Prepare Yourself for the Future of Work

The future of work has been on our collective minds for some time.

Technically, you never arrive in the future. It’s always, by definition, ahead of you. Yet months into a global pandemic that has triggered major changes to how we work, many experts are saying the future of work is hurtling towards us.

I sat down with Vice President of People and Communities at Cisco Systems, Elaine Mason. Elaine is a well-read deep thinker on the subject of the future of work, and I invited her to share her own research-based reflections on the changes we’ve seen so far, and what may still be to come.

And no matter what your job, career stage, or aspiration, Elaine shared plenty of tangible advice you can put to work today to prepare for your future professional success.

We focused our conversation on four trends that have been particularly relevant in 2020. These were:

1. The remote workforce
2. Diversity and Inclusion as part of corporate strategy
3. Movement in the gig economy
4. Shifts in corporate structure and hierarchy

The future of work and the remote workforce

Remote work could be here to stay

As I write this piece in my dining room—while my kids homeschool in their bedrooms—I’m aware that working virtually has become the norm for many across the globe.

Prior to the pandemic, company philosophies on remote work were all over the map. Some organizations have worked virtually for years. Many others resisted the trend.

The world of work has probably fundamentally changed.

But as Elaine describes the current state of virtual work, “With the rare exceptions of lab work, manufacturing, healthcare, [and other frontline professions] the majority of us are now [commuting]... seven feet from our beds to our offices.”

“The world of work has probably fundamentally changed,” she says.

Companies that had previously been cynical of virtual work have been forced to acknowledge that things are getting done. In many cases, executives report higher levels of productivity than ever.

But Elaine warns that studies on productivity are not yet conclusive. Some show productivity is up. Others, however, contend that work time is up, but actual productivity is down. The jury remains out.

So what’s next in the world of virtual work and productivity?

The purpose of the traditional office will evolve

Elaine predicts that virtual work is here to stay ... sort of. The way we use the traditional office will likely shift.

"Workspaces will be used more like community service centers," she said. "What you're [likely] to see is those large campuses for a lot of...

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5 Fresh Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving

The holiday season is probably the most popular time for family traditions. Traditions are the glue that keeps a family together. We all have busy lives, and adding a small tradition here or there can make all the difference in maintaining and strengthening your family bonds. Every family has their own way of celebrating and with Thanksgiving on tap, it can be the perfect time to add a new twist to existing holiday rituals or to start a brand new one this year.

Mighty Mommy has 5 fresh ways you can make your family’s Thanksgiving holiday even more special.

Switch up the turkey and fixings

Turkey and stuffing has long been the focal point of most Thanksgiving menus across the country.  According to a survey by the National Turkey Federation, an outstanding 88% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day. The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 16 pounds, meaning that approximately 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States during Thanksgiving in 2015. Gobble gobble! 

If you’re like my family, you can’t wait to smell the heavenly aroma of the traditional roasted turkey on Thanksgiving Day, accompanied by the combination of homemade rolls, sweet potato casserole, and of course, a succulent pumpkin pie. However, this year you might try an entirely new way to prepare Tom Turkey, such as deep frying it in the backyard (we did this last year and it was simply one of the best turkeys we’ve ever eaten!) or even grilling it (think of all that room you’ll save in your oven that day).   In this article written by Tyler Wells Lynch, 10 alternative ways to cook a Thanksgiving turkey, you'll find some tasty ways to get creative with your bird!

And don’t stop there!  Even if you have a beloved stuffing recipe that’s been handed down for generations, you can even kick that up a notch if you’re willing to think out of the box (and if you do make stuffing right from the box, that’s OK too!).  Ever have stuffing made in a waffle iron?  In addition to deep-frying our turkey last Thanksgiving, we changed up many of our side dishes, including my grandmother's stuffing.  Check out this list of innovative ways to prepare your stuffing this year in this article called Turkey Day Hacks, 7 Alternatives to Traditional Stuffing.

Send thanksgiving cards

Sending holiday cards is a tradition I’ve loved...

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Why Do Cats Like to Chill Out in Sinks?

Cat owners know the scene well. They enter their bathroom to wash their hands, only to find a giant ball of fur engulfing the sink. Their cat has commandeered the fixture, treating the porcelain like a concave mattress. Why do cats do this?

The short answer is similar to what else science knows about cats—not a whole lot. But there are theories. Speaking with Reader’s Digest, Dr. Rebecca Greenstein, a vet expert with Rover.com, said that cats are attracted to sinks because they offer a pleasing curvature, making them feel nestled and safe. This “denning” resembles how they sleep as part of a litter, with pressure against their bodies.

There are other benefits, too. If a cat has been in a warmer area of a house, like a windowsill, a cool sink surface might be just what they need. Sinks are also typically in a quiet part of the home, giving the cat some much-needed relief from the stresses of their day. Because sinks are raised, cats may also enjoy the feeling of dominance and security that comes with surveilling from a higher vantage point.

There’s no harm to cats filling your sink with their listless, shiftless bodies, but if it’s bothersome, you can always try keeping the bathroom door shut. Otherwise, you’re likely to continue being greeted by a rather large hair clog every morning.

A version of this article was originally published on Mental Floss as "Why Do Cats Like to Chill Out in Sinks?" Read more from Mental Floss.

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Learning to Name Characters from Dickens

“How do you choose their names?” a young writer recently asked me, referring to the host of characters populating my historical novel "Murder in Old Bombay," to be published shortly by Macmillan Publishers. That got me thinking about names.

Names are powerful! They contain the seed of the character’s personality, the time and place, their ancestry, and even how they see themselves.

Recall Dickens’ infamous character Uriah Heep? “Humble we are, and humble we shall always be!” he’d say, rubbing his hands. What a vivid impression of falsehood! We know he’s pretending to modesty because both his body language and his very name elicit suspicion. Names are subtle signposts.

In my current manuscript I had named a character Blake Baldwin. He’s an operative, a detective who is killed when he uncovered an anarchist plot. But something about his presence just didn’t work, until I realized the anachronism! Blake is a rather modern name—and my book is set in 1893! Renaming him Arnold Baldwin allowed him to fit into the scenes much better.

Names also direct us to a character’s ancestry and ethnicity. In "Murder in Old Bombay," a young rascal called Birju (a Hindu name) was a pivotal minor character from a mountain village near Pathankot in northern India. Readers may not know that in 1947, when British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan, border villages with predominantly Hindu populations remained with India and those which had mostly Muslim populations were given over to Pakistan. Pathankot stayed in India.

I wanted a racial balance in the book—representing positive characters in all religions, all races, all cultures. To paint one group as villainous exacerbates preexisting prejudices, and that should be contrary to a writer’s role.

Now here’s the problem. In the 1890s, the period in which my book is set, Hindus and Muslims co-existed amicably in villages, so while I wanted to show Birju’s family was Hindu, much of the village life reflects a rural Muslim culture. However, when we sent out electronic copies of my book, an early reviewer complained that it was...

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5 Ways to Deal with Entitled People

Lately, for whatever reason, I’ve been hearing a lot about entitled people.

Earlier this week, a journalist emailed me and told me they were working on a piece on sleep. They requested detailed answers to a bunch of questions. They didn't ask whether I had time to answer them, nor did they say "please" or "thank you." They just expected my answers by the end of the day.

The next day, I heard from a coworker she'd waited three hours for a client who stood her up. This was after the client had demanded to meet in person, even though everyone else was doing virtual appointments. Then, for a whole afternoon, he continually texted that he was running late ... before finally no-showing because the appointment turned out to be inconvenient for him.

Entitlement is a person's belief that they are inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.

Finally, I’ve been lending an ear to professor friends who are in the midst of a semesterly ritual—dealing with students who haggle for grades. One friend said that a Freshman attended her virtual office hours and said, “You gave me a B on my paper. I don’t get Bs. I need you to change this to an A.”

What do all these people have in common? Entitlement.

Entitlement is a person's belief that they are inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. Some people wear their entitlement like a crown—they’re rude, demanding, contemptuous, and they get resentful, not just disappointed, when things don’t go exactly their way. But sometimes it’s more subtle—all you’re left with is a gut feeling that you’re being manipulated.

4 signs that a person is acting entitled

Not sure if you’re facing a reasonable request or an entitled demand? Don’t let an entitled person gaslight you into thinking that you’re the one way out of left field. Look for these four signs.

1. They think they're better than you

Let’s start with the big one. Entitled individuals genuinely think they're better or more important than others. Making a request at someone else’s expense, with no sense that their request might be inappropriate, definitely qualifies as entitled.

2. They hold double standards for themselves and others

Entitled people think nothing of inconveniencing others. They'll do things like canceling at the last minute, no-showing appointments, or requiring lots of others people’s time and effort to get a task done.

Entitled people think nothing of inconveniencing others.

But turn the tables and it’s a different story. Entitled people accept favors without returning them. They freeload. They...

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‘Continuously’ Versus ‘Continually’

Last week, I had to remind myself of the difference between the words “continuously” and “continually” when I was writing about the word “chronic” because it has the same root as the word “crony.”

Is a chronic disease something that is with you continuously or continually? There is a difference even though the two words come from the same root.

Continuously

Something that happens continuously happens all the time—nonstop. If a piece of electrical equipment in your house is making a nonstop buzzing sound, and you can’t find it, you can tell an electrician that something is continuously buzzing.

Continually

On the other hand, something that happens regularly, but not all the time, happens continually. For example, if you have a smoke alarm that goes off at random times every day, when you tear it off the wall and throw it away, you can tell the person you hire to patch the drywall that the alarm was going off continually. (Just be sure to replace it. Smoke alarms are important.)

‘Continuous’ or ‘continual’?

If you have a chronic disease, is it something that affects you continuously or continually? Well, maybe it’s both. For example, many type I diabetics have to give themselves shots multiple times a day. They are continually giving themselves shots. Multiple times a day.

But some diabetics use insulin pumps instead that deliver insulin all the time (although the amount can vary throughout the day). They’re getting insulin continuously. Nonstop.

I think the real answer is that because the underlying disease is always there, the disease is continuously with people. It’s something that continuously affects them all the time.

The ‘-ous’ suffix will help you remember

Now, how can you (and I) remember the difference between these two words that sound so similar and have such similar meanings?

I’m going to think of something that happens continuously as being a state. Something that “is.”  And the “-ous” suffix is the key. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it means “abounding in something, being full of something, characterized by something.” 

You can see it in other words that end with “-ous” that also describe a state or describe being full of something: “pompous,” “glamorous,” “courageous,” “dangerous,” and “hideous.” 

All those...

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How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt Faster

I've received several questions from Money Girl podcast listeners about paying off credit card debt. It's a fundamental goal because carrying card balances come with high interest, a waste of your financial resources. Instead of paying money to card companies, it's time to use it to build wealth for yourself.

7 Strategies to Pay Off Credit Card Debt Faster

1. Stop making new card charges

If you're carrying card balances from month-to-month, it's essential to understand what it costs you. As interest accrues, it can double or triple the original cost of a charged item, depending on how long it takes you to pay off.

The first step to improving any area of your life is to acknowledge your mistakes, and financing a lifestyle you can't afford using a credit card is a biggie. So, stop making new charges until you take control of your cards and can pay them off in full each month.

As interest accrues, it can double or triple the original cost of a charged item, depending on how long it takes you to pay off.

Yes, reining in your card spending will probably require sacrifices. Consider ways to earn extra income, such as starting a side gig, finding a better-paying job, or selling your unused stuff. Also, look for ways to cut costs by downsizing your home, vehicle, memberships, or unnecessary expenses.

2. Consider your big financial picture

Before you decide to pay off credit card debt aggressively, look at the "big picture" of your financial life. Consider any other debts or obligations you should prioritize, such as a tax delinquency, legal judgment, or unpaid child support. The next debts to pay off are those already in default or turned over to a collection agency.

In many cases, not having a cash reserve is why people get into credit card debt in the first place.

Assuming you don't have any debts in default, focus your attention on your emergency fund ... or lack of one! I recommend maintaining a minimum of six months' worth of your living expenses on hand. In many cases, not having a cash reserve is why people get into credit card debt in the first place.

3. Make more than the minimum payment

Many people who can pay more than their monthly minimum card payment don't do it. The problem is that minimums go mostly toward interest and don't reduce your balance significantly.

For example, let's assume your card charges 15% APR, you have a $5,000 balance, and you never make another purchase on the card. If...

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