All productive employees are valuable to the organization. If you haven't fired them, there's a good reason (or there should be a good reason!). Showing an employee they're valuable to your company, though, requires some care. The worst thing you can do is show you really don't care about them.
Accountability is a key element in any arena. It's a popular word to use in politics these days, but so often, it's as meaningless to the Bush administration as it is to many companies. Most people will take personal responsibility, and take accountability as a point of honor. When this happens, usually there isn't much of a problem. When it doesn't happen, there needs to be something to make accountability meaningful.
It's not often you find an employee who really simply does not produce. There are some who are simply in over their head, they've overestimated their abilities, or they've overpromised their schedule. These individuals at least appear to be busy, they have the right goals, they just can't cut the mustard. Then there are those occasional people who you have to wonder what they're thinking. They're not in over their heads, they just can't seem to actually get anything done -- and worse, they seem like they don't want to get anything done.
Been busy with interviews yesterday and again today, so next significant post will likely be tomorrow (Wednesday).
Even my good experiences contain scattered bits of disappointment. I set a longetivity record at Hotelecom, but it wasn't without some headaches, mostly centered around accountability.
Accountability is an absolutely crucial element in business. It's what keeps projects on schedule, or prevents good money being thrown after bad. It's usually fairly easy to figure out who is accountable, and for what, but I've always been surprised at the reluctance some people seem to have to actually either accept accountability, or to enforce it.
My shortest job on record is four days, and no, I wasn't working a contract, either. I was fired, which was great for me, because I would've quit very soon after, and this way, I ended up getting two weeks' severance to boot. What job would be so horrible as that I would be so happy to be fired inside of a week?
While a little whitewashing may be beneficial when dealing with external factors, it is most definitely not appropriate for a group leader working with direct reports. When you enter into a new environment, you need to establish yourself as someone people can rely on, and can look to, for leadership.
Continue reading "Working Top-Down: Leadership, Part Three"... »
Not all of my experiences have been horrible. Several times, I've found myself working for and with some exceedingly bright people, and have seen them really shine.
Continue reading "Working Top-Down: Leadership, Part Two"... »
To give the companies I've worked for a bit more of a memorable naming scheme, I've taken the advice of two people and renamed them -- keeping their order by using the radio phonetic alphabet as part of their name. Thus, "Company E" is now "Echo Communications", while "Company I" is now "India, Inc." Yes, I tried to have some fun with the names.
Should any of the names I came up with actually refer to a real company, be assured, they are definitely not the same company. I've never worked for a company named herein, with the exception of Raytheon (which, since I named in the prologue, I figured I'd leave as-is).
, that I've found particularly useful or inspiring:
