Accountable at Work

The connectedness that is an essential element of a Generation X worker’s life can become a distraction and liability on the job. We all know that unacceptable work behavior can be displayed by any generation as well. As mentioned in an earlier post about Work Ethic, we’re talking about very important basics like showing up on time, and showing up at all.

A simple system for holding workers accountable.

Change the contents of the contract to meet the needs of each workplace. Reducing or eliminating the number of warnings allows for a stricter accountability.

EMPLOYEE CONTRACT
Name:

Date:
I will focus on my job as my top priority when I am scheduled to work.

I will not allow anything to interfere with my job when I am on duty.

I will not socialize with friends beyond five minutes, listen to music on earphones, or play games during work shifts.

If all work has been done, I will straighten the work area or find other work that needs done. If I can’t find anything to do, I will check with a supervisor.

I will be on time when I am scheduled to work. My time sheet will reflect actual time worked.

Being ten to twenty minutes late will result in a warning in my record. Three warnings will result in a ticket in my record. Being late over twenty minutes without calling with an explanation is a violation and will result in a ticket in my record. *

If I am unable to come to work for an important reason, I will call my supervisor as soon as possible. If I need to change my schedule I will provide as much advance notice as possible.

Failing to call when unable to work is a violation and will result in a ticket in my record. Failing to come to work for an unimportant reason is a violation and will result in a ticket in my record.

Important reasons include: illness, school conflicts, death in the family, transportation difficulties, etc.

They do not include: haircuts, shopping, massages, etc.

I will dress appropriately for work. If I am not dressed appropriately I will be asked to go home and change. Not appropriate: low-cut tops or pants, short shorts or skirts, torn or dirty clothing.

Dressing inappropriately three times will result in a ticket in my record.

I understand that helping people comes first, and I will help all customers as soon as possible. I will treat all customers with politeness and respect. I will call a supervisor if I need help.

Failing to help customers promptly and politely will result in a warning in my record. Three warnings will result in a ticket in my record.

I will treat my coworkers with politeness and respect. I will complete tasks or special projects that are assigned to me by any supervisor.

Failure to complete assigned tasks in a reasonable time period will result in a warning in my record. Three warnings will result in a ticket in my record.

*I understand that any supervisor who sees a contract violation may issue a ticket. I will receive a copy and my direct supervisor will receive another copy. These will be a part of my record.

I understand that three ticket violations will result in a week suspension with no pay. Upon return there will be a month probation period.

I understand that four violations will result in the loss of employment.

Signature:

Work Ethic

Dr. Paul White describes the characteristics of a “good worker” in “What is a “Good Work Ethic” Really?” In “Teaching Young People to Work,” he says that business owners are looking for someone who will: (a) show up (that is, they actually come to work); (b) show up on time; and (c) listen to and follow instructions. A pretty low level of expectation.

Indeed. We need to move beyond these very basic standards to develop excellent work skills.

A person with a good work ethic:

• Understands the value of hard work
• Is commited to putting forth their best effort at whatever they do
• Performs above and beyond the expected
• Takes pride in providing an honest day’s work
• Achieves a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment from a job well done
• Believes that work has an important role in the development of character
• Believes that independence is a basic element of self-respect
• Understands the joy of learning

Explore more at The Work Ethic Site

Discovery of the Day

Most Popular Articles of 2006 at Harvard Business School Working Knowledge.

Quiet Leadership

Booknotes on “Quiet Leadership” by David Rock.

Pathways in our brains are formed as connections are made through our experiences. Attempts to change those pathways are difficult and often ineffective. A more effective way to improve performance is to create new connections. The best way to learn is to make connections yourself. To form new connections, focus on thinking and solutions. When new connections are made, we are excited by the possibilities in the aha moment. Grab onto that energy and follow-up with concrete ideas for actions.

If your advice is sought to solve problems, ask others questions about their thinking to help them come up with solutions.

• How important is this to you?
• How often have you been thinking about this?
• How do you feel about your thoughts on this?
• Do you know what you need to do?
• What are the possibilities?
• What actions can you take?
• What have you learned?

Listen to the 800-CEO-READ podcast interview with the author. For some reason, these podcasts sound like Mickey Mouse on my computer, but maybe they’ll work for you!

Unforgettable Customer Service

When our three-hole punch at work stopped punching effectively (meaning it took super-human strength applied to a single sheet of paper for it to make a few holes) I took it for a trip to our local office supply store. I enquired whether it would be cost-effective to replace the three cutter pieces, or if it would be better to simply buy a new three-hole punch. Jerry gave me the answer. However, he also did something else. He took it to the back and applied WD-40, and made that three-hole punch good as new. Total sale=zero, customer satisfaction=priceless. That’s not the kind of customer service you forget. And when we needed a new stapler, I went back and got not just your standard stapler, but a new kind that cost a few bucks more. Okay, admittedly I’m a sucker for a new gadget, but I still think service like that ultimately leads to more sales. For those who want to know the answer: it costs less to replace the whole hole punch than to replace three cutters.

Leadership Skills

I’m sure these Notes on Leadership Skills are based on something I read, unfortunately I neglected to write down the source. If anyone recognizes it, please let me know!

SKILLS	Take responsibility	Elicit cooperation	Listen	Other’s needs
Learning	1	2	3	4
Physical	5	6	7	8
Financial	9	10	11	12
Social	13	14	15	16

1. LEARNING-RESPONSIBILITY

Ability to: take on extra projects, self-motivated learning

2. LEARNING-COOPERATION

Ask for help, thank for help

3. LEARNING-LISTENING

Give full attention

4. LEARNING-OTHER’S NEEDS

Assist others who need help with learning

5. PHYSICAL-RESPONSIBILITY

Practice, improve, self-discipline

6. PHYSICAL-COOPERATION

Ask for help, thank for help

7. PHYSICAL-LISTEN

Accept advice and act on it

8. PHYSICAL-OTHER’S NEEDS

Assist others who need help

9. FINANCIAL-RESPONSIBILITY

Manage money, balance budget

10. FINANCIAL-COOPERATION

Ask for assistance, thank for help

11.FINANCIAL-LISTENING

Be aware of needs and respond to them

12. FINANCIAL-OTHER’S NEEDS

Assist others who need help, contribute to charity

13. SOCIAL-RESPONSIBILITY

Take initiative, make plans, respect others

14. SOCIAL-COOPERATION

Organize teamwork

15. SOCIAL-LISTEN

Communicate well, pay attention

16. SOCIAL-OTHER’S NEEDS

Help others, volunteer

Free Articles at Informit

I happened across a four part article “What It Takes to Be a Good Leader” by Ken Blanchard, based on the book “The Leader Within.” It’s one of the “most popular” articles at Informit.com. There are also a number of articles here written by Richard Templar, author of “The Rules of Life” and “The Rules of Work.”

Listening Skills

“Studies show that we’re distracted or preoccupied during about 75 percent of our conversations.”

Have you really been listening lately? Increase your listening skills with these 7 Listening Techniques. Stop, Listen and Learn is the other half of the article by Robin Westen at Family Circle.

Who Are You? Part Two of Discover U

Each day start with writing the topic of the day on top of a new sheet as you continue the journey of self-discovery. In part one you discovered your heroes. Today you will explore your strengths. SWOT analysis is a planning tool to clarify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Think about what you are good at and list your top five strengths. Then think about what you would like to work on and list five areas to develop. Consider what opportunities there are that could most help you and possible threats that could stop you.

Quintessential Careers has an example SWOT analysis with some ideas to think about. You can use the power of your subconcious by posing the question “What are my strengths?” It can be effective to do this before you sleep and allow your mind to come up with the answers. Be prepared with paper and pencil beside your bed to capture these thoughts when they arrive!

Make a plan for growth for each area you want to develop. The book “The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz has ideas for developing four sources of energy: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. In the same way we can develop physical strength with exercise, we can develop strength in all areas. There’s a neat book called “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise” by Andrea Rains Waggener that outlines plans to develop 52 personal qualities.

Coming up: In part three, explore your skills.

Top ten blogs on time management

Updated 8/15/2006

I’m revising my list to reflect new sites I’ve discovered. And if you count, there may be more than ten! I’m going to work on a new separate list for life management and change the title of this one to only time management.

There are many great sites dedicated to exploring ways to use time well. Here are my top favorites. For these and more, go to my del.icio.us bookmarks list.

• Lifehack — Daily digest and pointers on productivity, getting things done and lifehacks. Keep an eye on what Chris Brogan is up to-he’s an incredibly creative guy who writes regularly at Lifehack.org among other things
• DIYPlanner-Paper, productivity and passion
• David Seah-the Printable CEO
• 43Folders-about personal productivity, life hacks, and simple ways to make your life a little better
• Matt’s Idea Blog-Original thoughts on productivity, personal information management, creativity, journaling, personal digital storage for life, and leveraging technology for citizenship.
• Black Belt Productivity-Encouraging higher levels of productivity through the use of Getting Things Done.
• LifeDev-new. interesting.
• Make It Great!-Lifehacks from Phil Gerbyshak
• Productivity Goal, which is “a discussion about work productivity, time management organization, tools and tips.”
• Productivity Pro-Helping people leave the office earlier, with less stress, and more to show for it!
• What’s the Next Action? (”A weblog about Getting Things Done”) — “This weblog deals with everything GTD and the five phases of project planning as written by Dave Allen in his book “Getting Things Done”.
• Open Loops (”Because it’s your time.”) — A weblog about efficiency and productivity.