Job Skills Webinar (Session 3) - Problem Solving, Understanding the Big Picture, & Work Ethic

Editor's Notes

• #6: Critical and Analytic Thinking Reasoning Possesses sufficient inductive and deductive reasoning ability to perform job successfully. Critically reviews, analyzes, synthesizes, compares and interprets information. Draws conclusions from relevant and/or missing information. Understands the principles underlying the relationship among facts and applies this understanding when solving problems. Mental agility Identifies connections between issues. Quickly understands, orients to, and learns new assignments. Shifts gears and changes direction when working on multiple projects or issues. Whenever you need to make a decision, you will need to calculate the risk and reward. Now, I happen to be a Capricorn, and we are notoriously risk averse. I always look for the worst case scenario. With risk analysis you will need to calculate costs, time and reputation and then PLAN for contingencies. http://www.ehow.com/how_7913195_use-critical-thinking-skills-work.html 1.Critical thinking skills lead to effective communication. Whether you are an employee or in a management position, you will strongly benefit from being able to express your opinions and arguments clearly helping others take your point of view seriously. 2Solve problems efficiently by using critical thinking, based on facts and data not just by assumptions or intuition. 4Build a team of critical thinkers who will focus on what is best for the company. Meetings and other interactions will operate smoothly and effectively. 5Use critical thinking for self-improvement and personal success. By analyzing your own thinking critically, you will come to see and understand your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you address issues with which you are not comfortable. On Quiz Scenario A: “You are at work in an office building and all of a sudden the printer stops working and you have 100 flyers to print out. What do you do?”  What do you do? Employee Call IT or your supervisor Assess the problem Check for a jam, ink levels, paper level etc. Send the print job to another machine. How could the supervisor help? Check the printer yourself Call a technician Buy a new printer
• #7: Stephen’s son A is guilty Poll Question: Is A guilty or not? A is guilty A is not guilty
• #8: Learning strategies Applies a range of learning techniques to acquire new knowledge and skills. Processes and retains information. Identifies when it is necessary to acquire new knowledge and skills. Application Integrates newly learned knowledge and skills with existing knowledge and skills. Uses newly learned knowledge and skills to complete specific tasks. Uses newly learned knowledge and skills in new or unfamiliar situations. On Quiz Scenario B: “You are currently working in the research and development industry. The company that you work for has just been contracted out to test a new material and process for building roads. Part of the process is to identify sections of existing roads that need to be repaved or repaired based on usage, environmental factors, resources, and budget. What would be your next steps?”  POLL Employee What will the employee need to do? Analyze the problem including traffic flow Create a plan of action, including time and cost Present the plan Be prepared to execute the plan Supervisor Approve the plan and timeline Monitor the activities compared to the timeline Ensure accuracy Conduct review meetings
• #9: Adaptability and Flexibility Employing unique analyses Employs unique analyses and generates new, innovative ideas in complex areas. Integrates seemingly unrelated information to develop creative solutions; develops innovative methods of obtaining or using resources when insufficient resources are available. Entertaining new ideas Open to considering new ways of doing things. Actively seeks out and carefully considers the merits of new approaches to work. Willingly embraces new approaches when appropriate and discards approaches that are no longer working. Dealing with ambiguity Takes effective action when necessary without having to have all the necessary facts in hand. Easily changes gears in response to unpredictable or unexpected events, pressures, situations and job demands. Effectively changes plans, goals, actions or priorities to deal with changing situations. Brainstorming, mind mapping – several approaches to solve or create without judging the ideas until the creative time period ends. Solutions can be found, very often, from one of the ideas being massaged until it fits into the budget or policies of an organization.
• #10: Generating innovative solutions Uses information, knowledge, and beliefs to generate original, innovative solutions to problems. Reframes problems in a different light to find fresh approaches. Entertains wide-ranging possibilities others may miss. Takes advantage of difficult or unusual situations to develop unique approaches and useful solutions. Sometimes know as visionaries, these people See the big picture Has broad knowledge and perspective. Pieces together seemingly unrelated data to identify patterns and trends and to see a bigger picture. Understands the pieces of a system as a whole and appreciates the consequences of actions on other parts of the system. Possesses a big-picture view of the situation. I love this chart as a definition of creative thinking – POLL Which one are you? Critical Creative
• #11: Detecting errors Detects and corrects errors, even under time pressure; notices errors or inconsistencies. Forwards or processes forms in a timely and accurate manner. Completing forms Selects and completes appropriate forms quickly and completely; attends to and follows through on important information in paperwork. Expedites forms, orders or advances that require immediate attention. Obtaining information Obtains appropriate information, signatures and approvals promptly. Verifies that all information is present and accurate before forwarding materials. Maintaining logs Keeps logs, records and files that are up-to-date and readily accessible. Updates logs, files and records, noting important changes in status. POLL Which of these jobs depend upon these skills? Police Truck drivers Nurse Waitress Warehouse Supervisor Animal Breeders Billing & Account Clerks
• #12: Identifying/Understanding Anticipates or recognizes the existence of a problem. Identifies the true nature of the problem by analyzing its component parts. Differentiate among types of problems (technical, human relations, ethical). Uses all available reference systems to locate and obtain information relevant to the problem. Recalls previously learned information that is relevant to the problem. Construct a Plan to Solve the Problem Effectively uses both internal resources (e.g., internal computer networks, company filing systems) and external resources (e.g., internet search engines) to locate and gather information. Examines information obtained for relevance and completeness. Recognizes important gaps in existing information and takes steps to eliminate those gaps; organizes/reorganizes information as appropriate to gain a better understanding of the problem. Integrates previously learned and externally obtained information to generate a variety of high-quality alternative approaches to the problem. Skillfully uses logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses, the costs and benefits, and the short- and long-term consequences of different approaches. Decisively chooses the best solution after contemplating available approaches to the problem. Makes difficult decisions even in highly ambiguous or ill-defined situations. Quickly chooses an effective solution without assistance when appropriate.  Execute the Plan Commits to a solution in a timely manner, and develops a realistic approach for implementing the chosen solution; observes and evaluates the outcomes of implementing the solution to assess the need for alternative approaches and to identify lessons learned.  Evaluate results Test solutions or decisions to determine effects or to identify related problems. This all boils down to how well can you solve the puzzle. To help you solve your problems, do you need a flow chart with an if this then that process? Maybe there are other tools that might come to your aid in solving problems. One of the links we recommend is: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TMC.htm#list A good manager or team leader will have plans in place for many situations that call for reactive decision-making, recognizing that there will not be time to assess and weigh the risks, consequences and necessary outcomes when a crisis occurs. Many companies plan in advance with a crisis management plan – who speaks, about what, how soon, on what medias. Everything is spelled out so that the actual details can just be filled in at the moment.
• #13: Arranging Makes arrangements (e.g. for traveling, meetings) that fulfill all requirements as efficiently and economically as possible; handles all aspects of arrangements thoroughly and completely with little or no supervision. Informing Responds to the schedules of others affected by arrangements. Informs others of arrangements, giving them complete, accurate and timely information. Ensures that others receive needed materials in time. Verifying Takes steps to verify all arrangements. Recognizes problems, generates effective alternatives, and takes corrective action.  Coordinating in distributed environments Coordinates schedules of colleagues, co-workers, and clients in regional locations (i.e., across time zones) to ensure that inconvenience is minimized and productivity is enhanced. Leverages technology (e.g., internet, teleconference) to facilitate information sharing in distributed work environments. Takes advantage of team member availability throughout business hours in multiple time zones to enhance productivity. Shift work Effectively coordinates the transition of employees at the beginning and end of each work shift. Disseminates crucial information in an organized manner to rapidly bring employees up to speed at the start of their shifts. Ensures that employees are updated on work completed on past shifts and work that still needs to be completed. What comes to mind here is a retail store during the holiday season. If someone is not coordinating shipments of product, scheduling staff to man the registers and put stock on the shelves, have extra people on call to fill in, and ensure that the store is in repair for the opening the next day, the store would not have a successful season. Nurses have to report to the next shift what is going on from the previous shift. What would happen if you were supposed to have a phone conference with staff in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and all you put was 11:30? Do you think that everyone would be on the call at the same time. What becomes the most important – takes priority over other things? http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_92.htm Prioritization based on project value or profitability is probably the most commonly-used and rational basis for prioritization. Whether this is based on a subjective guess at value or a sophisticated financial evaluation, it often gives the most efficient results. Time constraints are important where other people are depending on you to complete a task, and particularly where this task is on the critical path of an important project. Here, a small amount of your own effort can go a very long way. And it's a brave (and maybe foolish) person who resists his or her boss's pressure to complete a task, when that pressure is reasonable and legitimate. Stephen Covey came up with the quadrants of importance. If you can work in quadrant 2 life is easy. But quite often we live in quadrant 1 where things are urgent and important.
• #14: Technical Skills Employ information management techniques and strategies in the workplace to assist in decision-making. Employ planning and time management skills and tools to enhance results and complete work tasks. Able to manage overall project loads, which includes research and information fluency but also involves choices and usage of other technology products. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. Apply existing knowledge of digital tools to generate new ideas, products, processes and to process data/results. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues, and identify trends and forecast possibilities. While the list on the screen is related to Information Technology, there are many more jobs that require some form of technical skills than ever before. You many not need to be a IT manager, but being able to use a keyboard and mouse are becoming more prevalent. It could be as simple as knowing how to access the internet on your smartphone.
• #15: The 5 basic management principles are Plan, Organize, Coordinate, Control and Motivate. When you are solving a problem, you need to be able to do all of these things to some degree. On Quiz POLL Which of these are basic management principles? Planning Communicating Organizing Coordinating Controlling Resourcing Motivating
• #16: Identifying resources Continually seeks to identify resources (e.g. staffing, training and monetary resources), both internal and external, that can be useful to unit and assist in work accomplishment. Proactively works to secure additional resources for work unit. Managerial Informing Develops strategic plans for making a wide array of resources available. Ensures that knowledge of those resources is spread throughout organization.  Monitoring Develops strategic plans to anticipate future resource needs, and accurately identifies, tracks and prioritizes existing resource needs. Monitors resource availability and makes contingency plans to ensure the availability of adequate resources in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Creating efficiencies Consistently seeks to perform work unit tasks in a cost efficient manner. Identifies ways to produce the same level and quality of work while utilizing fewer resources; creates an organizational climate in which cost effectiveness is valued and rewarded. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_88.htm Are the tasks you work on during the day the ones with the highest priority? Do you find yourself completing tasks at the last minute? Do you set aside time for planning and scheduling? How often do you find yourself dealing with interruptions? Do you leave contingency time in your schedule to deal with "the unexpected"? Do you know whether the tasks you are working on are high, medium, or low value? When you are given a new assignment, do you analyze it for importance and prioritize it accordingly? Do you find you have to take work home, in order to get it done? Do you regularly confirm your priorities with your boss? Raise your hand – could you use a few extra hours each day or week? I’ve thought 28 hours in a day might be useful or an extra day in the week. If I lose time to an unexpected incident, it can really throw off my timing. Time management is an essential skill that helps you keep your work under control, at the same time that it helps you keep stress to a minimum. We would all love to have an extra couple of hours in every day. Seeing as that is impossible, we need to work smarter on things that have the highest priority, and then creating a schedule that reflects our work and personal priorities. With this in place, we can work in a focused and effective way, and really start achieving those goals, dreams and ambitions we care so much about. So will being more efficient with your time, be the ace up your sleeve?
• #17: Gathering information Studies all relevant budget material and anticipates future needs by gathering data on forthcoming plans. Ensures that budget proposals incorporate all elements. Translates organizational objectives, priorities, and analysis of current resources into accurate budget proposals. Preparing Prepares highly accurate and precise estimates of costs. Obtains the most recent cost estimates from vendors or catalogs. Ensuring accuracy Recognizes and corrects misstatements or errors of omission in budget proposals. Effectively consolidates budget requests and proposals of multiple units. Ensuring completeness Prepares budget justifications and proposals that reflect the needs of the office; submits proposals that are thorough and accurate, and that receive management acceptance with little or no questioning. Http://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/budgetingforcompanies.asp#axzz1Q859hFhX Nearly everyone uses budgets in some form. From the household budget to the multi-billion dollar budgets used in some corporations, budgets are a pretty universal tool.  Anticipating contingencies, having a buffer of funds, forecasting sales are all part of budgeting. Many of us are used to static budgets – income minus expenses. Budgets allow you to measure whether you are doing well or not. They are a guideline, but are completely flexible. http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/how-to-evaludate-your-financial-position.html understanding how healthy your company is financially takes more than just logging in to your online bank account and checking balances. And that's where most entrepreneurs get turned off.  One way to check the financial health of your business is to calculate the following: Cash in Bank / Monthly Expenses = Number of Months Until Bankruptcy it is very possible for a business doing $1 million a year in revenue to double sales and go bankrupt in the process. So you need to be aware of income and output to be able to make proper decisions around your department or company. If you need some tips to make a budget for your organization, check this link http://www.ehow.com/how_4464789_make-budget-organization.html
• #18: Planning Effectively engages in staff planning and helps to ensure that work unit is appropriately staffed to accomplish its goals. Anticipates obstacles to staff planning, such as shifting economic and political climates, and makes appropriate contingency plans for these possibilities. Identifying required skills Accurately and comprehensively identifies candidate skills needed to perform in vacant positions. Assessing qualifications Assesses candidate qualifications thoroughly and accurately, recognizing and hiring /promoting those who possess the skills needed to fulfill vacant positions. Do you have the right person doing the right job at the right time? Do you need to hire people? http://humanresources.about.com/od/recruiting/a/recruitingtips.htm Improve your candidate pool – the best candidates may be working for someone else. When I worked retail, a good candidate was someone who shopped in your store- they knew the product and liked it. Hire the sure thing – someone who has done what you need in a similar setting Look In-house first – current staff may appreciate a lateral move or a promotion. Be known as a great employer – work-life balance Involve your employees in the hiring process – who can make recommendations – people don’t want to be embarrassed by recommending a poor candidate. Pay Better than your competition – you get what you pay for. Sometimes it isn’t about money, but benefits Use your benefits to your advantage in recruiting – are the benefits better than industry standard Hire the smartest person you can find – hire for strengths, don’t expect to develop weak areas of performance, habits or talent. Build upon what is great. Use your web site for recruiting – let your website share your vision, mission, and values, goals and products. People do research on companies these days to see if the culture is a good fit for them as well as you look to see if the person is a good fit for your company. Check References when recruiting – AND background checks. In the litigious society in which we live you need to pursue every avenue to assure that the people you hire can do the job, contribute to your growth and development, and have no past transgressions which might endanger your current workforce. 
• #19: Identifying performance criteria Identifies work-related performance criteria that need to be measured for individual and team performance, and determines a means of measuring these criteria. Measuring progress Measures progress against timelines set for performance of tasks. Asks questions of subordinates and team members to check for problems in work processes. Encourages subordinates and team members to report problems and mistakes by creating a non-threatening environment for discussion of problems. Reviewing work Conducts frequent progress review meetings with subordinates and team members to discuss progress and any barriers to progress. Conducts after-reviews upon task completion to identify lessons learned and generate ideas for more effective task completion in the future.  Soliciting feedback Solicits feedback from multiple sources during and following task completion to ensure employee tasks are performed correctly, and to learn how employee and team performance can be improved. Conscientiously monitors downstream consequences of work to ensure tasks are completed correctly and have intended consequences. Remember that if you are soliciting feedback, give the guidelines to what type of feedback you want – big picture or small details. Employee reviews come into the mix here. Once an annual ritual, performance appraisal has become a continuous process by which an employee’s understanding of a company’s goals and his or her progress toward contributing to them are measured. Performance measurement is an ongoing activity for all managers and their subordinates. http://www.hrworld.com/features/16-ways-measure-performance-021908/ There are many factors that could be evaluated, here are a few of them: 1. Quantity: The number of units produced, processed or sold is a good objective indicator of performance. 2. Quality: The percentage of work output that must be redone or is rejected is one such indicator. 3. Timeliness: How fast work is performed – could be measured in downtime or units or dollars per hour.  4. Absenteeism/Tardiness: Other employees’ performance may be adversely impacted by absences, too.6. Creativity: It can be difficult to quantify creativity as a performance indicator, but in many white-collar jobs, it is vitally important. ((I kept a portfolio of projects I completed))7. Adherence to Policy: Deviations from policy indicate an employee whose performance goals are not well aligned with those of the company.9. Personal Appearance/Grooming: Most people know how to dress for work, but in many organizations, there is at least one employee who needs to be told. Are you following the dress code? Here are some of the ways in which performance is assessed from the aforementioned indicators.10. Manager , Self, Peer, or Team Appraisals or an Assessment Center: The employee is appraised by professional assessors who may evaluate simulated or actual work activities. Objectivity is one advantage of assessment centers, which produce reviews that are not clouded by personal relationships with employees. ON Quiz What are some ways to measure progress? Ask if there is anything with which the employee needs help Compare planned to actual Weekly status reports Employ a timeline with deliverables Informal communications with team members Monitor issues and questions that come up Track costs and expenses 
• #20: Will you be able to showcase how you meet these criteria with an employer through your actions or examples?
• #22: Situational Awareness - Understands the organization’s mission and functions. Recognizes one’s role in the functioning of the company and understands the potential impact one’s own performance can have on the success of the organization. Grasps the potential impact of the company’s well-being on employees. Identifies how the company functions within the broad world of business, industry, and service. Understands the necessity and benefits/disadvantage of organizational change. Policy & Procedures - Understands the rationale behind organizational policies and procedures. Follows rules and procedures. Reads all directions before starting. Can break down instructions and prioritize implementation. Checks for clarification when directions are unclear. Appreciates relevance of procedures to performance and contributes suggestions for new/better procedures. Business Ethics - Demonstrates respect for coworkers, colleagues, and customers. Acts in the best interest of the company, the community, and the environment. Complies with applicable laws and rules governing work and reports loss, waste, or theft or company property to appropriate personnel. Market Knowledge - Understands basic economic concepts. Understands market trends in the industry and the company’s position in the market. Knows who the company’s primary competitors are, and stays current on organizational strategies to maintain competitiveness. Maintain Quality - Implement quality control systems and practices to ensure quality products and services. On Quiz Scenario A: “You have just started working in an office building and you share your work space with two other people. One day, after-hours when it’s just you and one other co-worker, you see him taking office supplies. He sees you and asks if you want some too; what is your response?”  POLL What would you do? Employee He must know something I don’t, “Sure” You kind of want to say “yes” but know you shouldn’t, so you say nothing. Just say “NO” Tell the co-worker, he shouldn’t be taking any either. What would you do? Manager Look the other way. Warn or suspend the employee Call the police.
• #23: http://www.brighthub.com/office/entrepreneurs/articles/62627.aspx Companies that have made a commitment to behaving in a socially responsible manner know that committing to ethical behavior is not only the right thing to do – it's also good business. To answer the question of why business ethics are important, you must understand what the phrase "business ethics" really means. At the most basic level, business ethics are nothing more than the code of values and principles that govern the actions of a person, or a group of people, regarding what is right versus what is wrong. A person's sense of ethics has an impact on the type of conduct the individual will exhibit. When people are able to tell the difference between right and wrong and they choose to do what is right, then they are acting in an ethical manner. Business ethics aren't just about the difference between right and wrong; they are the actual application of that knowledge to business. Why Are Business Ethics Important? While many businesses have codes of ethics, the words written in a formal code are valuable only if their intent is reflected in the actions of the people who represent the organization. A business cannot be any more – or less – ethical than the people who run it and who work for it. Within a company, people take their cues regarding the behaviors that are acceptable based on how they see the company's leaders acting and the behaviors that they see being rewarded in their peers. Businesses that are managed by leaders who conduct themselves in an ethical manner and who reward employees for doing what is right are much more likely to be characterized by a positive ethical culture. http://www.ehow.com/how_7733543_understand-business-ethics.html 1.Consider why you should be ethical. Sometimes it's easier and more lucrative to act unethically in business. So why act ethically? For the same reasons you stop at red lights when driving, even when no one else seems to be on the road. Following the rules makes doing business safer for everyone, including yourself. However, often being ethical goes beyond established rules and laws. 2Learn the ethics "rules of the road." While it is true that some of ethics are grey areas and several philosophies prescribe different solutions to ethical problems, there are some basic ethical ideas. Some of these ideas include not hurting anyone (physically or emotionally), telling the truth, acting fairly, contributing to society and refraining from prejudice. 3Practice ethical actions. Often, the best way to understand an idea is to put into action. This is especially true in the case of ethics. Actions can be unethical, neutral or ethical and it's best to stick to neutral and ethical actions. Before you take a business action, consider if the action is ethical. Thinking through the consequences of actions is the hallmark of an ethical businessperson. 4Find out the origin of mistakes in business ethics. Ethics is not the "good people" versus the "bad people", it's ethical actions versus unethical actions. To understand ethics, you must understand what causes people to take unethical actions. It's true that some people act unethically for both personal gain and because they don't care about the impact of their actions. However, more often unethical actions come from employees who are confused, fatigued or stressed. 5Make an ethics management plan. Ethics management planning helps reduce the number of ethics issues that result from being ill-informed or under pressure. The plan could be as simple as spending a few hours a day reviewing your decisions or as complex as a formal code of ethics. What's important is having a plan in place that helps you understand complex ethics issues as they arise.
• #24: Customer Focus Understanding the customer needs - Demonstrates a desire to understand customer needs. Listens to what customers are saying and asks questions as appropriate. Demonstrates awareness of client goals. Providing Personalized Service - Provides prompt, efficient and personalized assistance to meet the requirements, requests, and concerns of customers. Provides thorough, accurate information to answer customers’ questions and inform them of commitment times or performance guarantees. Actively looks for ways to help customers by identifying and proposing appropriate solutions and/or services. Establishes boundaries as appropriate for unreasonable customer demands. Acting Professionally - Is pleasant, courteous and professional when dealing with internal or external customers. Develops constructive and cooperative working relationships with customers, and displays a good-natured, cooperative attitude. Is calm and empathetic when dealing with hostile customers. Keeping Customers Informed - Follows up with customers during projects and following project completion. Keeps clients up to date about decisions that affect them. Seeks the comments, criticisms and involvement of customers. Adjusts services based on customer feedback. CUSTOMER SERVICE - Many people think that customer service is what happens in situations where you are purchasing something or have a contract with someone like your phone service or a waiter/waitress in a restaurant, or the salesperson in a retail location. But customer service is inherent in almost any job that a person could have. Customers are the lifeblood of a business, winning new customers is important, but retaining customers is even more important.  Customer service and quality products are the two factors to retention.  If a product has a quality control issue, it is the customer service that can help rectify the situation.  There is too much competition in today's marketplace to not be concerned with customer service. External Customers –In the days preceding social media, customer service was how you gained and maintained your customer base.  If a customer was treated well they may tell two people.  If they were treated poorly, they told ten people.  With the expansion of social media, the numbers of people who are being informed of the customer service of a particular organization can reach into the thousands and millions.  For example the case of the guitar player who had his expensive guitar banged up and a particular airline only wanted to reimburse him with the standard luggage rates.  After a posting by the musician on YouTube, and over 8 million views later, the airline conceded to paying the full cost of the guitar. There are different kinds of customers.  Some want to be left alone, others want to know that you are close by if they need you, some want to be directed, others want you to take them by the hand and guide them through the entire purchasing experience.  Knowing the difference between those types of customers and employing the proper techniques for each of them is a skill.  Being able to determine expectations that a customer has is key to winning the sale and possibly a devoted customer.  BUT if you make the wrong choice, say the wrong thing, aren't available or don't respond in a timely fashion, you could alienate the customer and potentially end up with bad press on YouTube, Twitter or Facebook. Internal Customer Service – you may not work for a company that deals with sales or service, or you may not work in a department that deals with anyone outside your company.  A good example of this is the benefits division of a human resources department, the IT department for a call center, or the vehicle mechanics for a delivery company.  You have customers - the other employees of your company.  You still need to employ the same techniques to keep your customers happy.  The key components here are cooperation, coordination, and teamwork.  Again, active listening can help if you need to be "cross-trained" in other areas of your company.  Sometimes good customer service is nothing more than knowing who to call to obtain an answer or knowing what the responsibilities of another division of your company are. In general, no one likes to feel neglected or an inconvenience if they need to ask for something.  Be proactive with your outreach in your customer service and you will win them every time. Scenario B: “You are working as a Biofuels Processing Technician, it is your job to calculate, measure, load, mix, and process refined feedstock with additives in fermentation and monitor the production process. You just found out that new tax credits will be given to those who use biofuels in their machinery. This means there will be more demand for your product (fuel). Why is that important for company employees to know?”  POLL It’s important because – (Employee) Customer Needs Company resources Work routine may change Time to train new staff It’s important because – (manager) Update or develop a new vision Prepare for future changes Recognize and deal with obstacles Innovative thinking
• #25: Safety, Health, and Environmental Implement personal and jobsite safety rules and regulations to maintain safe and healthful working conditions and environments. Complete work tasks in accordance with employee rights and responsibilities and employers obligations to maintain workplace safety and health. Employ emergency procedures as necessary to provide aid in workplace accidents. Employ knowledge of response techniques to create a disaster and/or emergency response plan. Developing a vision Develops a strategic vision for the future of the organization or unit. Generating excitement Identifies fundamental values and beliefs to guide the organization into the future; generates excitement, enthusiasm and commitment for the vision. Gaining commitment Skillfully gains commitment to make organizational vision a reality; creates a belief that vision can be achieved. Inspiring others Embodies organizational vision and demonstrates conviction in vision in order to inspire others. http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-11-25/the-four-elements-of-an-inspiring-visionbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice Brevity. Google (GOOG) guys Sergey Brin and Larry Page once walked into a venture-capital firm and were able to express their company’s vision in one sentence: "Google provides access to the world’s information in one click." One investor told me that if an entrepreneur cannot articulate his or her vision in 10 words or less, he wouldn’t give that entrepreneur a dime. If your listeners cannot remember your vision, it won’t inspire anyone. Specificity. Inspiring visions rally people to a greater purpose, even if they seem daunting at first. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy outlined a specific vision to conquer space. Not only would America land a man on the moon and "return him safely to earth," he told a joint session of Congress, but America would do so by the last day of the decade. That is a specific goal and a specific timeline. Skeptics ridiculed Kennedy’s plan as nothing but a pipe dream, but the bold, specific vision rallied the nation’s best scientists to make it happen. Consistency. A vision means nothing if your staff doesn’t hear it consistently. When I met Cranium co-founder Richard Tait, he said he left Microsoft (MSFT) and created a board game with a sketch he drew on the back of an airplane napkin. It was a vision to create a board game that gave every player a "chance to shine," as he put it. Tait reminded employees of the vision on a daily basis and used media interviews as opportunities to explain the concept. Though Hasbro (HAS) bought Cranium in January, this vision ("Everyone Shines") remains consistent on Cranium’s packaging, Web site, press releases, presentations, and marketing material. Emotional connection. In order to create an emotional connection with your listener, your vision must be about your listener. In other words, if your vision is all about yourself, it can be specific, concise, and consistent, but fail to touch your customer on an emotional level. Tell me how your product improves my life and you’ll hit a home run.
• #26: Building relationships Seeks opportunities to make contacts and build relationships, including through organizational events, social events, external organizations, and professional activities. Partnering Establishes strong and lasting partnerships with business contacts; proactively seeks ways of increasing business opportunities with contacts. Skillfully influences and negotiates with partners to create opportunities that increase the competitive position of both parties. Leveraging contacts Leverages contacts to obtain information relevant to the health and continued growth of the organization, including enhanced perspectives and feedback on organizational performance. Make an effort to add successful people to your network who achieved in business what you hope to achieve to help maximize business networking opportunities. Learn why they are successful and fine tune your skills by forging a solid business relationship with them.Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_4392956_maximize-business-networking-opportunities.html#ixzz2ZdipYCnC On Quiz How do you network? Chamber groups Career Associations Meet-up Groups LinkedIn Sitting in the stands watching your kids play sports Church Alumni groups
• #27: Establishing objectives Establishes long-range objectives and specifies the strategies and actions necessary to achieve those objectives. Identifies the most probable short and long-term consequences of implementing various strategies. Strategically analyzes the risks, benefits and opportunities of various strategies. Implementing strategies Confidently implements chosen strategies, despite difficulty and resistance from others. Collaborates across organizational units to ensure buy-in and follow-through on strategies. Skillfully obtains commitment from affected parties to transform strategic vision into reality. Capitalizing on alliances Recognizes alliances, either internal or external to the organization, that are complementary and benefit the competitive position of multiple parties. Strategically shifts orientation to capitalize on these alliances. Recognizing and Dealing with Obstacles Comprehensively considers a wide range of problems that could affect the entire work unit. Strategically identifies ways to address or capitalize on these problems. Identifying emerging trends Identifies emerging trends and forms strategic plans to address them. http://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/basics.htm Simply put, strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more and how it's going to get there. Planners also look at the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (an acronym for this activity is SWOT) regarding the organization. Mission statements are brief written descriptions of the purpose of the organization.  Vision statements are usually a compelling description of how the organization will or should operate at some point in the future and of how customers or clients are benefiting from the organization's products and services.  Values statements list the overall priorities in how the organization will operate. Some people focus the values statement on moral values.  Action planning is carefully laying out how the strategic goals will be accomplished and can include tactics, timelines, work plans, budgets, and responsibilities.
• #28: In our segment on Career Development we discussed how having an entrepreneurial spirit can help you advance in your career. Let’s talk about it a bit more. Thinking innovatively Constantly searches for new ways of improving existing processes and doing things more efficiently. Strives to understand what is missing from current product stream, and searches for new ideas for product improvement everywhere; attempts to address product gaps and build the business by creating innovative and unique solutions. Influencing decision makers Knows which organizational leaders to influence to win support for new ideas and skillfully persuades key decision makers to invest appropriate resources to transform new ideas into reality. Woos venture capitalists, and other extra-organizational constituents to seek financial support for new ideas. Encouraging entrepreneurial activity Encourages innovation and entrepreneurial activity in team members. Challenges teams to take calculated risks for innovation, and ensures teams have time to pursue their ideas for new and improved products or processes. Holds regular team meetings to solicit bold new ideas. Championing great ideas Advances and promotes the best ideas, even in the face of organizational resistance. Shields the team from bureaucratic processes that interfere with an innovative climate, and works to change processes that interfere with growth and innovation. Rewarding innovation Recognizes the contributions of those who have enabled positive change, and gives appropriate rewards for extraordinary achievements. http://blog.bayt.com/2014/01/10-ways-to-promote-innovation-at-your-workplace/ You can’t force creativity, but the right setting will put your team in the right frame of mind to find imaginative solutions. Here are six ideas to help cultivate creativity in your company: 1. Give employees a reason to care. The fact is, if people aren’t feeling connected to your company, there’s little incentive for them to be innovative. Make sure your employees are in the loop on your firm’s strategies and challenges, and invite their input. Employees who are involved early on in processes and plans will be motivated to see them through to completion. Their active participation will fuel more ideas than if they learn of initiatives firsthand. 2. Stress the importance of innovation. Ensure all your employees know that you want to hear their ideas. Unless they understand how innovating your business processes can keep your firm competitive, your efforts at encouraging creative thinking risk falling flat. 3. Schedule time for brainstorming. Allocate time for new ideas to emerge. For example, set aside time for brainstorming, hold regular group workshops and arrange team days out. A team involved in a brainstorming session is likely to be more effective than the sum of its parts. You can also place suggestion boxes around the workplace, appeal for new ideas to solve particular problems and always keep your door open to new ideas. 4. Train staff in innovation techniques. Your staff may be able to bounce an idea around, but be unfamiliar with the skills involved in creative problem-solving. You may find training sessions in formal techniques such as lateral thinking and mind-mapping worthwhile. 5. Encourage change. Broadening people’s experiences can be a great way to spark ideas. Short-term job swaps can introduce a fresh perspective to job roles. Encourage people to look at how other businesses do things, even those in other sectors, and consider how they can be adapted or improved. According to the Bayt.com “Innovation in the MENA Workplace” poll, 69% state that their companies keep up-to-date with other organizations in their field and adopt best practices. 6. Challenge the way staff work. Encourage employees to keep looking anew at the way they approach their work. Ask people whether they have considered alternative ways of working and what might be achieved by doing things differently. 78% of respondents in the Bayt.com “Innovation in the MENA Workplace” poll say that new ideas are encouraged and tried out. 7. Be supportive. Respond enthusiastically to all ideas and never make someone offering an idea feel foolish. Give even the most apparently eccentric of ideas a chance to be aired. 8. Tolerate mistakes. A certain amount of risk-taking is inevitable with innovation. Allow people to learn from their mistakes. Never put off the creative flow by penalizing those whose ideas don’t work out. 9. Reward creativity. Be among the 44% of companies that reward their employees’ creativity (according to the Bayt.com “Innovation in the MENA Workplace” poll). Motivate individuals or teams who come up with winning ideas by actively recognizing innovation, for example through an awards scheme. You could even demonstrate your recognition that not all ideas work out by rewarding those who just have a rich flow of suggestions, regardless of whether they are put into action at work. 10. Act on ideas. Remember, innovation is only worthwhile if it results in action. Provide the time and resources to develop and implement those ideas worth acting upon. Failure to do so not only means your firm will fail to benefit from innovation, but flow of ideas may well dry up if employees feel the process is pointless.
• #29: Will you be able to showcase how you meet these criteria with an employer through your actions or examples?
• #31: Scenario A: You are at work in a convenience store and spent your afternoon setting up a very detailed display featuring the item of the month. Later in the day your boss comes in and notices that the wrong item is featured on the display.  In front of you, the boss reprimands your co-worker who he thinks feature the wrong item.  Do you let your co-worker take the blame so you don’t get in trouble or do you step in? POLL What would you do? (work ethic) Turn around and walk away Speak up and tell the boss it was you. Answer: Don't wait, speak up and say that is was you that it was you who set up the wrong display. This shows that you can take responsibility for your own actions. It also shows that you know how to act ethically even when faced with negative consequences. Show that you have integrity because you are being honest instead of taking the easy way out. Learn from this mistake. In the future make sure you double check if you need more information to complete a tasks.  It was good to take initiative but if you are not sure of the requirements for completing the task, get the information before you begin. Part of having good work ethics is being timely, showing up for your obligations, being engaged, acting as part of the team, having a sense of humility, being honest and respectful, taking responsibility, and providing a good service level to internal and external customers. Having a good work ethic is how you do what you do. “Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan” ― Margaret Thatcher People don't understand that when I grew up, I was never the most talented. I was never the biggest. I was never the fastest. I certainly was never the strongest. The only thing I had was my work ethic, and that's been what has gotten me this far. Tiger Woods Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tigerwoods465111.html#mfrMfYXRtQptvcvF.99  Behaving ethically – Abides by a strict code of ethics and behavior. Chooses an ethical course of action and does the right thing, even in the face of opposition. Encourages others to behave accordingly. Acting fairly – Treats others with honesty, fairness and respect. Makes decisions that are objective and reflect the just treatment of others. Taking Responsibility - Takes responsibility for accomplishing work goals within accepted timeframes. Accepts responsibility for one’s decisions and actions and for those of one’s group, team, or department. Attempts to learn from mistakes. Assumes responsibility for actions and decisions. Completes assignments and is concerned with quality of own work and that of peers. Works towards a high standard of performance. Exhibits responsibility such as going to work as assigned and adhering to policies. Some organizations even have a code of ethics that you are required to sign. It could include not taking payment in exchange for granting a contract, not taking gifts of more than $X so that you aren’t giving one person business over another. Another example, your organization just created a new formula or design. The information is being kept confidential to give your organization a commercial advantage over your competitor. Could you be in trouble if you shared any of that information say, on a facebook post to your personal connections? ((((Raise your hand if you think yes))) http://smallbusiness.chron.com/workplace-ethics-behavior-5239.html On Quiz You are at work in a convenience store and spent your afternoon setting up a very detailed display featuring the item of the month. Later in the day your boss comes in and notices that the wrong item is featured on the display.  In front of you, the boss reprimands your co-worker who he thinks feature the wrong item.  Do you let your co-worker take the blame so you don’t get in trouble or do you step in? Turn around and walk away Speak up and tell the boss it was you. Answer: Don't wait, speak up and say that is was you that it was you who set up the wrong display. This shows that you can take responsibility for your own actions. It also shows that you know how to act ethically even when faced with negative consequences. Show that you have integrity because you are being honest instead of taking the easy way out. Learn from this mistake. In the future make sure you double check if you need more information to complete a tasks.  It was good to take initiative but if you are not sure of the requirements for completing the task, get the information before you begin.
• #32: When you asked your parents if you could do something (or your kids asked you), they said NO and you then said But Johnny’s parents are letting him! Did your parents say, Well if Johnny jumped off a cliff would you? Just because someone else is doing something doesn’t mean that it is right. Sometimes by you not saying or doing something, you could be guilty by association. It happens with many aspects of work product. These are two other things to consider. Ethics and Legal Responsibilities - Apply ethical reasoning to a variety of workplace situations in order to make ethical decisions. Interpret and explain written organizational policies and procedures to help employees perform their jobs according to employer rules and expectations. http://workethic.coe.uga.edu/cgi-bin/new_owei/owei.pl take an inventory of work ethics for your occupation. I took the survey and I scored above average for women in the three categories – interpersonal skills, initiative, and being dependable. The results showed that women tended to score higher than men in all three categories. The impact of work ethics falls on individual workers, businesses and the general public. Employees who adhere to a strong work ethic are more likely to work well with others and earn the respect of colleagues. A business that practices unethical behavior, such as a dishonest accounting scandal or unethical discrimination toward workers, can harm its own image if the truth ever comes out, causing the public to lose confidence in the organization or the corporate world in general.Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_7754671_ethics-work.html#ixzz2ZLC3gAya All the time I hear about Seniors being scammed out of their money by unscrupulous services people who talk quickly or gain trust and end up walking away with someone’s life savings. This is unethical. Sometimes discrimination can be unethical. Here is a link to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/index.cfm Digital Citizenship - Understands human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practices legal and ethical behavior. Understands the legal and ethical implications of technologies, applications and research tools within the workplace. Practices safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology. Exhibits attitudes toward using technology that support collaboration, learning, and productivity. http://www.ehow.com/info_8050537_nine-elements-digital-citizenship.html Children and adults should know the right way to use digital tools Digital Access - Digital access refers to our need for full electronic participation in society. Digital Commerce - While the Internet facilitates an efficient, international exchange of goods and services, making Internet purchases commonplace, it also facilitates the exchange of illegal goods. Both legal and illegal exchanges have become commonplace and widely accepted; however, everyone must be educated as to what is and isn't considered an acceptable exchange in the digital economy. Digital Communication - The explosion of digital communication, through email, social networking sites, instant messaging and cellular phones, has made it possible for anyone to be in touch with anyone at any time. While this new-found ease of communication facilitates efficiency and interconnectedness, it serves all of us well to learn how to manage this ability to communicate, not allowing it to intrude on other priorities. Digital Literacy - Technology is playing an increasing role in the workplace and professionals are making use of videoconferencing services, as well as online data sharing spaces, to facilitate efficiency and information exchange. (We are using this technology right now) Digital Etiquette - refers to electronic standards of conduct. Often, technology users hold themselves to different standards when interacting via the Internet, rather than face to face. It is harder to correct someone’s inappropriate behaviors digitally. Digital Law - Digital law comprises the legal ramifications of digital behavior our society has deemed unethical. For example, stealing or causing damage to others' work online is a crime, as is downloading music illegally, using images without paying or giving proper credit, creating viruses and hacking into others' information. All users of digital technology must be aware of the laws governing their behavior. Digital Rights and Responsibilities - All users have a right to free speech. However, users must always be aware of the ramifications of their actions. Digital Health and Wellness - Technology comes with certain risks, including Internet addiction and unproductive use of time. Besides physical injuries, overuse and/or the wrong type of use at work could lead to termination. Digital Security - Anyone using digital technology must protect him or herself from potential harm. Just as we lock our doors and install security systems in our homes, we must protect our digital hardware. Protection comes in the form of firewalls, anti-virus software, data backups and surge control. These safeguards protect against ill intentions, as well as accidental data loss. Also includes forms of Workplace bullying through tools like social media and email. Read more about bullying and watch some recordings here - https://www2.illinoisworknet.com/Pages/Article.aspx?ArticleID=18 An American journalist and author, Hunter S. Thompson said “Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.” That is what work ethic boils down to, “doing something right”. On Quiz Scenario B: You are currently working as a truck driver for a large corporation based in Illinois. You have just returned from a cross country haul when you run into a fellow truck driver from the same company. You stop to talk to him for a few minutes and he mentions that he’s been having trouble staying awake when he’s driving and hasn’t been feeling well lately. You notice that he looks very tired.  He says that he has to start another drive that night. What do you do? POLL What do you do? (work ethic 2) Tell him “Have a safe trip1” Tell him that he shouldn’t be driving in this condition. Suggest he talk to his boss and seek medical treatment before going back on the road. If your co-driver says it isn’t a big deal, let your boss know the situation.
• #33: Will you be able to showcase how you meet these criteria with an employer through your actions or examples?