Author Archives: Inspiring Innovations, Inc.
TRIPLE III TIME: “Observational Research”
Sometimes in my roles as a consultant or an educator a need arises to conduct a small bit of active research to offer a client “the better way forward”. Typically it is understood that the research is not the only factor involved in making an appropriate decision regarding a change in current organizational operations. Rather the goal is to gain a more in-depth snapshot of individuals…a group…or a certain setting to make sure of the accuracy of factors impacting what you may or may not want to change.
Why is “Observational Research” an important TRIPLE III TIME topic?
The intent of this “Observational Research” message is to encourage everyone…no matter your job…to occasionally apply this form of “natural assessment” to stay up-to-date with current product/service expectations. You don’t have to be a degreed scientist to do “Observational Research”. Instead, just keep your special study simple. Prioritize these points:
- Decide what do you want to know.
- Decide what you need to observe and for how long.
- Keep resources in mind. Both time and money!
- Analyze only what you observe…but include newly discovered insights.
Remember “Observational Research” can be a more quick and efficient way of gaining evidence-based information for planning or decision-making purposes. Also keep in mind that the purpose of “Observational Research” is to learn more about a certain organizational activity or issue…but not to make comparisons. Finally, when I utilized my simple “Observational Research” methods…it didn’t matter if a few issues changed during my study time. Instead it forced me to stay focused on my original “what do I want to know” goal!
Basic “Observational Research” is a useful administrative/management assessment tool. Try it!
TRIPLE III TIME: Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Purpose & Use
This is one of the most difficult TRIPLE III TIME messages I feel a unique nervousness in writing about. Maybe it is because I daily try to avoid using technology in delivering my professional services. Or maybe I have not been a “student” of this area of new age professional development and therefore I feel totally inadequate when progressively discussing it. So am I guilty of utilizing a “hiding-spot” to avoid discussing AI and thereby going against one of my own leadership principles… maybe?
Well this week as I have been participating in preparation for start-up of the fall semester at the community college… Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Purpose & Use was a high impact discussion topic. So continued avoidance no longer is an acceptable professional leadership option… and taking a position on its workplace contribution needs prompt attention.
First the most important point I want to make is that I know AI WILL be part of everyone’s job/career going forward. Therefore, does every worker/workplace need to have quality discussions regarding its purpose and use…ABSOLUTELY! To me this means that everyone must acknowledge it as a solid tool for improving products and services… but that overuse can harm professionalism.
Second, I believe to appropriately make use of AI… establishing understandable boundaries and expectations will be difficult but necessary. What do I mean? For example, will it be a good situation to have an AI generated staff memorandum distributed when it in no way sounds authentically like YOU? Or would it be progressive to have your bosses start asking AI “what IT thinks about an issue”… rather than asking YOU? Would these actions delete the customer-valued “personality” your company/organization has tried to build?
Bottomline: Next week when classes start…I will strongly remind students that THEY are in my class… not computers. But I will also indicate that AI in an evolving professional career-building tool and that THEY still hold the keys as to when/where/and how much AI can positively contribute to their work.
LEARNING MOMENTS Podcast: Sending Progressive – Initiative Messages
This Inspiring Innovations LEARNING MOMENTS podcast is all about doing a honest assessment of the positive – progressive – future-minded messages you and your organization convey to everyone… everyday. Think about all of the different ways we communicate today and then consider the confident quality of each message delivered by your company. Are they (the messages) Sending Progressive – Initiative Messages that instill a future growth mindset?
This self assessment action would not be easy… nor just a one-time activity. It must be an ongoing continuous improvement “habit”!
As I have done in the past… I have tried to share potential hours of discussion issues into just 10 minutes. Hopefully this Inspiring Innovations LEARNING MOMENTS podcast helps everyone better prioritize in this critical communication area.
Enjoy the listen.
TRIPLE III TIME: “Job Titles”
Have you ever been in a decision-making position that has required you or a group to determine the “official” Job Titles for various work areas? I have participated… coached… and observed this seemingly easy process… but let me report that “EASY” has never been the right word to describe the assignment!
Well because more recently I have been asked to provide some guidance in determining MODERN… ACCURATE… RESPECTABLE and COMMONLY UNDERSTANDABLE: JOB TITLES for a couple of groups… here are my TOP 10 thoughts applicable to this situation:
- Don’t select an option just to make someone happy.
- Plan to assess and review all organizational “Job Titles” annually.
- Pledge to stay modern… old titles create an age stereotype/bias.
- Do real research on options… go beyond typical/traditional.
- Write down job expectations first… then think title.
- Take particulars about current employees out of the job description title…make it stand alone.
- Make final “Job Titles” choices with at least 3 other colleagues.
- Realize and remember that every job today will have techno-applications.
- Make sure your mother (and even grandmother) could understand the job via the title.
- Try to not consider money/salaries or status… because “Job Titles” are about duties and responsibilities.
Finally, and maybe this is #11: Include a personnel option that allows if someone REALLY doesn’t agree with their Job Title… that they have the option to submit an alternative title along with quality justifications for change.
These thoughts may or may not make determining “Job Titles” easier… but it will sure make everyone respect the effort to find the best there is!
TRIPLE III TIME: Allowing A “ Recognition Pause”
I hate to admit it…but as I have “aged”, I have taken just a little more time when communicating in any form and moving less quickly forward on most new initiatives. Now don’t start thinking that because I am getting older that my whole being has begun to slow down…NO! Rather I have more recently realized better…the greater value of: Allowing A “Recognition-Pause”.
What am I trying to explain?
During my entire work history I can honestly say that I rarely took time to really celebrate a specific organization/professional “win”/achievement! Rather my focus was to stress the importance of “what next and what-else” still needs to be done. Even when the Board I was responsible to specifically asked me to spend more time discussing the cool stuff we were accomplishing…I would tell them that that was “old-news” and we need to look forward to the future. New ideas and innovations were the priority…every time…all the time!
Was I extremely lucky that I had great support from Board members and the group that worked with me…yes! However, did I miss the unique support value of Allowing A “Recognition-Pause” from time to time and encourage a special celebration moment so that everyone could be at the same progressive “place and time” on a specific achievement…YES!
Bottomline: Don’t always focus on what’s still left to do…organizational fatigue can be paralyzing. Reflect and learn from the achievements/successes realized…even in one day. Again to some they may be baby-steps forward…but to others they may be a once in a lifetime opportunity! By Allowing A “Recognition-Pause” in your workplace…you may experience even greater service consistency and performance.
TRIPLE III TIME: Today’s Newest “Job Learnings”
This week’s TRIPLE III TIME message is my latest American Society for Public Administration article. And as you can tell from the article’s title: Today’s Newest “Job Learnings”… I have revisited my most predominant career initiative (getting people better ready for the world-of-work) and “proclaimed” it to be a modern-day public administration upgrade responsibility!
So many advancements have occurred in today’s employment arena that I believe someone/some group needs to offer a single, short-term session on: “Today’s Newest “Job Learnings”. It may sound too simple or common sensical, but job conduct and expectations need to be better defined and understood by both employers and employees as part of a standard up-training process.
I hope you enjoy the article.
Today’s Newest “Job Learnings”
Today’s workplace, employment processes and situations are NOT the same. Technology, global markets, world politics, hybrid learning, instantaneous communication and multiple other factors have altered the traditional employer-employee relationship in so many ways. Innovation and creativity have caused the infusion of so many new non-traditional components into every workplace and thereby have caused an “unawareness-knowledge-gap” with regard to pure job responsibilities and performance.
As practitioners in the public administration field… shouldn’t we be strategically reviewing and discussing all of Today’s Newest “Job Learnings” that are impacting our overall workforce… both public and private sectors? Isn’t it becoming more critical everyday that in our high school classrooms and also in every employment location… to directly orientate and communicate the progressive changes that are occurring and involving everyone? Although we may believe that this form of evolutionary “Job Learning” is just naturally occurring… I contend it is important for both sides of the employer-employee arrangement to become “up-with-the-times” regarding our upscaled worlds of work. For better clarity on Today’s Newest “Job Learnings”, lets go over a few examples.
Let’s first consider the new age view of when and how one’s work day begins. Traditionally if someone worked at a bank or in a manufacturing setting, they positioned themselves to consider that they were “on-the-job” from 7 until 4pm or 8 until 5pm. These very standard work hour situations were the historic measuring stick for everyone’s eight (8) hour day and consequential forty (40) hour week. But hasn’t this traditional time and attendance methodology been tested…modified and maybe even eliminated as a result of our COVID… online employment expansion experiences?
Interrelated to the personal time and attendance issue is the hybrid… work-from-home situation. I can’t recall the number of times workers in multiple sector situations have informed me that “my work day begins the moment I go online and look at my emails”! Understandably, the opportunity to have your home become your regular “workplace” has tremendous financial and time saving benefits! Less costs for gas and vehicle maintenance. No time spent on-the-road driving to and back from an office. Plus “dressing-down” is allowable…daily. However, does working from home improve job performance or lessen it? Can you really document time on-the-job accurately or is there a critical trust factor involved? Each of these “Job Learning”… impact areas need to be better explained, applied, integrated, assessed and monitored in a progressive… innovative… professional way to advance today’s new (and old) workforce participants.
Another employment-evolution area that would be valuable to instruct both job seekers and current workers about would be today’s “Specific-Generalist” job expectations. What are “Specific-Generalist” job expectations? Today I have observed that unlike past employment opportunities, some employers look for workers with natural specialist college-level knowledge… but many silently recruit candidates that have multiple (generalist) skill areas. This situation is most useful when those looking for work assess and are prepared to share their transferable skills. These skills include communication, teamwork, adaptability, creative thinking and attention to detail personal strengths. So whether the challenge is time management or beginning blue-print reading, the more high-value generalist skills/credentials one retains has become much more applicable in today’s competitive job market. This issue is even more realized as different companies and organizations have to “blend” job tasks due to financial or down-sizing concerns. Therefore, is providing this form of “Job Learning” instruction a valuable new age public administration obligation/responsibility?
Job re-entry and a much more flexible approach to retirement is another evolving
“Job Learning” component. Consider all of the modern-day approaches older citizens utilize to strategically exit their employment. Think about individual phase-out planning, part-time options, on-call opportunities and/or total return-to-work situations. With the shrinkage of the total workforce, worker buy-outs, robotics impacts, self-service structures and/or remote job opportunities… full retirement has become less of a standard life-change option than in the past. Additionally and unfortunately, quality survivability of those over age 65 living on a very fixed and/or limited income has become a greater circumstance. As a result, older citizens are regularly re-entering the workforce and would benefit greatly from sessions on Today’s Newest “Job Learnings”.
So what are some of the key issues to consider if we commit to better informing citizens about job conduct and expectations? I believe it is vital that common Today’s Newest “Job Learnings” be created and provided as a standard employment preparation/continuation service. A new public administration provider would not be required, rather the nation’s workforce agencies, community colleges or small business development system-network could assume the new learning session responsibility. As discussed the topics should include but not be limited to:
- Working from home standards
- Computer skills expectations
- Part-time work protocols
- On-line employment and responsibilities
- “Specific-Generalist” skill areas
The uniqueness of Today’s Newest “Job Learnings” sessions would be the specific discussion on jobs from both the employee and employer perspectives. Old-style work stereotypes would no longer apply. This system-wide initiative is an overdue upgrade to all employment preparation services.
TRIPLE III TIME: Creating A Motivational “Can’t-Do” List
As I sometimes do my “homework” regarding finding the best… and most timely TRIPLE III TIME topic, shared below is a unique quote taken from a presentation by Julie Burnstein entitled: “4 Lessons in Creativity” (2012)… that really helped this week!
“Artists (often) speak about how pushing the limits of what they can do, sometimes pushing into what they can’t do, helps them focus on finding their own voice.”
So here’s the TRIPLE III TIME question: What are YOUR thoughts regarding creating a “Can’t Do” list for yourself?? I believe if you are truly correctly driven… Creating A Motivational “Can’t Do” List may be a fun, non-traditional method of extending your own entrepreneurial spirit.
Think about it?!
First, having a VISUAL of what you feel a need to try, work on and accomplish…would be a very appropriate beginning of utilizing a “Can’t Do” List. Somehow seeing the “Can’t Do” List in writing may show that the challenge is not as big as you believed and/or possibly convince you that you may be over-thinking specifically what can’t be done!
Next, possibly sharing parts of your “Can’t Do” List with others may result in a unique new working arrangement or mentoring situation that offers everyone a creative progressive opportunity. Many times just as attendees in a training situation are hesitant to ask questions that everyone may be concerned about… so too could others also be facing a similar “Can’t Do” situation and resist even talking about it.
Bottomline: Creating A Motivational “Can’t Do” List could serve as a GREAT problem-solving activity both personally and professionally. However, I also realize that some may look at a “Can’t Do” List as self-defeating. Historically it has been my approach to instantly think: “Bring-it-on!…or I know how to get around this problem…or this isn’t as big or confusing as I thought”!
Therefore I “vote” that MOTIVATIONAL is the better position to take!
TRIPLE III TIME: “Stereotyping” Mistakes
First let me state that I am sure that the wise readers of the TRIPLE III TIME blog messages… NEVER make “Stereotyping” Mistakes! None of us look at the way someone dresses… talks…and/or where they live and places a certain stereotype assumption on them…RIGHT!
In my long-term public sector employment history… I have observed… and yes unfortunately applied various forms of stereotypes to different people at different times. Is it a form of “human-nature”… yes probably… but does it most often cause multiple forms of “Stereotyping” Mistakes… YES! This stereotyping trap that I am describing also occurs when we believe people will behave in a certain manner depending on their age, gender, social or economic background. For example, if someone drives a brand new Porsche versus a rusting 1963 Ford pickup… do certain stereotypes show up? Or if someone shows up at an event with children all dressed in dirty clothes versus a family in modern-stylish dress-ware… do we start stereotyping?
Many times when I have my consultant “uniform” on and am addressing the needs for all organization staff to be authentic…the issue of stereotyping people is discussed. I remind them that they all will play a leadership role sometime during their employment years… and it is a LEADERS responsibility to stress the problems caused by “Stereotyping” Mistakes. Is it sometimes difficult… non-intentional… professionally confusing… yes!? However, does it most often lead to a lack of understanding, miss-communication and a tremendous loss of authenticity on both sides… also YES!
I guess my most memorable example of being told that its best to be just authentic and not make “Stereotyping” Mistakes came directly from my Ma when she said a long time ago: “I don’t care what job you have or how smart a degree says you are… you just be Marv.”
(P.S. It’s her birthday this week!)
LEARNING MOMENTS Podcast: Retaining a “SPIRIT” of Innovation
This month my Inspiring Innovations LEARNING MOMENTS are totally… completely and happily all devoted to INNOVATION. It is a professional development area I have prioritized my entire career.
Specifically, the podcast discusses the importance of actions required when Retaining a “SPIRIT” of Innovation in your everyday lifestyle. The suggested actions are not totally new or unique… however they require regular attention to make INNOVATION a true “way-of-life”!
Enjoy the listen.
TRIPLE III TIME: Going to “Where They Are”!
Sometimes we get lucky and observe excellent progress actions that just maybe you have been suggesting to different leaders for quite some time. This past week I read a news piece that announced the appointment of a high school junior to a newly created city council seat! Not only is this a great action to structurally gain input from our younger generation… but also a wonderful two-way COMMUNICATION IMPROVEMENT for both groups by: Going To “Where They Are”!
What does this TRIPLE III TIME message title specifically drive everyone to consider? Well it may be the ideal time to toss out a TOP 10 Going To “Where They Are”! questions to think about.
- Do you really invite others outside your organization for ideas?
- Are you too traditional… too different?
- Do people know your product/service or just think they do?
- Do you have a good strategic blend of communication options?
- Are you getting “out-of-the-office”… or always expect clients/customers to only come to you?
- In the last year have you visited with different age groups…males/females…ethnic segments?
- Are you afraid of what you might see… learn?
- Does a change in your communication processes cause money concerns?
- Does your business/organization have a meaningful, quality, progressive reputation…or??
- Does professional discomfort cause your group to shrink-back… get angry… freeze-up?
Going To “Where They Are”! has become the most important strategic planning activity when addressing progressive COMMUNICATION processes. So think honestly about the TOP 10 questions and then move creatively forward.
Inspiring Innovations, Inc. 