When It’s Time To Use More Of Your Talents and Knowledge
There may come a time in your career when you will want to make a work assignment change or you will want to be considered for a promotion or to be given a special project. Perhaps you will hope to transition to another work area because your team is being downsized. Maybe you will simply want people to know that you are a valuable resource.
Prepare for those times, today.
I have always been astounded at the number of employees who tell me they want a promotion, assignment change or special project, but who have never done anything to demonstrate their interest or abilities. When they are not chosen they often blame internal politics or some other reason outside of themselves. I will sometimes bluntly ask, “What did you do in the weeks, months and years before now, to make yourself an obvious choice?” The answer is usually, “Nothing.” (With a lot of reasons why they couldn’t do anything until now.)
That is not completely the fault of the employee, in that many employees do not know how to best develop their careers–and there is little advice given about it. The more fortunate employees have mentors, advisors, friends or family who acquaint them with the realities of work life and encourage them to show what they know in appropriate ways, all the time.
- Get to know the people in work assignments that interest you. Be open about your interests and potential abilities, even if you are not looking for a change at this point.
- Gain knowledge and skills that can help you now and in the future. This doesn’t require massive education, just reading, researching or observation that can be beneficial and that will show your continuing interest in a variety of work.
- Maintain a good work reputation. Word gets out an employee’s work habits, personal traits and ability to get along. No matter how skillful you are, no one will want to take on a problem.
- Be supportive. Be supportive of everyone who is behaving and performing effectively in your organization–especially be supportive of the groups with whom you might want to work someday. Often current employees are allowed to comment on potential changes. If you have been difficult to work with or are completely unknown, you may not be supported when you need it.
- Make every day an interview. You’ve heard me talk about this concept before, but it always is worth repeating. Every day is a chance to demonstrate your work interests, your abilities, your positive traits and your potential for success. Be the kind of employee and the kind of person who could be considered a top choice for many work assignments.
December 30th, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Personal and Professional Development |
4 comments
Solutions to the work problems of others always seem rather obvious!
I often bring to class the behavioral, performance or interpersonal questions that I receive through email or on the Workplace Doctor’s site. I put the question (with identifying characteristics changed) on a PowerPoint slide, and the class discusses responses. Similar things happen every time I go through this process.
First, as participants silently read the questions, many can’t keep themselves from responding verbally in some way. They groan in frustration or irritation, or they laugh, shake their heads in disbelief or shout out their immediate response to the question.
Second, in almost every case, the solution to a problem the writer thinks is almost unsolveable, seems obvious to the participants in the class. Nearly always someone will start his or her response with, “Good Grief! All he has to do is……………..” Or, “I can’t believe she has to write and ask someone about that!”
Third, during class or at break time, some of those same people talk about an almost unsolveable problem they have–and the solution seems very obvious to others and to me. Sometimes as one person walks away, another will essentially say to me, “I can’t believe he doesn’t see what to do about that! Now…let me tell you about my problem….”
Work problems of others always seem more easily solved than our own, because we are not part of them. We don’t have to deal with the culture, relationship histories, and other realities of the situations. We think of solutions from the viewpoints of our own styles and wonder why others haven’t tried those approaches. Most of all, I have noticed that it is easy to suggest strong, straightforward action by other people, even though we are not strong and straightforward about our own work problems.
Start the New Year by solving some of your own problems.
1. If you have an ongoing problem with someone or some situation, put yourself in an outsider role and ask yourself for advice. It might help you to do what I sometimes suggest–write the problem using fictional names.
2. Another way to get an overview of the problem is to write it from the viewpoint of the key players involved. It may be helpful to think about what the other people are telling their confidantes when they ask for advice about dealing with you!
3. Describe The Gap. Make three columns and label them. The lefthand column is What Is. The center column is What I Want. The Righthand column is What I Must Do.
4. Break the problem situation into specific issues. Then, for each issue, write what would be realistically preferable. (Don’t assume the entire office must revolve around your preferences. But if something interferes with work or is inappropriate or harmful, you are right to ask for change or adjustment.)
5. In the third column, list specific actions you will be required to do to at least start the process of improvement. This reminds us that if we have a problem we need to take responsibility for it, rather than hinting around and hoping someone braver and stronger will rescue us.
Your required action may be to gain more support from others, to wait until another time, to find out more, or to document a bit longer. Or, you may need to write a formal complaint letter, say something specific to someone about their actions, complain higher up the chain, move to another assignment or quit. You are only writing those actions now, you don’t have to actually do them–but it is useful to confront what it will take personally to make things better.
6. Decide which of the actions you are willing to do and what is something you won’t do, given your style or the situation. (It is almost never a case of can’t do, it’s won’t do.) It is good to know what you won’t do. That way you are not the victim, you have made a choice.
7. Do what you can do. That is probably the best advice for any problem. Once you have decided the specific things that make a situation a problem for you and have determined what you can appropriately and correctly do, move toward the solution by doing what you can do until the problem is solved, or until you can truthfully say you have done many specific, appropriate things at every level in the organization, and have exhausted every possible resource for solving the problem. At least then, you can decide where to go from there.
The Bottom Line: If you have an ongoing workplace problem, make a commitment to either solve it or at least take strong action about it so there is no question about your views, opinions or preferences. At that point you may need to simply accept it as a negative part of work that you are willing to tolerate.
It will be easier to do those things if you look at your problem as if it belongs to a stranger and you are reading about it in a class. And, the next time you hear about a problem in a class, perhaps you will be more empathetic!
December 26th, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development, Supervision and Management |
5 comments
Developing a New Tradition
Several years ago my hair stylist (OK, it was really just the woman who cuts my hair…but hair stylist sounds better) and I were talking about traditional recipes for holiday dinners. She said: “I always made traditional cranberry sauce until I found a recipe that sounded really weird but good, and tried it on my family. They loved it and never guessed what was in it!”
I asked her what it was and she said, “It’s Pork Rind Cranberry Sauce. And, before you say you wouldn’t like it, let me tell you it’s different but really delicious.”
I was somewhat incredulous and asked about the recipe. She said, “You cook cranberry sauce just like always. Then, you add pork rinds, stir, and let it set until it cools. It gives it a different taste, but nothing you can quite identify. My kids absolutely loved it.”
I asked if it gave it a different texture and she said no, that the pork rinds mix right in and don’t change the cranberry sauce texture at all. She made me promise I would try it some time, even though it didn’t sound like something I would like. I said I would try it, but would probably make the regular kind too. She said, “You wait, people will eat more of this kind.”
I had already walked out of the beauty shop, but the recipe was on my mind and I turned back and interrupted her while she was cutting someone else’s hair. I asked her how much of the pork rinds she put in the sauce. She said, “Not a lot, just enough for flavor. About a fourth cup for a regular recipe, but you can adjust that to taste. I just buy those little bottles of port wine at the liquor store.”
That was the first time I heard her clearly–and also the first time I realized the recipe she gave me was not for Pork Rind Cranberry Sauce, but for Port Wine Cranberry Sauce. Big difference.
Now you see why I stick to traditional recipes.
December 20th, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Food, Fitness, Fun, Life and Work |
9 comments
Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day,
than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom.
Benjamin Franklin
I was thinking of that quote today, as I thought about all of the conveniences I depend upon to make Winter more tolerable. (It was 11 degrees below zero at my house this morning!) As I thought about heated rooms, being able to wash and dry clothes indoors, a Jeep with a heater and four-wheel drive, a coat and gloves, soup heating on the stovetop, and an electric blanket, I realized that those do more than make life tolerable in the winter–they are a source of happiness for me. They make me smile!
I considered also how I could use that to help me deal with some of the sources of frustration, irritation and–on occasion–unhappiness in my life. There is no more hackneyed happy talk than to say that things could be worse, so I won’t say that. Trying the Pollyanna philosophy that even the worst things have good elements, can be a bit much–and is sometimes not true. Talking about being grateful doesn’t always help either, because there is a difference between being grateful and being happy, isn’t there?
So, I think I’ll simply consider the small conveniences and pleasures more closely and smile in thankfulness for them, just as I am thankful for loved ones, health, safety and security and wonderful opportunities in my life.
Cell phones and group plans, email, music files, Sonic Diet Cokes with extra lime–easy ice, hot water anytime, shower dispensers for five kinds of soap and shampoos, an extra refrigerator, Netflix, Roomba, three sets of colorful measuring cups, home fragrances that don’t give me a headache, a neighbor who is helpful, the full moon, any moon, Juncos in the pine tree….and the list goes on.
There will always be reasons for sadness–life and death makes that a reality for all of us. And, there are many reasons for joy, thanksgiving and contentment. But, I also intend to look for happiness in the small conveniences and pleasures that occur every day.
I’m happy in many ways! I hope you are too.
December 15th, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Food, Fitness, Fun, Life and Work |
6 comments
For Want Of A Nail
For want of a nail, a shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe, a horse was lost,
For want of a horse, a rider was lost,
For want of a rider, a message was lost,
For want of a message, a battle was lost,
For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost,
All for the want of a horseshoe nail.
If you recognize this post, it’s because parts of it appeared several months ago. This last week I was asked about it and I decided to repeat it with a few additions and changes. But, I left the poem intact!
It is easy to be energized by the idea of a new or big work challenge: Those are the times when all of us are more inclined to feel like contributors to the bigger picture of our organizations. However, those big challenges do not happen often, and most of our work is recurring and routine. Supervisors and managers should know and appreciate the value of every task that helps maintain an effective organization, and frequently remind employees of how important those tasks are.
- Supervisors are often advised to develop challenging work for employees who seem unmotivated by regular work. It is far better to help employees see that the regular work they were hired to do is worth doing and worth doing well–and to demonstrate that truth by actively showing appreciation for well-done daily work.
- When exciting or unique work is over, there is a tendency to feel let down, and routine work seems blah by comparison. When employees believe their daily work is crucial work, challenging projects are not seen as necessary to stay committed to the organization and the job.
Observe and inspect regular, routine work as though it is as important as big, unique and challenging tasks. those tasks–because it is. Reinforce the value of those tasks with employees and let them know you notice and appreciate their daily work. Make it as worthwhile and satisfying for employees to do routine tasks well, as it is for them to accept and fulfill a great challenge.
You may never be responsible for leading the battle that saves the kingdom, or riding with the message that saves the battle, or even shoeing the horse that carries the rider. Nevertheless, do not underestimate the value of being the one who effectively monitors the supply of nails.
December 7th, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Supervision and Management |
8 comments
