Dr. Marla Gottschalk, Author at TalentCulture

Being Human at Work

When our oldest child entered middle school, we found it necessary to meet with his principal. At that time of course, school was his full-time job — and there were developing signs that it was the wrong job. As parents, we felt the need to discuss a strategy to address the job-person fit. To be frank, the over-riding goal was not to boost his grades, but to protect him as a developing individual. As things stood, his role was clearly a frustrating exercise. Sadly, he was showing signs of complete exhaustion. One very astute teacher put it this way: “He actually

Let’s Face It: Gen Y Still Has it Right

In 2011, I drafted my first blog post entitled: Gen Y Has it Right. I wrote the post because of discussions claiming that Millenials were completely different from other groups at work. On some level, I thought this was an excuse to ignore workplace elements in dire need of revision. On another level, there was a clear lack of respect for one important principle: individual differences. It simply wasn’t accurate to characterize all Millenials as entitled or disloyal. Well, I am still detecting a subtle undertone that Millenials (all 75 million of them) are somehow markedly different from others at work

We Ignore Individuality in Workplace Change. That’s Our First Mistake

I’ve been told that I’m not the best role model concerning change. To be brutally candid, I agree with the characterization. I tend to balk at the mere whiff of a change — holding on to hope that it won’t come to pass. (Then adjusting my course will not be necessary.) Honestly, it’s a problem. I do come around. However, I need to go through the paces in my own way. As you may have read in this post, many of us can struggle with even the smallest of changes — muddling along until the “new normal” finally appears. Until that moment, we

Outsmarting the Imposter Syndrome

Feelings of self-doubt can plague all of us — and in some cases these harbored doubts threaten to derail our work lives. The chatter of these disconcerting “pangs” can become quite vocal as we approach (or settle) into a new challenge. While I do not recommend debating if this is worthy of your attention (it is), actively considering how to neutralize the negative by-products is both worthy and necessary. There is a name for this dynamic: The Imposter Syndrome or The Imposter Phenomenon. First documented by psychologists Suzanne Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the 70’s (Read the source research here, which

How to Bounce Back: 5 Resilience Building Strategies for Your Career

I’ve often wondered why building resilience isn’t a key business imperative. My opinion is such, primarily because being human, is often at odds with work life. Work can routinely bring stress, negativity, setbacks and outright failures — and most of us are challenged to combat the effects. We often frame conversations about resilience with stories of extreme hardship or extenuating circumstances. However, resilience could serve as an ever-present, daily mentor, helping us to rebound from the collected pressures of work life. Most of us forge on — taking little note of the increasing toll — and building resilience isn’t considered. This can

What’s Next in 2017? It’s the Year to Master the New “Normal”

Our beloved Krups coffee maker decided it would brew its last wonderful cup of coffee this week. That might not sound like much to you. However, I assure you — to the finicky beings that are my taste buds, it is. I loved that coffeemaker. Each day it brewed the perfect cup of coffee that would sustain me through many a morning meeting or assessment report. However, I had no choice in the matter. Done. Kaput. So, I reluctantly charged off in search of an identical replacement. The same machine was no longer available. (What? Really? Why have you messed with

Sustaining Us: How Organizations Are Evolving to Meet the Future Of Work

Recently, GE explained how it will deeply revise performance reviews — an often untenable practice which has plagued organizations, both large and small for decades. Heavy with the burden of process and time, yearly reviews have long been the bane of organizations and managers. When the facts were thoughtfully considered, the value of these reviews simply wasn’t justifying the invested resources. Most importantly, performance appraisals weren’t offering employees what they needed to guide behavior and develop — as the process siphoned time from their managers. Yearly performance reviews were no longer sustaining us, or the organizations in which we work. The average life span of

The Exit Interview: What We’re Missing When Employees Leave Us

It’s difficult to pinpoint the single, most compelling reason why organizations can’t learn. However, after listening to the challenges of organizations where their people are concerned, I’ve come to realize it is far less about acknowledging the need for change — and much more about how to transact identified needs into action. There are distinct inflection points where organizations can pay close attention and shape action. However, these opportunities are often left on the table. One such opportunity, is when an employee is about to leave us. Most of us have left organizations, yet were never asked in any detail why we

It’s No Secret the Future of Work is Here: Now Let’s Support It

Pain can lead us to the source of our troubles — and with that efferent signal we can begin to act in response. This is exactly how I view the unfolding shift within organizations today. Traditional organizational structure and processes are often unfit to support the work life needs of human beings (think Maslow’s notion of safety applied to work). We’ve seen staggering engagement lows reflecting this shortfall — and the accompanying financial ramifications (See more on that here). In many organizations retention will become an increasing worry. We shouldn’t feign surprise. The tipping point is near — and it will be a rocky

I’m Betting on “Weak Links” for My Next Career Move: You Should Too

How we explore next steps in our career paths has changed over the years. That shouldn’t come as a surprise — but it still catches me off guard at times. I’ve just had a break-neck, jam-packed conversation with a very engaging family friend. As he works in Silicon Valley, I briefly regretted that I didn’t have a detailed cheat sheet handy. Careers can evolve quickly there — so I listened closely as he launched into a perfectly inspiring explanation about how he landed his latest role. It was a very interesting chat. We discussed “weak links” and “progressive ambition” (more on

Hack Your Career: Here’s How

I’ve just read Harvard Business Review’s “Hackathons Aren’t Just for Coders“. Everyone should have the opportunity to let their creative juices flow — in an environment where ideas are considered and taken seriously. Hackathons bring together people and ideas. A rare event in today’s world. Interestingly, there is another area where a little “hacking” needs to occur: our own career journey. We devote little time to consider work-life “tangents” or non-traditional paths. However, when you sit back to examine what you bring to the table in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities — there could be a number of new avenues you could

Building a Bold, New HR: 10 Things We Need Now

Building something new always demands a moment of pause. So, we did just that. We paused and posed a much needed question: If you could disrupt one aspect of HR to help employees — what would that be? To say the least, these weren’t one-word, one-sided responses. (Please note this is not a scientific study. It reflects a conversation.) Your comments held honesty and a sense of fair play — and you shared thoughtful, success-oriented solutions rooted in experience. BTW, more than a few HR professionals shared their aspirations for their own field — and their input to the conversation is

What Just Happened? Decoding the Job Interview

There is plenty of advice out there concerning what to say and do, during an employment interview. However, I find there is little written about how to sort out the jumbled mess of feelings and observations that you are left with. Even with the best of intentions and lists of potential questions — interviewing is not (and never will be) a perfect process. In some situations, you are not really sure what has actually transpired. In fact, you may leave feeling you know less about your potential future there, than when you began. Over the years, I’ve experienced a number of

Why Your Organization Should be Worried About Boredom

We’ve all experienced episodes of boredom at work. Yet, we rarely consider the potential consequences for both individuals and organizations. In most cases, we are unaware of its presence. However, boredom certainly does occur — even in the most enduring, established organizations. As such, I’d like to pose a question to managers and team leaders: Is boredom an operating factor among your team members? Because the rub is this — if your employees suffer from frequent boredom, they are likely underutilized. If they are underutilized they are likely disengaged. Yes — we could argue, that time for the mind to rest and

Another Soft Skill We Forget: Self-Development Strategies

I’m deep into the current season of The Voice. It is the only television show that I watch on an actual television. (NetFlix and my computer screen usually win my attention. See one my favorite Voice contestants perform below.) What fascinates me most about The Voice is how these individuals have managed to invest their energy toward a path that emphasizes their strengths. It’s a risky road for sure — especially in the capricious entertainment industry. However, the rewards are there. The most common outcome, especially in younger participants, seems to be an increased level of confidence in their own skills

How Can We Be Happier At Work?

We seem to be working longer hours with greater intensity, yet feeling satisfied with our work lives has proven elusive for many of us. While we continue to invest more time and energy into our careers — we somehow remain disconnected from our work. We express that we are pushing far too hard, yet according to recent research we often leave our vacation time on the table. It seems that for every important aspect of our work lives, there is a study telling us that we just aren’t getting it right. Disheartened with what I read concerning how we feel about

The Social Contract Driving Organizational Sustainability

What will allow the modern organization to thrive going forward? I believe the key driver of organizational sustainability is the strength of the social, or psychological, contract that develops between an employer and its employees. This often unstated and undervalued doctrine fuels not only employee commitment, but also an organization. The power of this social contract is fundamental and far-reaching — with an ability to shape attitudes and direct key behaviors that can lead to success. Over time, this type of social contract has evolved significantly. The 1956 best seller The Organization Man depicts a qualitatively different social contract within organizations,