Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited
Return to career-consulting-limited.com
People |
|
|
 |
Knowing and Guessing
The line between average and exceptional work performance is dotted with ordinary day-by-day behaviors. I was reminded of that line recently. My husband was explaining to a nurse how he'd inadvertently taken the last dose of the live typhoid virus on the wrong day and wondered if he needed to retake the sequence prior to our Africa trip. "No," she commented, "I think you'll be fine." We both knew she was guessing. While rolling down my sleeve from the next set of immunizations, a different nurse poked her head into the room. "I overheard your conversation at the desk." she said to Dan. "We've never had that situation, so I thought it best to call the drug manufacturer for advice. Turns out you need to retake the entire dosage." We were grateful she took the extra step. It's not possible to know all the answers to all the questions you'll get tossed in the workplace. But, be willing to say when you don't. That's better than giving out misinformation or guessing at an answer without making it clear it's a guess. People who are winning at working add four words - "but I'll find out." And they do find out and get back to the person. That extra step differentiates their performance in the workplace. Jeff was already in the department when I was hired to manage it. "I don't know" was his typical response when queried beyond the surface status reports of his projects. At first, I expected Jeff to automatically find out the answers to my questions and inform me, his new boss. But he never did. Jeff managed to train me to follow up to his "I don't know," with "please find out and tell me." Jeff worked for me for two years and at the time I moved on, I was still asking him to find out. For Jeff and people like Jeff, "I don't know" is a habitual way to reduce their task list. To them, "I don't know" ends it. What they don't realize is what else it ends in the minds of their bosses, clients or customers. It baffles me that someone thinks saying "I don't know" suffices when it involves their work responsibilities. It baffles me how frequently people offer their best guesses like factual answers. And it baffles me, in my twenty years in management, how surprisingly few people took the small step to find out. Those who did stood out. They went from guessing to knowing. Find out answers and you'll build knowledge that differentiates you. Want to be winning at working? Stop guessing; start knowing. The next time you find yourself venturing a guess on an important answer, pause. Then reframe your response with, "I don't know for sure, but I'll find out for you." Not only will you be adding to your knowledge base, but when you find out and follow up with the person, you'll be building your credibility and crossing an important performance line. (c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved. Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at http://www.winningatworking.com Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor. Visit http://www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com.
MORE RESOURCES: Careers at Givaudan Givaudan Meet Native American Veterans where they live with a VA career VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Careers | Career Opportunities West Virginia University I moved to Alaska after college for a job. I lost all my friends because I put my career first. Business Insider Jobs City of Rochester (.gov) Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University 15 Companies Offering Health Insurance to Part-Time Workers U.S News & World Report Money Careers at FEMA FEMA Physicians are the nation’s top earners – a slideshow Medical Economics Jobs and Training at FDA FDA.gov Jobs at Liberty University Liberty News City of Tampa Careers City of Tampa Job Seekers University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Healthcare Jobs at Novant Health | Novant Health Novant Health Nursing jobs VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Career Opportunities UMHB Statement by Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su on October jobs report US Department of Labor Careers at Union | Human Resources Union College Careers Washington State University Recruiters urge candidates to use AI to apply for jobs Financial Times US employers added just 12,000 jobs last month as hurricanes and strikes sharply reduce payrolls The Associated Press Working for ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Newsroom October 2024 jobs report: How two major hurricanes, labor strike might affect the numbers - NBC News UF Health Careers UF Health - University of Florida Health Work for Us (U.S. National Park Service) National Park Service Careers at Prairie View A&M University Prairie View A&M University Job Search Results UnitedHealth Group UN COMMON CAREERS VCU Health Work With Us National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Career Opportunities Gilead Sciences Careers Medline Reservists (On-Call) FEMA Jobs and internships Bureau of Transportation Statistics Job Opportunities Bellevue School District How to Apply FEMA Careers Micron Careers at Discovery Education Discovery Education Jobs report on eve of election will be among the most muddled in years The Associated Press Careers KPMG Join our team FHI 360 Internship Opportunities | Careers Boston Consulting Group What Trump's election victory means for job seekers Business Insider Careers at Jacobs Jacobs Careers in A&O Shearman Work At Chess.com Chess.com Students and graduates JPMorgan Chase Career Paths FEMA Careers at Balfour Beatty Balfour Beatty Highest-Paying Engineering Careers in 2024 University of North Dakota The secret to career success may well be off to the side The Economist The 16 Best Jobs for Creative & Restless ADHD Brains ADDitude magazine Mental health at work World Health Organization The 10 jobs that landed the biggest pay rises in financial year 2024 The Australian Financial Review Benefits for the whole you Accenture Why Employees Quit HBR.org Daily JobFeed NSW Department of Education Two unis walking the career path alongside graduates The Australian Financial Review How to realize the potential of rising digital jobs World Economic Forum Careers Turner & Townsend Current opportunities Turner & Townsend AI Will Transform the Global Economy. Let’s Make Sure It Benefits Humanity. International Monetary Fund Careers City of Norfolk (.gov) 9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2024 and Beyond HBR.org Daily 8 global issues shaping and driving job creation World Economic Forum Jobs Energy.gov Careers at King County King County More and more jobs can be done from anywhere. What does that mean for workers? World Economic Forum > Careers > Job-listings National Reconnaissance Office Employment Opportunities Unity Health Toronto Jobs Dublin City University Careers City of Somerville Careers UTSA Today Careers at USI University of Southern Indiana Careers with the City of London City of London, Ontario Apply for a Job - The City of Vancouver, WA |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Job Interviews: Six Steps to Acing a Telephone Interview Telephone interviews are becoming more popular these days. Whether that's good or bad depends on how you handle them!Sometimes telephone interviews are used as a pre-screening technique for all candidates. Stripper--Turned--Waitress Cant Leave Former Job Behind She stretches in the break room for 30 minutes before each shift. She glides around the dining room like silk wafting on the breeze. Blogging for Candidates 101: Nuts and Bolts A "blog" is simply an internet (web) log. Blogs are created for personal or professional use. Career Success: Get Ahead of the Crowd Regardless of where you open your briefcase or palm pilot each day - at a large corporation, a small business or the end of your dining room table - the key to staying employable the rest of your life is your own creative action. The person who is going to be successful is not going to succeed just because of good work. Working as a Knowledge Worker in the Information Age The old adages: "It's not what you know, but who you know" and "High Tech, High Touch" could be the mottos of knowledge workers in the 21st Century.Never before in the history of the world has both networking and interpersonal communication been potentially easier, broader, more wide-spread and paradoxically, more difficult. Writing a Resume: To Template or Not To Template? Are free resume templates a viable answer to preparing akiller resume?It's a fact that if your resume doesn't stand out--both interms of content AND appearance-- you'll find it verydifficult to get the job you seek.Hiring managers get hundreds of resumes for every openposition, but usually have time to interview only a handfulof applicants. Unemployment Survival: Taking Back Control One of the most emotionally crippling aspects of unemployment is the sense of powerlessness it engenders. Job layoff triggers financial pressures, emotional distress, family turmoil, and dashed career hopes. Last Year Physician Resident Checklist Here is a last year resident checklist not to forget:LICENSING:Licensing is becoming increasingly complex as identity and medical fraud become more common. Therefore don't wait till the last minute to start the process. How to Conquer Job Hunting Apathy Jack, downsized from his last job, was frozen in a place called Apathy. Had been for months now. Business Experience is YOUR Security Cover Some may want to interpret "independent" to mean WITHOUT others. None of us are truly independent or able to make it in life alone. When All Is Not Well With Work When all is not well with work, what do you do? Do you quickly get frustrated and feel discontent? Do you look at each situation as a tiresome challenge or as an opportunity to learn something new? Have you ever considered looking at work problems from a spiritual point of view?When you look at work from a spiritual perspective, you will see that there are lessons for you to learn. Let's look at a couple of situations that you or someone you know may have encountered. Defining Success Your Way! In my career advising practice, I often find that my clients are not clear about what success means for them. Our society defines success primarily around three elements: power, money and fame. Think Twice Before You Change Jobs You've got the itch to change jobs. This might be a good time to make the move. Getting the Job thats Right for You I'm the type of person that considers a healthy, enjoyable job alot more valuable than a high paying one. This may be as foreign a concept to some people as our society continues to descend into the depths of materialism. The Top Ten Ways to Jump Start Your Career 1. Do What You Love. Online Resume Tips and Secrets I manage a website for corporate flight attendants that features resumes prominently listed on the first page of the site. Unlike some careers, corporate flight attendants must promote themselves overtly in order to find work especially if they are contractors. Nine Ways to Tell Youre Ready for a Promotion So you noticed the new job board posting on your way back from lunch. They finally decided to fill the assistant manager spot in your department! Trouble is, you've only been in your current position for about eight months. The Organized Job Search Many people, under financial or other pressures to find work quickly, feel they can't afford to take the time to get organized. On the other hand, conducting your job search in an organized manner will reduce the amount of time you spend looking for information, following inappropriate leads, or waiting for your dream job to fall into your lap. Love What You Do! "To love what you do and feel that it matters, how on earth could anything be more fun?" --Katherine GrahamI want to share with you a great success story from one of my clients, Susan*, because I am so proud of her. Susan had been working in the computer industry since college (8-10 years) and though she was financially and professionally successful, she felt dissatisfied with her career. Outsmart Other Job Seekers by Showing These 5 Key Strengths Getting an appointment for an interview these days is an accomplishment. It indicates that you have a good resume, and/or that networking has paid off.
|
|
|
| © Career Consulting Limited.com 2011
|