Search Stories

Showing 20 - 40 of 919 results

Inclusivity in Practice: Shaping Your Company’s Culture

Several decades ago, Sudha Solayappan arrived late for a networking dinner and was seated at the end of a long table. She was much younger than the others, and the two closest people to her were already engaged in conversation.“I felt very awkward,” said Solayappan, now the Head of Talent Operations and People Research at Intuitive Surgical, during a recent panel discussion at From Day One’s Silicon Valley event.Fortunately, another man at the dinner table asked her a question. “What was beautiful about it was that it was a very subtle question he asked, and it was a message to the person to my left as well that I need to be included, but without alienating that person,” Solayappan told panel moderator David Thigpen, a journalism educator at UC Berkeley.Solayappan says this instance was a powerful example of inclusion.The Power of ListeningListening is an essential skill at all levels of an organization to shape an environment of inclusion, says Janine Yancey, founder and CEO of Emtrain.“We’ve all had an experience where the direct line managers are the folks that really create the culture,” she said. “It has to start at the top. But there’s often a big gap between the top and the folks who are influencing day-to-day teams.”The key is to teach all managers to listen more than they talk, says Yancey. She said this involves gently asking simple questions that encourage sharing, such as, “What do you think about that?”Brian Little, VP of human resources at Intel, said the “fight to ensure the quietest voices in the room are heard” is a never-ending challenge, but “unconscious bias training has really helped our company.”For example, a manager once told him that everytime he spoke to someone on his team he experienced frustration. Little recommended unconscious bias training, and the manager realized the way he grew up was interfering with his ability to be a leader. This motivated him to change his behavior, says Little.Building Capacity to Create a Sense of Belonging Another critical step toward developing a culture where everyone feels welcome is building the capacity of each individual, according to Curran Brugger, VP of talent, development, and inclusion at Gilead Sciences.“Our people leaders and our employees generally are just overloaded,” she said. “There’s just so much coming at us.”This makes it difficult for members of an organization to find room on their plates to do the listening and engagement necessary to understand their biases, says Brugger. However, people can adapt to new challenges when they build and broaden their perspective.“You update your operating system over and over and over again, rather than just adding on lots of new operating systems,” Brugger said.The panelists from left to right included Brian Little of Intel, Curran Brugger of Gilead Sciences, Sudha Solayappan of Intuitive, Janine Yancey of Emtrain, and session moderator David Thigpen of UC BerkeleyThis is challenging for many employees from minority groups because their “natural style of being” conflicts with the culture of their workplace, says Solayappan. These individuals develop an “adaptive state” to fit in, but “it really is hard for them. It causes faster burnout,” she said.“How can we increase someone’s capacity when day in and day out that strain is there and they are feeling it? We should make sure that we create a climate where people are comfortable being who they are,” Solayappan said.Measuring Outcomes for InclusivityMany organizations measure their progress on inclusivity through looking at their people, and looking at retention rates, says Yancey. However, she said leaders should also look at social dynamics because they “can make or break you.”“If you have a basketball team with the greatest players in the world but they don’t work well together, they will lose,” Yancey said.She recommends companies begin measuring outcomes during inclusion training. For example, instead of just giving people examples of what allyship and creating opportunities looks like, Yancey advises asking them if their colleagues are doing this or if they have experienced it themselves.By asking those questions, “You’re getting some authentic feedback of what they see and what they’re experiencing in the trenches,” she said. “And you’re mapping it to a set of skills so you can measure those skills at scale and see where you’re strong and where you’re weak.”Company leaders should be aware that a decrease in inclusivity scores might indicate progress because employees feel they are in an environment where it is safe to give constructive criticism, says Brugger.“We’re trying some experiments, and we’re looking at what the data is telling us rather than thinking the data is giving us the answer,” she said. “I think that’s an important distinction on how we’re thinking about metrics.”Companies should consider the big picture when creating inclusivity goals, says Little.“It’s what we want to do in the world, the influence we want to have, how we change the world,” he said. “We will change the lives of a lot of people. There will be kids going to college that didn’t go to college before, there will be parents who all of a sudden will be able to pay all their bills, because if they work for us, they’re going to be doing OK.”Mary Pieper is a freelance writer based in Mason City, Iowa.

Mary Pieper | April 04, 2024
Change Can Be Daunting, But Here’s How to Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity

When Andy Cindrich was a 29-year-old school principal, he thought he was on top of the world, until he was suddenly let go from his job. “That was a huge disruption in my life,” Cindrich shared in a fireside chat at From Day One’s Salt Lake City event.The news came at the worst possible time, just as he was building a new home and expecting his second child. But by being open to new opportunities and finding his niche, he eventually landed at the renowned FranklinCovey, where he is now a leadership and effectiveness consultant, executive coach, and keynote speaker.In a conversation moderated by Steve Koepp, From Day One co-founder and chief content officer, Cindrich discussed his new book Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity, offering guidance on how to engage teams throughout the process and build the skills to pilot your team through the waters of disruptive change.Navigating the Discomfort of Change“The prism of change is a great way to look at how to make companies work better,” said Koepp. But it also makes many people uncomfortable. While it’s easy to see the navigation of change as a victory in hindsight, in the moment it can be discouraging. Cindrich notes feeling “a lot of fear and a lot of anger at how it happened” during his own transition out of school administration.It’s important for leaders to remember the emotional turmoil that change can cause, especially as they build a pathway forward. “When we get too focused on the process, when we forget the emotion that people experience when they go through change and we don’t give them a safe space, some psychological safety, to talk about how they’re feeling about the change, we’re not going to make progress,” Cindrich said. It’s important to guide teams toward the point of decision, Cindrich says, “where they can say, ‘I didn’t choose the change, it happened to me and I don’t like it. But I can stay within my circle of influence and work in ways that that I can own to make the change of benefit for me.’”This applies to something as minor as an internal software change, or as major as a merger or acquisition. It’s best to focus on what you can control and “own the change,” rather than let change own you, Cindrich advises. A culture that allows people to be vulnerable and share their best ideas can help make a successful change. The Four Zones of ChangeIn his book Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity, Cindrich identifies the four zones of organizational change: The status quo (prepare): Even during times of consistency, acknowledge that change can happen at any time and be ready for it. This can include professional development both individually and organizationally to prepare for forecasted trends. The disruption zone (clarify): This is the moment when change starts happening, and leaders should be in constant dialogue with their teams and stakeholders to provide information to make them feel secure and get them on board.The adoption zone (persist): In this zone, leaders not only must “stay engaged in the fight,” Cindrich said, but also help others persist in the face of obstacles. “This zone is where change goes to die,” he said. It’s where leaders might get frustrated if they don’t see immediate success or face too much friction.The innovation zone (explore): This zone is the most dangerous, Cindrich says, because the temptation is to return to the status quo and a sense of relief. But “what a horrific waste of resources” to go through all that change for nothing. Instead, Cindrich said, “In the zone of innovation, it’s all about inspiring ourselves and others to explore what’s possible because of what we just went through.”Cindrich signed copies of his new book Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity for conference attendees Franklin Covey itself has gone through significant change during Cindrich’s time with the company. No longer just the planner people, the company has transitioned from physical products to providing an online platform called “All Access Pass” that enables asynchronous learning in 21 languages for people all over the world. The company thrived by anticipating and embracing shifts in technology and culture.Common Reactions to ChangeImmediate reaction to change is often, but not always, negative. Cindrich elaborates on the five common responses to change. First, there are early adopters, the people who move toward the change. There are also those who minimize their reaction, people who wait, the most common response, thinking “this too shall pass.” And then there are people who resist and people who quit. Each of these reactions are useful, Cindrich says, and leaders can learn from each. And they should also prepare for each as they develop their transition strategies.Balancing Empathy and Speed“The pace of change is not getting less. It’s faster and more furious and more impactful than it’s ever been for a lot of reasons,” Cindrich said. It’s important to recognize that this is “just about people, it’s about being empathic to the way people are experiencing the change, and giving them some space to process it and get to a point where they can confidently commit to it,” Cindrich said.It’s tempting to have less empathy as a leader when you feel like your team is pushing back in the face of disruption. Cindrich says responding with patience and grace is key. “We have to have a sense that they’re making progress, asking great questions, trying to figure out what's possible for them and for their team and organization when they get to the other side of it.”Ultimately, it comes down to trust. “When you have a high trust organization,” Cindrich said, “what we find is that the depth of the disruption will be a lot less, and the time that it takes to get to innovation will be compressed.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, and CBS New York.

Katie Chambers | April 04, 2024
Walking the Walk: Best Practices for Supporting a Mentally Well Workplace

The conversation around mental health has drastically changed in the last four years, according to the Vice President of Talent at the mental-health platform Talkspace, Kaleigh Oleynik. Oleynik, a former middle-school teacher, asked for a show of hands from the audience: “How many of you were discussing mental health at work before the pandemic?” Some audience members raised their hands. But when surveyed again to find out who is presently discussing mental health at work, all hands went in the air. “This is a conversation that started before the pandemic,” she said, yet its significance has grown. She traces it back to an article that appeared in Harvard Business Review, which collected quotes from Lady Gaga and Prince Harry that normalized mental health talk.Oleynik spoke in a thought leadership spotlight with colleague Ryan Kellogg, Talkspace’s VP of partnerships & sales effectiveness at From Day One’s Boston benefits event. The speakers explored the intersection of employee well-being and crafting an organizational culture that inspires and uplifts. “What we’re very passionate about is customizing and catering through our virtual mental health options,” said Kellogg. “You really have to step inside the arena with your employees to make sure that they're digesting the information and that you’re catering to their needs.”For instance, it’s important for a user or patient to be able to address a need in real time, potentially pairing up with a licensed therapist within hours or days. Talkspace currently has 5,000 licensed therapists across 50 different states that have a very diverse background. 40% of their therapists specialize in LGBTQ topics, 40% focus on adolescent care, and 30% of them focus on BIPOC patients or identify as BIPOC, with 35 different languages being represented.“That’s very deliberate to ensure that if your employee is looking for mental health care, they’re being treated as the individual they are,” said Kellogg. Benefits-wise, Talkspace is focused on the continuum of care, which, other than the standard offerings in mental health, includes medication management and psychiatry.Talkspace colleagues Kaleigh Oleynik and Ryan Kellogg led the thought leadership spotlight on what it takes to walk the walk when it comes to a mentally well workplace Current areas of interest include women’s health and mental-health resources for the adolescent population. “Over the past year we’ve been very aggressive about partnering with different organizations that also focus on the well-being of their employees, so that we can leverage their network and vice versa,” said Kellogg.At the core of Talkspace walking the walk, is their internal-communications strategy. “During times of deep change, like restructuring, layoffs, or just macro trends that are changing, we focus on communication. That is the root of psychological safety,” says Oleynik.Communication rooted in consistency breeds safety. At Talkspace, every two weeks there is an all-hands meeting that starts the same way: a video introduction, a leader talking, and a deep dive into a specific topic. “I think that last part is actually the most important because we know when people are feeling concerned about the company or disconnected, they can start to feel powerless and a little bit like they’re operating within some sort of black box,” said Oleynik.Oleynik also prioritizes creating a safe space for questions, even on matters that might be complicated or confusing. “We’re a public company, so we have earning calls,” Oleynik continues. “They can be technical, but I mandate that everyone listens to them and then we debrief them: I always say there are no stupid questions.”Communication is more complex than it seems. “I’ve learned the hard way that just because I put out information, am very deliberate, look people in the eye, and have meaningful conversation, doesn't necessarily mean that they feel appreciated,” says Kellogg. It’s imperative to have conversations with everyone, and “rubbing elbows with every layer of your chain of command,” so that you can cultivate trust and ensure everyone feels seen.And sometimes there can be disconnect, where you feel you’ve had these great conversations, but that might not be reciprocated. In this case, to create a feedback loop, Oleynik is a fan of surveys. When they surveyed their employees, “It was really helpful to see where we felt like we were doing a great job of communicating certain things” and also find the spots that could be communicated more thoroughly.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Talkspace, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Angelica Frey is a writer and a translator based in Boston and Milan.

Angelica Frey | April 03, 2024
Finding Fulfillment: Creating Meaning in the Midst of Uncertainty

No longer does the workforce subscribe to the idea that their job is just a paycheck, or that they’ll loyally stay for years no matter how they’re treated. What do modern employees want more than anything? Meaning.Yet, here’s the challenge: everyone interprets meaning differently. According to Jennifer Feri, VP of HR at VMware, a panelist at From Day One’s Live Silicon Valley event, some seek opportunities for growth, while some prioritize flexibility, and still others aspire to be actively involved in decision-making processes. In short, they want to be treated like humans.“No person wants to come into or work at a workplace where they’re thought of as a widget, a number, or a transaction. Forget it,” said Feri. Feri joined a panel of four other industry colleagues in a session moderated by Michal Lev-Ram, editor-at-large of Fortune.The question is, how can organizations bring meaning to what they do? For Feri, meaning was best illustrated by her boss, who knew what she needed and delivered it in a meaningful way. When Feri wasn’t promoted to VP, she was crushed, but her boss helped pick her up off the ground. “She knew how important it was to me. She knew what my skill set was. And she knew where I needed to develop,” Feri said. “She took an approach that is completely human centered and individualized to me. She made sure that she put me on projects and initiatives that not only helped me build my executive skills, but it helped highlight them for others.” The promotion came, and Feri’s boss waited until she was on vacation to tell her, because she knew Feri would want to celebrate the news with her family around her. “That is human-centered leadership,” Feri said.People Over ProfitOf course, companies need to make a profit to keep running. But should profit come at the expense of people? Not if organizations want to retain talent.Panelist Melissa Adams, executive vice president of human resources at Duarte spoke about a hard decision their company made that showed employees they cared about them as people. For many years, the company had provided services to an anchor account that brought in millions. However, leaders questioned the true cost of those clients.“The human toll of running this event was huge,” Adams said. Negative stories abounded from the annual event itself, plus the time leading up to the event. So they made the decision to set a boundary and no longer work with the client. The result was less stress, less burnout, and employees who were grateful. “It resonated with our employees,” she said. “They knew that we had their back.” Another result? They made up the revenue in other ways, plus they retained talent in the process.  “That was a real example of people over profit,” Adams said.Connect the MeaningProductivity is something you do, and meaning is something that you feel, says Geoff Boraston, VP of organizational development at Granite Construction. These two things don’t have to be mutually exclusive, he added, but you can help to connect the meaning. “We used to put out these project information sheets, which were very engineering-esque,” he said. To bring more meaning to the information sheet, instead they focused on how the project was reducing commute time or connecting communities.The panelists spoke to the topic "Making Work Meaningful in an Uncertain World" Realizing where your company’s value lies makes all the difference in bringing meaning to the work, says Boraston. “We don’t have proprietary technology, proprietary manufacturing, or any particular intellectual property. We have access to the same labor pools, and the same materials and means and methods as every other company. So our difference, our competitive weapon, is our people.”Decreasing BurnoutPanelist Christine Schmidt, people analytics evangelist and platform & data go-to-market strategy at Rippling looks forward to going to work on Monday morning. That, she says, is a huge indicator of whether a company has created a meaningful place to work. Because workers don’t feel burned out. “Nobody goes into the HR profession to do paperwork,” Schmidt said. “Nobody chose it to do all the compliance stuff, it’s one of the most painful parts of the job. It takes away from the type of work that got you into the profession: the meaning, the development, the connection, the strategic advisory.”That’s why Rippling seeks to automate and make those processes as pain-free as possible. For example, within 30 seconds of Schmidt accepting her position, she had seven helpful emails explaining benefits enrollment, 401k enrollment, technology, and more. That automation freed up people’s time so they could focus on creating more meaning and connection. “If you think about what creates meaning for people, it’s not just, ‘are they going to climb the ladder?’ No,” Schmidt said. “It's about, ‘Are they going to develop as a human? Are they going to develop skills? Are they going to earn the respect of their colleagues, and do they feel like they are contributing in a meaningful way to whatever the organization is doing?’” There will always be those “pebbles in your shoes” at work—the things you don’t want to do, she says. But keeping them to a minimum will help decrease burnout and allow time to focus on meaning.In and Out of OfficeThere are many approaches to developing meaning, and for panelist Katherine Ovadia, VP, global head of people at One Planet, connecting in and out of the office makes a difference.“I believe that being in an office really helps build that sense of community,” she said. “It’s a wonderful place to instill feeling good about where you work, about the experience, and about doing it together. It’s a beautiful, connected space.”But looking outside the office is just as important. At One Planet, they help to foster meaning to employees by facilitating service days and even service trips. For one trip, they sent five employees to the Gambia to work with a women’s organization. “Being able to like to bring that outside world into the company is so important,” Ovadia said.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

Carrie Snider | April 03, 2024
Macro Chips: Building the Workforce of the Future in a Critical Industry

In August of 2022, the CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law by the Biden Administration in an effort to bolster America’s microchip manufacturing and return it back to the birthplace of the semiconductor’s. Despite the recent publicity and big investments in chip manufacturing, the U.S. isn’t known for producing the circuitry that makes much of our technology work. Nor do they have a workforce that is prepared to build those circuits competitively–yet.“One of the things to consider is that when semiconductor was offshored, it went to Asia. And so even in the semiconductor world, a lot of the people that do that kind of work are Korean, Taiwanese, Chinese, and Malaysian,” said the head of the people team at Samsung Semiconductor, Rebecca McCathern.McCathern spoke about the semiconductor market with the editor-at-large of Fortune, Michal Lev-Ram, during a From Day One fireside chat in Silicon Valley.While Samsung is known for cell phones, televisions, and refrigerators, according to McCathern, “that’s an entirely separate division of Samsung from the semiconductor business, which is where our division sits." Within the semiconductor world, she says they are very much U.S.-based. And where other areas of the tech industry have seen major layoffs, the semiconductor business is dealing with the inverse problem.“With the offshoring that happened a few decades ago, semiconductors has been one of the areas where, as we look to have more onshoring of that talent, we have a serious talent gap,” McCathern said. The industry is continuing to grow because they need talent for both manufacturing and engineering. “There’s not enough talent in the U.S. alone, so we actually need to build that pipeline of talent coming up through the generations," McCathern said.Michal Lev-Ram of Fortune, right, interviewed Rebecca McCathern of Samsung Semiconductor about the pressing matter of the industryA 2023 report authored by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) says that “Since the CHIPS Act was introduced, companies from around the world have responded enthusiastically, announcing dozens of new semiconductor ecosystem projects in the U.S., totaling well over $200 billion in private investments.” Semiconductor projects will create tens of thousands of direct jobs and will support hundreds of thousands of additional jobs throughout the economy, according to the report.Right now, Samsung is staffed mostly by people who are not from the U.S., “over 50% are from a country that is not the U.S. And so when we go looking for talent, we don’t find it." Semiconductors aren’t currently a major focus for engineering students but it needs to be. McCathern says they are building out that pipeline by working with diverse groups, like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, to encourage college students to pursue a career in semiconductors. They’re even talking to highschool teachers and administrators about the semiconductor career path, so they can better inform their students. “We’re really trying to get into the K-12 minds to start building that pipeline of potential talent earlier. And that will help us with our diversity pipeline as well.”According to SIA’s report, the investments in chips and the effort to fill out the industry by companies like Samsung are long-term plans. But on its current trajectory, semiconductor manufacturing is set to fall short some 67,000 roles across the industry by 2030 in the United States.“That isn't line manufacturing. It’s working on the robots that work on the line, all the way through advanced engineering. And it’s a gap across all of the semiconductor companies,” McCathern said.She points out that even though they have their competitors, they’re working across the aisle because the talent shortage doesn’t just affect the competition. “We do partner with each other to create solutions, because Samsung is not going to solve this problem by ourselves. But if we can work with all of our other semiconductor competitors and partners to build up that pipeline of talent, it’ll help us all.”The lack of manufacturing in the US not only raises economic questions, it also raises national security concerns. Being reliant on other countries puts the U.S. at risk. McCathern says if the U.S. continues to be too reliant on another country’s supply chain, the risk will only increase.However, the energy around semiconductors is starting to spur movement and interest in the pipeline of workers coming up. “When we went to universities last fall, we had ten times more people in line for our booths at the universities that we target than we’ve ever seen,” McCathern said.As with all things, AI plays a big role in semiconductors, and will likely play bigger roles in the future. Samsung is starting to build into those skillsets, too, which aren’t going to all be engineers and researchers, bachelors, masters, and PhD students. McCathern says they need people with technical skills, but they don’t have to be engineers.“We’re working with even the junior college level to build out the skills for these manufacturing roles. It’s a little bit like going into plumbing or electric or automotive. It’s the same sort of skill-building where you need to be technical, but you don’t need to be a full blown engineer.”Matthew Koheler is a freelance journalist and licensed real estate agent based in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in Greater Greater Washington, The Washington Post, The Southwester, and Walking Cinema, among others.

Matthew Koehler | April 03, 2024
Responding to Chronic Labor Shortages: How a Healthcare Giant Takes Innovative Approaches

Labor shortages persist at historic levels in 2024, with 1.7 million workers missing compared to February 2020. This was the focus of a fireside chat featuring Heather Brace, the chief people officer at Intermountain Healthcare, at From Day One’s Salt Lake City conference. Interviewed by Lauren Gustus, executive editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, Brace discussed how the organization is responding to these chronic labor shortages.At the height of the pandemic, Brace says Intermountain had 6,500 job openings. As the largest private employer in Utah, this figure was overwhelming. Keeping hospitals and doctors’ offices fully staffed with locals became near impossible.“We saw an explosion in all types of travel agency workers, particularly in nursing and other clinical jobs,” she said. These travel nurses cost Intermountain two to two-and-a-half times the standard nurses’ salary, Brace says.“They took advantage of things the industry hadn’t responded to appropriately,” she said. “When I look back, before the pandemic, I can see our nurses wanted a different type of wage structure. They wanted flexibility. They wanted autonomy. We had the opportunity to respond to that before the pandemic, but we’re a very traditional thinking industry. The mindset was ‘well, this is always worked for patients.’”But this pivot was overwhelming enough to force change.“We have doubled down on the remote strategy,” Brace said. “With the understanding that clinical people can’t often be remote, we acknowledge that one size fits all doesn’t work when it comes to remote work models.”Lauren Gustus of the Salt Lake Tribune, left, interviewed Heather Brace of Intermountain health, right, in a fireside chat With mobility came a need to rethink compensation.“We’ve increased wages almost 40% year over year,” she said. “With remote work sticking around, especially at Intermountain, people can move anywhere in the country and provide services to any organization. This means we’re now competing with California, Colorado, and all the surrounding states when recruiting. Utah has not been known for the best compensation in the nation, and now that’s being challenged.”The biggest impact to hiring, though, has been what Brace calls a “redesign of work.” “We’ve put a greater emphasis on mental health, ‘how do we take care of our people in the same way we’re taking care of our communities?” she said.Alongside mobility and higher wage, the answer was in implementing skill-based learning, recruiting diverse team members, and creating a sense of belonging.“We’ve developed a partnership with refugee organizations here in the valley, in addition to community and technical colleges,” Brace said. “We don’t have to spend operational dollars to train people to do work inside of our organization. Instead, we put them to work, and then it changes the trajectory of their life. We have so many educational programs that we can then use to continue to help promote someone.”Bringing folks from non-traditional pathways into healthcare has also boosted Intermountain’s diversity efforts. Amidst heated legislative battles over DEI programs in Utah, Brace says Intermountain will continue to hire people who represent the communities they serve.“It’s not only good for our organization, but it’s good for our patients,” she said. “It also creates a sense of belonging. Our intent is to nurture an inclusive environment where you can speak up, dress appropriately to your culture, and be able to thrive and grow. We’ve found a lot of success in that.”All the above has served to fill nearly 2,000 of the pandemic job openings. Despite the ever-present hurdles in the world of recruiting, Brace says she has a lot of hope for the future.“My teenage boys really believe that the world is their oyster,” she said. “I think we’ve got to take that on as human resource professionals; if we lean into it, it’ll be different, but it’ll all work out.”Jacqueline Mumford is a writer and Master of Accounting graduate from the University of Utah. When she’s not in Excel or writing an article, she loves to run, play Candy Crush, and read novels.

Jacqueline Mumford | April 02, 2024
Moving Beyond Pain: A New Approach for a Country in Crisis

One of Dr. Bijal Toprani’s physical therapy patients was a competitive ice hockey player, even through college. “He was even sticking with it into adulthood, playing in the rec league at New York’s Chelsea Piers,” she said in a thought leadership spotlight during From Day One’s Boston half-day benefits conference. But one day, this patient hurt his back at the gym. The pain became chronic and he needed a solution.“That had a cascading effect on his mental health,” said Dr. Toprani, doctor of physical therapy at Hinge Health, an online clinic for muscle and joint care. The patient was previously playing hockey every Monday among his friends, and skipping that weekly commitment led to isolation. A situation like this can lead to underperformance in work, too. “The patient said they might consider leaving their job because of pain,” she said.To better understand the issue it’s important to understand what chronic pain is. A shoulder strain or a broken bone can be resolved within a reasonable time frame if treated appropriately. “When we think of chronic pain, it’s pain that exists from months to years,” said Dr. Toprani.The people experiencing this pain can become desperate for relief, often turning to opioids.  Currently, data shows that one in five people suffering from chronic pain gets an opioid prescription, she says. “Unfortunately, it’s easier, more convenient, and cheaper than finding a physical therapist.”Pain does not exist in a silo, and creates a series of comorbidities. Hinge Health’s 2024 State of Care report indicates that  44% of sufferers are also affected by anxiety, 32% by depression, 26% by a sleep disorder, 22% by obesity. It makes sense: thinking of pain does cause anxiety, it prevents you from falling asleep, and it hinders exercise, which, in turn, can cause weight gain. The costs accrued for musculoskeletal system (MSK) problems amounts to around $635 billion dollars, and it’s estimated that 48% of people don’t do anything about it, other than getting a cortisone shot.Dr. Bijal Toprani of Hinge Health led the thought leadership spotlight during From Day One's Boston Benefits event Physical therapy is considered the best first-line treatment, but remains underutilized. “Another barrier is the lack of understanding of benefits, and that’s specific to MSK care,” said Dr. Toprani. “You don’t know what’s in-network or what’s out-of-network.” Many people in pain believe that traditional PT is too expensive to pursue, and nearly 1/3 find it challenging to access physical therapists. For those who do see a physical therapist, many end up discontinuing their course of care for similar reasons.Physical therapy sits at the intersection of medical care and lifestyle change, and Hinge Health positions itself as a digital clinic specializing in joint and muscle pain, combining technology and traditional physical-therapy care. Chronic pain is more complicated and complex than “just doing exercises,” said Dr. Toprani. Only a small percentage of respondents used digital PT (10%) or a hybrid of digital and in-person PT (17%) in the past 12 months, but they are more likely to have a positive outlook on their pain compared to people who used traditional PT (72%).A digital interface solves another barrier: “48% of people say a digital PT program would make it easier to follow their care plan, and 43% say they need PT care that has a digital component,” said Dr. Toprani, citing Hinge Health’s 2024 report. The digital program is accessible outside of regular work hours, and offers a demonstration of exercises that encourages practice between sessions with a clinician.A MSK program with a digital component has other benefits: those who use Hinge Health report 68% average reduction in pain per participant, says Dr. Toprani, ultimately supporting a happier and healthier patient.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Hinge Health, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Angelica Frey is a writer and a translator based in Boston and Milan.

Angelica Frey | April 02, 2024
How Generous Benefits Can Make a Difference When Salaries are Maxed Out

For specialty retailer Backcountry, rewarding its workers goes hand-in-hand with enhancing the company’s adventure-driven culture. So benefits come in the form of adventure leaves, big employee discounts on outdoor recreation gear, healthy food, and even a dog-friendly workplace.In a fireside chat at From Day One’s Salt Lake City event, Benjamin Gross, chief people officer and general counsel at Backcountry, spoke with Mekenna Malan, editor at Utah Business on how generous benefits can make a difference when employee salaries are already maxed out. One thing that’s universal across industries is tremendous wage growth. At Backcountry, wages have increased by 30% since 2019, says Gross. They pay somewhere in the median for privately held e-commerce companies, he says.  In terms of talent, what’s really important to them is coming up with a way to make employees want to not only join, but also stay with them. And so, they have a culmination of creative benefits specific to their workforce. One of the unique ways they make their employees feel happy is very simple: they allow people to bring their dogs. There are house rules, but ultimately, Gross notes that they have a big group of dogs in the office on any given day, sometimes even his own are included. The bring a dog policy aligns with Backcountry’s outdoors-oriented culture. For other companies, this could translate into something else that allows for an element of relaxation and fun in the workplace.Gross also shares how the shift to hybrid work caused a bit of distress for some, but they found a happy medium to make back-to-office work more bearable. “We have a lot of things we built into the schedule to be more flexible. We allow anyone to leave for a month, anywhere they want to go, as long as they’re available in mountain time hours, and do their work. We’re good with that, ” he said.Mekenna Malan, right, interviewed Ben Gross of Backcountry on the benefits that keep their workers happy and their culture strongThey also took a vote on having half-day Fridays versus every other Friday off work in exchange for longer work days, Monday through Thursday. They came to a 90% vote in favor of every other Friday off and have been doing that for three years now. Another thing that Backcountry focused on was a robust employee assistance program (EAP), especially amid the influx of mental health distress and FMLA leaves being filed. “For the first time ever in summer of 2021, we were getting more mental health-related FMLA requests than those for physical health issues.”In addition to finding a robust EAP system, Backcountry also requires all of its managers to be trained to identify mental health distress in their employees. The company’s EAP also has counselor benefits for employees and their families, too.Backcountry has also taken a gamified approach to benefits, with a “gold points” system. Every manager and director gets a new allotment of gold points to hand out each month. These could be for a work achievement or personal achievement, and they use a bespoke platform where everybody can build their points and everyone can see the leaderboard. The points can be redeemed for ski passes, gift cards, marathons, and the like.Gross says that a big part of it is really understanding your target market and your workforce. In the case of Backcountry, the dogs-allowed policy stemmed from an understanding that a lot of their customers have dogs, and their employees (who share the same backgrounds as customers) also have dogs. “So part of it is understanding your workforce and trying to tailor it the best you can,” said Gross. One way to check the temperature for this is through engagement surveys and climate surveys. At Backcountry, this is done four times a year. During their earlier days, it used to happen every other week—to really try and zero in on culture and what people want, he says. Culture is really important, Gross highlights. From the benefits to the general sense of belonging, these are all unquantifiable things that employees value, sometimes more than a higher paycheck. In the case of “boomerang employees,” Gross shares how some people leave Backcountry for higher salaries, only to return to their old jobs because the culture was unmatched.Keren's love for words saw her transition from a corporate employee into a freelance writer during the pandemic. When she is not at her desk whipping up compelling narratives and sipping on endless cups of coffee, you can find her curled up with a book, playing with her dog, or pottering about in the garden.

Keren Dinkin | April 02, 2024
Essential Skills to Drive Change Without Derailing Engagement

Adaptability to change is an essential skill for every team, especially in today’s workplace. That’s why leaders need to understand the science behind change, enabling them to create more resilient and agile workers. In a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s March virtual conference, Kevin Knox, facilitator lead at LifeLabs Learning, discussed the neurological science behind change. From looking at the change curves, he offered a simple technique to minimize resistance and improve commitment and action amidst change.“I’ve led over 600 workshops with our various partners and clients around the globe. A common theme when I ask managers, senior leaders, or individual contributors what they’re biggest challenge is, is change,” said Knox.In the context of employment, change could be something as significant as a reduction in force, a reorganization, or maybe a merger and acquisition that will impact the way you work. It could also be something smaller, such as moving from one project to another, losing a team member, or hiring someone new. Change is one of the top skills that a great leader should be mindful of and capable of leading people through, says Knox.Whenever we are asked to do something we haven’t habitually done before, we have to give it more deliberate thought. When we’re used to doing something, we have fully formed neural pathways that allow us to do things easily. When we’re not used to something, it’s much harder since our brains have to create space in a deliberate way that wasn’ there before, says Knox. Whenever there is any sort of change that we’re up against at work, whether big or small, our brain has to do more mental work. However, what happens neurologically in the brain when we’re asked to change is emotionally experienced as loss. We don’t always acknowledge it in an explicit way with our teams, departments, and within our organizations, but change always comes with a sense of loss. Kevin Knox of LifeLabs Learning led the virtual thought leadership spotlight (company photo)“And so at LifeLabs, what we like to do in particular, is to help managers, leaders and senior leaders to understand how they might help their people, especially with the cognitive challenges that change invites,” Knox said.At LifeLabs, they use a heuristic for the various things the brain might be monitoring for, asking questions like, ‘what are people's certainty levels? Do they have appropriate levels of autonomy? Is their work meaningful? Do they know what the work they’re working on links up to?’ All these things are important things that we monitor, but when change happens, every single one of these areas is impacted at some level. However, junior folks or new people to the team tend to worry first about certainty and job security when it comes to change. More senior folks want to know what they don’t know, such as scenario planning. This includes things like the macroeconomic climate or product project deliverables.In terms of autonomy, the experience can change from person to person. Depending on the change, it could hit differently for the same individual depending on the context of the change.The brain, by default, is a predictive engine. It really wants to have a story, to know that story, and prescribe that story, says Knox. This is also known as bias. Some biases serve us, and some don’t. So if we celebrate a culture of change, we create a positive bias toward that, he says. “Don’t worry about the change, don’t worry about the loss, and just stay positive,” Knox said. Lastly, it’s very crucial to give space for people to grieve. Organizational grief is a real, tangible thing, Knox says. Whether it’s something negative, like layoffs, or something positive like an acquisition, there is something people need to process in that change, and that is loss. So, as we deal with grief, the best thing to do when people are grieving is to allow them space to do so. Give them space to cognitively offload in order to process the change fully.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, LifeLabs Learning, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Keren's love for words saw her transition from a corporate employee into a freelance writer during the pandemic. When she is not at her desk whipping up compelling narratives and sipping on endless cups of coffee, you can find her curled up with a book, playing with her dog, or pottering about in the garden.

Keren Dinkin | April 02, 2024
What Makes Family Care Effective: Defining, Measuring, and Improving It

Care needs have evolved beyond backup and medical care for a traditional nuclear family. Not adapting to the needs of modern-day families, like single-parent and multigenerational households costs $44 billion as caregivers miss work and eventually leave their jobs to care for themselves and their loved ones.At From Day One’s Silicon Valley conference, co-founder and CEO of Grayce, Julia Cohen Sebastien offered profound insight into family care and its effectiveness in today’s workforce. The findings show that family care services need a thorough reassessment and relaunch.Today’s households challenge employers to consider more than offering standard and traditional senior care, childcare, and medical services. Because non-inclusive and inadequate care services remain the top reason talent leaves the workplace, people leaders must restrategize care programs to accommodate workers with unique family care needs. In a thought leadership spotlight, Cohen Sebastien emphasized five key shifts needed in family care to support the well-being of workers today. Five Key Strategic ShiftsThink across and beyond life stages for all family members. People with disabilities or illnesses who are also caretakers don’t fit into age or stage categorizations. Focusing on child care and senior care leaves out individuals who aren’t in either group.Be inclusive of extended family. Extended family can include immediate and non-immediate relatives and chosen family such as godparents.Foster local and global connections. Many families care for loved ones in different states and countries. Employers can offer more virtual support programs that workers can use for distant loved ones. Think beyond backup and physical care. In many cultures, individuals do not seek people outside their families to care for their loved ones. Other services to consider instead are financial, legal, and other medical support.Review and address DEI. Different familial structures and cultural expectations impact workers’ likelihood of using specific care services provided by their employer. What Effective Family Care Looks LikeGrayce helps caregivers find support and assists employers in developing personalized care plans for a range of stages, like pregnancy, complex adult care, and grief and bereavement. “Normal looks pretty different than what we see in the movies from 50 plus years ago, and more changes are coming,” Cohen Sebastien said.For example, a study by the National Center for Family and Marriage Research has shown that marriage has declined by 60% since 1970. Other shifts Cohen Sebastien highlighted include a declining birth rate of 56 births per 1000 women in the United States.Julia Cohen Sebastien of Grayce led the thought leadership spotlight about effective family careTwo-parent households are decreasing, while childcare today still costs two incomes. More workers require care for multigenerational households and extended families in other states and countries. Effective family care encompasses all household structures and care needs, she says.“If you want your company to be a high-performing company, it’s not just a benefits program. It’s not just about leave,” Cohen Sebastien emphasized. “It’s really about how we help people to be successful at home and to be successful at work, recognizing the economic backdrop that we have now.”Defining Metrics for ROI ImprovementsToday’s leaders are creating adaptive strategies to support workers’ well-being. Traditional HR strategies to find and build talent evolved to navigating the employee experience, implementing DEI measures, providing well-being services, offering leave and flexibility.However, Cohen Sebastien suggests taking a deeper dive into creating and implementing programs and services that accurately reflect the unique needs of individual employees and are more likely to be used. As modern-day households continue to evolve, care benefits must provide for a more diverse population with nontraditional family structures.Companies can measure their success in worker well-being with a broader view of family care and by taking a more analytical approach. This approach requires reviewing who uses specific care programs to determine ROI and make substantial improvements in benefits and care programs offered to workers.“What are the data points we should look at in which employees are benefiting? And for those who did not come forward: why not? Ask the question, and you’ll find the unexpected,” Cohen Sebastien said. “That's where you find progress.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Grayce, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses.

Stephanie Reed | April 02, 2024
Widening the Lens: Age-Inclusive Practices in Automated Hiring Processes

AARP’s research reveals that two in three adults aged 50+ in the labor force believe older workers face age discrimination in the workplace today.And yet, due to changing demographics, workers aged 50+ will make up a growing share of the labor force in the coming decade, says Carly Roszkowski, VP of financial resilience at AARP. By 2034, people 60 and older will outnumber those younger than 18, says Roszkowski.“As employers struggle to fill open jobs and hire talent they need to prosper and grow, they often neglect and even exclude a time-tested asset: older workers,” she said during a From Day One conference in Silicon Valley. These employees have soft skills such as critical thinking, resilience, and flexibility that companies desire the most, says Roszkowski. “Our research shows that older workers employ a growth mindset,” she said. “There’s a misconception that they don’t want to learn new skills or be trained, and that they’re just waiting to retire. But our research shows 54% are taking or have taken job-related skills training in the past few years.”Ditching Stereotypes About Older WorkersRoszkowski urged conference attendees to examine their unconscious biases around age “and observe how myths are proven wrong in your teams and across your organization.”“Choose curiosity over judgment and pay attention to casual ageism,” she said. “Would you make similar remarks about other aspects of identity?” Strategies Roszkowski recommends include creating age-diverse teams and intergenerational employee resource groups. According to Roszkowski, companies must also address intergenerational conflict if it arises and make training and upskilling available to all workers, including mid- or late-career workers. How Automation Can Help Recruit ApplicantsAccording to Roszkowski, if used intentionally, automation allows companies to broaden the number of workers—including older ones—considered for open positions.“Employers may find success by weighting different job requirements based on their importance rather than using default applicant tracking system filters to screen out those applicants who don’t meet all the preferred qualifications,” she said.Carly Roszkowski of AARP led the thought leadership spotlight on age-inclusive practicesThe first step companies should take is crafting a job description that reflects their needs while not driving away older candidates, according to Roszkowski. “Instead of relying on degree requirements, you might want to use skills or knowledge sets a worker needs for a role,” she said. “Instead of placing an upper limit on range of experience, like a maximum of 10 years, advertise the salary band to find the right candidates.”AARP’s analysis shows an inverse relationship between age-based language in job postings and the employment of older workers in an organization, according to Roszkowski.“Companies that have the lowest prevalence of age-based language in their postings have 51% greater representation of older workers in their workforce, whereas firms with relatively young workforces tend to have more age bias language in their job descriptions,” she said.Therefore, employers should avoid using phrases such as “recent college grad” and “fresh ideas” in job descriptions, according to Roszkowski. She suggested using “entry level” and “creative thinker” instead.Employers should also consider that good candidates might have work history gaps due to family responsibilities, such as caring for a loved one.Look for Untapped Talent PathwaysUntapped talent pathways can help employers fill critical roles and improve their age diversity, says Roszkowski. “Drawing applicants from occupations with a high share of older workers enables firms to capitalize on ongoing demographic trends,” she said. For example, if a company has an open position, Roszkowski recommends promoting someone already working there as an office clerk or administrative assistant. She said many older workers are in those roles and could learn any additional skills they need through training. “It’s a way to retain talent, keep them learning new skills, and have them satisfied and challenged in their job,” she said. Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner AARP who sponsored this thought leadership spotlight. Mary Pieper is a freelance writer based in Mason City, Iowa.

Mary Pieper | April 01, 2024
Increasing Employee Engagement Through Support for Neurodiversity and Workers With Disabilities

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion plans often miss disability and neurodivergence,” according to Melissa Danielsen, co-founder and CEO at Joshin, a platform designed to support workers who identify in these groups as well as their caregivers. “Only 4% of most DEI plans include this community,” she said, yet roughly 15–20% of the global population is neurodivergent in some way, and about 16% live with a disability. Being neurodivergent or having a disability describes only part of someone’s identity, and people can be described in terms of many intersecting characteristics, like gender, race, parenthood, and socioeconomic status.Danielsen was joined by one of Joshin’s clients, Navy Federal Credit Union, for a From Day One webinar where the group discussed how employers can transform their organizations into a safe and inclusive environment for people who are neurodivergent or who have disabilities.Getting Up to Speed With InclusionIn making an inclusive and equitable environment, Navy Federal wasted no time.“We quickly forged a partnership with [Joshin’s] team. This helped us in working behind the scenes to make sure we had a successful onboarding process for this new program. We worked fast and furiously to get it implemented,” said Shari Siegel, employee benefits supervisor at Navy Federal Credit Union. Fast indeed. The Navy Federal program, powered by Joshin, was up and running in about four months. A record, according to Danielsen.When working with a new client, Joshin starts by getting a baseline of what’s already available, then makes plans to enhance it and build on top of current investment. Then, the goal is company-wide orchestration. The outcomes are better when everyone gets on board, said Danielsen. “It really takes all departments working together. This creates thoughtful engagement, communication plans, and collaboration. The best partnerships are where doors are opening and we’re having conversations with employee resource groups, with employee relations, talent acquisition, and product marketing, so we can really be a partner inside the company and create a cross-functional impact.”Moderator Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza spoke with leaders from Joshin and Navy Federal on the topic of workplace inclusion (photo by From Day One)Navy Federal’s employee resource groups (ERGs) have been one of the most valuable parts of its neurodiversity and disability inclusion program, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Within the first 48 hours of launching the ERG, Navy Federal had 400 members. By its first meeting that fall, there were 700. “Now we’re tipping around 1,000,” said Athena Villarreal, Navy Federal’s manager of diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as its employee resource groups.“We launched our employee resource group in May of last year in conjunction with mental health awareness month, knowing that it serves employees with a diverse array of abilities, caretakers, and allies, creating a space for folks to come together and know that they’re not alone,” said Villarreal. This was the first step, she said, to pairing awareness with belonging. “It’s helping to break the stigma around these experiences in the workplace, just knowing that there is a group of folks within the organization who are a community in and of itself.”Twenty percent of Navy Federal employees found Joshin’s support programs through Navy Federal’s resource groups, and 30% found them through internal benefits communications, according to Danielsen. “Something we value with Navy Federal is the willingness to open doors to other people across the organization that we can partner with, because ultimately, that’s just going to enhance and build engagement, utilization, insights, and ROI across the organization.”Advancing Beyond AccommodationsSome employers getting up to speed with neurodivergence and disability inclusion may first think to look at their accommodations policy, but successful inclusion must be more extensive than compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) alone.Danielsen recommended taking stock of the entire employee experience, focusing especially on what managers know. “Are your managers trained on what your accommodations processes? How can you proactively provide manager support so that when conversations do come up, there’s comfort and competency to reduce risk and liability?”And what about the hiring process? “Is your recruiting team ready for those conversations where somebody self-discloses and asks for an accommodation or an adjustment?”Navy Federal has already seen positive effects from the program. Siegel described one employee who needed help with their family dynamics. “The goal was to get assistance in managing the behaviors of their child at home who was non-responsive to redirection and challenged authority both at home in school,” she said. “The member’s education support coach shared an evidence-based parenting framework that focused on how to achieve self-control. They help them integrate these principles, fostering positive thinking and perception.”When all departments coordinate to make the workplace better, the whole is greater than the sum, said Danielsen. “One member has said it best, which is that they don’t see it as a benefit, they see it as another community to be a part of.”For Navy Federal, not only is the inclusion problem a means of making the workplace welcoming and more equitable, it’s also a reinforcement of company culture. “Our motto is do, learn, and grow,” said Siegel. “This gives our team grace and space to try new things and learn from their mistakes.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Joshin, for sponsoring this webinar. Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about work, the job market, and women’s experiences in the workplace. Her work has appeared in the BBC, the Economist, the Washington Post, Quartz, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | April 01, 2024
How to Eliminate the Forces That Make It Harder or Downright Impossible to Get Things Done

Major corporations like Google, Facebook, and Salesforce have made headlines for their exceptional commitment to rapid growth. But as Robert I. Sutton, PhD, author and professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University points out: “They all got real big, and now it’s real hard to get things done in all three of them.” Scaling is not always the answer, a point Sutton elaborated on in a fireside chat at From Day One’s Silicon Valley conference.Drawing from seven years of hands-on research, Sutton, who is also the bestselling co-author of the new book The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder, teaches leaders how to become “friction fixers” in their organizations. Among the keys: civility, caring, and love for propelling designs and repairs.Good Friction vs. Bad FrictionAt executive education classes at Stanford, Sutton asks students what is driving them crazy about their companies. Some of their usual expressions of frustration aren’t fit to print. All responses indicated “bad friction,” or small unnecessary roadblocks that make it impossible to do your job.But Sutton says there is “good friction” as well. As an example, he describes two different Stanford students who developed innovative healthcare products. One is the notorious Elizabeth Holmes, whose scam blood testing product was quite fortunately blocked by the FDA, though she managed to work around the system through personal outreach. The other is Greta Meyer and Amanda Calabrese, who went through the proper tests to get their Sequel brand of tampons FDA-approved.Having proper systems in place provides good friction that can slow down ideas that are ill-conceived or out of control. “The analogy we use is a race car. You don’t go pedal to the metal the whole time. You slow down on the curves. You come in for a pitstop,” Sutton said. “There’s a lot of evidence that the best leaders know when to stop and when to go.”This doesn’t just apply to science-based organizations. “Creativity is a fundamentally inefficient process. It's about failure. It's about conflict. It's about dead ends. It's about frustration. And that's if you're doing it right,” Sutton said. Guidelines and systems in creative organizations can establish a pathway for success. At Pixar Studios, Sutton says executives have told him, “We do it over and over and over again until it is good enough for us.” Having a more measured process is key. “The Marvel Comic Universe seems to be a great example of going too fast,” moderator Steve Koepp, chief content officer at From Day One added. “The last few pictures have not been so great.”Power PoisoningIt’s often the leadership team that can cause the bad friction at organizations. “There's a lot of evidence that power does bad things to our minds as human beings,” Sutton said, referring to this as “power poisoning.” Powerful people have “an absence of inconvenience” because “they don’t have to do the things that the little people do.” That includes not being familiar with the products or services that can make or break an organization.“When people get in positions of power, they focus more on their own needs, they focus less on the needs of others, and they act like the rules don't apply to them,” Sutton said. Preventing the growth of oblivious leadership can help a company stay welcoming, nimble, and effective.Sutton signed copies of his latest book, The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder, for conference attendees Those in positions of power can also become overly tempted to scale. Sutton points out that leaders tend to add more people to their team when they are behind in work. But when you add more people to a late project, it just gets later. “You have to onboard them, and then you have more people to coordinate,” Sutton said.Sutton says there are few obvious moments when an organization should slow down. One is when a decision being made is irreversible, like selling the company. The other is when things are going well. If you have already found an efficient way to do something, rushing to do it faster might make it less effective.Friction should also be applied to business relationships. Some of the most effective partnerships are “deep, caring, efficient” teams developed over time. “The evidence is that the best teams, whether they’re starting companies, developing products, or putting on Broadway plays, work together a lot and develop prior joint experience,” Sutton said. “That’s why so many great Silicon Valley companies were founded by people who worked together when they were students.” By slowing down, creating structure, and developing more meaningful relationships over time, organizations can foster creativity and encourage efficiency.Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Honeysuckle Magazine, and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, and CBS New York.

Katie Chambers | April 01, 2024
New Voices: Bringing a More Inclusive Approach to Diversity

Verjeigh Violet, director and head of equality & belonging and community belonging at Gap Inc., believes that sometimes the simplest acts of inclusivity can be the most effective. When working at a tech company, Violet’s team hosted a series of family-friendly networking events that incorporated and accounted for a variety of lifestyles, she shared in a panel discussion at From Day One’s Seattle conference.“We made sure there was accessibility top of mind, that there were nonalcoholic beverages, that the children had engineering-related activities to do so it was on brand for us. It really created a warm and inviting environment for those that we were bringing forward,” she said.Establishing Psychological Safety“A more inclusive approach to diversity is about feeling a sense of belonging, feeling a sense that you're being heard, and feeling a sense of shared values,” said moderator Jake Whittenberg, anchor at KING 5 News. That sense of belonging can be cultivated when employees feel fully free and safe to express their true selves and their beliefs.“People are willing to share their voice when they think something good will happen, when they think someone's listening [and that] they can have a positive impact. And that is distinctly different from when people stay silent. When you stay silent, you're often trying to avoid something bad from happening,” said Emily Pelosi, head of employee listening, at Intuit. Pelosi emphasizes the importance of recognizing that distinction, making sure employees feel safe to speak up without fear of repercussion, and following through on their feedback to show their words can inspire positive change.One way to do this is through electronic surveys. “An anonymous listening setting reduces the risk. So that reduces silence,” Pelosi said. Then you need to follow up. “It's so important to tell employees, ‘Thank you for participating, here’s what we heard, and here’s what we’re doing about it.’”Intentionality in InclusionBuilding a welcoming, inclusive workplace, Violet says, takes intentional effort and structure. One form of structured “safe spaces” is affinity groups for employees with shared cultural experiences. “They have those safe spaces to go to when they need respite from things that may be overwhelming,” Violet said.The full panel of leaders from left to right included Verjeigh Violet of Gap, Katie Mooney of Seramount, Sayar Lonial of NYU Tandon, Emily Pelosi of Intuit, and moderator Jake Whittenberg of KING 5 NewsBut employees also shouldn’t be relegated to their own siloes, either. It’s crucial, Violet notes, to “teach everyone to appreciate a diversity of perspectives.” Rather than simply seeing a person you disagree with as a jerk, she says, “maybe they just have a difference of perspective. And the way that they are operating and engaging in the world is only taking into consideration their perspective and how they would want to experience others.” Targeted training can help others be curious about and engaged with other cultures and communities.Sayar Lonial, associate dean, communications and public affairs at New York University Tandon School of Engineering, shares that his team learned the hard way that inclusion is more than just ensuring a seat at the table. Even after the engineering school worked to have nearly 50% women in its student body, the women kept transferring out. “Because we didn’t give women who were coming into engineering the ability to succeed or the tools to succeed, we were basically saying, ‘Come to this boys’ club! We’re letting you in, and you guys will be fine.’”Rather than just “checking a box” and being self-congratulatory about having more women, “it's about actually creating a space on campus where women can and will succeed,” he said. NYU Tandon used teacher evaluations to crack down on chauvinistic faculty members and established affinity groups, including one for male allies.They explained to the students, “Part of your success in the future workplace is understanding that you need [to be able to] to work alongside people that don’t look just like you.” This strategy also cleverly puts the impetus back onto the community to make itself inclusive, while building the groundwork for its success. This marriage of allyship and accountability, Violet concurs, “is where you get true change.”Communicating Your ValuesOrganization leaders should know their company values, Violet says, and should be “saying them loudly and proudly, making sure that they’re integrated into the way that you do business – in the way that you deal with your employees, in the way that you manage your customers, as well as the way that you deliver your products or services.”Employees who are giving their time to a company want to make sure their values are respected and upheld. But that doesn’t mean everyone has to agree. “To be inclusive means to be open to others, and [standing] on values of uplifting humanity and sustainability,” she said. “Making sure your employees understand those core values and embody them can really help folks feel a stronger sense of belonging.”Building psychological safety rooted in company values also means opening a space for conversations about tough current events or cultural topics which may be impacting employees’ mental health and ability to engage with their work. Katie Mooney, managing director at Seramount suggests first examining whether a broad statement needs to be made, or if internal communications solely to the impacted individuals will be effective enough. From there, “every organization is going to have come back to their mission, their values, and the way their leadership has approached these topics,” Mooney said. And checking in with stakeholders like the corporate communications and legal departments is key.The Little Things MatterStructured bias training is fine, Mooney says, if it is consistently examined, updated, and reinforced. But ultimately, it’s the tiniest daily moments that can have the biggest impact. “Sometimes [belonging] means being seen as a professional, sometimes it means being seen as a person,” Pelosi said. Building inclusion can be as simple as asking a colleague to lunch or inviting them into a meeting to share their expertise.Which brings us back to the original example of the family-friendly networking gathering. “The key word there was consideration,” Violet said. “We were considering what our folks might feel most comfortable with. And we took some forethought in that and planned for it.”Incorporating inclusion into the smallest of workplace interactions can help build out a larger organizational shift. “What I really love,” Pelosi said, “is thinking about the little things that we can do every day that set us on a path toward a more positive place.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Honeysuckle Magazine, and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, and CBS New York.

Katie Chambers | April 01, 2024
How Companies Can Make Mental Health Support a Priority

When motorcycle company Harley Davidson wanted to add mental health services to their employee benefits, Gyre Renwick, chief operating officer at mental health company, Modern Health, knew his approach needed to be different. Known to be a brand of daredevils and rebels, Renwick decided to stray away from using words like therapist and mental health when approaching Harley Davidson’s employees.“We had an intention to not talk about seeing a therapist or a mental health provider because it was going to alienate a population,” Renwick said. “What we did instead was focus on the experience of every person who has fallen off the bike for the first time and what it is like to get back on the motorcycle at that next point.”Choosing to focus on that specific experience struck a chord with the employees, Renwick says. “All we were talking about is what it is like to get back on your bike again [after a fall] but it led to a discussion of PTSD, anxiety, and a lot of traumas,” Renwick said. “For so many folks, that was their first ever interaction with a mental health provider.”One in five adults in the U.S. were affected by mental illness in 2021, representing nearly 57.8 million people. However, stigma against mental illness and lack of access can be key reasons why people refrain from seeking the help they need.In From Day One’s live Silicon Valley event, Renwick and other leaders join Rachael Myrow, senior editor at Silicon Valley News Desk, KQED, in a discussion on how companies can uphold their commitment to their employee’s mental health.Care at the Company’s CenterWhen Elon Musk took over Twitter, now formerly known as X, he wanted employees to commit to his new leadership by being “extremely hardcore” and working “long hours at high intensity.”Musk’s mentality drew criticism from other leaders as it diminishes the need for a healthy work-life balance. Supriya Bahri, vice president of global total rewards at online gaming company Roblox, emphasizes the need to lead a company with care.The group of leaders discussed the topic "Does Your Company Genuinely Care About Well-Being? How to Show It"“I completely disagree with the strategy that Elon Musk is taking. It is super important for people to be happy, safe, confident because that is when they are going to be creative and give their best,” Bahri said. “At Roblox, one of our core values is leading the care and respect that is instituted in everything we do. We need to remember that life is a marathon, not a sprint.”Increasing Accessibility and AffordabilityWith the pandemic came the drastic boom of Telehealth, with use cases rising from 15.4% in 2019 to 86.5% in 2021. Telehealth’s rise gave employees more flexibility to seek care where they wanted and how they wanted, signaling a change to the traditional healthcare system.For Heather Ostrowski, global director of benefits at technology company Keysight Technologies, companies need to provide employees with mental health services that are accessible to the different generations of employees.“Different generations want to access mental health differently. Some may want the apps, in-person, or video calls,” Ostrowski said. “When you dig into the different generations, you can see that there are different solutions and problems to solve for each of them and it’s about identifying the needs of the different generations at that time and how you can best support them.”Healthcare is also no stranger to AI, with many healthcare providers embracing its capabilities from data aggregation to providing health screenings. Global artificial intelligence in the healthcare market was valued at USD 16.3 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 173.55 billion by 2029.Kristin Wood, PhD, head of strategic initiatives at health insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of California, is excited by the new age of AI technology in healthcare.“So, when it comes to AI or digital services, there’s a lot of opportunity available to folks to get better access to care,” Wood said. “I'm intrigued by what AI will do from a mental health perspective so that more folks have the opportunity to access that care affordably.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.

Wanly Chen | April 01, 2024
Harnessing the Power of AI During Times of Change

As if the workplace hasn’t changed enough over recent years, it’s about to go at warp speed. The power of AI is touching industries, whether employees are ready or not. The thing is, many of them are scared. In a thought leadership spotlight, Bradley Wilson, principal consultant at Perceptyx, spoke to this at the From Day One’s conference in Seattle.“Loss aversion is a real thing,” he said. It seems a day doesn’t go by that a new headline reporting AI taking jobs pops up. So, what’s the future of the workplace where AI is concerned? Wilson says that two people with the same experience can have completely different outlooks. One will have fear, the other will see possibility. The trick is to help harness the power of AI in such a way that it creates opportunities for all.As a teenager, Bradley Wilson convinced his parents to let him hike the entire Appalachian Trail—a span of over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine. At the time, the trail had an over 90 percent failure rate. The question was, who would stay and who would go home? What was that determining factor for success? Wilson averaged 26 miles a day and was only 50 miles to the end when he was talking with others who were so close to finishing. They compared notes and determined they all had the grit and determination required to do the hard thing. But they wondered: “Were these character traits that we had at the beginning that weeded everybody else out and we were left? Or were these things that developed over time?”Now at Perceptyx, helping organizations foster success-minded employees is what Wilson does for a living. With the help of AI, the company combines employee surveys and people analytics to drive organizations forward with happy employees. The biggest driver of employee engagement? The anticipation of success, Wilson says. Bradley Wilson, Principal Consultant at Perceptyx led the thought leadership spotlight titled, " Creating a More Engaging Workplace: Harnessing the Power of AI During Times of Change"The thing leadership needs to understand is that the definition of “success” can vary from person to person. Typically it includes achievement, affiliation, affluence, and autonomy. If anything coming down the pipeline threatens any of those, especially if they are important to the employee, fear sets in. Building the anticipation of success is key.“Unfortunately, a lot of leadership teams stop at achievement and affluence. They don’t understand the power of belonging, which is the affiliation component. And they don't understand the importance of autonomy.”At various organizations Perceptyx has worked with, the survey results were telling with regard to gender experience. At the individual contributor level, women reported higher scores on the DEI category. At the supervisor level, the scores for men and women were similar. But then at the senior manager and director level things change. Men continue to have higher positive association or correlation with job level. But for women, it drops and it never catches back up.“One of the executives asked, ‘is that evidence that men and women at these levels are being treated differently? Or could it be evidence that we’re treating them the same but the needs and expectations are different?’” Wilson investigated this question on a personal level when a CEO at another company had a female direct report who gave negative survey feedback. The CEO brought it up at their next one-on-one, making light of the situation and thinking things were fine.But the woman stopped and told him she had been job searching because she didn’t think he valued her opinion. She felt like an outsider and completely disconnected—totally the opposite from what the CEO had thought. “In that case,” Wilson said, “that would have been a difference in experience. That's tied to real behavior that now we can measure. It's not just employee perception, but it's actual behavior. Once we can manage that, then we can begin to measure it and bring out that meaningful change within the organization.” That is what AI can do, he added.  What used to be lists of to-dos can now be personally tailored into actionable steps for real change, thanks to AI. “When you think about AI making work more human, it sounds counterintuitive, but the possibilities are incredible.”Looking at the future of the workplace, people want stability or certainty in any way they can get it. Yet, change is constant and the future is unknown. Much like the possibility of hiking the Appalachian Trail, there are unknowns, but there are plenty of knowns. Two people in the same situation can have completely different outlooks, but with the help of AI, organizations can harness survey feedback and analytics to help employees anticipate success rather than failure. “You all are uniquely positioned within your organization to help shape and guide the culture and experience that employees have,” Wilson said, “so they’re able to face an uncertain future with a sense of stability and predictability and that sense that they have so much control over their destiny.” Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Perceptyx, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter. 

Carrie Snider | March 29, 2024
Where to Start: Making the Workplace Inclusive of Neurodiversity

It’s estimated that 15–20% of the global population is neurodivergent in some way, and growing awareness of diagnoses has people curious. They want to learn more about the term, what it means, and how they can support people who identify that way.Neurodivergence describes so many different experiences, but generally, people who are neurodivergent process information differently than most individuals. This includes people on the autism spectrum, people with learning disabilities, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette’s syndrome.Millette Granville is the VP of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at digital learning platform 2U. She’s seen the appetite in her company and has been pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm. “We have over 200 employees that are actively engaged in our abilities resource network. They were really, truly ready to get started building the community. I was not as prepared for the thirst for knowledge from our people, from leaders, as well as our employees about what exactly we need to do to make sure we are supporting our employees.During From Day One’s February virtual conference on getting to the next stage of diversity and belonging, Granville and her industry colleagues gathered for a panel discussion on neurodiversity in the workplace and how they’re changing their organizations to be more inclusive of neurodiverse needs.Neurodivergence can describe so many different diagnoses, experiences, and needs. It can also be invisible. “Neurodiversity is hidden in plain sight all around us,” said Hal Lanier, client engagement leader at accessible tech company TextHelp. So how does a workplace become inclusive if the needs can be hard to identify?An Inclusive Interview ProcessSome leaders begin with the hiring process. Monica Parodi, VP of talent acquisition at The New York Times, said she’s starting at the beginning, using tools to comb their job descriptions for noninclusive language. They’re also adding details about the hiring process to the company’s career pages so candidates can prepare in advance and avoid uncomfortable surprises.The panelists discussed the topic "How Companies Are Embracing Neurodiversity in Innovative Ways" at From Day One's virtual conferenceOnce candidates get to the interview stage, they’ll see other changes. “We know that the first 30 seconds [of an interview] are really uncomfortable for a lot of people who are neurodivergent. So we take that space and say, ‘we’re going to ask very structured questions to everyone, and we’re going to limit small talk,’” Parodi said. “We’re also making sure panelists understand neurodivergent behaviors and don’t penalize candidates if they don’t make eye contact, if they’re writing questions down, if they’re pausing, or if they’re asking you to repeat questions.”Building a reputation as an employer that is supportive of neurodivergent employees doesn’t happen by accident, she said. “There’s not one single place that you focus on; it’s weaved into every single part of your process in business and brand.”Designing Learning Opportunities with Neurodivergence in MindLearning and skill development programs often designed for the neurotypical employee are also getting a revision. Joshua Crafford is the VP of leadership learning and development at financial institution Synchrony. He said that his experience as a person with learning disabilities shapes his work. Crafford uses his personal point of view to design better learning experiences, often asking himself, “how would I have to learn the material?”For instance, Crafford talks to his audience to understand their learning styles, he teaches concepts, not just rote memorization. “It’s designed to be simplified. It’s built for all learners, divergent and neurotypical. We make sure that people can interact with the information through discussions and gain others’ perspectives.”At aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman, VP of talent management Jackie Reisner considers use cases when creating and evaluating skill development and training programs. Who’s going to be using it? Can you involve them in the design? Can you ask them what does and doesn’t work about the programs?Perhaps most importantly, does everyone have to complete the training in exactly the same way? Because neurodivergence represents non-traditional ways of processing information, it represents many different learning styles.“This is something that we have to be more open-minded about: there’s got to be more than one way to get to the goal,” said Reisner. When and how the training is delivered should be flexible and adaptable by the learner. The goal is that everyone learns, not that everyone completes the training in the same way.“I know from a compliance perspective, that feels challenging, because you want to just check ‘yes, everyone in my company took ethics training,’ Reisner said. “But if you can get more models, more ways people can get to that end state, then you’re going to see so much more success.”Don’t Assume, AskThe challenge for many who are neurodivergent is that they will prefer not to disclose their diagnosis at work–and others may not know they’re not neurotypical. That’s why many leaders are making these changes and accommodations available to all employees–not just those who openly identify as neurodivergent. No one should be forced to disclose neurodivergence if they don’t want to. “An individual should not be required to disclose to get assistive technology,” said Lanier of TextHelp. “There are a lot of organizations that make our product available for everyone.”The best practice is to simply ask employees what they need, panelists said, and be open to creativity. “Companies come up with all these accommodations, and it looks like a list to choose from. That can be great, but you have to remember to ask people what they need as well,” said Reisner. “At the end of the day, we have to ask, ‘how can we make your life easier? What are you seeing as challenges in the workplace, and what would be the ideal state to make this workplace a great place for you to work regardless of that neurodiversity status?’”At 2U, Granville leans on the neurodiversity resource networks for ideas and policy review, also considering parents and caregivers who are responsible for neurodivergent family members. “We rely on good communication and connection,” she said. “If leaders have questions, they can lean into our resource groups, myself, or our DEI team and also HR to make sure that we’re guiding people in the right direction, and doing what's best for them, not what we think they need.”To Lanier, it’s a matter of psychological safety, and high-performing teams feel free to be themselves. “Is it safe to take risks and be vulnerable and be fully known?” he said. A workplace that is psychologically safe is welcoming to all, neurodivergent or not.Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about work, the job market, and women’s experiences in the workplace. Her work has appeared in the BBC, the Economist, the Washington Post, Quartz, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | March 29, 2024
How Managing Talent and Inclusion Go Hand-in-Hand

Mark Brown, senior vice president of talent and inclusion at Starbucks, knows what it’s like not to be seen in the workplace. “So many times throughout my career, the work I did got attributed to someone else, and someone else got recognized for it,” he said during a fireside chat with From Day One co-founder Steve Koepp at the organization’s conference in Seattle.Being overlooked is a reality that people from marginalized groups often experience and it prevents them from advancing within a company, says Brown. That’s why Starbucks helps those in charge of promoting people realize that “leadership comes in many forms,” he said.For example, when senior leaders get together to decide who could be moved into a VP role and what attributes they should have, someone might mention gravitas, according to Brown.“What does gravitas mean?” he said. “We have to interrupt some of those conversations.”Mark Brown, Senior Vice President, Talent and Inclusion at Starbucks spoke during From Day One's Seattle eventOnce team leaders get a new perspective on what terms like this mean, they might think of an employee that fits the definition but who they might not have considered before, according to Brown.“We're focused on inclusion and belonging,” he said. “Diversity just gives a sense of, hey, who's not in the room? Who's not at the table? Are we doing things when we're recruiting or promoting people, that we're not including populations? Talent is equally distributed and populations’ opportunities aren’t. And so, we want to make sure that we're casting our net wide.”But inclusive leadership goes beyond DEI, says Brown. “Inclusive leadership is just leadership,” he said. “If you have three people on your team, they’re all going to be at different development stages. And your role as a leader is to figure out where they are in those development stages, and then take them through a journey, which means you have to pivot to understand where they are to bring them through.”The first step to inclusive leadership is getting to know your employees. Part of that is finding out what they like to do when they aren’t working, such as fishing, camping or gardening. However, “it’s really just having a conversation about, ‘How do we work together? How do I amplify your successes? How do I coach you?’” he said.This is critical because “people have cultural experiences, they grew up in certain families, and they’re taught certain things,” Brown said.For example, Brown said some leaders in the past advised him to “go out there and tell everybody what you did, and I just knew I wasn’t going to do it because it wasn’t core to who I am.”Instead, an inclusive leader will take the time to understand how a particular employee operates and engage them accordingly.Some companies overlook the value of employee networks. He says having groups where the members have some shared experiences creates not only a sense of allyship, but also a way for leaders to better understand their team members and customers.“We want to understand how all the identity groups we serve in our markets are feeling, what they’re seeing, and asking, ‘are there things in our systems and our processes that are getting in the way?’” Brown said.“We want to represent the communities that we serve, and we want to innovate for all our different audiences. And if we don’t have more voices in the conversation and more backgrounds in the conversation, we can’t continue to create a sense of belonging and warmth in our stores, which is core to what we do.”They don’t always get it right the first time, so the company engages its employee networks, or their partner networks, on business problems, says Brown.He said Starbucks’ partner networks give the company additional feedback loops and mechanisms, which are more important than ever. “Our partner networks get an opportunity within our heritage months to celebrate culture, to really say, ‘Hey, this is who I am and this is how I bring my authentic self to work,” Brown said.Mary Pieper is a freelance writer based in Mason City, Iowa.

Mary Pieper | March 29, 2024
How to Create and Sustain a Growth Mindset to Nurture Talent

When Dr. Mary Murphy was working on her PhD at Stanford, she was mentored by Carol S. Dweck, best-selling author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, a book that covers the potential of individuals. Now a social psychologist, Murphy has taken the mindset concept a step further and for over a decade has studied how the “fixed” or "growth” mindset affects not only individuals, but groups of people. Murphy discussed research from her book, Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations, and how it can help teams during a fireside chat at From Day One’s March Virtual Conference.Those with a fixed mindset, Murphy says, believe in being born with skills that can’t grow any further. While those with a growth mindset believe they can learn and grow into new abilities. When talking about teams, organizations, families—there is a similar mindset culture.In a fixed mindset culture, or a “culture of genius” as Murphy called it, the focus is on the star performers. The opposite is a “culture of growth” where there is a focus on continuous learning so anyone can grow and contribute. And it’s that culture of growth that organizations need.Idea SparkIn 2005 during her PhD program, Murphy clearly recalled when this group application of mindset sparked. She was at a grad student seminar supporting a friend, where a professor voiced his opinion about what the fatal flaw of this student’s work was. Another professor chimed in and disagreed, saying the fatal flaw was something else. In essence, it was a battle of which professor was right.“I saw what it was doing to my friend,” she said. “All of a sudden, he lost focus. He wasn’t able to answer questions.” Unfortunately, the experience was so painful that months later he hadn’t continued his work.Two weeks later, in a different seminar, she witnessed something else. Rather than critiquing the students about what was wrong, the professors offered ideas on how to grow the project. The effect was clear. “The students were able to respond totally differently,” Murphy said. “They were able to actually engage in the brainstorming, answer the questions, and they left motivated to dig in.”Reflecting on those two experiences or environments, she realized how much a group can impact an outcome. The harsh approach was not motivating at all. On the other hand, the mentality of growth and how we can all contribute really turned things around for the better.Dr. Mary Murphy discussed her new book Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations in a fireside chat moderated by From Day One co-founder Steve Koepp (photo by From Day One)Murphy presented the idea to her new mentor, asking what if mindset is more than just internal? What if it’s baked into culture and influences the cultivation of talent? She blinked a few times and said, “No one's ever thought of mindset this way. But we should do it together. And that began 15 years of work on reconceptualizing the mindset, as not just in our head, but also as this cultural feature.”Time to StudyNow with 75 studies in her back pocket, Murphy has seen firsthand just how deep mindset goes. Murphy and Dweck looked at the mindset of teachers and faculty members in K-12 and college and how they practice that in the classroom.“We look at how that impacts student experience. We’ve created apps that actually measure student experience in the moment looking at their sense of belonging, whether they think their teacher has a growth mindset, belief for them or not, their sense of self efficacy, their trust of the teacher.”What they found was that even if a student has a growth mindset, when set into a fixed mindset culture, they won’t have the opportunity to benefit from their growth mindset. The group trumps and stilts their progress.  In the National Study of Learning Mindsets, a randomized control trial of more than 12,000 students around the country underwent a growth mindset program to see how it would impact their grades and if they’d be willing to take challenging courses. As expected, it had a positive effect. Their GPA was higher and more of them enrolled in the challenging courses than the control group. They also looked at where the program didn’t work.“The answer was two places,” Murphy said. “It was with teachers that had more fixed mindset beliefs or engaged in fixed mindset practices, then giving students that personal growth mindset. The effect was zero. It had no impact. It wasn't even a small impact – it had no impact.”The other place it didn’t work was when peers didn’t engage in challenge seeking, then students were less likely to want to work hard. But when there were teachers and peers who relished a challenge and supported each other, the growth mindset helped students flourish.Organizational CultureWorking with companies of all shapes and sizes, Murphy saw similar results. The mindset of a team at large has a huge impact on creativity, collaboration, and innovation. In one study in particular, they looked at the difference between a psychologically safe environment and a growth minded environment. They found that psychological safety is the baseline for any other growth to take place.“Psychological safety just means that you're willing to speak up when something’s gone wrong. But growth mindset culture really is being vigilant about how to improve what you’re doing, your interactions with others, the outcomes and the strategies that you’re trying. You’re proactively looking for improvement opportunities.”In fixed mindset cultures, they search for the narrow genius prototype to come up with all the answers. When in reality, a growth culture would open up the spectrum of recruiting, looking more at positive values. As Murphy says, a growth culture helps organizations naturally look for more diversity. “What’s most important is the extent to which people are willing to develop, grow and learn.”Changing Company CultureIn her book, Murphy goes over four common mindset triggers which can help individuals understand where people are on the fixed to growth spectrum. In turn, those who work with those individuals can help them shift. For example, one trigger is praise. If someone else gets praise, how does the person react? Are they happy for them, or are they jealous, thinking they are less than? One way to help foster a growth mindset is how praise is given. Rather than a “good job!” which doesn’t offer helpful feedback, Murphy suggested managers repeat what the person has done so well, so they can replicate that and others can encourage.When Satya Nadella first came to Microsoft as CEO, he described Microsoft as everyone thinking about their own silo. He read Dweck’s book and wanted to help Microsoft become the first growth minded culture and company. Kathleen Hogan, head of talent, asked how things needed to change so they could recruit and onboard people that would help shift the company’s culture. She implemented changes, but success didn’t come right away. Some bragged they had the biggest growth mindset in the room. “She had to really talk to people about what a growth mindset actually looks like. And to bake that in to some of the incentive systems and also some of the mentoring and sponsoring and support systems so that people could take on challenges could make mistakes, and actually get points for the learning and the growth from those mistakes and the communicating of those mistakes across the company, so that the whole company can learn at the same time more rapidly.” That’s when things picked up. Slowly but surely, the culture was changing. It became okay to make mistakes, but putting out ideas and taking risks and being open to failure became the norm. And that’s how they got cloud computing. Was the culture change worth it? No doubt about it.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

Carrie Snider | March 28, 2024
Showing Care for Employees in a Growing Business

Understanding what motivates employees is crucial for businesses looking to ensure their employees remain engaged and productive amid growth. At From Day One’s Seattle event in a fireside chat, Andy Schneider, senior vice president of people at Alaska Airlines, shared how they keep their employees engaged and motivated, even in times of change.One of the challenges that employers may face amid difficult times is losing their employees’ trust. For Alaska Airlines, employees didn’t feel like there was a lot of trust in them because the company was turning to outsourced talent to keep the lights on, Schneider says.Building Mutual TrustIt was a turning point for the business, which made it important for them to get the message across that they trusted their employees’ decision-making and that the company had their back. And so, they launched an empowerment framework that centered on decision-making and safety, such that employees were trusted to use their discretion in any given situation as long as they decided in favor of the guests.“We let them know that if they follow this decision-making framework, and they do something for the guests, whatever they need to do, we will have their back, [and] that they have the full right of decision,” said Schneider.Schneider says this empowerment framework acknowledges the fact that the employee has a better grasp of the situation than anyone else. And also that this kind of agility and autonomy works to improve customer experience as well.Showing Appreciation and CareThe airline industry was perhaps one of the most badly hit by the pandemic. Not only did many industry workers lose their jobs, but those left behind had to stay on the frontlines to facilitate critical travel.In the post-pandemic era, the resurgence of travelers left airline workers overworked. To support their workers, the airline instituted a care retreat for employees, which they started after the pandemic, says Schneider.Joey Thompson, reporter for the Puget Sound Business Journal, interviewed Schneider in the fireside chat “The whole goal behind the care retreat was to really let employees know that it was important for them to take care of themselves, and to take care of each other before you could even get around to taking care of guests,” shares Schneider. For Alaska Airlines, it was an experiential retreat with quiet areas to listen to soothing music and sounds, good food, and a sensory bar to help employees relax.Implementing Robust Development ProgramsTo keep up with demand and build a better pipeline, Alaska Airlines also implemented a pilot development program to offer scholarships to aspiring pilots. “One of the things people might not know is if you want to be a commercial pilot, you cannot get student loans for that kind of work. And that’s one of the problems, it’s very expensive to become a pilot,” said Schneider.In developing the program, the company birthed the Ascent Pilot Academy, a full pilot school that guides scholars from start to finish. “If you want to get there, there are ways to make it happen,” Schneider said.Finding the Right PeopleIt’s important to note that for frameworks of employee empowerment to work, you have to hire the right people. “We work to hire people who are people for others, and people that have a spirit of adventure,” said Schneider.This way, staff and leaders alike are aligned in their values of safety, care, and empowerment — almost creating a loop of understanding and compassion that allows everyone to work conscientiously toward common goals.Schneider also notes how important it is to establish clear lines of internal communication that leaders and employees can run to in times of distress. When you have a source of truth, such as your corporate values and communication channels, it’s much easier to cut through the noise even amid the challenges of a growing business.Keren's love for words saw her transition from a corporate employee into a freelance writer during the pandemic. When she is not at her desk whipping up compelling narratives and sipping on endless cups of coffee, you can find her curled up with a book, playing with her dog, or pottering about in the garden.

Keren Dinkin | March 28, 2024