| Workplace Success Myths & Tips | March 2011 |
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Dear (Contact First Name),
No blarney here--we want you to know the truth about essential workplace behaviors! And with a little bit of Irish luck, we hope this knowledge empowers people to choose behaviors that will accelerate their success.
The REACH framework for workplace success is easy to remember and easy to apply. Use it to coach employees or as a lens to reflect on your own behavior -- the goal is to improve your "essentialness." Over the past year we have revealed to you the REACH framework:
R is for RESULTS
E is for ENTHUSIASM
A is for ATTITUDE
C is for COOPERATION
H is for HONOR
This month's issue provides tips for the fifth behavior of the REACH framework for Essential Employees--Honor. Enjoy! Share this information with your friends, colleagues, and family. |
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Having Honor --Tip for Being Essential
We were surprised when survey respondents identified honesty and honor as a key behavior that makes an employee worth retaining. The surprising fact was not that honesty is important
but that it was mentioned so many times. That much data indicates a big issue in today's workplace! We also learned that honor is the "deal-breaker" for employers. This is the one behavior in the REACH framework where there is little, if any, room for second chances.
If you don't have honor on the job, you can't be trusted by peers or superiors. Dishonor comes in many forms. It can be small things like extra long lunches, not following through on assignments, or not giving a day's work for a day's pay. It can become more serious, like fudging on time cards or travel claims--things that lead to employees getting fired.
Having honor is not difficult--it is simply a personal choice. Honorable choices are to:
- Act and speak with unquestionable integrity.
- Trust others and be trustworthy.
- Be authentic and honest.
- Give an honest day's work for a day's pay.
Here are five tips to maintain your honor:
1. Speak honestly--and tactfully--when asked direct or indirect questions. We all find ourselves on the spot at some time or another. Always speak the truth as you know it.
2. Trust others and give them a chance to be trustworthy. The foundation of trusting relationsihps is keeping the agreements you make. The more you trust, the more others will see you as trustworthy.
3. Don't get lulled into a false sense of appropriateness by doing something "that everybody does". Inappropriate things may be going on around you. At any time, someone may put a stop to it and make an example out of those currently engaging in the behaviors. There are few second chances in the Honor arena.
4. Take a stand against destructive rumors or innuendo. The first clue to these behaviors is "have your heard?" Identify your preference to discuss only those things that are factual. Investigate the facts to learn the true story--and don't participate in the rumor mill.
5. Recognize that a dishonorable behavior is destructive and risky. This is perhaps the fastest way to lose your job.
Tell us about dishonorable behaviors that you see or perhaps are a temptation for you in your workplace. |
Q&A:
Here is a question from Kelly in Bremerton, WA: "I am very frustrated by a couple of co-workers who take advantage of our company. Long lunches, late coming to work, and they leave early. It's just not fair. What can I do?"
Our Answer: Kelly, this is a difficult situation because the behaviors could be theft from the company or a simple misunderstanding about extraordinary circumstances. In either case, all employees have the right to protect their employer and their individual rights of fairness and equitable treatment. Here are some thoughts on how to approach this situation. Prepare to meet with your supervisor. Your goal is to seek to understand the situation. Share your perception that there are varying standards for work schedules and ask for clarification. Objectively state your perspective about potential abuse and perceived lack of accountability. Check for agreement and gain insight to how your supervisor sees the situation. This conversation will be about you and how this behavior is affecting you, your sense of fairness, and respect for management and co-workers. Being essential in the workplace is having the honor to always do your best for your organization and sometimes that means raising issues to your supervisor. This is not tattling; this is taking care of your own needs to be successful in your job and reinforcing fair and equitable treatment of all employees. It also provides supervisors with feedback about how their actions (or lack of actions) affect employees and the workplace. |
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Coming Soon!
Judy and Traci on National TV! (Lifetime TV--The Balancing Act).
Airing in late April.
More details in the April Newsletter...
Workplace Success Store
Essential Team Leader Research
Workplace
Success Events
What People are Saying about
"The Essential Employee," the Newsletter, and our REACH Workshops
"I believe this framework levels the playing field for all employees to be successful at work."
- Francis, Career Dev Specialist
"My students relate to the characters in the book and are able to look at their behavior by comparison. I've been impressed by their journal entries!
- Jane, Cooperative Education Faculty
"I've been using this book as a guide to interact with my employees. It's been a huge help in guiding our conversations."
- Rob, Supervisor Production Systems
"[I] really liked that we had pre-reading assignments--then the workshop focused on behaviors that were problemmatic in our organization."
-Rose,Executive Assistant |
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Learn More:
Do you want to learn more about becoming more essential (and competitive) in the workplace - or would you like to help others become more essential? Be sure to confirm your email subscription at the top of this newsletter to continue to receive information about today's workplace and how to succeed in it.
Please forward this to the graduates, employees, supervisors, or educators in your life. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness (and our tips)!
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Recommended Resources
The first book in the series is available!
"The Essential Employee: The Adventures of Carmen Senz."
Check out this engaging, easy-to-read story based on research in organizations across the USA. The story is about Carmen Senz's first six months at work and the lessons she learns about being an essential employee. It's a fun way to learn important lessons that will make you more essential in the workplace.
"I have read the first few chapters of The Essential Employee and found it difficult to put down. The story line teaches a lesson while remaining engaging for the reader. I would recommend this to other educators." - Carissa Monatukwa, Teacher
"Essential Employee Facilitation Guide"
The perfect resource for teachers and trainers to implement "The Essential Employee" in a learning environment. Includes suggestions for learning activities both in and away from the classroom.
"I highly recommend this book to training professionals, employers and most importantly to employees who want to discover what it takes to build their skills and be successful." - Karen Holcomb, Executive Director
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About Us
Judy Free and Traci Maddox are friends, colleagues, and co-authors of "The Essential Employee." They met in 1999 and worked together for several years as organization consultants-helping large and small organizations implement change. During their work together, they discovered a mutual passion for helping individuals succeed! And so they embarked on the journey to help employees become more successful in the workplace. Most books are written for leaders and managers-but Traci and Judy thought employees could benefit from their own book. Thus, Carmen (our heroine) was born to teach all of us how to be more essential.
Traci and Judy conduct speaking engagements and workshops all over the country-helping others understand and use the REACH framework outlined in their book. In addition, they both own thriving consulting practices and work on a wide variety of projects like strategic planning, change management, teambuilding, facilitation, and training. Their desire is to help individuals and organizations REACH their Peaks.
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Use Our News As A Resource
Would you like to reprint something you have read here? If so, you MUST include our bio and link. Please use the following information (changes only if we have reviewed and approved them):
Judy Free and Traci Maddox are authors, organization consultants, and coaches whose passion is to help individuals and organizations REACH their peaks. They help people across the USA become more effective, more focused, and more successful. Receive their free news updates and workplace tips at www.essentialemployee.com
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Thank you for your time and interest! Visit us at www.essentialemployee.com for events, workshops, surveys, products, and more information.
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