Three Obstacles to a Good Outcome
Mary Rogers just got fired and is trying to figure out why.
No specific reason was given, only that they were cutting back on staff due to having to tighten their belts …along with a vague statement about her position not turning out to be as relevant as they thought it would be.
Hmm…interesting, she thought. ‘Joanna Styles who works in her area is still there and her pay grade is higher than mine.’ This left her wondering what was really going on with regard to her position and the good job she thought she was doing. Then she started to wonder…was it really a ‘good job’ or just ‘adequate.’
This situation can be disconcerting to anyone who has been through it and there’s a long list of reasons people give for why this can happen to someone who seems to be doing a good job.
Among the many reasons given – some are surface – and others are very valid in their own right…such as ‘lack of training’, which probably heads the top of the list. But this teaching moment is not about the need for more effective training in the work place, it’s about something even more basic. Something that underpins all of the obvious reasons, and gets to the heart of why things don’t lead to a good outcome, or the results anticipated.
And this ‘something’ is often not recognized at first glance as it resembles those things that are said to be ‘hiding in plain sight.’ We see them…but we don’t really see them. Meaning we only see the surface but don’t look closely enough to see the underpinning of what’s wrong.
The real reasons are usually connected to just three words: Understanding, Intention and Communication. While simple on the surface, these three words pack a wallop when it comes to effective outcomes that managers and CEO’s love!
If you’ve ever been a boss or manager and asked someone to do something and just assumed it would be done, but discovered later it wasn’t, you know how the word assumption can play into things like deadlines, due dates, targets, agreements – large or small.
Yes, if someone has been hired and trained, we should be able to assume that they know their job and care enough to do the best job possible. But even while voicing that they care, and being capable of doing the job …it may still be possible to fail.
Targets, deadlines
Interestingly enough, it is often the smaller targets being missed that can undermine a company’s goals from being achieved. Some may reason that these are just smaller administrative details that aren’t powerful enough (in and of themselves) to make or break a company, so what’s the big deal…
‘So I missed my target this month, I’ve still got lots of time to make my six month bonus” they rationalize. And this is true if he or she discovers why they missed their monthly target – and adjusts their activities to handle the reasons found.
A very large company can absorb mistakes, and even a lack of production among certain staff for a much longer period of time before the home office notices a statistic plunging downward. In a smaller operation however, those missed deadlines can make the difference between a good week and bad week in terms of product delivery and monthly income. This is not only hard on the CEO but can mean no bonuses that month or future raises possible.
As the cumulative actions – good or bad – show up quickly in a smaller operation.
If you’ve been trying figure out how understanding, communication and intention apply to the above, below is the scoop, as these tie into almost every area of an organization, large or small.
Understanding
Understanding in a business means that you understand anything written or spoken connected to your job from anyone on your team or those connected to the business. And that if you don’t understand a memo or task given that you find out what you missed or what a manager meant when he said ‘please do X,Y and Z .’ For clarification can save you!
It also means understanding your job training, your companies mission or purpose, and any company policies that hold the team together and ensure that only quality products are delivered to its clients.
Understanding any job training material at the beginning can make a big difference. For studies have shown that words or technical terms not understood can leave blank spots in the persons mind regarding parts of the job. And these blank spots can cause them to back-off from wanting to learn those areas of the job, as they represent areas of non-comprehension, which can lower their ability to face new challenges or perform as needed.
Non-comprehension can even lead to a fear of being promoted as he or she knows the new position means taking on more responsibility and they fear the learning curve might be too high.
So don’t be afraid of tackling any area of the job that’s not totally clear to you by reviewing your training materials to make sure you didn’t miss something, or by asking for definitions if no technical glossary is available. As conquering weak spots – things glossed over – will bolster your confidence once you better understand them. And your future advancement may depend on being able to easily understand your industry’s terminology and how it applies to your job or the company as a whole.
“Clearly written orders, requests, instructions or procedures’ can make the difference between a person comprehending what’s needed or feeling like he or she is operating in the dark.
Those small pockets of confusion about product delivery or administrative systems can create outcomes for the person that are sketchy at best.
Communication
As a comic once said…’people think just because their mouth is open and words come out that they’re communicating…’ What a sharp observation!
Spoiler alert: talking at someone is not the same as talking to someone.
How many times have we said something to someone but we’re not sure if they heard it or cared? How many times have we said something to someone only to have its meaning altered – somehow they didn’t comprehend the message. And how many times have we written an email, or time-related document, only to discover that it was never read, let alone acted on.
This can be disastrous as one’s job can be put at risk if a timely email has not been understood or or acted on.
You may understand a task given but fail to follow thru on it in a timely manner. This can disappoint or annoy a manager if the nature of the task affects his/her job. And the fact that you misunderstood the target date the task was to be done by…doesn’t lesson the managers disappointment.
The basics of communication
A real communication assumes that there is someone there listening and receiving the communication sent, whether verbal or written. If done in person, we can see that there’s a body present…so we assume that this person has heard us and understands what was said.
If we’re speaking on the phone we assume the person is listening to us, and therefore must understand whats said. If the communication is in writing, we assume the document has been received, understood, and will be answered as soon as the person is able to do so.
These are a lot of assumptions; let’s see how they stand up…
What are the basics of communication? The things that make it work.
Imagine a stick figure we’ll call person A. And that she is facing another stick figure we’ll call person B.
A is looking at B and says something to him. Now in order for person B to answer person A – he must not only be there in body, but in mind also. That is to say…he must have his attention on person A, be listening, and be comprehending what is said.
Seems simple enough. But what if person B is distracted, or not really interested in what person A has to say…then what?
Well you know the answer: person B is not going to reply…or if he /she does reply, it will not be appropriate and will show a lack of comprehension of what was said. This is not communication – as there was no one present actually receiving it.
I’m sure you can recall situations where this has occurred in life or at work and how frustrating it was when the information given was important not only to your job but to some one else’s also. For in order to have a true team, communication must be understood by all participants.
Lets say that person B may not be fully listening; may be very busy, or late on making a deadline. Whatever the reason..we just don’t have his or her full attention. Well without their participation…no real communication can take place. The key words being: being present and participating.
The first step to any successful dialog is to make sure the person we’re speaking to is actually there, paying attention and able to receive the communication.
If a boss or manager – observing the best time to speak to them helps, along with finding out what form they like to receive the communication in: such as in writing, after 4pm in person, a text telling them there’s a document waiting for them on email, etc, etc. This shows respect for the managers or owners time, and they will appreciate the consideration. Most companies have systems and ways of doing things that become evident pretty quickly, but it never hurts to ask what the various protocols are.
Another part of successful communication is that of the originator intending to get their communication across to someone. If the communication is weak or doesn’t get the attention of the other person, this can limit the response they get. However, the more present the person is before speaking – and the more they intend to get their point across – the better they will do.
We all have email in today’s world and it has become an important form of communication at work that needs to be understandable and responded to in a timely manner.
If one sends an email that’s unclear, missing pertinent details or is not easy to read, we have less chance of getting the reply we want or being efficient at work. One can inadvertently let a manager down who needs data that affects her job and yours. So be complete, succinct, and stay on top of it, and those you work with will appreciate it.
Instead of letting a backlog build up – create a work schedule that leaves time for office admin – and email is admin – so that you don’t end up having to handle it on your off time. If you practice good email hygiene its much easier to stay on top of.
Besides you never know what gold might be hiding in an email backlog that might be the key to your job success!
Willingness
Willingness will always play into a company’s success whether boss or employee. A willing employee is alert, easily communicates with others, has a good work ethic and respects company protocols and policies.
And you will find that your more willing team mates will always be more engaged in their their work – and that its their very willingness in all areas of the job – that makes them so valuable.
Quality Staff
A good business owner knows that quality staff are not easy to find. And that besides the paycheck, the only other thing that keeps them there is their ‘willingness’ to work. Willingness being one of those bedrock qualities that determine high productivity and longevity. For if you lose their willingness, you end up not only losing their attention, but the employee himself.
A smart CEO knows that there must be willingness on both sides…and will see that the people they hire are trainable, want to understand the job, are solution oriented, are able to work well with others and take pride in their work. For willingness is a two sided coin, where responsibility must be on both sides for effective communication and real productivity to take place.
Intention
The dictionary defines intention as: a purpose, goal, aim or object; a will, wish, or aspiration; that which is intended. And as a verb: “to intend, direct one’s attention to, pay attention to, give heed.”
One can see at once that without intention, communication will not be heard and arrive, or be understood – so ones success is greatly diminished. If one looks at successful people in business or in life, you will note a strong intention or sense of purpose in those who succeed. They look directly at the person and engage in a friendly but direct manner.
Have you ever noticed that when you really wanted something to occur, that your desire to have it happen had the full weight of your intention behind it? That you didn’t just wish it, or hope it ? That when you intended it to happen…it did. You didn’t think about it, you just went into action and it happened.
It’s not about force or pressure. Pure intention has no effort in it.. it’s just a decision that something will occur. Done when one is in a good mood, these moments of pure intention seem to manifest even more easily. It’s simply doing what’s appropriate in that moment and intention it to happen.
Not only does intention help improve your communication at work, but allows you to have a better chance of achieving your true career or business goals in any field.
In order to to have your work goals succeed – you must first intend that short term goals are met, that they are helping the companies goals to succeed also, and that you have a strong desire to turn out quality products in a timely manner. This being done, you will see managers or business owners smiling when they think of you..:) as they know you are someone they can count on.
Time
People get concerned about time, saying they never have enough of it, and sometimes use this as an excuse for not following through on certain tasks. But here again, one’s intention comes into play. Do they really want to finish that project on time or would they rather drag their feet and spend time complaining about it, and then blame someone else if they fail to meet a deadline.
Those who seem to get a lot done, and still have time to enjoy life, are usually the ones who work with strong intention, use their time wisely, and play the game of ‘how much can I actually get done this week, and still make it to the ball game on Friday…’
Yes one can be terribly serious about it all…but the sheer weight one’s seriousness can cause the time line to crash in on you…before you even get started. (More on seriousness in a follow up post.) But needless to say if you’re weighing yourself down with desperation or thoughts of how you’ll never make it...this can turn work into drudgery and make it even harder to get things done in a timely manner.
The one’s who succeed usually make it a kind of game of ‘tasks and time’ – and eventually come to see that they are literally creating more time – simply by completing as many tasks as they can in a certain time period. They challenge themselves to win and usually do.
Time and tasks aren’t a big secret. People usually just have a ‘to do’ list that they intend to complete. And by doing so…lo and behold they find that they end up with ‘extra time’ at the end of the week…:) At root, they know that the ball game is a reward for a job well done, so in order to really enjoy it, they want to have warranted the reward.
Are they actually ‘creating more time’ by completing more tasks? How can this be? Sounds like something out of quantum physics. Is it magical? No, just intention.
What did Buddha, the Enlightened one say about intention?
‘Intention’ shapes our actions and ultimately our destiny.
Understanding, Communication & Intention help you win more and fail less, which leads to you reaching your ultimate goals in life and work.
Barbara Miller