Monthly Archives: April 2018

Hotels, healthcare and the DMV

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What do these experiences have in common? Customer service – good or bad. I’ve experienced all three in the past two weeks – good and bad.canstockphoto20052265 (002) customer service

It started with the Rhode Island DMV. Rhode Island is a small state of 1,200 square miles and a population of just over 1 million. There is one central DMV. Yes, there are several satellite offices but something as simple as renewing your driver’s license can’t happen at a satellite. And in certain circumstances, online renewal is not an option. That was the case for my husband and I who got our first Rhode Island drivers licenses a year ago. We had to renew in person before our respective birthdays. Not sure why, it’s like we were on probation as Rhode Island residents for a year. Who knows. But rules are rules.

So, we headed over to the central DMV location first thing on a Monday morning to do a simple transaction. We needed to be out in a short time for later commitments later that morning. Silly us.

We arrived just 20 minutes after they opened and found about 150 people ahead of us in the generic “check-in” line. What?? Busier than usual because it was Patriots Day in neighboring Massachusetts, so more Rhode Island people took the day off? Was it the beginning of spring break, so kids were out of school? Or just a typical Monday?

It took us 70 minutes just to get through that check-in line. Then we waited about 45 minutes for our number to be called. Once it was our turn, it was just a 5-7 minute transaction for each of us. Our paperwork was reviewed and updated in their system; we gave them a check. A new photo was taken, and a temporary driver’s license was printed to use until a new one would be sent in the mail. I had hoped for an online task, but it took 3 hours, including the drive there and back.

Tuesday, I had a long overdue doctor appointment. Continue reading →

Family first

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With a family vacation in our future that includes four grandkids between 2 and 5 years old, I am reminded who my big rocks are. While there may be times that vacation week when the level of chaos is more than I want, just being able to spend extended time together will be worth it.

I executed a new master plan two years ago that included living close to my daughters and their families. Since then I have had a chance to spend far more time with them than when I lived and worked halfway across the country.

I hope you all know who your big rocks are. And more importantly, that you make time to spend with them.

With that in mind, I’m sharing the “Do you know your big rocks?”  post I published in April two years ago.

Do you know your big rocks?

April is a mixed month for me. No, I’m not talking about the fact that we had snow this week. In April, I celebrate many happy milestones, including my birthday and my wedding anniversary. Andcanstockphoto25793802 now, both my daughters have April wedding anniversaries. And the blooming daffodils along the road remind me that spring is finally here. 

Yet, there is always a sad part of April for me. My father died from Hodgkin’s disease on April 23rd, just a few days before my fourth birthday. Losing a parent as a child leaves a hole in your heart and shapes who you are.

Stephen Covey has a great story about “big rocks”. If you’re not familiar with it, just google it. Our families are our big rocks and my daughters remind me of that. And as little as they are, my grandchildren are also big rocks for me.  Every time one of my daughters calls me on FaceTime and I see a cute little toddler smiling at me from my iPhone, I fall in love with them all over again. Continue reading →

Equal Pay Day 2018, like spring, comes four months too late

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Last Tuesday, April 10th was Equal Pay Day – the date each year that marks when the average woman will have earned as much as her male colleagues earned the previous year. Last year it was April 4th.  Forequal pay winter spring pix women of color, Equal Pay Day comes even later. Black women reach the milestone on August 7th and Latina Equal Pay Day is November 1st.

Let’s take a closer look at this situation.

In a Time article, “10 Powerful Women on How #MeToo Has Changed the Fight for Equal Pay”, Jennifer Calfas notes how long it will take to close this gap, given our present rate of progress. Estimates from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research show the pay gap won’t be closed for women until at least 2059, not until 2124 for black women, and as far out as 2233 for Hispanic women. So not in our lifetimes! Think about that when you are talking to your daughters and granddaughters about what they want to be when they grow up.

According to an ABCNews report, tech is one of the better industries. The report says, “In the tech industry — which has been under scrutiny for gender equity issues — women were paid 99.5 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earned, the smallest pay gap by industry found in the study. However, when the control for the same title is removed, women earned 84.7 cents compared to men in the tech industry, moving it to the middle of the industries examined.”

According to the 2018 HIMSS U.S. Compensation Survey based on the feedback of 885 health IT professionals, gender pay disparity exists similar to the overall numbers already noted. Continue reading →

Being valued, doing meaningful work

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I’ve had at least three different conversations in recent days providing career advice to colleagues. Different industries, organizations and types of roles. And each person was at a different stage of their canstockphoto10463933 (002) career choicescareer. Yet, there were common themes we discussed that are worth sharing:

Being valued – Do people listen to you? Is your input taken seriously? Is your work appreciated? For most people, there are many signs each work week that show whether you are valued or not. Don’t ignore them.

Doing meaningful work – We each define what we consider meaningful and what we are passionate about. And we all probably do some tasks that we dislike as part of our jobs. Overall, finding your passion and doing work that you consider meaningful can keep you happy and motivated to go back every day.

Options – As you consider to stay or go, to move up or out, there is always more than one option. Make sure you are clear with yourself and stay grounded in what really matters to you as you frame and evaluate those options.

On your terms – Take control of the discussion and shape the opportunity if there is room for negotiation on the type of work and the role. Remember that you own your own career.

Trust – Do you trust the people you are working with or negotiating with? Continue reading →