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Let’s Stop Talking About the Lack of Technical Talent, Corporate America: It’s Time to Close the Large Tech Skills Gap with Veterans. GUEST AUTHOR, KAREN ROSS, AT SHARPDECISIONS.COM

No Longer Desperate for Work, Veterans Seek More Meaningful Careers
For veterans, underemployment is the new unemployment.

With the U.S. Labor Department announcing earlier this month that low, veterans groups, advocates and veterans themselves are sounding a new alarm: underemployment.

The department cites that of the three million plus post-9/11 veterans employed in the civilian workforce today, less than 40 percent hold management, professional and related occupations.

My industry, technology, is part of the problem. For too long, technology executives have looked past veteran talent because they were seeking “industry experience.” In truth, veterans’ skillsets are highly transferrable.

We need to work hard and do more to get veterans into more STEM-based opportunities because they are equipped to do the job and do it well. This is a result of being responsible for understanding, maintaining and operating multi-million and billion-dollar military technologies and equipment.

Bridging the Technical Gap

Retraining and deployment of veterans to fill these high-in-demand roles is not as hard as many suggest. In fact, there are many resources available to source, train and place veterans effectively and quickly. Veterans have proven to thrive in corporate environments where they are hired as full-time employees, trained in teams to succeed in the highly demanding corporate world, and then deployed to clients in mutually supporting squads. It allows them to adjust to civilian life with a support system they are familiar with.

If you know anything about veterans – whether you are one, are related to one, or are passionate about veterans issues like me – you already know veterans are incredibly highly-skilled, talented and dedicated people who bring a range of rare – and in demand – attributes to the workforce.

And they know it. According to a report by Hiring Our Heroes, a nonprofit that helps place veterans in jobs, 44 percent of veterans left their first job out of the military within a year due to dissatisfaction.

It’s time corporate America made room for our veterans. And based on our labor market, that room already exists. The technology sector in particular is at a loss to fill high-skilled, tech-savvy positions with Americans. An April analysis by Fortune found that nearly 66 percent of all H-1B visa applications processed in Q1 this year were for computer and math workers. But, due to potential changes to the H-1B program from the Trump administration, CNN Money reports the number of H-1B applications has declined for the first time in five years.

What does this mean? It means that the U.S technology sector has been relying on foreign labor for years and that finally, there appears to be room for a new entrant. I propose veterans.

Why Veterans?

Veterans, who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, deserve more than just a job – they deserve a satisfying, challenging and meaningful career. And it’s not a matter of pity, it’s a matter of business sensibility. These men and women – both able and disabled – are dedicated problem-solvers with unmatched technological experience and a history of innovation.

Veterans are uniquely equipped to contribute to the business sector in ways civilians cannot. Not only have veterans been responsible for understanding, maintaining and operating some of the most complex systems and technologies in existence today – like naval navigation technologies, sophisticated communications systems and cyber-security programs – they are entrusted with interpreting and responding to the most sensitive military intelligence.

For corporations, this translates into reliable employees able to work under pressure, prioritize the needs of the team, communicate directly, and review and evaluate their work to achieve continuous improvement.

Add to that the military’s trademark ability to work as a cohesive team that learns and adapts to rapidly changing circumstances, which is a significant challenge facing many companies today. That’s a valuable business proposition.

In our current business and political climate, veterans are an important – and potentially game-changing – resource. Putting their mix of skills, discipline, teamwork and technical know-how to work is not only good for them – it’s good for business and our nation.

What Does Toxic Behavior Say About Us in the Workplace? (Ways of curving that Toxic Appetite) Derrick Darden, PhD

Children that challenge authority want to be empowered and in power themselves. When I grew up and attended a public school in a large city in a large neighborhood, I learned that children can be very cruel and mean to each other. Research has shown that children that don’t know how to handle conflict with their peers or adults sometimes resort to violent actions that may result in massive harm to others (i.e., through school shootings). These children choose extreme behaviors in order to exert their need to be independent and capable in the eyes of their peers.

Some outward warning signs that teachers should be aware include a refusal of the student to cooperate in the classroom, avoidance of participation in school activities, and consistent attempts to challenge authority. These are all signs of a person who feels self-defeated, has low self-esteem and feels dependent. However, research shows that the child’s actions are protective mechanisms. Professional teachers must try to understand why the child exhibits these types of behaviors. A wise teacher challenges these behaviors and guides the student to a safe and trusting environment.

I was one of these students. I didn’t want to be the center of attention or to be aggressive, but I wanted to fit in and feel accepted by my peers. Fortunately, I had mentors in my life. I recall the pastor at my mother’s church stopping me and saying vey encouraging words that have stuck with me: “You are going to be that special someone in life.” His kind words prevented much anger from manifesting in my growing years, because he showed me acceptance in a large and chaotic world. All children need is an encouraging word that they are somebody and that, as a society, we care about them.

Not having mentors and good teachers in my life while growing up in a negative environment would have lefts scars on my psyche.

But teachers must not respond emotionally or be distracted by the ethnicity or size of the student. Reacting to a preconceived idea of their personality does not provide a cure for these students. Instead, be trustworthy and make a connection with them. Never try to shape their behavior but challenge that behavior. Someone once said that what you see on the outside is not the true expression on the inside. Ignore the outside expression, and deal with the person crying out for help.

You may be asking: What does this have to do with the workplace? Well, it’s relevant because there’s almost always conflict in the workplace. It starts when certain behaviors are not immediately responded to. If our problematic childhood behaviors remain unchallenged, then they will be challenged in our adult lives, either by society or your peers in the workplace. This behavior is manifested in bullying, anger, vindictiveness, and screaming.

We all have worked with or heard of adult “babies” in the workplace. Those whose power and attention-seeking make the workplace environment psychologically negative and toxic. This makes work a hellish place that people hate coming to, all because the behavior of the negative person were never dealt with when he or she was a child.

If you’re a supervisor or team leader, have a plan of action for dealing with those who have never outgrown their disrespect for authority. Society is often not lenient, and it will not put up with disrespectful or toxic behavior in the workplace.

Here are my suggestions, based on my experience:

  1. Role Modeling – As a supervisor or team lead, you must model the behavior you want your employees or team members to mimic. In the military, we are taught to lead by example. If you want professionalism, loyalty, and good ethical behavior, then be that example. I cannot say this enough. People mimic their environment and their leaders. So, diminish the negative, and embrace positive behavior. Don’t allow favoritism to poison your work environment. Have you ever heard of a “teacher’s pet”? Well, there are also servants to the boss. This behavior diminishes creativity in the employee and lessens the chances that the organization will see its return on investment in them.
  2. Focus on the Problem – When you see undesirable behavior in an individual or group, focus on the problem. Do not let it go unattended. In my years of leadership, I have always focused on the problem child who brings that behavior into the workplace. Remember, others are watching how you deal with this unacceptable behavior. So, focus in on it like a laser beam, and zap it out!
  3. Counsel the Problem – Once you isolate the problem, isolate the perpetrator, and counsel them. Don’t do it in a negative way. Explain to the individual how her behavior is affecting the organization, team, or the work environment. Remember, you want a harmonious, efficient, and professional workplace.
  4. Reinforce Policies and Regulations – Get your organization or team members together and explain to them your organization’s policies, regulations and procedures and how to deal with unwanted behavior in the workplace. By doing this, you are establishing boundaries and providing a stable environment that drives up productivity and profitability.
  5. Record your counseling session – Finally, record your counseling session with the individual employee or team members, and outline a plan to administer appropriate punishment if more offenses happen. Remember never to hesitate to carry out your disciplinary plan when a violation occurs.

Dealing with conflicting behaviors in the workplace is a task that should never be taken lightly. It should be dealt with immediately when recognized by all leaders (i.e., teacher, supervisors, team leads or managers). Remember, once toxic behaviors get out of hand, other employees or team members will follow.

NARCISSIM in the WORK PLACE

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, defines narcissism as:  A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five or more of the following:

 1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g.), exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements

2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

 3. Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people or institutions

4. Requires excessive admiration

 5. Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations

 6. Is interpersonally exploitive, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

 7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others

8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 661) 

10. President Trump

They often explain their point of view in loquacious detail while failing to recognize that other parties have anything to add to their perspectives.  Additionally, when other parties attempt to express their views, the narcissist will often become impatient with the conversation, and may be oblivious to the damage that their lack of concern causes in the other party.  Finally, when they do recognize the feelings of others, they tend to regard those feelings as a sign of the weakness of the person exhibiting them.  This weakness, to the narcissist, is something to exploited but never pitied, as pity is something that the narcissist does not feel for others (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).  

What happens when the narcissist is a co-worker or a subordinate how to encounter the behavior in the workplace?  Here are some strategies in understanding the behavior.

What must then be asked is, how does one deal, in day-to-day work life, with those people who display strong narcissistic tendencies in the workplace?   How does one communicate with someone who is self-centered, degrades other people’s ideas, and fails to heed the warnings of others?  Even more intimidating: how does one take a person with those characteristics and attempt to integrate them into the team format?  Cavaiola and Lavender (2000) state that “one cannot expect the narcissist to behave in a rational, giving, or cooperative manner, and if you do, you will experience nothing but frustration in your interactions with them”

Maccoby (2003, 2004), said one discovers no real process for dealing with the narcissist personality at work other than to avoid the narcissist and thus not respond to him or her or to alter one’s perception of what would provide a fulfilling job.  While this might prove comforting to some, it would be difficult to believe that dealing with people with strong narcissistic tendencies would be as simple as saying, “Maybe I can just ignore it and it will go away.”    Still, this type of logic is suggested for implementation in most of the literature in which an author attempts to indicate how the narcissist should be dealt with.  Bacal (2000) indicates that while these people are very difficult to fire or to discipline or worst a boss, the best thing that a person might do is simply learn to deal with the narcissist by placating their behavior.

 Bacal goes on to state that if one is managing such a person, one needs to differentiate between the person and their behavior patterns, and should not blame the narcissist for the problem.  He suggests that one should internalize the situation and attempt to determine what one can change so that one can continue to cope with the narcissist behavior.  Lastly, Bacal advocates that one should avoid assumption of a “victimized” posture when confronting narcissistic behavior, and focus only on what implications the narcissistic behavior might have on the work environment

Here’s a tip, narcissist lacks self-composure and confidence, this is one of the main reasons they are so quick to turn on one action, which indirectly makes them look bad. Be consistent with your loyalty while standing on your right and in no time you will always be at their good side. But don’t feel too comfortable due to their unstable nature, remember unless the benefits of staying outweigh the downside over the long haul, you need to figure out when you can leave.

 References

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Bacal, R. (2000). The complete idiots guide to dealing with difficult employees. Madison,WI: CWI Publishing Enterprises.

Cavaiola, A. & Lavender, N. (2000). Toxic coworkers: how to deal with dysfunctionalPeople on the job. Oak lake: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Freud, S. (1991). On narcissism: An introduction. In J. Sandler, E.S. Person, & P. Fonagy

(Eds.) for the International Psychoanalytical Association, Freud’s “On

Narcissism: An Introduction “(pp. 3-32). New Haven & London: Yale University

Press. (Original work published 1914).

Lubit, R. (2004). Coping with toxic managers, subordinates, and other difficult people.

Upper Saddle River: Financial Times Prentice Hall.

Maccoby, M. (2003). The productive narcissist. New York: Broadway Books.

Maccoby, M. (2004). Narcissistic leaders: The incredible pros, the inevitable cons.

 Narcissistic Leaders. (2000, June). Harvard Management Communication Letter, 3(6),

 Author of “Cooperating in the Workplace” Revised Expanded 2nd edition ( Amazon Books https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MYBQHHN/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)

© 2019  All Rights Reserved.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Derrick Darden

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Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

It’s here!!! The revised 2nd ed. ebook and Paperback is out on Amazon.

“Cooperating in the Workplace” Revised Expanded Second Edition

Normally, when a person thinks about cooperation in the workplace, they think it simply means avoiding chaos on the job. However, in reality, it means much more than that it means working productively with others to achieve a common corporate goal. For those trying to maintain a fulfilling workplace experience and encourage others to the same end, certain steps can be taken to make cooperation an objective understood and shared by all.

But let’s face it: not everyone is taught how to succeed in the workplace while working with others. Ask yourself: 

• Are you productive each day on your job, and living up to your fullest potential?

• At work, do you feel you’re lost in a confusing maze and don’t know how to escape?

• Do you feel that you want to know how to work better with millennials, deal with sexual harassment, or work with veterans?

• Do you want to learn about teamwork because you just landed a position that requires you to lead a bunch of high-speed coworkers?

As our working environment becomes more diverse and global ,our knowledge and organizational skills and behavior must develop along with those changes. Improving workplace cooperation is forefront in the minds of many who understand the importance of communication and teamwork as skills needed to reach a common goal. 

The author not only let you know what is happening in the business world, but gives you what you need to be a winner in your workplace.

As a Gulf War Veteran and Senior Army Warrant Officer who worked in the fields of logistics and Federal Acquisition in the federal government and later as an entrepreneur, I’ve seen how organizational form and structure within the federal government and in my own business experience provided foundational keys and principles that guided me to success in both the public and private sectors. 

This 2nd edition is for new employees, supervisors in mid-level management would benefit. 

On Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/sitb/B07MYBQHHN?ref=sib_dp_aw_kd_udp

Blog: http:// dcdardentalks.com

Please leave a comment.

Group assignments provide transferable skills for the workplace


In my past teaching life, the greatest number of complaints I heard from students involved group assignments. Most students dreaded being paired with their peers. Some students said their peers were lazy, disorganized or freeloaders who weren’t responsible enough to carry out the assignment. We all know and experience these chaotic moments in our lives, and students nowadays are no different.

Whatever resistance you encounter regarding work in group settings, know that such assignments can benefit the class.  Working within a group or on a team is a necessary and valuable skill in today’s job market, one that employers seek in job applicants and employees. Group assignments help students develop the important skills they need to have a competitive advantage in the job market.

The student must realize that the academic world is preparation for the real world, and the skills they learn during these types of assignments will benefit them as they enter the working world.

Group assignments help build the interpersonal skills necessary to becoming a successful leader, problem-solver, critical thinker and good communicator.

The skills I’m referring to are called “soft skills”. Some people naturally have them; others don’t always know how to interact with others or how to effectively communicate with co-workers on work projects.

Perhaps your job requires you to collaborate with others from diverse cultures or know how to problem solve. These are all valuable and transferable skills in the job market and are sought after by many employers. Students must be made aware that although having a professional skill – such as knowing how to code or having the great culinary skills – is important, they are not the only skills necessary to land that dream job. Employees also need soft skills to obtain and maintain employment. As mentioned, some people have them, and others never develop them fully. But group assignments give all students an opportunity to develop these skills. So, next time, embrace that group assignment. It may help you land and keep that dream job. 

Derrick Darden, PhD (Triple D)

http://dcdardentalks.com

Reference:

Fry, John P., “Procedures for Implementing Soft-Skill Training in CONARC Schools,” Paper presented at the CONARC Soft Skills Conference, Texas, 12-13 December 1972

Whitmore, Paul G.; Fry, John P., “Soft Skills: Definition, Behavioral Model Analysis, Training Procedures. Professional Paper 3-74.”, Research Report ERIC Number: ED158043, 48pp.