My guest is Banking Executive and Community Leader Lori Day and she clearly defines Diversity and Inclusion and shares ideas on D&I strategies for business. Entertaining and informative, and at times – hilarious.

Dear Pete the Job Guy,

What is an appropriate way to call out of work?

I have a small team, and when I have something really important to do, I feel guilty, because my other co-workers call out frequently. Do I have to explain where I’m going to justify? I feel like that might be too personal.

Help me, Peta.

Anxious Amy.

[This is a direct transcription for your benefit. Please ignore any typos.]

Pete: Do you have another one from the mailbag?

Arren: I do have another one, and this one is from Anxious Amy. And she kind of explains behind her question, but, what is an appropriate way to call out of work? I have a small team, and when I have something really important to do, I feel guilty, because my other coworkers call out frequently. Do I have to explain where I’m going to justify? I feel like that might be too personal. Help me, Peta. Signed, Anxious Amy.

Pete: Alright, Anxious Annie-

Arren: Amy. Amy.

Pete: Oh, sorry, sorry. Amy, let me get your name right. Listen, it’s never a good feeling to have to call out of work. We get called out of work whether it’s an emergency, it’s an errand that we can’t schedule during our off time, you have to pick somebody up, your car is not working. There’s a whole host of reasons that happen. Any time I have to miss work, I deal exclusively in honesty.

Pete: When you deal exclusively in honesty, you don’t have to fabricate anything, and the words just flow out of your mouth. The problem is, is you have to, she’s wanting to know, do I have to provide the whole reasons. To me, a brief byline without getting too personal is important. You don’t want them to insert the reason. Well, she’s probably going down to Disney or something, you know? I like to say, whether I have a very personal thing that I simply just cannot put off, I’m not comfortable discussing it, but it hurts me to miss work, ’cause I know that burden is placed on my coworkers.

Pete: Sounds to me like Anxious Amy also has a problem with her coworkers frequently calling out. There’s an issue in that work. If people are frequently calling out, whether the attendance bar is set very low at that work, or they’re all millennials, or they just can’t seem to work a full week. What’s the matter with these millennials? Doggone it. No, no.

Arren: I was in the middle of drinking.

Pete: You almost spit that one out. No, I’m not harping on the millennials. I’m just saying. Some jobs, and I think Katie Zimmerman, who is a millennial expert, would attest to this one, and we’re meeting her next week for coffee. Good. Gonna be happy to see her.

Pete: But I think she would attest that this is the proper answer. If we’re seeing a team that’s missing a lot of work, if the quality of their work wouldn’t suffer, and there was a way to work in some type of work force flexibility, I’d argue that this team might be more productive if they had some kind of a flexible work schedule, where maybe we come in at this time, work from home, do this. Because if they’re all missing work during that core time, are they making it up?

Pete: It’s tough. But to answer Anxious Amy’s question is, be open, be honest to the point where you’re-

Arren: Transparent.

Pete: -comfortable sharing information. And always try to have a backup plan. What do you think, Arren?

DON’T’S

Do not cross between cars.

Get your face out of your phone. If you are distracted, you will not be able to react.

DO’S

Take a picture of the row you parked in.

Always walk in the middle of the road.

Always lock your car. And if you forget, always check the backseat of your car before you get in. 

Do keep your phone handy in case you need to call for help.

“Work-life balance” is a hot topic in the workforce today and there are a lot of companies that leverage their work-life balance culture to attract candidates. Often times though, we become too dependent on companies giving us work-life balance and we forget to achieve our part of the scale.

Here are the three C’s to attaining Work-Life Balance, according to Charles Jimerson, a veteran and lawyer:

1. Calendar – You need to organize and plan your days
2. Communication – We can plan our day, but situations happen where we are not able to complete or spend that time devoted to that person/task; you need to be able to let that person know why they are not getting your time at their scheduled time and will have to give that time back. Communication is key.
3. Consistency – You need to stay focused and discipline to see the results. 

“We have one mouth and two ears and we speak in that portion. You can’t be understood unless you gain an understanding.”

Jimerson & Cobb Website | Reviews

Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Who: Veterans

When: Jan. 12th

What: Vets4Vets Quarterly Gathering of Veterans, a free event for Veterans

Where: Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

Reminder this event is 100% FREE

For the current Information Blast, click here |To reserve an Exhibitor’s table, click here.

Please reach out to me if I can answer any questions for you.

-Bruce Thompson, Executive Director of Vets4Vets Jax

Dear Pete the Job Guy,

What is the best way to ask for a raise?

Thanks,

Mr. Poor

[This is a direct transcription for your benefit. Please ignore any typos.]

Pete: Arren, I think it’s probably a good time we get some mailbag deal. Why don’t you get one? What do you got?

Arren: So, ooh, this is interesting. Dear Pete the job guy, what is the best way to ask for a raise?

Arren: Signed, Mr. Poor, from Murray Hill.

Pete: Mr. Poor. You’re not worthy of that raise. Stop asking for one. You keep hitting me up, what’s the matter with you?

Pete: Hey, listen, what’s the best way to ask for a raise? A raise is done for two reasons. It’s either gonna be merit-based, or time in the seat. Some companies, every, depending on what your role is, they’re gonna give you a year, an annual increase, and it’s usually three percent, is about average from what I’m seeing. Three to five percent. And they give you an annual increase, based on your tenure.

Pete: So sometimes, it’s like clockwork, it happens, and sometimes, you have to ask for it. But if you’re ever asking for a raise, I always tell you, you speak from a position of power. You don’t kind of, oh, I want a raise. You do something to earn it. That’s why I say, it has to be merit-based. If I go above and beyond, and I do it consistently. If I want a raise, I want to have earned that raise.

Pete: Now, a lot of employers aren’t intuitive or just don’t realize, oh, I should probably give this person a raise. I probably should. So sometimes, you do have to point it out to them. But I always, hey, it’s usually if you can request a performance review, and then they realize, wow, they talk about your accomplishments. Oh, did you notice that on the ABC project, I did this?

Pete: Or, my quota was exceeded each time. And it comes out, usually in a review, and if the boss doesn’t suggest a raise, that’s the time when you have a significant amount of positive contributions that would merit an increase. And it’s based on the things we just discussed. I think it’s time that my compensation is increased. And you do it. But I always like asking for something from a position of strength, or power.

Pete: The other time a raise comes in is if you’re just not commensurate, your pay isn’t commensurate with your station at work. Meaning, you can provide evidence that, let’s say your job is an administrative assistant. And as an administrative assistant, you look through salary guide information, and the easiest way to get a salary guide, whether you’re an employer, or you’re somebody that’s in the workforce like all of us, you can just go to SNIcompanies.com and ask for a salary guid

Listen to Coach Larry explain how we can use Neuroscience to build better relationships at work. You don’t want to miss this!

Lieutenant Jason A. Clements, PE, PSM, Civil Engineer Corps., United States Navy

LT Clements is a native of Milton, Florida and the son of a retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer. After graduating from Pace High School he enlisted in the US Navy and graduated Boot Camp from RTC Orlando in April 1992. Upon completion of EA “A” School, LT Clements reported to CBU 412 at Naval Station Charleston, South Carolina where he was promoted to Petty Officer 3rd Class. In June 1995 he was transferred to NMCB 74, Gulfport MS. During his tour with NMCB 74 he was promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class and served in various positions within the Engineering Shop, deploying twice to Okinawa, Japan, once to Key West, FL and once to Port Au Prince, Haiti in support of Operation Fair Winds. LT Clements was Honorably Discharged in June 1998

LT Clements is a 2007 graduate of the Florida State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. He was commissioned into the Civil Engineer Corps in December 2010 via the Direct Commission Officer program and immediately reported to NMCB 14.

While serving with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 14 in Jacksonville, FL, he began as the Engineering Officer and has served in several positions including,

We celebrate our #veterans… again! We all know they deserve more than one day out of the year!

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Trivia time: Did you know that the USO will also help your spouse transition when you have to relocate? Bryan Burt is a USO Pathfinder Site Manager and he shares more services the USO provides that you probably didn’t know before. Listen right now!

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Josh: Good Sunday morning, Jacksonville. My name is Josh McCarthy, here with News 104.5, WOKV. And I want to welcome you to another weekend of the [Assee 00:00:06] Experts Weekend. And this expert show is dedicated to the workforce of today and tomorrow. Pete, the job guy, Langlois introduces his listeners to Jacksonville’s most innovative companies, and he explores the career journeys behind some of Jacksonville’s top influential individuals. And this is all done, all of it, with an honest and entertaining filter that is unique to Pete Langlois. The hard worker himself. Take it away, Pete.