Investing & Harvesting—a tale about time

I recently had the privilege of attending TEDWomen, where the conference theme focused on the simple (yet often elusive) topic of “time.” As I listened to each speaker’s interpretation of the theme, I reflected on conversations I’ve had about using time wisely, and specifically about managing the balance of personal and work hours.

What I learned about business growing up in farm country.

I proudly hail from Wisconsin, where farming is central to the way of life. Farmers understand that dedication and investment in their livestock and crops will–in good years–yield significant rewards that can sustain them during off seasons or times of drought.

I believe our career journeys follow a similar path. We all have periods when we’re able to go hard at our jobs; we have extra energy, vision, stamina, and vigor to outperform expectations. This extra effort often earns rewards, credibility, and recognition by our peers and leaders.

But there are also times when we need to take our foot off the gas to focus more on ourselves, a family member, a friend. While some of these times may be planned, like a sabbatical break from work, we often don’t see the harvest coming.

Life happens while we’re working.

In my own journey, the balance between investing and harvesting has ebbed and flowed. Two examples come to mind where I’ve had significant times of harvest. The first was planned. With the birth of my son, I chose to work part-time for more than a year. I appreciated every one of those extra moments to bond with my child, and eventually I was ready to return to a full-time role.

When the second harvest came, breast cancer landed in my life like a meteor and required significant time to fight through chemotherapy and radiation, as well as both mental and physical recovery.

Through both of these experiences, I drew on the investments I’d made over the years. I had incredible support from my employers and managers as well as my teams. Those teams were strong and capable to support me in my harvest and wanted to see me return to my full capacity when I was ready and able. I wanted that, too.

Paying it forward.

As I’ve thought more about this concept, particularly in my role as Chief People Officer for Microsoft, I’m convinced that companies need to factor in the changing employment lifecycle to accommodate a changing labor force. We’re in the midst of a multi-generational workforce–with some employees caring for young children, while others are caring for elderly parents. Employees themselves are working more years, and the average retirement age has gone from 57 in 1991, to 61 in 2013[1]. The number of dual income families has grown as well. In 2015, both parents worked in 60.6 percent of married-couple families in the U.S[2]. Add to this the Millennial mindset, where taking breaks and changing jobs is more common, and you’ll see a clear case for programs and resources that allow employees an opportunity for relief during times of harvest.

Here is my advice for employees and companies as we embark on a new way of working and supporting the employment lifecycle.

Invest when you can. Our careers typically span decades, and while we won’t be able to invest at an intense pace consistently, we will all have opportunities to devote added time and attention to our work. When you have the chance to invest, do it. Take on that big project, build that network, deliver epic results. You’ll be planting seeds that you may need to sow later.

Innovate, explore, pilot. Companies can embrace workforce changes with a little creativity and innovation. At Microsoft, we’re exploring a number of different programs including our parental leave policies, caregiver policies, career re-entry programs that help parents who’ve taken time off, and ways we can help bridge the knowledge gap for IT workers who are ready to return to work but need a boost on their technical skills. Companies should consider the variety of options such as part-time, flex-time, and other re-entry programs, and decide what’s achievable for your culture and business needs.

Manager mindset matters. Managers play a critical role in helping employees harvest. And while most managers have the best intentions, it’s easy to get absorbed in the deliverables and demands of their jobs. We’ve been focusing on manager training to remind managers that when an employee asks for flexibility, his or her response can make a huge difference in these pivotal moments. By working closely with your HR team, managers can assess options and a re-entry timeline that can work for both the employee and the business needs.

Whether investing or harvesting – employees need to recognize their own power. As I think back about the fascinating speakers from TEDWomen, one of the central themes was getting laser-focused on what truly matters. Each employee must make their own choices about how they prioritize their time, and know when it’s necessary to draw the line and harvest. By considering ways to allow employees to Invest and Harvest, companies can better support their ability to flourish over time.

[1] https://www.gallup.com/poll/162560/average-retirement-age.aspx

[2] https://www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.nr0.htm