How to build community in the hybrid office | Report: Being able to communicate well is top soft skill | How to make your presentation to the boss compelling
As more employers embrace hybrid work, a sense of community can bond workers at home and the office, writes Jonathan Kirschner, founder and CEO of AIIR Consulting, a global business-psychology consulting firm. "We have to make space for our people to get to know each other on a holistic level, not just through the messages they ping back and forth about upcoming projects," Kirschner writes.
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Communication skills top the list of soft skills in demand by employers, according to a ZipRecruiter report that lists seven other important skills in today's job market. "Communication is very high on that list right now considering how people are working in very different situations, hybrid situations," says Kristin Kelley, CareerBuilder's chief marketing officer.
Employers of all sizes should encourage staff members to start saving for retirement as early as possible, writes author and consultant Laura Adams. Ways to support the practice include offering a 401(k) match, setting up default automatic enrollment with an opt-out feature, extending benefits to more workers by reducing eligibility restrictions, offering target-date funds, instituting profit sharing, supporting a financial wellness program and providing no-cost financial counseling.
Kelly May-Vollmar, superintendent of the Desert Sands Unified School District in California, previously served as a school principal and the district's chief technology officer. In this interview, May-Vollmar tells why it's important for school leaders to have some understanding of technology and describes her experience as often being the "only woman in the room."
Improve listening skills by eliminating distractions, asking open-ended questions with the goal of understanding the other person and acknowledging their emotions, writes Ken Blanchard. "Resist the temptation to jump in during silent moments -- especially if you are an extrovert," Blanchard adds.
I was part of a speaker panel last year in a webinar for education journalists. One of the questions we got pertained to diversity and equity and the number of journalists of color in the education reporting field. I could feel the eyes on me -- the only person of color on the panel –- after the moderator posed the question. I could hear my dad's voice in my head, how he would have addressed the question. I smiled.
“I’m a Native Hawaiian woman managing a team of editors and helping to make decisions about products and content development. Fifty years ago, that’s not happening,” I said. I acknowledged the injustices of history and that there’s still work to do. But, I maintained that we’ve made progress.
“The doors to advancement are not locked,” I maintained. “We need to push open the doors, walk in, sit down at the table and then do excellent work. Excellent work. And when we do that, we normalize our faces and voices at the table.”
“So, you have to lean in and you have to just decide that you’re in the right room. You’re supposed to have a seat at the table and really engage,” she said. “It’s not that any men in the room are trying to not have conversations with women, but being the only one can be intimidating … And so, you just have to not take that personally and know that you have a job to do.”
I wanted to cheer when I read this. Lean in and decide you’re in the right room. Take your seat at the table — and then get involved. Most people are not trying to stifle your voice. And this was my favorite: Avoid taking things personally and apply your mind and efforts to your work.
Such good words. There’s work to do as we aim for an even playing field, but we’re making progress. Imua!
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