Turning
West for News
A Publication for Friends and
Clients of M. H. West & Co., Inc.
June 1998 |
Message from the President
What have you done for yourself lately? Many of us
would be challenged to find an answer to this question since we are so busy helping
others. Although helping others is like "motherhood and apple pie", each
of us probably could benefit from focusing on our own needs. As I entertained this
idea and the pleasure that it could possibly bring, several thoughts immediately came to
mind. The first was the expression "Give a man a fish, he'll dine for a day,
teach a man how to fish and he'll eat well for the rest of his life". The
second thought I had about how one might begin to do something for himself or herself was
a flashback of the following cartoon on mission statements: Hang in There!
"That's our mission statement? I was expecting something more."
Perhaps you have been entertaining the thought of doing
something for yourself, finding an approach that leads you in a new direction or to
greater heights or simply bringing stability into your life. To start, I suggest
that you first select a quiet place and then once you have found it, think about and write
down the joys and benefits that you gain from RELAXING, REFLECTING, REFUELING AND
REBUILDING.
On the other hand, if you insist on helping others and are
convinced that you do not have enough time to develop that "Plan for your
Future", try the following on an interim basis:
Get up 20 minutes early and use 15 of the 20 minutes to exercise
Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better day
Strive for excellence not perfection
Set priorities in your life
Say "no" more often
Visualize yourself winning
Look up at the stars
Smile
Self-satisfaction and fulfillment are keys to your
continued success in life, at work and at play.
THINKING OUT OF THE BOX
(By Dr. John R. Rothermel)
SQUEAKY CLEAN OR SLIPPERY SLOPES
Ethics is the foundation of our relationships, whether it is in the
family, among good friends, or in a business setting. You can test the ethics of
your organization by a question that is at least four thousand years old: "How
would you feel if.......... .?
In the alternative--Your supervisor had come to
you before the meeting and given you a clear statement of the objections he/she would
voice in the private meeting and had, in fact, voiced just those objections.
We expect to hear, and we should expect to tell, the
truth to people with whom we work.
You obtain an unqualified promise from the data entry unit in
your organization that it can meet your tight deadline on a report and on that basis, you
promise the report to your supervisor two days later. On the evening before the data
is to be entered the data entry unit reschedules your work for a week later leaving your
deadline in shambles?
In the alternative--The data entry unit reports
some problems with meeting its delivery date, but willing employees work overtime to meet
your time line.
We expect our colleagues to honor unqualified
commitments to us as we must honor ours to them.
In the alternative--Jack, seeing you struggling
with a deadline, and even without your asking, offers to give up his lunch and work late
to help you finish your assignment.
We expect that between our colleagues and ourselves
fairness means reciprocal behavior.
You finally have obtained an appointment to explain an idea of
yours to a vice president of the firm, and as you are about to start your explanation a
self-important assistant vice president rushes into the room with a minor problem which he
and the vice president then take up your appointed time to discuss.
In the alternative--The vice president informs his
secretary before your meeting that he wants no interruptions while he listens to your
"very interesting" idea.
We expect people of higher rank to treat us with
dignity as we treat people who work for us with similar dignity.
These four principals along with avoiding unnecessary harm in
critiquing people's work, being ready to forgive other people's interpersonal
transgressions, apologizing to people disadvantaged by erroneous criticism, and being
generous to people in small ways are essential ethical foundations for a positive work
environment.
There are other faces of ethics. In the October 1997 issue of
Workforce, the cover page indicated 50% of your employees are lying,
cheating and stealing. Other statistics in this article included the
following:
56% of workers feel some pressure to act
unethically or illegally on the job.
48% of workers admitted that they had engaged in
one ore more unethical and/or illegal actions such as cutting corners on quality, covering
up incidents, abusing and lying about sick days, deceiving customers, lying to a
supervisor or taking credit for a colleagues ideas.
60% of workers believe ethics and business
practices can mix.
Although there are many organizations who have not felt the
negative impact of unethical behavior on their workforce, there are many approaches that
can be used to assist those organizations which have experienced the ill effects. It
is not necessary for your organization to be damaged from the discomfort and damage from
unethical practices. Call Dr. Rothermel or other M. H. West & Co., Inc.
consultants to assist your company develop a Plan of Action to Promote and Maintain A
Strong Code of Ethics in your business. Correcting ethical problems in your
organization could translate into those dollars you need to compensate your exemplary
employees or develop a new product line.
In summary, allowing unethical behavior to continue is like
allowing a contagious disease to spread...You must examine the underlying causes in order
that they can be treated effectively.
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
There are at least 1001 Ways to Add Humor to Your Life and
Work, says Joel Goodman, and among these are:
A smile is a curve that sets everything straight - Phyllis
Diller
Wit is the sudden marriage of ideas which before their marriage
were not perceived to have any relationship - Mark Twain
A good laugh is a mighty good thing and rather too scare a good
thing - Herman Melville"
There are at least 1003 Practical Ways to Keep Up, Stand
Out and Move Ahead at Work," says Paula Anconia and they are built on principals such
as:
Creating your own definition of success. Steer
your work and career in the direction that fulfills your most and serves your needs best.
Success doesn't have to be rooted in money and status. It can include
flexibility, independence, being respected, doing meaningful and purposeful work, and
affecting others in positive ways. And success can have different meanings at
different times of your life.
Always set goals for yourself. Visualize
where you want to be in your life and career in one year,, three years, five years.
Without goals your life will just happen to you. You can define your future,
starting today. And you can make progress by taking small steps. Your goals
don't have to be grandiose, but they do have to be specific.
If you are having difficulty in getting through all the ways to
laugh and be successful, remember that Calvin Coolidge indicated that "Nothing
in the world can take the place of persistence".
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
(Recently Completed Projects of M. H. West & Co., Inc.)
Evaluation of Transportation Systems of Head
Start Programs nationwide (Phase I).
Workforce Development Seminars on Job Keeping
Skills, Career Evaluation & Interviewing Techniques.
Employee Satisfaction Survey - Nursing home unit
of large Veterans Care Center.
Public Housing Authority - Leadership
Development for Tenants Organization.
Retreat Facilitation - Board of Directors of a
large not-for-profit organization.
Regulatory Compliance/Impact work involving
medical care facilities and related programs.
Preparation of Strategic Plan for not-for-profit
organization.
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