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Chapter 16: Becoming a World-Class Employee and Leader

Lecture 1

Becoming a World-Class Employee and Leader Objectives

Introduction

This lecture shows how the 21st century communication skills you have learned so far will serve you in college, your career, and your life. By the end of this lecture, you will be able to answer the following learning objective questions:

· How do good communication skills help organizations succeed?

· How do you find and keep your passion for your work?

· Why is it important to establish healthy boundaries at work?

· How do you exceed expectations on the job?

Learning Objective 1

Communication Skills

How do good communication skills help organizations succeed?

Nonprofit and for-profit organizations need people with solid business skills. The most important of those skills are:

· the ability to set objectives

· lead or participate in teams

· communicate clearly

· meet deadlines

Without these skills, plans cannot be made, work cannot be done, funds cannot be raised, and results cannot be achieved.

Your ability to convey your message successfully and your ability to maintain a passion for what you do will directly affect your success.

Learning Objective 2

Maintaining Passion for Your Work

How do you find and keep your passion for your work?

Passion and enthusiasm go a long way in the corporate and nonprofit world. People who like what they do are fun to be around, and they inspire others to do and be their best.

Employers prefer people who like what they do because they tend to perform their jobs well, are highly productive, and motivate others. Your passion may start with an interest but it needs to be nurtured and sustained.

Many people find their passion for their work is sustained by:

· the ability to pursue what they love

· the chance to stretch themselves

· the opportunity to help others

· the feeling of being valued and rewarded for a job well done

Answering the questions in the table at the bottom of the page can help you find out if you are pursuing your passion.

1. How do you feel about your current stage of life—do you like what you are doing?

2. Are energized by the path of study you have chosen? If not, what are you enthusiastic about? Are you gathering information and soliciting advice so as to change your study path?

3. What interests and excites you? How do you plan to integrate your interests into your career?

4. When you graduate, will your first full-time job be a step toward your dream career or simply a job to get you from point A to point B?

5. Are you looking forward to the challenges of the working world?

6. What is standing between good and great for you?

Learning Objective 3

Establishing Boundaries in the Workplace

Why is it important to establish healthy boundaries at work?

Establishing healthy boundaries in the workplace enables employees to stay on a productive track during the business day so that life at work and outside of work can both be rewarding.

Tips for setting personal limits in the workplace include:

· Avoiding burnout

· Communicating under pressure

· Marinating the boundaries between friendships and coworker relationships

Avoiding Burnout

Burnout is a workplace situation characterized by:

· Irritation or unproductiveness

· An inability to think clearly

· An inability to effectively verbalize your thoughts

Job burnout is nature’s way of telling you that you have been merely going through the motions of your job and that perhaps you have lost the passion for your work.

The table at the bottom of the page provides some suggestion for managing small bouts of job burnout. Click on each technique to learn more.

Burnout Management Technique	Actions to Take
Establish a system of balance.	Listen to the nonverbal ways your body communicates its need for a break. Is your head throbbing? Are your eyes glazing over? Do you get tense in your neck and shoulders? If so, this is another sign that you need to balance periods of hard work with breaks.
Change your state and take a “think break.”	If you are sitting, try standing while you go about your business. If you have been standing, sit down and relax. Or, take a short walk, even if it’s inside the building. Take a stretch break to reactivate your blood flow.
Know when you need to refuel.	Refueling involves more than just a short break. Make time to eat, rest, breathe deeply, exercise, and interact with others or take some time alone.

Communicating Under Pressure

One of the most difficult situations in the workplace is communicating under pressure.

There are three common pitfalls of communicating when you are under stress:

1. Undergoing personality change. In extreme circumstances, people have the potential to shift into back-up behavior. Back-up behavior is a coping behavior that different personality types exhibit under stress. Givers may become passive-aggressive while organizers might become controlling and autocratic. Learn to recognize back-up behaviors in others and in yourself, and then think before you speak and act.

2. Sacrificing relationships to get the job done. Even under pressure, you need to preserve relationships among your coworkers. You must continue to communicate with key players to provide checks and balances in terms of solutions your group decides on.

3. Becoming paralyzed by indecision. No one makes the right decisions all of the time. Deal with feeling overwhelmed by doing something to relax. Keep communication positive and the repercussions of any mistakes you make will probably be minor.

Friends versus Coworkers

When you work with people every day, it’s easy to start over-communicating personal information. You may need to set limits on friendships so they do not get in the way of working relationships.

Establish healthy workplace boundaries by maintaining friendly communication with everyone instead of developing friendships with people who have the same personality traits as you. This will enable you to consider other people’s points of view and increase your ability to lead a diverse group of people.

Learning Objective 4

Exceeding Expectations

How do you exceed expectations on the job?

Instead of thinking about what the company can do for you, think about what you can do for the company.

Successful employees are those who consistently look for ways to improve the environment in which they work and seek opportunities to stretch their abilities.

Click through the numbers at the bottom of the page to learn about the steps you can take to exceed the expectations of your employer.

1. Paying Your Dues

Be willing to pay your dues and don’t think you’re above the entry-level jobs where you learn the most. Your skills and talents will develop over time and your experience will increase the longer you work. Every type of work you do is a stepping stone to the next move in your career.

2. Going the Extra Mile

You are hired with the expectation that you can skillfully and effectively meet your employer’s job requirements. However, don’t limit yourself to your job description. Work to exceed your job’s requirements so you’re seen as someone who adds value to the company.

Adding value—or going the extra mile—refers to what you personally bring to your job that exceeds your employer’s expectations and is unique to your personality and style.

If you see a problem that needs solving, get involved in solving it even if it’s not a direct part of your job. All companies have problems, some of which management may not even be aware of.

Learn as much as you can about your company so you can contribute on all levels beyond your basic job function.

Take time to consider how your actions might impact the bigger picture. As you start offering assistance in areas outside your job description, people will begin to notice you.

In order to go the extra mile and exceed your employer’s expectations, ask yourself the questions shown in the table at the bottom of the page.

1. Do I look for problems to solve?

2. Do I look for opportunities to take a leadership role?

3. Do I ask for assignments no one else wants or no one else can take on?

4. Do I offer to assist my coworkers with their projects?

5. Do I give others credit?

6. Do I get involved with projects outside of work?

3. Developing Your Game Face

Your game face relates to your ability to keep a professional outlook and communicate positively in the workplace even when you may be working through personal difficulties or setbacks. Business professionals are successful because they have a positive, confident game face even when they are privately stressed, discouraged, or agitated.

The behaviors you exhibit in the workplace are an extension of the communication behaviors you exhibit in college and on the job. The table at the bottom of the page lists professional behaviors to embrace and unprofessional behaviors to avoid.

[ Professional/Unprofessional Behaviors table – illegible ]

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following is NOT a key important business skill?

· the ability to set objectives

· the ability to communicate clearly

· the ability to lead or participate in teams

· the ability to manage complex financial matters

the ability to manage complex financial matters: Correct

That is correct. Setting objectives, communicating clearly, and leading and participating in teams are all key business skills.

Question 2 of 8

Only for-profit organizations require their employees to have key business skills.

· True

· False

False: Correct

That is correct. Both for-profit and non-profit organizations look for employees with key business skills like the ability to communicate clearly, set objectives, and lead teams.

Question 3 of 8

Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of people who love what they do?

· They tend to be highly productive.

· They tend to perform their jobs well.

· They tend to motivate others.

· They tend to earn more.

They tend to earn more.: Correct

That is correct. People who love what they do are highly desirable employees because they tend to perform well, are highly productive, and are able to motivate others.

Question 4 of 8

Which of the following are ways to sustain and nurture a passion for what you do?

· the chance to stretch your abilities

· the opportunity to help others

· the opportunity to determine company policies

· the opportunity to lead others

· the ability to pursue what you love

· the feeling of being valued and rewarded for a job well done

the chance to stretch your abilities, the opportunity to help others, the ability to pursue what you love, the feeling of being valued and rewarded for a job well done: Correct

That is correct. Sustaining and nurturing your passion for your work enables you to avoid burnout and remain a productive and high performing employee.

Question 5 of 8

What are three signs of job burnout?

· irritation, an inability to think clearly, and decreased productivity

· decreased productivity, an inability to effectively verbalize thoughts, and depression

· irritation, an inability to think clearly, and an inability to effectively verbalize thoughts

· absenteeism, irritation, and an inability to think clearly

irritation, an inability to think clearly, and an inability to effectively verbalize thoughts: Correct

That is correct. Job burnout is an indication that an individual has lost the passion for his or her work.

Question 6 of 8

Which of the following is NOT one of the pitfalls of communicating under pressure?

· undergoing personality changes

· becoming paralyzed by indecision

· ignoring company policies and procedures

· sacrificing relationships to get the job done

ignoring company policies and procedures: Correct

That is correct. Being aware of these pitfalls and overcoming them in extreme circumstances is a vital communication skill.

Question 7 of 8

What term refers to the ability to keep a professional outlook and communicate positively in the workplace even when an individual may be working through personal difficulties or setbacks?

· paying dues

· healthy boundaries

· game face

· exceeding expectations

game face: Correct

That is correct. Your game face shows that you embrace professional behaviors and avoid unprofessional behaviors.

Question 8 of 8

The term “adding value” refers to your willingness to take a lower starting salary in order to enter a field for which you have a passion.

· True

· False

False: Correct

That is correct. “Adding value” refers to what you personally bring to your job that exceeds your employer’s expectations and is unique to your personality and style.

Becoming a World-Class Employee and Leader Summary

Summary

This lecture has discussed key concepts related to the following learning objectives:

· How communication skills help organizations succeed. (Textbook reference: see page 466)

· How to find and keep your passion for your work. (Textbook reference: see pages 466-467)

· Why it is important to establish healthy boundaries at work. (Textbook reference: see pages 467-469)

· How to exceed expectations on the job. (Textbook reference: see pages 469-471)