By Don Dewsnap
Summary: Executives and managers do not want little robots working for them, nor little children. Apply these few simple, sensible principles of quality at work to make your job easier and more secure.
Most people who manage other people have one thing in common: they are busy. They not only have their own work to do, but they have to make sure the people they are managing are doing what needs to be done. Nothing makes them happier than having confidence in their staff. This is where you come in.
Doing a job well not only benefits your boss. It also benefits you, the company as a whole, and everyone the company deals with, from customers and vendors to investors and the community. You might not think of your job as important, but it is, probably in more ways than you have any idea about. This is true for any and every job.
This fact is the first of the simple principles anyone can apply toward doing a job well: realize your job is important. Because it is. If you don't agree, or don't see its importance, pretend it is. Treat it as if it is important. It won't be long before you will discover that it really is, if you apply the other principles outlined below. No job is "just a job."
The second easy principle to apply is to think. One thing that makes a boss tear his hair out is when his juniors do silly things that a moment's thought would have prevented. When a new situation comes up, and it gets treated the same way as a normal situation, problems will result. Problems which could have been prevented by thinking. Problems which will take extra time to solve, and maybe land on your boss's desk. Problems he doesn't need and should not have.
Nine times out of ten, you have enough knowledge to figure out the best way to handle the situation correctly, if you think about it. You may have to consult with other people in the company whom this situation will affect. You may even have to make a decision, after you have looked at the choices.
In the other one time out of ten, when you don't know what to do or don't have the authority to do it, make your boss's and your life easier by gathering all the information, making it clear, and suggesting a solution. Then your boss can look it over quickly, and will probably say "Go ahead" or make some minor revision. You will be a hero for coming up with a solution and not wasting his time.
The third easy principle is to be an adult. Whether you are sixteen or fifty-six, you can act as a child or as an adult. A child will wander from one activity to another, leaving his toys strewn about. A child will spend time talking in class instead of studying. A child will complain about little things and say mean things about other children. A child will do things an easy way instead of the right way. A child will avoid an unpleasant task, and hope it goes away. Bosses don't need or want children for juniors. And really, being a child can only make your job harder.
A manager will recognize and appreciate all three of the above qualities in a junior, whether he comments on them or not. If cutbacks have to be made, the above qualities will be taken into account. When pay reviews roll around, they will play a part. Maybe your boss isn't the best at giving praise, but if you treat your job as important, think through problems to prevent mistakes and save him work, and act as a responsible adult, he will notice. Any manager who doesn't notice such things doesn't usually remain a manager for long.
Don Dewsnap has spent years studying quality and its principles and applications. Now he has put his knowledge into a readable, useable book: Anyone Can Improve His or Her Life: The Principles of Quality. Read an excerpt or buy this book in paperback or as an e-book at Principles-of-Quality.com or as a paperback at any online bookseller.
Source:www.isnare.com |
