown away while the house next to it was virtually untouched.  The city of St. Louis was hit by eleven tornadoes New Year’s eve, one of which was the F3 twister I’ve just described.  It makes the danger of the storm real and justifies my emergency preparedness plan for my family.

Preparation In the Workplace is Just As Important

I know organizations have fire drills, tornado drills, and other emergency preparedness drills.  Often I see employees going through the motions in a daze, not taking it seriously or sometimes, refusing to participate.  The danger is very real though and sometimes you have to pull out all the emergency preparedness stops.

• Practice fire drills and other workplace safety drills as if it is a real emergency
• Keep a few bottles of water in your office or work area
• Bring a small flashlight and extra batteries to your workspace
• Invest in a small first aid kit for your work area
• Be familiar with the fastest way to evacuate
• Make note of colleagues who may need help evacuating should an emergency occur

These are just a few tips to get you started.  It really can save your life.

I read an interesting article about music, “Music as medicine: Docs use tunes as treatment“, and I began thinking about what impact, if any, that music has on our work performance.  The article shares research that hospitals are compiling on how music affects patient recovery time following surgery.  They have found that certain types of music speed recovery time for patients.

According to the article, “Sound waves travel through the air into the ears and buzz the eardrums and bones in the middle ears. To decode the vibration, your brain transforms that mechanical energy into electrical energy, sending the signal to its cerebral cortex — a hub for thought, perception and memory. Within that control tower, the auditory cortex forwards the message on to brain centers that direct emotion, arousal, anxiety, pleasure and creativity. And there’s another stop upstairs: that electrical cue hits the hypothalamus which controls heart rate and respiration, plus your stomach and skin nerves, explaining why a melody may give you butterflies or goose bumps. Of course, all this communication happens far faster than a single drum beat.”

I’m wondering how this applies to our lives at work.  There are work environments that incorporate music and some that don’t.  Some have harsh, loud music (often found in retail stores like Hollister and Abercrombie) and others play soft Muzak (doctor’s offices, dentists, etc.)  Office work environments may allow employees to play music softly at their desk or in their office.

Effects On Daily Performance

The fact that certain types of music can stimulate areas of our brain that affect perception and memory is fascinating.  There are so many companies that struggle with ways to improve employee performance, yet not once in my career have I ever thought about how incorporating music into the work environment may positively impact employee performance.

Think of the possibilities.  If you have a design company where creativity is valued, playing music to stimulate that attribute could be very beneficial.  Perhaps in a professional services firm you would want to play music to relieve anxiety and send positive messages that improve memory and attention to detail.  The opportunity seems endless.

How many of you play music at work?  What kind and how do you think it affects your performance?

*reworked from the dusty archive…

Several months ago, I decided to give my bathroom a facelift.  I don’t know if you’re like me, but once I get an idea like that in my head, it’s on and there is no stopping me.  After choosing just the right paint color, accessories and all the amentites a bathroom needs, I was nearing the completion mark.  Save one item.  The mirror.

You see, my home came with those large, plain, rectangular mirrors that the builder installs.  All I knew was that I was not about to leave that plain mirror up a moment longer.  I began the search of all types of stores for the perfect mirror.  Then, I found it.  It was a colorful, mosaic mirror at Pier One.  But I did not buy it.  In fact, I doubted that something so colorful and unique would work in that space.  I kept thinking that maybe there was still one more mirror out there I had not seen.  So, I left the store and went home.

I continued to look at mirrors but my mind kept coming back to the mirror with the mosaic frame.  I finally decided that I was crazy not to buy it, even if it was bold and even if it was different than all the other mirrors in the house.  I headed back to Pier One, ready to make the purchase.  One problem…

The mirror was gone.

Sold out.

Can’t be ordered.

The same thing happens each day as leaders make hiring decisions about high potential candidates.  Recruiters work hard to source just the right person, one with the mix of experience and skills that also has a strong possibility of being a culture fit.  Sometimes, the leaders stalls on the decision though because the candidate seems just a little too unique, too cutting edge or too different than the rest of the team.  The recruiter tries to keep the candidate warm on the idea of joining the company, but many times, the candidate is lost once the hiring leader comes to his or her senses and decides to make that offer.

The reasons for a leader to be decisive are many, but three strong benefits of a faster decision are:

• Cost-  The longer you wait to fill the role, the greater your chance you will lose the strong candidate and have to keep the recruiting process going.  As days to fill increase, so do your costs.  Also, you run the risk of needing to pay current employees overtime or hire a contract employee if the role remains unfilled for many months.  Making a decisive decision will cut your expenses up front.
• Tone-  When a candidate has the interview process and hiring decision dragged out for months, even if the offer comes through and the candidate accepts, it plants that nagging seed of doubt about how other decisions in the company are made.  It leaves the candidate not feeling as valued or wanted as they join the organization.
• Impact on Current Team-  When positions remain open for long periods of time, it puts stress on the existing team.  Often, they are not fully aware of the behind-the-scenes activity so they may begin thinking that the role will never be filled.  This may mean that they are doing more work and feeling over extended which if there is no end in sight, may impact their decision to stay.  By communicating the progress with the team and that a quick decision is the desired outcome, it gives them confidence they need to pitch in and work even harder while the interview process is going on.

Growth is the only evidence of life.  ~John Henry Newman, Apologia pro vita sua, 1864

I’m growing.

After spending the last several years at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, I have made the challenging decision to take a position at another organization.  My time working at Children’s has truly been some of the most rewarding of my career.  Being able to see how my actions have an impact on the people that care for pediatric patients gave a special value to my work.   The leaders and staff I had the pleasure of working with have been extraordinary people.  They are caring beyond what any parent could hope for, they are top-notch in their knowledge and experience and they are the passion that keep St. Louis Children’s Hospital running.  I am grateful to have been a part of that.

But sometimes, even when you are in a good place and doing exciting work, opportunity knocks.   When first contacted about a position through LinkedIn, my initial thought was to refer the company to several HR professionals I knew.  However, the more I learned about the company goals and the energy and drive behind it, the more it sounded like an opportunity I wanted to consider for myself.

I am excited to say that I will be taking a position as the head of HR for an IT management consulting firm called Perficient.  Perficient is well known for the high level technology solutions they provide to their clients.  Their strong partnerships with the likes of Oracle, IBM and Microsoft coupled with the professional services firm model make this role a perfect fit for me.  I’m excited to have the opportunity to come in and create strategic solutions from a people perspective.

The next month will be full of transition for me.  It will be a time of reflection on all I’ve learned in my career  and how I can best bring that to my new team at Perficient.  I will hold my colleagues from St. Louis Children’s Hospital close in my heart as I make the move and I look forward to building new and exciting relationships at Perficient.

I’m glad I paid attention when opportunity knocked.

Any words of advice as I start on this portion of my journey?