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Karen White

10 most frequently asked questions and their answers

Karen Conway is a frequently requested international speaker and author, especially on the topic of how collaboration and alignment across diverse stakeholders can drive industry transformation. She is at ease moderating large-scale discussions on healthcare reform between Senators Tom Daschle and Bill Frist, as she is while building consensus among environmentalists and oil and gas producers. Conway has held executive positions in healthcare and energy and has extensive experience in government and public affairs, print journalism, and as a radio and television talk show host. Her firm Conway Associates created a unique approach to strategic communication based on her father's firsthand experience working with Dr. W. Edwards Deming and Procter & Gamble. Conway’s work has appeared in Redbook, USA Today, Parenting, and also in books published by Springer in London.

Karen Conway

Karen Barton began her training career in 2008 while serving as the director of compliance for Aeon, a nonprofit affordable housing developer and management company in Minnesota. In 2017, Karen transitioned to become the organization’s first learning and development manager where she continues to build the organization’s learning department. She earned the APTD certification in November 2020. Karen has bachelor’s degrees in biology and English from the University of Minnesota.

Karen Barton

Successful leaders help their team bridge skill gaps and stay ahead of change. The average shelf life of a skill is now less than five years. It’s no longer possible, even if it were cost-effective, to recruit new employees to close all skill gaps. And relying solely on HR or L&D to deliver needed learning is a mistake. A leader’s ability to foster adaptability and reskill team members efficiently is not only about readiness, it is also about retention, engagement, and innovation. Becoming a learning-focused leader is a force multiplier for individuals, teams, and organizations.
In this free 60-minute webcast, Karen Hebert-Maccaro, chief learning experience officer at O’Reilly will:

Show you how to build a culture of learning and adaptability in your workplace.
Explain the science behind “performance adjacent learning behavior” and why this may be the most effective way for your employees to upskill while they work.
Explore ways to develop learning-focused leadership in yourself and others.
Identify how to amplify the impact of learning focused leaders in your organization. 


The Power of Learning-Focused Leadership

GeekyGirl Karin Rex is an exceptionally innovative and experienced professional in the fields of instructional design and virtual facilitation. With a remarkable track record spanning over 25 years with a global clientele, Karin brings a unique blend of creativity, expertise, and passion for delivering transformative learning experiences. As a professional facilitator specializing in virtual classroom delivery and an instructional designer/developer focused on e-learning and virtual classroom designs, Karin's commitment to excellence shines through in her ability to create engaging and appealing learning experiences. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of virtual platforms and authoring tools, Karin's expertise ensures seamless transitions from face-to-face training to the virtual realm, providing organizations with captivating and impactful learning solutions that deliver true learning transfer and retention.Karin works closely with ATD as a facilitator and instructional designer. Not only does she teach numerous certificate programs, but she redesigned more than 30 of ATD's face-to-face certificate courses for the virtual classroom. She also created a certificate program for ATD on the topic of Writing for Instructional Design and Training. Karin occasionally speaks at the ATD International Conferences as well.A writer at heart, Karin is a certified synchronous facilitator, designer, and producer (InSync Training) with a master’s degree in professional writing (Chatham University). She is also a COPT (Certified Online Training Professional) and a Scrum Master (Scrum Alliance). A WDW fanatic, Karin has lived in nearby Celebration FL since 2022. She started her business GeekyGirl, LLC in Philadelphia in 1989 (karinrex.com).On the personal side, Karin is an avid knitter who LOVES riding her Peloton (her leaderboard name is GeekyGirlRex).

Karin Rex

September 2022 - TD Magazine

It’s challenging to get noticed when leaders are distracted by today’s evolving workplace.

5 Factors to Consider When You Aren’t Promoted

When was the last time you were frustrated that someone didn’t follow through on that project as you told them to? And then blamed it on lack of accountability? I hear this almost every day from leaders, but sometimes it helps to step back and reflect on the environment we are creating, both consciously and unconsciously.Accountability can just as easily induce guilt and shame as it can motivation. Wise leaders move beyond words to focus on nurturing the right environment so people want to take responsibility, from which accountability follows.Drive Responsibility With the Right EnvironmentThe dictionary states that being accountable is when we are “required or expected to justify our actions or decisions.”Conversely, responsibility is “having an obligation to do something or control over one’s job or role.”In other words, being responsible is self-driven where we feel in control, whereas accountability can feel like judgment.Instead, leaders can nurture the conditions for trust and safety that drive both individual and team performance. Too often we focus only on individuals, but the key is to remember that we are our environments and vice versa.As we all know, our organizational environments can get complicated especially with today’s reduction in hierarchy and increase in cross-functional focus. As such, individuals need to be aligned across multiple levels including with their own motivations and drivers.This paper on culture and accountability in organizations further explains how our cultural tendencies toward individualistic or collectivistic approaches also influence our overall alignment with an organization.All this means is that accountability isn’t just a matter of setting KPIs and expecting the system to deliver.How to drive alignment so that people want to take responsibility:Focus on values and needs. While we have different values, we all have common needs including safety and trust. Just like this white paper on psychologically safe teams describes, we need to tame the ego and align people toward the greater good.Promote team cohesion. To nurture responsibility, it helps to bring people together so that they become motivated to support each other. Book clubs aren’t just the new corporate classroom. They are also the platform for creating a sense of belonging and facilitating co-exploration.Trust that teams can fix mistakes. Too often, psychological safety is eroded when KPIs aren’t met and more controls are added. Instead, enable your teams to come up with solutions for how to avoid similar mistakes.KPIs Within a SystemSetting KPIs is like getting your fishing equipment ready and then expecting the catch to simply appear.Just like leadership, fishing is an art.You must consider the weather, the tides, the conditions of the water, and any migratory movements. So, KPIs only work if you consider the environment and how to bring everyone along with the vision. As this article on systems thinking in KPI development further states, the more we reflect on the whole system, the greater the impact on overall productivity.How to support your KPIs within the culture and overall system:Cross-departmental alignment. Step away from analyzing teams in blocks and review the value chain as a whole, similar to the lean Six Sigma approach.Allow team self-determination. The more you allow teams to set expectations and to define the boundaries of their value chain, the more likely they’ll be engaged to own their responsibility.Focus on problem definition. It’s useful to ask the question “Can I measure it?” Of course, we can’t over-measure, but rather than looking for accountability, focus on what problem you are trying to solve. And then, measure the actions.How Will You Nurture the Conditions for Success?It’s easy to throw around words such as accountability and responsibility. Nevertheless, rather than talking about what others should or shouldn’t be doing, let’s look at how we as leaders are influencing behaviors.Of course, it’s hard to create the right environment, especially because we are different. Nevertheless, deep down, we often want the same things, including psychological safety.If in doubt, remember that accountability is an outcome. So, if you feel it doesn’t exist, go back to the root cause. What is stopping your team from grabbing ownership?

Is It an Accountability Problem? How to Approach the Problem Systemically

They're creating computer code, carting food and passengers around in their own cars, and popping in monthly for a project meeting. What's their story? Are these occasional workers underemployed, unable to secure a salaried job? Are they Millennials and Generation Z-ers sampling different occupations before they commit to a career? Or Baby Boomers making some extra cash to supplement their retirement savings?They could be any of those―or none of them. Meet the gig workers, a burgeoning population in the labor force that is changing the way company leaders look at workforce planning and the way people view work."As individuals have entered the workforce and evolved, they are asking for more flexibility," says Kurt Heikkinen, president and CEO of staffing company Montage. And, as access to health insurance has become increasingly separate from full-time employment, "workers have really gained a sense of freedom. They look at [their careers] as a series of gigs, a series of projects and experiences, as opposed to a long-term career at a given employer."Figure 1: Gig Workers Look Like the Broader WorkforceThe following charts illustrate the demographics of self-identified gig workers compared with those of the entire U.S. workforce. Source: Morning Consult.But these aren't the typical temp staffers of yore―the "Kelly Girl" secretaries and Manpower workers who filled in for office staff when an employer had a hole in the schedule. Nor are they limited to the classic freelancers in creative fields―writers, editors, musicians, and graphic artists. Nowadays, gig workers run the gamut, from Uber drivers to IT technicians to travel nurses. And they are an integral and growing part of the knowledge economy.Many businesses have embraced this pipeline of on-demand talent. Yet, despite all the promise of the gig economy, it is a work in progress. The rules are still being written as companies and workers alike adjust to new ways of getting work done.Two Types of Gig WorkersGig work itself is not new. "People have always worked this way," but the prevalence and types of gig jobs have changed over the years, says Diane Mulcahy, author of The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want (Amacom, 2016). "This kind of work is growing at a rapid rate," she says, particularly in white-collar jobs and the tech economy.There are two types of gig workers, Mulcahy says: first, those who are searching for full-time work and need to make some cash and contacts while they job-hunt and, second, those who simply don't want or need full-time employment.The latter group includes a lot of younger people, for whom the idea of a 40-years-and-you-get-a-gold-watch kind of job is something their grandparents did. They aren't attracted to what they see as an outdated model of sticking with one company―or even one profession―for an extended time. But this group also includes retired or semi-retired people who may or may not need the money but who want to stay engaged and active regardless. And there are also mid-career folks who want the flexibility and freedom of doing what they want more or less when they want, drawing on years of experience to cherry-pick appealing projects.In the United States, more than 40 percent of workers are employed in "alternative work arrangements," such as contingent, part-time, or gig work, according to Deloitte's 2018 Global Human Capital Trends study. In a 2016 Adobe survey, 56 percent of office workers predicted that everyone will do some gig work in the future. Asked to look ahead to 2020, 28 percent of business leaders and chief human resource officers said they anticipated an increase in gig workers, the Deloitte study found."The vast majority [of gig workers] are folks who easily could go get [traditional full-time] jobs somewhere," says Lori Williams, vice president of fulfillment at Gigster, a software developer that has 80 employees on staff and works with 1,000 gig workers. "They've chosen this lifestyle."The top benefit of the arrangement for them is autonomy. They have greater control over their schedule and they can avoid routine annoyances such as bad managers, office politics, and interminable staff meetings. They also might learn new skills and gain valuable experience at a temporary stint, ultimately giving them the tools to advance in other gigs or in staff jobs.Employers, too, enjoy the perks of an open relationship, gaining access to skills and talent without having to commit to a full-time hire. And managers can supplement staff with gigsters who have the talent and knowledge not only to advance a project, but to teach regular employees new skills."It's really [about] how can we continue to scale as an organization?" says Vlasta Dusil, senior vice president of HR for computer technology company SAP's Cloud Business Group. "We talk about diversity, with gender, with different generations. In our view, this is another way of looking at diversity."Growing PainsStill, there are some drawbacks―for both sides. The "flexible schedule" so many people crave can lead to them being underemployed. The gig worker might also miss out on the advantages that come from committing to one employer. Among those advantages is professional development."How are these people going to train and develop and grow?" says Jennifer Graham-Johnson, SHRM-SCP, recently retired chief HR officer at WestRock Co., a paper and packaging products manufacturer."I do worry we are going to have a group of people who are . . . unable to advance" if they ever decide they want full-time employment because they haven't had the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge through training and classes.Then there's the issue of employee benefits.Gig workers don't get health insurance, paid time off, or 401(k) contributions from employers. Offering them the same perks that staff members get could set an employer up for legal challenges and negate savings typically associated with hiring gig workers.It could also harm recruiting efforts. After all, good benefits are one of the selling points companies use to attract full-time talent. Why would people want to join your team as full-time employees if they can enjoy the freedom and flexibility of gig work and get the same benefits as regular employees?The bigger issue may be that offering the same benefits to contractors and regular staff could get the company in trouble with the IRS, which has a 20-point test to determine whether workers are independent contractors or employees entitled to the employer-paid share of FICA taxes. Microsoft and other employers have had to pay millions of dollars in back taxes and damages after being sued by workers who said they were paid like independent contractors but treated like employees.Figure 2: What Motivates Gig Workers? Source: Shiftgig, Profile of a Gig Worker, 2018.Playing Catch-UpGovernment and businesses are lagging on other fronts related to the gig economy, too. Banks, for example, might be skittish about lending money to a potential homeowner who doesn't hold a permanent job. And gig workers don't get unemployment benefits, COBRA, or worker’s compensation.Companies can help fill the gaps. One way is to offer voluntary benefits that are fully paid for by the worker but administered by the employer. E-commerce website Etsy, for example, has partnered with Stride Health to act as a health insurance broker for the people who create the art, jewelry, and other items sold on Etsy.Still, the gig economy is clearly moving faster than the institutions that deal with these workers."I don't think we've caught up to this type of worker," says Arthur Tacchino, chief innovation officer at the compliance technology company SyncStream Solutions. "The workforce is changing. So how are the coverage, insurance, and benefits going to evolve to fit the newer kind of workforce we are seeing?" There's no clear to answer that, Tacchino says."Regulators and courts are trying to apply 20th-century law onto a 21st-century problem," says Richard Meneghello, an employment attorney and partner at Fisher Phillips. "Our hope is that once people realize it's not just a passing fad, regulators and legislators will get more serious."One agency trying to change with the times is the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is taking a fresh look at compensation for gig workers. The agency is considering revising its rules to make it easier for people who are classified as independent contractors to receive stock awards from the companies that employ them, the New York Times reported.While governments and financial institutions adjust, the market for gig workers is maturing, fueled by technology platforms that help both sides of the work arrangement find each other. Online labor platforms such as Upwork, Gigster, TaskRabbit, and Freelancer are not only empowering the gig economy, but revolutionizing the way workers and companies connect."The technology is making the whole market more efficient," says Marion McGovern, author of Thriving in the Gig Economy (Career Press, 2017) and co-founder and former CEO of M Squared Consulting.Upwork, for example, connects computer-industry freelancers in 170 countries to employers who need their services, charging the worker a fee of 5 percent to 20 percent of the job's pay. ShiftPixy and others hire workers (paying the employer share of payroll taxes and taking care of other compliance issues), then "lend" them to clients in the hospitality and restaurant industries. The company has an app that allows people to broadcast their availability and apply for certain shifts in their communities.As Uber was creating its digital platform for drivers, the job market for gig work was exploding, says Scott Absher, ShiftPixy's CEO. "People are looking for ways to recobble their income," and these platforms make that more efficient, he says.Managing the GigSo how do today's people managers handle gig workers, follow the law, and head off potential tensions with full-time staff? Some tips:Decide who will drive the decision-making on hiring. A simple procurement process may be enough to fill an open gig for an IT techie, while a speechwriter for a CEO will likely require input from the chief executive.Pay people promptly. "I can't tell you how many companies are on 60- to 90-day schedules" for contracts, McGovern says. But individuals expect to be paid faster and more often.Know the law—and do not treat gigsters like employees. In fact, don't even use the word "hire" to describe the working arrangement, advised Rebecca Cenni-Leventhal, founder and CEO of staffing and recruitment firm Atrium. People who work gigs are "engaged," not hired, she cautioned.Protect confidential company information. This is especially important when using outside contractors for a business dealing with sensitive client information, such as health data and Social Security numbers.Let your own staffers gig―even at your company. Since many workers crave the opportunity to learn something new, offer full-time staffers the chance to develop by giving them a gig in-house.Keep staffers and gigsters separate, when warranted. "Having [gig workers] participate in regular team meetings or asking them for regular updates and reporting is not wise," says Cenni-Leventhal, as that may cause them to be viewed as employees rather than independent contractors. "Inviting them to one holiday party isn't too much of a risk, but when you start having them participate in team-building activities and attending company functions, it can get tricky."Make your gig workers feel welcome and valued. "Make sure you afford them the correct level of respect," McGovern says. "This is someone who is going to add to the team, bringing in skills or knowledge and experience to help the effort."On top of that, she adds, it's important to recognize the dignity of their career choice. After all, it's a work arrangement more business leaders can expect to manage in the coming years.Copyright 2019, SHRM. This article is reprinted from www.shrm.org with permission from SHRM. All rights reserved.

Gig Workers Challenge Old Order

Traditional employee recognition programs aren’t working and are even receiving negative reactions from employees. Supervisors and administrators are frustrated and don’t know what to do to support their staff. Learn the core conditions for individuals to truly feel appreciated and obtain practical tools that will enable you to encourage your staff by giving them authentic appreciation.

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