Susan Schneider’s Blog

You are Never Too Old to Learn

Or too busy for that matter. One of the questions we need to consistently ask ourselves is “what am I doing to further my learning and development?” I think many of us, who have been in a particular career or industry, can become a bit complacent when it comes to advancing our education. I know that I have been in relocation for over 18 years now, and it would be easy to take it in stride. Yet, if there is one thing I have realized, it is that the minute I stop learning, or worse yet stop caring to learn, it is time for me to get a new career.

Many of us think of learning as taking formalized classes or reading textbooks. The reality is, that most of our learning comes from watching those around us, asking the next question, and challenging the status quo. As I prepare for the upcoming Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Symposium conference in Washington, DC, I am already making a mental list of what I want to cover for the week. The week will allow me to set my ego aside, admit I don’t know everything, and begin picking the brains of those around me.

I know that a lot of people are feeling strapped financially right now, and have limitations on activities they can participate in. It is during these challenging economic times that we have the most to learn. This is new territory with new issues; no one, whether they want to admit it or not, has all the answers. So no matter your budget, don’t scrimp on the learning. It can be as simple as getting a networking group together, setting up monthly calls with others in your industry, or attending local meetings. Your future depends on it.

Time Flies When You are Having Fun

Believe it or not, this week I am celebrating the One Year Anniversary of this blog. Looking back, it is hard to fathom that I have been able to fill these pages fifty-two times. I have to be honest, I could not find the motivation to do it if it weren’t for loyal readers such as yourselves.

I want to take this time to personally thank you for your ideas, your feedback, and your willingness to laugh at my attempt to be funny; often in the midst of less than pleasant news. I hope that you have found some enjoyment in the book and music recommendations. Unfortunately, my music genre has taken a bit of a change, now that my iPod playlist has been abducted by my children. I am most certain that High School Musical 3 is not on your top ten list.

I am looking forward to another word-filled year, which hopefully will include many positive thoughts on growth and prosperity. 

75 is the New 65

Like 50 is the new 40, or 40 the new 30, except that this has nothing to do with Botox and liposuction. It has to do with the fact that there is a whole host of people in the work force right now, whose retirement funds are delaying their journey to warmer climates and days filled with playing golf and bridge. One of my employees called me the other day and let me know that she will now be working to the ripe age of 80, due to her so-called “201K.”

Okay, we are all a bit spooked by all of this right now. For those who are not too close to retirement, we can only hope that all of this “buying low” will reap benefits in the long run. But back to those who for either financial reasons, or just the desire to keep busy, aren’t ready to leave the workplace. I know that personally, the seasoned employee has been a godsend in this real estate market. They have been through it before, know how to adapt to the challenges, and are wise enough to know that this too shall pass.

So what does this do for our industry? My crystal ball tells me we will definitely see a greater range in the age of our employees, and we will need to address some issues differently. The need for a flexible workplace, an increase in benefits in trailing spouse employment assistance, and relocating with aging parents will begin to surface, once again taking on a greater importance.

I guess for the time being, we should all be thankful that we will continue to have a larger and experienced talent pool.

It’s a DOWner of a Day…

If I didn’t know better, I would think that my internet hadn’t refreshed since Monday. I don’t like pulling up my home page and continuing to see negative numbers. Once again, I will try to stay optimistic for some big gains at the end of the week and maybe then, I will have the guts to take a look at my 401K.

Reading the paper and listening to the analysts prompted me to do a little investigation for myself on what I am seeing in the industry. The major discussions were mostly around real estate and the challenges of getting appraisals to match the offer price, and buyers securing mortgages with tightened underwriting. But most of all, there is a sense that people are sitting in a “holding” pattern especially during the bailout negotiations, the stock market roller coaster, and of course the election. While some are cautiously tip toeing around the real estate market, my message is this is the time to take action. This includes price reductions, providing alternative financing options, staging and renting out properties that are going to difficult to sell in the coming winter months.

But to end on some positive news…Worldwide ERC® announced that Lynn Bragg will be replacing Cris Collie as CEO. For those of you attending the Global Conference the end of this month, you will have the opportunity to meet her. While it is never easy replacing a strong leader such as Cris, my opinion is that we will be well suited with Lynn at the helm.

I Just Can’t Go There…

I probably should be taking time this week to write about the infamous (now-defeated) bailout, but I know that it would take more space than allotted to go on my rant, and I just can’t spend one more minute of my time agonizing over all the issues. Is all of this important to us and our economy? The answer is yes. Is this impacting our industry and creating a standstill in companies making short-term decisions? The answer is yes. Is it creating turmoil for our transferees and their confidence in their future? Once again, yes. But…I just can’t find the words to describe how I feel about it and honestly, it puts my stress level a bit high.

So, instead I am taking a reprieve this week and going to share with you something that my family and I use to relieve stress. We call it “Lockdown.” Before your mind goes to re-runs of Cell Block H, let me explain myself. A few years ago, as my children were entering their own over-scheduled, type-A-to-be world, my husband and I decided to dedicate one Friday a month to staying at home, making pizzas, and playing games. We allow no electronics, no e-mail, and no phone (the rules also apply to me).

I would love to tell you that we make a point of having dinner every night, spend the weekends doing family activities and making crafts, but I would be lying. Most of our weekends include carpooling, laundry, and sorting through mounds of mail. I have come to accept that we are like most families: trying to be perfect, but falling short of anything close. So, we do the best we can, and for now it seems to be working. Believe it or not, the kids are willing to stay home, we spend the night talking (face-to-face), laughing, singing, and reconnecting. What a concept - you could call it our very own bailout relief program!