In the technological
oriented and fast-paced atmosphere we have going on in the work force, it is
hard to keep track of everything the employers are attempting to do to try and
stay ahead and keep things fresh. Change
is a good way to keep things interesting, even make things better; and it’s a
great feeling when it works out. However, there are costs that come with that
if there is not enough planning and foresight to see if those changes will
genuinely be an asset to the business.
I may never be an owner,
manager, CEO, director etc but I know from being an employee for so long and be
an over-reflective, observant, realistic human being I have been lucky enough
to have a couple of really good employers who taught me so much and I am
eternally grateful to them. The rest…
well… let’s say you learn the good where you can, and live with deciding how I
didn’t want to be toward coworkers and the people I served; wherever I was
working at.
I will sum up to you my
employers and why when I go to interviews I am equally interviewing the next
boss as much as they are me.
I had one employer that
craved success but at the cost of stepping on other people in the community I
once lived at. They took things so far that when that sort of behaviour caught
up to them they had to move somewhere else and hope for the best.
Another was a
thief.
The next committed fraud
and was arrested (it was sad for their children).
In another area there
were two bosses who hated each other that their drama and tensions between them
caused issues for the rest of us in their heated competition with one another.
Then another (who taught
me so much) started off with one employer that overtime became four. In this place, it started off wondrous with a
very high bar that slowly went downhill overtime along with the sudden urgency
to keep things new and fresh but at a cost to the positive, very happy
atmosphere.
My two favourite bosses
were no-nonsense ladies with high expectations and actually wrote down our
feedback and implemented changes where there seemed to be more than one staff
member or customer concerned/requested the changes. If it worked, HURRAY! If it
didn’t go, try the other possible options.
If none worked, we went back to the old way.
Here is what I have
learned from my work experiences, and I pray that if any employer and employees
read this they take away some things that may help them (just maybe):
Don’t lie. Be honest, and
be accountable. Know where to put the blame (especially if it is you who did
something wrong, we’re all human). And,
lead by example in that everyone is human and falls short, and then show what
you can learn from that experience and change for the better as a kind lesson
for everyone. As someone who has been in
a handful of supervisory positions I have found being kind, honest, and
reflecting back to staff on my own past mistakes helps; and, sharing with them
what I learned and where changing things up worked for me and what options may
work for them.
Don’t be a thief. Don’t let someone else be the fall-guy and be
burdened with your mistake.
If you have an addiction
or substance problem get help for it, and if you are someone who notices
someone who has this issue get help for them, because every human needs care,
supports, and deserves to get it in order to live a long, healthy life.
If there is a problem,
then make plans to change things and try them out, but if nothing is wrong don’t
break what doesn’t need fixing because I have seen trying “something new” (for
whatever reason) often doesn’t work when things were going great as they were,
and, often everyone ends up going back to the old way anyway.
Listen. Really listen. Take
notes from staff (even each other as coworkers) and the clients/customers and
see where changes need to be made and make plans for that change. Take time to dwell on how well it could be
effective before implementing. And it doesn’t hurt to consider more than one
option and compare. Even when the plan is implemented give it some time. In this, everyone listen to one another for
the feedback as where the changes/plans were effective and where it was not.
Adding to the last note:
don’t expect immediate results. Starting
off well does not mean that’s a sign that you stop looking holes, holes as in
where this could be a ‘not-so-good-idea,” in the end. Give it time, sometimes the bad shows up and
it turns out this was not a good change.
Make the time frame reasonable as well, just as you would if you are
training someone; everyone must be realistic and observe the results first. I have seen lists, check lists, a plans of
action, training packages to go through etc that were all implemented, but,
there were issues in the end... one being the issue of time – even lack of patience involved
with that -the other was giving people who were not suited to the job being
given too much of the benefit of the doubt.
I saw all these situations occur with the same employer when it came to
training staff. To me, it seemed they
did this in one instance due to desperation to fill the void with any sort of
staff they could get, and the other because a bit of favortism arose due to a
certain aspect/character of a staff member that they were attracted to (this
was often due to a feeling of them being similar on a personal level in some
way)
Patience in changes and
considering feedback should be seen through. When the plans or changes that
were underway stayed as a permanent fixture suddenly, in my experiences, it was
because a) it started off on a high note and therefore there was a total
neglect in feedback and nor anymore waiting to see if it would work in the long
haul b) it suited solely to the employers. Then it affected the rest of the
work sphere in a negative light and hindered progress for others.
An additional note to
feedback… Don’t ask for feedback of others when it’s not even going to be
considered at all. It’s better if it is
not at all as it can hurt morale; I have seen this one happen a lot. I know bosses have others who make them
accountable and will come in and check their records, inspect and investigate
things right down to the paperwork and digital records. One of the biggest
things is looking for staff feedback or that it is even being taken into
consideration. It’s a good idea to have
that communication amongst staff and between them and the boss. Problem with that, in my experience… often
employers can ask for feedback but does not mean yours or anyone else’s is
necessarily considered, even if it got written down somewhere. We know that they need to, but it is not
great for staff morale when people catch on that they are asked for feedback,
but know that none of it is actually even taken into consideration. Worse is when you
realize it ends up the employer was looking for the answer they already had in
mind themselves. It’s the same as when
they come to you with the question of what you think/give you more than one
option on something… when you tell them the option you think is the better and
why they suddenly argue with you on that option, even though they offered
it. There again, looking for you to
answer with the one they really wanted you to say, but all for the sake of
making it look like they really value what you think. Adding onto that when you tell them why the option you thought of (or
an option the boss had not thought up) would be better suited, they choose a
different one, only to have an hour or two past and they went with your option
anyway realizing the others were not going to work at all.
When using emails as an
easier means to communicate EVERYTHING at work and save on meetings (thus time
and money) keep it short and to the point and if anyone has issues allow them
to have one-on-one time to work it out. And don’t send it out so many emails.
And if emails don’t work, maybe scratch emails off the list of effective
communication. I had one employer who
could send you what appeared to be 3-5 essay-like emails in a day (in one case
almost every single day one week) on things they expected or issues that were
arising…. I can tell you this, only myself and one other employee read all
those, understood those, and applied those expectations. Everyone else behind the scenes voiced they
rarely read the emails, didn’t know why there was so many of them, and it was
hard to read the emails because they were so long and staff wondered when were
they going to have to time to go through it when there was so many other things
required of staff in a day. I suspect
this often happens in many work places where these sorts of emails happen
regularly: no one has time to read all of them, it feels overwhelming, it feels
like someone is constantly badgering them, and that the employer is micromanaging,
and - as a few fellow employees once said - possibly enjoying the sound of
their own voice in print on a screen.
One coworker suggested that the employer start their own blog as that’s
the feeling the emails gave off in the way they were written. That suggestion makes me laugh as I write for
my own blog. I can see how it saves
time, money, meetings and scheduling and planning everyone’s personal lives
around those, I do. But what if it’s not
effective?... Does the emailing continue?...
There! That’s my
thoughts on the matter! Have a good day everyone!
