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November 26, 2008

When You know You're Included

Jo Taliaferro, an eSight member, has said that you can usually tell if a company's culture is truly inclusive by the attitudes within the group.

I agree with Jo. A company can widen its doors, build ramps and provide adaptive technology, but, demonstrating accessibility is not as important as how people within that work group act. More often than not, those actions more accurately reflect the level of awareness those individuals possess. And that level of awareness influences attitudes.

Actions are more easily measured than attitudes. So, Thanksgiving week in the U.S. may be a good time to count the little (and big) ways that have helped us feel truly included -- surprising moments for which we are thankful.

Here are some examples of inclusion, based on the real-life experiences of eSight members:

"Your colleagues sometimes call you, even if they are out of the office at the time, just to check with you about how to solve sticky situations customers are having with your company's new software.

"Without reminding your boss's administrative assistant, you automatically receive customer care reports in a large print format at routine staff meetings.

"One of your colleagues tips you off that you've been standing very close to your supervisor whenever you chat with each other around the coffee machine. He says he realizes you're trying to read your boss's expressions, but he wonders if your supervisor feels like you're invading his personal space at times. He offers to help you with this matter any way he can.

"You screw up on a weekly report to your supervisor, and he calls you on it -- just like he does when other members of your team miss the mark.

"Your neighbors go out for a beer to a local dive and invite you to come along, even though they know one of them will need to guide you at times, especially in getting a seat at the crowded bar.

"You supervisor encourages you to participate in the local chapter of a national professional association you joined seven years ago. You're also on the rotation in your workgroup for taking turns at attending the association's national conference, which offers professional development opportunities.

"Your department has a "tailgate party" to celebrate the upcoming Super Bowl game. One of the activities is a ping pong tournament. You're able to participate, thanks to some interesting modifications to the game.

"Like other colleagues, you've received several promotions during the seven years, even though you have a visual impairment. You start out as a telephone receptionist and finally end up as an administration manager. " Josh, the self-appointed office prankster, temporarily hides your cane when you're about to go on break. You reach for it several times, finally realize Josh is up to his old tricks and start to laugh as you pretend to accidentally step on his toes. He hands the cane to you, and others in the room laugh with you.

"Your supervisor asks you to be on a committee to review the strategic plan for your department.

You probably have an example from your experience that helped you feel "part of the group." Please share it with us.

When have you felt included by others around you, despite your visual impairment?

Posted by Jim Hasse at 10:08 AM | Comments (3)

November 17, 2008

Why Disability Is Irrelevant in the Workplace

What each of us brings to the table in an on-the-job teamwork situation creates an interdependency that makes disability irrelevant.

I’ll illustrate what I mean by that statement in this hypothetical situation:

Communication Dynamics LLC is a small, three-person advertising/marketing firm which has been quite successful during the last five years in serving startups in the electronics industry within the San Francisco area.

As the firm’s owner, Mary manages the advertising department and oversees customer services and the firm’s marketing program.

Mary identifies another staff person, Bill, as the detail person. Bill presides over the public relations and publicity departments, both geared to print media. He can take an idea and develop it into a workable plan. He’s especially good at nailing down just the right tactics.

Bill turns to Mary for the long view. Mary turns to Bill to tell her if a plan is a good idea and how to pursue it.

The Internet expert for Communication Dynamics LLC is Tim, who, as the third member of the team, is a great deal more than an online guru. He heads online advertising, marketing and publicity, but he also is a catalyst for Mary and Bill. He regards each person’s job as important and supports that person in it. Tim is the reliable, willing team builder who helps the threesome work together effectively.

New clients come to Mary first, and, after, an evaluation of their needs, she refers them to either Bill or Tim, who become their day-to-day contacts. But, she still interacts with each client as the firm’s “big picture” person and often consults with Tim in that regard, even though an online presence may not be involved at all.

One of these individuals could be blind. But, visual impairment is not even part of the mix because the dynamics at work here transcend disability.

This team is thriving on the unique attributes of each member. It does not depend on whether Mary, Bill or Tim work on a client’s 2009 marketing plan with JAWS. Mary’s coordination, Bill's strategizing or Tim’s team building roles have nothing to do with the fact that all three may be blind.

Read “Workplace Interdependence and Employees With Disabilities.”

See “Balancing Your Team for Innovation.”

As job seekers, we need to show employers that disability really doesn’t matter in how people on the job relate to one another for getting work done.

How do we, as job seekers, help employers understand that disability is irrelevant in the workplace?

Posted by Jim Hasse at 02:11 PM | Comments (1)

November 12, 2008

When You Feel Marginalized on the Job

You have a visual impairment, but you have a job. You consider yourself fortunate because you’re working.

But are you growing in your career? Are you in a work situation which is helping you reach your full potential? Or, do you feel marginalized and conveniently swept into a comfortable corner of your company or organization?

If you are no longer expected to obtain further training due to the low expectations of your supervisor, you may be in trouble. You are being handicapped much worse than any visual impairment can.

In such a case, your supervisor is not doing what's best for you or the company because he or she is not empowering you, even though you’re a person who would probably use the training to its fullest.

So, today I’d like to tell you about Tom.

Tom is 38 years old. He lost his vision three years ago to diabetic retinopathy. Before his visual impairment, he was a satellite TV engineer for XYZ Corporation, where he is still working as a customer rep, a job the company offered him (and he accepted) when he could no longer do his engineering work.

Tom feels good about having a job, particularly during these tough economic times, but, at the same time, he’s uncomfortable about it.

For one thing, he finds his job rather unchallenging compared to his engineering work, which he did for seven years. He would like to work in a unit where he could use his engineering skills, even though he has a visual impairment.

In fact, when pressed, Tom will admit he feels like he’s been diverted into a “safe” job and is being treated differently than his co-workers, particularly when it comes to training and development. It’s a feeling Tom has never put into words, even for his family or his closest friends.

He cannot access the company’s training modules (available to his co-workers through the corporate intranet), has not attended off-site seminars (due to transportation difficulties) and often is not told about professional development opportunities that he later finds others have attended.

Tom used to enjoy being a part of his unit’s engineering team, particularly when it was called upon to brainstorm about how to solve a particular problem. But, now he feels isolated because he deals with customers on a one-on-one basis (mostly by phone) and gets to interact very little with his fellow customer reps.

To be truthful, Tom resents his supervisor, and the strain on him is taking its toll.

"It has been uncomfortable knowing that I go to work each morning where they really don't want me," he says. "No comments have been said to me directly, but others have mentioned a few back-handed looks and raised eyebrows that I have received from my supervisor."

Ideally, management people need to show a sincere intent to address the career aspirations (in terms of accessible training, career development and internal advancement) of those they supervise, but that’s not always the case in the real world.

See “Use Leadership to Help an Employee With a disability Grow in his Job.”

Check “Clear the Way to Achievement for Your Visually Impaired Employees.”

See “Choose the Right Mentor for a New Employee Who Is Visually Impaired.”

If you were Tom, how would you effectively address the issues in his situation?

Posted by Jim Hasse at 09:36 AM | Comments (2)