Consumers Energy recently held a town hall meeting to discuss the pillar of Professional Well-Being. This is often a forgotten dimension of our overall well-being. Listen in as I discuss this pillar with Brandy Merritt and other town hall participants.
Consumers Energy recently held a town hall meeting to discuss the pillar of Professional Well-Being. This is often a forgotten dimension of our overall well-being. Listen in as I discuss this pillar with Brandy Merritt and other town hall participants.
Hello everyone and welcome to mi u us a wellbeing podcast. It's another wellbeing Wednesday here at Consumers Energy. And I'm your host, Phil Krieger. Today we're going to listen in on a conversation between myself and brandy Merritt from a few weeks ago, where we talk about the hidden professional pillar of personal well being, you may be familiar with the five pillars, those are physical, financial, emotional, social, and professional. In many times, we may forget about or kind of gloss over that professional pillar, because, heck, we just go into our job, it's just what we do. And we may not think about how that impacts our overall personal well being. So listen in as brandy, and I discussed that hidden pillar of professional well being. So we'll talk a little bit about the key components of the professional pillar, which is that hidden pillar that we don't want to lose sight of, for the professional pillar of well being, we think about relationship building, achievements, aspiration, personal development, volunteerism, communication, and self growth. So with that, I want you to think about that professional pillar. And I will introduce Bill Krieger. Bill is going to share a little bit with us as we go into the subject. This will be a little bit of a fireside chat, if you will, between Bill and I, at the end, we welcome any questions that you have around this fifth hidden pillar, professional well being. So Bill, I'd like to introduce you, would you like to share any words about this professional pillar? Before we dive into questions and answers? Absolutely. So when we look at the five different pillars of personal well being, and if you go out to the well being page, you can really kind of dig into each one of those. And many times we think when we think about wellbeing or wellness, we think about physical or mental in, we don't really think about how our professional well being plays into how we feel overall. And as we were getting ready for this, it really reminded me of growing up in my dad, who was a very hardworking person worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week. But he, he would get up every day. And he would go to work. And he just for lack of a better way to say he just hated what he did for a living. And you could tell every day, every week, every month, every year, he just seemed to look a little bit older and a little bit more frustrated. Because he just wasn't really happy in what he was doing. And didn't really know how, because at that time, we didn't really talk about wellbeing. We didn't talk about you know, we, we expected people to come to work and do their job and collect their paycheck and go home. But the day my dad retired, you could just see that he he lost about 10 years of that aging, he looked great, he played golf, he really enjoyed himself. And what I learned from that was, it's very important to take care of your professional well being. And, you know, a wise man once said that foolish people will do something that they absolutely don't like doing and will be miserable their whole lives, because they think it's their duty. And a smart person will find what they love to do, and be happy most of the time throughout their lives. But a real genius finds joy in doing what is necessary. And that allows their genius to bloom. And what that really means to me is that sometimes we have jobs that have to be done, if we can find the joy in what we're doing. It'll really help strengthen our professional well being so what is professional well being really mean? Well, professional well being, there's a lot of different aspects to that. And it really means looking at what we do and taking care of ourselves in that professional realm. So some of the things you pointed out brandy, you know, relationship building and accomplishments and things like that. But, you know, something I learned not early enough in my career, but but definitely early on, was that it really begins with the evaluation system, right? We I think we call them pfds today, but they've been called all sorts of things in my tenure here at consumers. But one of my one of my mentors told me to really take an active interest in that PFD or, or that annual evaluation because many times if we're looking at jobs or Looking at doing something different, that might be the only thing that people know about us that in our resume. And so it's very important for us to take an active role in what our PFD looks like, for personal and professional development, looking at resources that we need in those areas, and really taking a look at where we want to be, and also keeping track of the things that we've accomplished during our time here. Thank you, Bill. Here's some stats just to share with the group regarding this professional well being. Research shows that 74% of employees believe that they are not reaching their full potential due to a lack of professional development opportunities. 70% of American workers would actually leave their current job for one that has a reputation of investing in employee development, employees in training courses are actually 37% more productive. And then lastly, companies that invest in professional development and skills training boasts 24% higher profit margins. So with all of that said, those are just statistics. But the reality of it is that employers will often underestimate the value of professional development for their teams. However, helping co workers hone our strengths and grow our skills, better equips us for our roles, this truly adds more value to the work that we do and directly benefits our business. So lately, as you've seen, during the pandemic, there has been a bigger desire to upskill and rescale. Right throughout this pandemic, which has truly challenged employers to think about how they design develop and deliver training across their organizations. As you can see, we're invested in that here at consumers through our learning and development areas. Some companies are even restructuring their whole onboarding processes to accommodate remote workers, many of us on the call are working remotely. Now, it can relate to that management training is so important. And it's truly important to get training and empower yourself, and take ownership of your own career and professional development by taking trainings that are offered and even seek out other trainings that will help develop you professionally. So Bill, I'm curious to know, what employees What does employee development look like? And why should employers care about it. So employee development can look like a lot of different things, it can be something as simple as reading a book and then applying those principles to what you do. It can be classroom education, it can be mentorship, it can be shadowing, and employers should care about that, because it's those developmental opportunities that help kind of level the playing field for all of us. So when we look at it from a diversity, equity and inclusion lens, you know, employers should be making sure that those different ways of getting opportunity get to everyone, because some people may learn better from a book. And some people may learn better in a classroom setting. And some people may learn better by actually doing or in a mentorship type of area. So, you know, With all of that said, if we are developing our employees, and you know, Someone once told me back in my military days that our job is to get the next generation of folks ready to do our job. And so that that speaks to bench strength and the ability for companies to be agile. So it's very important for employers to look at how we're developing our coworkers. Thank you so much, Bill, can you tell us a little bit more about that by telling us why this shouldn't matter to employees? So it's, it's another great question. And, you know, I'll go back to when we started, we talked about, you know, this being sort of the hidden pillar, and the reason behind that is because we come to work, we do our job. And we don't necessarily think about that in, in the context of well being or taking care of ourselves overall, you know, employees should care about it. Because as things change, as society changes, as the world changes as our jobs change, if we're not continuously developing ourselves, we may be behind and our skill sets or our ability to do certain work. You know, if you are interested in moving up the ladder, so to speak, then, you know, caring about your own development in and holding your leader accountable to helping you with that development is very important as a co worker. Thank you, Bill. I'd like to also ask you, what are some of the things that we're doing Consumers Energy is doing to foster professional learning opportunities for our co workers, within that context of well being? Can you share some of that with us? Yeah, that's a great question. So some of the things that are out there that you might not think about traditionally Are you You know, we have employee resource groups, there are lots of different committees, there are different projects that happen. And in getting yourself involved in those are great ways to, to build your leadership skills, develop those skills, but also develop networks and relationships where you are helping others and others can help you as you move through your as you move through your career. But here are consumers and in in other places, you know, as an example, I remember back when I used to supervise the CES, customer energy specialists. And this goes back aways because we don't call them that anymore. I believe it's the CME Group. But I always wanted to be a field leader and work with the field. And so I found a way to shadow the field leaders to learn what they do, and then to also be a part of their on call rotation, so that I would learn how to be a field leader without being in that role. So then when it came time to really look at that role, seriously, I already had some great skills in my back pocket for that. So that's just an example of things that we do here to foster, you know, professional development for our coworkers. That's really great bill, I love the way that you tied in, er ci membership with learning and training and development, and then that word, ownership and empowerment. We talked a little bit about that in the beginning of the conversation. And it's so true that it's important that we as co workers really feel empowered, and take ownership of our own career development and our own professional development. And we can start to see as we just continue in this conversation, the connection with well being. So it's really impressive how you took it upon yourself to job shadow, you know, you had a goal and you wanted to job shadow, someone else in order to kind of learn the role, familiarize yourself with it. There are also options for folks who would like to have informational interviews, that's another way to take it upon yourself to reach out to someone who may be in the field that you're interested in, within or outside of the company. And if calendars allow, it's always great to have an informational interview with someone where you learn a little bit more about an area of the company that you might be interested in, in the future. So those are just examples of how to take ownership and make sure that you are empowered. As far as your career development which ties directly in to your personal well being. It's important. And that's definitely the connection that we're making today and the takeaway that we want you to have. So with that bill, in addition to skill based learning opportunities for our co workers, do you think that encouragement, motivation, and then fair appraisal also play a crucial role in their professional upliftment? Oh, yeah, you know, absolutely, I think that, you know, encouraging people to take steps to, you know, kind of put themselves out there and push themselves a little bit beyond and help them help to motivate them is important, you know, fairly appraising someone is also important. So that when we go back and talk about that PFD that, that that may be the only thing that someone knows about you as you're looking to develop yourself or move on in your career. Those all play important roles. I think something else too is providing, you know, fair critical analysis of what somebody is doing. So as well as encouraging people, we also want to let them know where they can improve. Because when we talk about fairly appraising someone, if we don't point out areas in which they can improve, they may not know that they're there, it might be a blind spot for them. And then they just go on continuing to do what they're doing without really improving their overall performance. So I think it's very important to provide timely feedback to people timely and honest feedback to people provide encouragement, motivation, and also provide opportunity for those developments. Thank you for that bill. It's important to note what he said. So it sounds like here in the professional, well, being space that there's really ownership on both sides of the fence. It sounds like leaders based on what you're saying, have a responsibility, right to provide honest, open timely feedback. But also as co workers. We have a responsibility to embrace that feedback, listen to the feedback and then apply it to our performance and be ready to you know, really own that feedback as well. So it really is You know, is a two way street. The key word that I honed in on that you mentioned is that fair. So the fair appraisal. So certainly we all need to ground ourselves in the fact that P e, f ds are discussions. So it's not a top down or only bottoms up, you know, it's three way right top down, bottoms up. And then it's also horizontal, right from both of us. So those pfds and individual development plans, and appraisals are actually discussions. And those discussions, just as a gentle reminder to those on the call, are really a way toward well being. And that's what we're really trying to emphasize today that that professional learning and professional development is truly a part of all of our well being. So if anyone has any questions, please, this would be a great time to put any questions in the chat. We'd love to hear from you, or feel free to raise your hand. I have another question for you, Bill. While we await questions in the chat. Can we ask bill, I know this can be a little bit of a sticky subject, but you're our well being guru here at the company. So we really enjoy the work that you do and the guidance that you give along with that wonderful well being team that you work with also. But what if your supervisor doesn't encourage your development? Can you help? Talk to us a little bit about what if that occurs for some of us, then what's next? So that is a great question. And that really goes back to when I talk about providing timely and relevant feedback. You know, sometimes, our leadership style may not be what our coworkers need, right? We may not be the type of leader who actively encourages someone that we may think that that person should be taking care of that development. And there's a really tricky word or phrase that I like to use, it is called managing up, right? If I'm not getting what I need from my supervisor, I think I owe to that person that maybe say something, say, Hey, you know, I'm trying to accomplish this, I could, I could use some help, but give them the opportunity to provide that encouragement that you're looking for, they may not know that you're looking for it, they may not know that you need it, it may be their leadership style, that that's not necessarily something they think to provide. But just as any one of us could have a blind spot, certainly, if we're leading people, we can have blind spots in there as well. Thank you for that bill. That's important and great answer to that question. We also have a question in the chat, what are some tips and tricks bill that you would give someone that has taken advantage of some of the professional developer development opportunities, but they still feel stuck in their current role. If you're feeling stuck in your in your current role, that may be time to just sit back and think about what it is that you want to accomplish? The number one tip or trick that I would give you is don't ever leave your current role, because you're necessarily dissatisfied. And I know, we talked about earlier about how statistically, people will leave roles where they're not satisfied with either the leadership or the role itself. But sometimes, when we leave a role that we're not satisfied that we feel stuck in, we may jump to another role that that we will feel stuck in eventually as well. So it's always good to figure out to ask yourself, why do I feel stuck in this role? Or to ask either a co worker or a mentor or your supervisor? You know, I've been kind of doing all of these things. What do I need to do to get to that next level? Or what what do I need to do to get into this other role, and there may be something there that you didn't know or that you're missing? Or your mentor may be able to give you some some great tips. So there's lots of different things you can do. But I think you would really need to start with with really asking yourself, why do I feel stuck in this role? And why is it that I don't want to be in this role? Or is there something in this role that I can change to make myself not feel stuck there? That's a great answer to a great question. And again, it's sounding like Bill, we keep going back to those same. Our culture value, right of empowerment and ownership. I mean, we really own our own destinies and kind of create our own destinies when it comes to our career. And it really resonates with me how you say, not only look in the mirror, and say, Well, you know, what do I want to do? Right? What is it I want to do? Why do I feel stuck, but then no, encourage those, you know, important conversations with your leader, and your peers, your mentors, those folks who you have in your corner who are supporting you all the way really ask, you know, what can I do to get here? What can I do to get to the next level? or What can I do to really get to this type of role. So really taking on that ownership and empowering yourself to not only identify what you want to do next, or what your what looks next for you for the professional development, but also really taking a look and a hard look at the feedback you're getting, and why that might be holding, holding you back. If you're stuck. You know, we really want to make sure that I know some of us look at me look at our culture core values. Like they're just words, but they really aren't. They're really and truly, you know, the way that we want to ground ourselves in, you know, how we come to work every day how we treat each other. But if you notice that safety and inclusion, inclusion, tailboard is inclusion. And it's not only about how we treat others, but the conversation around well being is really about how we treat ourselves. And in treating ourselves and caring for ourselves with that well being we really want to consider the pillar of professional health and professional well being as well. We have one more hand raised that Shelley Shelley, has her hand raised. Thank you, Shelly. Hi, did you have a thought? I did not see I did. It's something that I didn't hear somebody mentioned already. But I've been with the company going on 11 years. And I know when I came here, I was an executive assistant. And I remember being in a staff meeting, and a question came up on how to do something and nobody was answering. And I had just come from Ford world headquarters and Mercedes Benz world headquarters. And we had done what our company was just trying to do. So I waited and no one said anything. And I said, Well, here's what we've done in the past. And I was told I wasn't allowed to speak that I was just a secretary, and he just sit there. And now, you know, I spoke up and said, that's not really right. You know, everybody has something to bring to the table. And I've done it twice, you know, working in the C suite. And so it's changed now. And I feel so grateful when I see the EAS that are up there running meetings and doing that kind of stuff. So I guess the bottom line is, even though you may feel stuck and not getting where you're getting, it takes time, because a lot of what I've talked about, it's been 10 years in the making. But it's so awesome to have, like your department and the things that are going on in this company. I'm very impressed. And it makes me grateful that the new hires coming in are having such a positive time. So I just want people don't be afraid to speak up, he can still like your job and make friends. And even though you ruffle a few feathers along the way, ultimately it's better for everybody in the end. Thank you, Shelly. Thank you. We appreciate you for being a part of this discussion. Well, I am going to turn it over to Bill, our well being a guru and our amazing Bill Krieger to take us out. And just kind of wrap us up bill in the discussion. Thank you. Well, thank you, you know, what between Shelley's comment and I'm just looking at the the chat here and my good friend, Julie Jordan, who I've known for a long time, said she's been attending the University of consumers energy for 40 years. And we could probably have a what's for lunch with Julie to talk about all the changes that we've seen over over time. So, you know, Thanks for pointing that out. And truly, this is a learning environment and has been a university at least for me. Now, I've only been here for 27 years, not not 40 so my stories might be a little bit different. But true in you know, Shelley when you talk about the changes, and what executive assistants do, it has truly been amazing and transformative. To see the the work that's being done because, you know, it's I don't think it's any secret that you know, the executive assistants kind of run the business a bit around here, and and just about any other place you go, because of the knowledge base they have in the work that they do. So definitely appreciate all that you have done. So to wrap up, really just a couple of things to leave you with when it comes to professional well being is that one, find the joy in what you're doing. To really have that conversation with yourself in the mirror about who you want to be and where you want to go when it comes to your profession. And really any other aspect of your of your personal well being or your life. Three, hold yourself accountable for the plans that you make and for hold your leaders accountable for helping you get where you need to be. It take an active role in your overall professional development, but also understanding that those who lead us and those that we lead are dependent upon that leadership as well. So that's what I would leave you with that. It is Um, you know, your responsibility to take control of your professional development, but with the understanding that none of us got where we're at today, without the help, development and mentorship of others in so to hold folks accountable to that for us and to also pay that forward as we move along in our careers are also very important. So thanks to everyone for joining in today. Thank you to Raquel for pulling this together, and to brandy for the great questions and insights and for everyone who joined us. And if you have questions coming out of this, please feel free to reach out. Thank you all have a safe and inclusive day. Thank you. And thank you to the audience for tuning in today. 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