Remedy? We must work carefully and courageously with how we think and then with what we do, and how we act. Taking the time to discuss one snafu in the system, to offer a large idea that could deliver better quality and ultimately reach the bottom line, would revitalize our passion and un-bury the slowly developing rage that leaves us going home every day exhausted and burned out from the treadmill of the bottom line. Find your voice and use it. If your immediate boss can't hear you, go above her. American businesses need yours and my voice more than ever.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Time is Not Money
Many of us work in jobs where there is a quota to be reached, where the numbers must be met at the end of the day. At times these metrics diametrically oppose quality service. But our paycheck depends on the bottom line, so we overlook or bury most of the bigger issues and quietly burn out, finding our idealism and passion for the job we took waning and eventually buried.
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Ellen,
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree, that a desire to insure one “does the right thing” (quality) is a sure means of insuring longer term profitability, that comes from maintaining customer business and propagating repeat business. As you point out, attempting to do so may conflict with short term profitability objectives. Having faced this scenario, and having reaped longer term success in striking the balance, I have found the challenge is two-fold:
1) Gaining buy-in to delayed profitability: Quality efforts often cause immediate cost increase, where the ROI for the effort is not recognized for one or more fiscal quarters. The immediate additional cost is frowned upon by those monitoring your success against immediate quarterly objectives, thus preparing a strong business case to show the eventual & stronger improvement in margin, is required in order to gain management buy-in.
2) If buy-in cannot be gained from your immediate supervisor, the challenge is to go over said supervisors head. One should seek to insure their supervisor is involved in the effort to gain approval up the ladder, or at minimum that said supervisor is aware or approves of you bringing the issue to a higher level. The drawback of not gaining this concurrence or acknowledgement, is the possibility of disrupting your relationship with your manager, or causing upper management to look at the effort as an indication of discord in the ranks.
I would like to see the input of others in this regard
tg
You're absolutely right, Todd. It may, however, take a long and enduring push to that immediate supervisor. I believe too may people, however, especially in a tight economy where people are afraid of losing their jobs,zip their lips and try to adjust, thereby living lives of quiet desperation.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking from my own experience, I had to do this myself today , and was surprised at the welcoming response. But stopping there is tempting. the next step is begging to be taken. This is no less true in interviews. I encourage people to ask bold questions of their interviewers. It's time to reveal ourselves once more (or for the first time) as long-term thinkers. But it's not a one shot. Maybe it's three strikes you're out.