Have a Plan, But Keep It Flexible Thriving Professionally After a Medical Diagnosis

Have a Plan, But Keep It Flexible Thriving Professionally After a Medical Diagnosis When someone is diagnosed with a serious health condition, it impacts several important areas of their life, including work. A person may start to wonder- How do I balance work and medical treatment?- What can I expect from my employer?- What are my legal rights?- What do other people do in this situation?Onecommon misconception is that people who have serious illnesses do not want to work. The results of a 2018 surveyof cancer patients and survivors commissioned by Cancer and Careers show otherwise. Sixty-four percent of survey respondents said working through treatment helps or had helped them cope. Each persons reasons for wanting to work vary and are often multifaceted. For some, a steady income or access to benefits drove the decision to stay on the job, whileothers found in their work asense of normalcy or purpose during prolonged or intensive medical treatment a nd recovery.As you think about your own reasons for working following a diagnosis, here are some strategies to makeit easier to thrive professionally while undergoing treatment and recoveryPlan for Managing Side Effects at WorkHave a conversation with your healthcare kollektiv about the specific details of your treatment and how it might affect you at work. Be koranvers to share specifics about the mental and physical demands of your job.Discussing common side effects of your treatment and how to manage them can help you make informed decisions about work accommodations you might need, such as modifying your schedule, making changes to your physical workspace, etc. Keeping a work diary to monitor how you feel throughout the day/week can also help you figure out how side effects might be impacting your work and then find ways to address them.Understand the Relevant Laws and Study Your OptionsThe law is one of the many tools you can use as you figure out how to navigate work after a serious medical diagnosis. Federal laws such as the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as certain state laws, may be applicable and can create a framework of support.For example, under the ADA, your company might be requiredto provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with serious health issues to help them continue to perform the essential functions of their jobs. Sometimes small adjustmentscan be all it takes to help you work while undergoing medical treatment.Keep in mind that even if your employer isnt required by law to provide you with an accommodation, that doesnt meanitwont. Typically, companies want to retain good employees, so it never hurts to ask for what you need to stay on the job. Its also important to learn about your companys policies on disabilities, flex time, telecommuting, and related matters before you disclose your diagnosis at work.For more expert career advice, check out the latest issue of Recruiter.com MagazineSharing Your DiagnosisWhether to tell your employer and/or coworkers is a very personal decision, and you should weigh several factors before you make a choice, including- What treatment side effects are you likely to experience?- What does the law require and how might it work in your favor?- What is your work environment like?Answering these questions can help you figure out whether you want to disclose and, if so, what and when. Generally, you are not obligated to share any information about your health (though there are some exceptions). If you do decide toshare, start by talking to those with whom youre most comfortable or those who will be most useful in creating a workable solution for you (possibly your supervisor and/or HR). If you think you may need to request a job modification, you might have to provide some information about your health issue, although not necessarily an exact diagnosis.Create a n Action PlanHaving a plan can help restore your sense of control, but keep it flexible because things may change over time. Start by making a list of everything you need to do breaking each task up into small parts can make things less stressful. Next,prioritize the tasks on your list and accomplish them one by one. Try to avoid multitasking, and be sure to delegate tasks when possible.Setting Professional BoundariesKnowing your limitations is important as you balance your work and health needsyou dont want to feel overwhelmed. Although it might feel difficult to decline certain requests, there are ways to say no in a professional and team-oriented way e.g., I appreciate that you thought of me for this project, but Im a bit swamped this week and am concerned about my ability to get this back to you in a timely manner.A serious medical diagnosis can lead to a wide range of treatments, side effects, and recovery processes, so its important to weigh all those factors and make the rig ht decisions for yourself. While its difficult to know all the variables that may come into play when you are facing health challenges at work, there are things you can think about, organize, and communicate to get the information, clarity, and assistance you need to thrive.Rebecca V. Nellis is the executive director of Cancer and Careers.

Individual Development Plan Examples

Individual Development Plan ExamplesIndividual Development Plan ExamplesAn individual development plan (IDP) is a tool that helps facilitate employee development. The benefits of IDPs are They are a commitment between the employee and manager on what the employee is going to do to grow and what the manager will do to support the employee.They are a catalyst for dialog and idea sharing.When something is put in writing, its more likely to get done.They provide a framework for how to develop. Preparation If youre going to help someone else write an IDP, Id strongly recommend that you have current one yourself. Otherwise, you could come across as a hypocrite(Its good for you, but I dont need one). Showing your employee your own plan, or referencing your own IDP is being a good role model and sends a message that development is foreveryone. Most organizations will have some kind of IDP fasson to fill in, or an online version, with instructions. The employee should fill in the form the mselves first, but the manager should also review the form in preparation for the discussion with the employee. IDPs usually consist of the following Career Goals This answers the question Development for what purpose? To get better at the current job? This is the time to have a career discussion with the employee, to find out what they aspire to some other job, either a promotion or lateral move, or if are they satisfied with where they are currently. Its also a chance toprovide feedbackon if the employees career goals are realistic, or to offer additional suggestions. Good development plans often address both the current job and at least two potential future roles. Top Strengths and Development Needs An assessment of top strengths and development needs (often selected from a list of competencies or from performance review criteria). While the employee will do their own self-assessment, this is the time to provide your own assessment of the employees strengths and developm ent needs. These may be areas that were identified in a performance appraisal, a 360 leadership assessment, or feedback from others. Dont forget to take the opportunity to recognize and reinforce strengths. Strengths will often be enhanced and also be leveraged in order to address development needs. Development Goals A brief development goal for each development need. For example, Improve listening skills, or Learnhow to lead a product team. Action Plan to Address Development Goals The most common development actions, listed in order of developmental impact are move to a new job, take on a challenging assignment within your current joblearn from someone else (your manager, a coach, a subject matter expert or role model)get educated on the topic take a course and read up on the topicand a section for follow-up dates, status updates, and signatures. Select dates, costs, and whos responsible for what. This part will be filled out during the discussion. The dates will help each of you keep your commitments. Any costs should be approved or not. The Discussion With Your Employee Schedule an hour with your employee to discuss. Allow the employee to lead the discussion and go through each section of the plan. Listen to the employee, ask questions for clarification, probe to find out the reasons why the employee chose a goal, and offer your own development goal if you think the employee missed a critical goal. Listen to the employees action plans, and accept, modify, reject (explain why), and offer your own ideas. Here are some additional dos and donts Do ask yourself, Is it really worth it? before you add your comments.Do provide clarification or additional feedback.Do provide additional development ideas.Do offer to open doors and make connections.Do be supportive, encouraging.Do be available for follow-up, keep your commitments.Dont treat this like a performance review.Dont be a know-it-all.Dont insist on all of your own ideas.Dont talk about yourself.Do nt be vague when asked for clarification.Dont chicken out and sugar-coat development needs. When you come to an agreement on your goals and plans, decide and agree on completion dates and follow-up dates. Sign the form, with copies for both of you. By both of you signing the plan, its a symbolic two-way commitment. Keep Your Commitments, and Follow-up Often. Your follow-up discussions with your employee will help your them reflect on what they learned, and the two of you will assess progress and come up with any modifications to the plan. The IDP should be a living document, and a catalyst for ongoing discussions about your employees development.