Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Understanding your personal strengths and weaknesses is crucial for professional success. Let's delve into some real-life scenarios that highlight the impact of self-awareness on career development. Consider the following case studies:
John's Fear of Public Speaking
John aspired to have his boss's job. When his boss transferred to another organization, John was promoted to his boss's position. Things turned sour from the start. In his new position, John was required to make frequent presentations and speeches. He had always feared public speaking. John eventually learned to perform these speaking assignments, but never felt comfortable in doing so. He ultimately began to loath his job.
Mary's Missed Opportunity
Senior management requested Mary to take on a project that would require extensive analysis of problems. Mary balked because the project was "outside her field." The project was assigned to Joan, another manager. Later, Mary observed the project activities and kicked herself; Joan was getting to perform the task that Mary liked to perform best--problem analysis.
Bill's Smart Decline
Bill was interviewed for a position that represented a huge promotion for him--a lot more money and responsibility. However, during the interview process, Bill determined that the job wasn't a good match for him. He wouldn't be able to use the techniques that had made him successful. He withdrew his name from consideration. Later, Bill said, "It was tough to turn down, but it was one of the smartest things I've done. I would have been miserable in that job and probably would have failed."
The Importance of Self-Awareness
John and Mary made career-limiting mistakes. Bill avoided making a career-limiting mistake. The difference among these managers is that John and Mary had not adequately identified their strengths and weaknesses, while Bill had. The old adage, "know thyself" is particularly relevant to the managerial role. If you have not determined your strengths and weaknesses, your chances for improvement and growth are limited.
Self-Assessment: Taking an Honest Look
Remember, no one knows you better than you do—not your boss, your employees, or your co-workers. Taking an honest look at yourself is key to identifying your personal strengths and weaknesses. Ready to dive in? There are numerous self-assessment books and tools available that can help you gain a thorough understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, style, and career interests. But whether you use these tools or not, certain principles always apply. Let's explore these essential principles together.
The Power of Your Influence
It's hard to overstate the impact you, as a manager or supervisor, have on your employees. They closely observe your words and actions, often emulating your behavior. Arrive at work half an hour early? Chances are, your employees will start showing up early too. Display stress in front of them, and soon they'll feel stressed as well. Show disdain for a work process, and don't be surprised when your employees start expressing the same to their peers. Like it or not, you are your employees' primary role model. This dynamic can either be the key to your success or the cause of your failure—the choice is yours. Let's delve into the behavior of three managers and see how their actions influenced their teams.
Ralph's Tardy and Talkative Culture
Ralph arrives for work 15 minutes late each day. He makes and receives frequent personal calls at work. He spends a portion of the day gossiping about the personal lives of fellow managers. He openly expresses his disdain of "all of those bureaucrats over in the corporate office."
- What time do you think Ralph's employees arrive for work?
- How many personal calls do you think Ralph's employees' make?
- How active is the gossip mill in Ralph's department?
- What do you think Ralph's employees' think of the corporate office?
Nicole's Double Standards in Action
Nicole tells her employees that they must attend all employee meetings. Nicole doesn't attend, however, because she has a busy schedule. She admonishes her employees for their absentee rate. Her absentee rate is higher than the average, but she reasons, "I work so much overtime." In a staff meeting she requests each employee to develop an improvement goal. When an employee asks her what her improvement goal is, she states, "I haven't had time to think about it, I've been so busy."
- How seriously do you think Nicole's employees will take attending all employee meetings, reducing the absentee rate, and setting improvement goals?
Anne's Commitment to Excellence
Ann arrives to work on time and never leaves until quitting time. She works hard during the course of the day. She never attends to personal business at work and avoids the gossip mill. She likes to be the first person in her section to complete all-section assignments: first to complete required training, first to set individual goals and objectives and first to turn in individual assignments. She sets stretch personal goals for herself and holds herself to high standards.
- Based on this information, what kind of performance would you expect from Ann's employees? How do you think the performances of Ann's employees will compare with Ralph's and Nicole's employees?
Management Ethics
Management ethics refers to the standards of acceptable conduct within and outside of the organization. Many of these standards are based on law, while others concern behavior that may be legal but is not acceptable to the organization. For instance, excessive absenteeism might not be illegal, but it is often deemed unacceptable in employee handbooks.
Examples of Unethical Behavior
In most organizational cultures, the following managerial behaviors are considered unethical:
01
Taking sole credit for the ideas and accomplishments of others
02
Criticizing your boss in front of employees, colleagues, or publicly
03
Adopting a "winning at all costs" approach to work
04
Intentionally discrediting a fellow employee
Implicit Ethical Expectations
It's impossible to capture all of an organization's ethical standards in personnel handbooks. Most organizations assume that managers bring basic ethical principles, such as a sense of right and wrong, to their positions. They expect that managers and supervisors neither want nor need an environment where every possible unacceptable behavior is defined in writing.