Why Our 'Crappy Jobs' are Important

There are those who work in, or have worked in, a 'crappy job', and there are those who were both lucky enough and unlucky enough to skip that step. A crappy job, although a pre-defined position for most, is a really subjective concept.

What defines a crappy job? A bad boss? A dictatorial atmosphere? Crappy pay? Bad hours, cruddy co-workers or an uncreative environment? There are many definitions. But, what if you saw your job as important, just for a moment? And, what if everybody saw your job as important? Just, 'what if'? Bear with me for a sec, okay? I have a point.

What if you went into work one day and all of the people who were in front of you wished you a great day? What if they expressed their appreciation for what you do? I know...it's not all that common, is it?

But, what if you saw your crappy job as a stepping stone to something else? What could you take from your current job and apply to another position that would make you feel fulfilled?

All jobs are important in one way or another. The ones that lack importance are replaced by something. Similarly, the ones that no longer 'do it for you', are replaced by you. 

Let's face it, we gotta work! We can't all be on vacation all the time because the world would fall apart. My question to you is: "What part of the world are you preventing from falling apart?"

The Organic OS - Giving Orders vs Asking for Solutions

People usually hate to be told what to do. It makes them feel like pawns in the game of work who don't know any better than to take orders every day and not think too much for themselves. If we want better results from people, we must treat them like insiders and ask for their help in solving problems. Putting on a facade is not the way to go about this, but reprogramming ourselves as better leaders is. We must genuinely feel like we are seeking solutions instead of giving orders. 

If an order is simply a task to be fulfilled, it only becomes a problem when left unfulfilled or done wrong. When a person is hired to do a task, or series of tasks, we can assume that they have been properly trained to carry out orders on their own. If they are falling behind in terms of productivity or quality, we must find out why that is, rather than push them and push them to do it right, under the threat of being fired. It is essential, therefore, to investigate instead of react impulsively. We must care 'why' there is a problem before we can come up with a fair and logical solution.

With a great amount of effort put into forethought, a team leader will be inclined to pull the team member toward a solution by engaging them to help solve the problem and therefore the team leader is changed for the better as a result. If a once productive team member suddenly starts to slip, we can assume that there is a problem in their life, such as with a relationship, debt, depression, low self esteem, stress, etc. It's only fair to investigate why the work problem is  occurring either by speaking candidly with them or communicate the issue through the proper channels such as human resources. In any case, we should avoid adding stress to someone's life unnecessarily.

In summary, even if a person is having problems outside of work, if we get them involved and help pull them toward a solution to the workplace problem with an even tempered demeanor and genuine friendship, we will make them feel at ease and they will get back on track sooner rather than later. But, a great leader must be genuine and work hard to acquire such interpersonal problem-solving skills.

Build a better workplace by following the best practices of leadership in the Organic OS (tm).

How to be a Cool Boss (or other business leader)

How to be a Cool Boss and Get the Most from Your Team

First of all, 'cool' is hard to fake. You are either cool or you're not. But, there is hope if you aren't yet cool, for cool is a way of being that eventually absorbs into you. Am I cool? Of course I am! How can I tell? I can't, people tell me. It's not something I am aware of every day, but the ways I operate and communicate with people have helped the 'coolness' to manifest itself, whether I know it or not.

It all started with me keeping myself open to different things at a very young age. My mother was a die-hard traveler, who flew to exotic lands and brought back music and  little relics of culture from around the world and my father has always been one of the coolest cats on the planet, bringing his young sons to the coolest movies that we wouldn't be allowed to go to on our own. Those experiences stayed with me until this very day and are part of who I am.

I would eventually go through many part time jobs and carry my coolness with me as I went along. I befriended cool musicians and we formed a cool band that was (and is) unlike any other band around, which is a very cool thing to be a part of. Our lead singer is especially cool and has always been the one people talked to because he was very approachable off stage and didn't have the giant ego about him when he was simply hanging out with others.

Along the way, I met so many cool people that I am still friends with today. That is not to say that I didn't run into my share of uncool folks - there were plenty of those, but they weren't invited to the gatherings of the cool people. In fact, very often a party host will ask if somebody is cool or not. Knowing that the origin of the term comes from the phrase 'let cool heads prevail', we can assume cool people are not going to cause unnecessary grief at a given occasion.

Whenever I made a film project, the team liked what they were a part of and I was even told a few times that people had a better time working on a set where the director wasn't yelling at anybody. If the budget is super low, you cannot afford to lose anybody, so by yelling, you will cause the 'vision' to be blurry to those who are contemplating walking off the set.

The same thing happens on stage whenever I perform; if you create a positive atmosphere for all involved in the show, it will be a better show and it's in the best interest of the performers to lead the way for everybody else to follow the example.

So, are you about 'cooled out' now? Enough with it already, right? Let's forget about the actual term and continue.

People like being around others who won't cause them undue grief, who are educated by life as much as by literature (both fiction and non-fiction) and lecture, who appreciate other cultures, who can give others the benefit of the doubt, are easy to get along with and remain calm as well as discreet when differences arise. Those guidelines are what make a person a great leader who is respected and liked by team members, co-workers, friends and family. 

One more thing worth noting - I've always had great results when people felt as if they were a part of something....er...'cool'.

- Buck Moore

How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed at Work

(if it doesn't play here, click to go to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuEkZ692jQM)

I made this video for my website with the help of some film and television students at the career college where I work part time. It's one of my favorite classes to teach because we get to be creative, work hard AND work as a team - a great way to encourage teamwork is to make a short film!

Feelings of frustration and being overwhelmed as work piles up around you can stop a hard-working person in their tracks. Everybody experiences this from time to time and a lot us us pull out of it fairly quickly, but some people get stuck in a rut that can last for quite a while.

Here are some tips that may help when you find yourself in such a rut. They work for me by sparking myself back to my purpose in life when things get busy and unfocused around me.

1) Create your own mission statement.
Business have them why not people? Ever wonder what you are really doing on this blue marble? It goes beyond breathing and eating, of course, so write one down and print it out to make it official. It can change over time, and that's cool, too. I'd say the hardest thing for me to ever do was to focus on a direction and writing about it had been difficult over the years. Living through a state I define as 'gradual fusion', my mission statement pretty much wrote itself. I wrote it in about ten seconds one day when trying to sharpen my focus and it was an instant hit (with me).

2) Remind yourself every day about your mission in life.
Seeing my mission statement every single day keeps me focused and on track. If I find myself in a tough situation of work-overload, I look at my focused statement and some how everything is back to normal. It's truly amazing how simple it is to get back to a rational state of mind after reminding myself where I am going.

3) Get inspired!
Inspirational material is everywhere in print, online or from a helpful listener a few doors down. It doesn't matter where the material comes from as long as it does the job of getting you inspired. Every time I need inspiration, I go to my old books with powerful messages and get fired up immediately. Me? Need inspiration? I am a hard working human being and I, too, get overwhelmed from time to time, but it doesn't last long because I don't let it...I know how to get around it.

4) Sort out the most important tasks from the least important.
Let's face it, not everything we do on a day to day basis will cause the stock market to crash if we don't do it perfectly and by the exact due date. Some things can wait a little longer than others and it's all in the way we communicate that to others. Sometimes it can feel as if everybody is pulling at you from all angles and then the phone rings and the emails pile up. Get to them according to order of importance and remember to post a vacation response on an email when you are 'virtually' out of the office.

5) When somebody gets angry with you, respond in a calm tone, no matter what.
As unpleasant and unnerving as it is to listen to an angry person get all in your face, raising your voice back at them won't solve anything and you may regret what you say. It's easy to yell and difficult to restrain from it when someone is yelling at you, but it works to your advantage in the end. Back in the late 1990's, I let a guy treat me horribly in front of others and my response to him was very calm and helpful and he couldn't do any more than he did - it confused him. Everybody watching the scene sided with me almost instantly. That was only one of many similar scenarios. Controlling reactions is a learned skill.

6) Let people know at the start about any possible snags that may occur.
Informing people about possible issues and snags can soften the blow to them and reduce your own stress when the deadline must be extended. Nothing is perfect in life and unless a country will explode, the situation must be dealt with rationally. If there is a multi-million dollar deal that will fall through unless a deadline is met, there should be more people on the job and that can be discussed up front.

7) Take a few moments at the start of the day to arrange tasks.
I find I can sleep better and avoid thoughts rushing around in my brain if I simply write out what I am going to do the next day. I sometimes decide to write these things on the morning I start the day and I check them off as I go. If they can't be done, they get put on the next day's list, but they are always listed based on priority. I had read about this practice many years ago and have been doing it ever since. By writing them down, I took the first step and no matter what happens during the day, I know where to find the list if I need to.

8) And now, the number one way to help eliminate work stress and avoid being stuck in a rut..........have a laugh! This really should be number one, but it lightens up the end of this article. Share a funny, tasteful joke, funny email or news paper cartoon. Paste a funny thing to your fridge at work, etc.

'Work' is Not a Bad Word.

Here is a 'behind the scenes' look at the marketing concepts, education and 'work' of a public speaker dedicated to progressive change:

I attended a seminar on public speaker marketing in early 2009 to both continue my education and perhaps network with other speakers and share ideas. I learned a few very valuable pieces of information that have changed the way I am marketing myself, including a new tag-line that best represents the promise I offer to clients.

When I shared my business card, one speaker challenged me on the use of the word 'work' in my main topic 'thinkWORKnotJOB' because, she said, the word 'work' wasn't as attractive as other words might be. I explained my viewpoint about it, that the word 'work' exists in the popular phrases 'body of work' and 'life's work', which are among the main points I share with others.

I had thought long and hard about the concept of thinkWORKnotJOB and I wasn't about to let the whole thing go because of one speaker's opinion. In fact, the most difficult thing about my whole concept was the title! It took many months of writing to finally arrive at a title I was proud of and that represented me best.

That speaker did me a huge favor, however, in that the comment made me look deeper into what I am doing and challenge myself regularly.

In the end, the title persevered and has been with me for over three years (and will be for many more). The funny thing is what I recently read in a book I was given for Christmas entitled 'The Likeability Factor' by Tim Sanders. Being a fan of 'Think and Grow Rich', 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' and other monumental works, I immediately delved into 'The L-Factor' (as it is known for short). One quote within the book sparked the writing of this blog entry and the quote was by one of my inventor heroes Thomas Edison.

The quote reads as follows: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

My summary is this: if you persist in a state, enterprise or undertaking in spite of counter-influence, opposition or discouragement, the pay-off will reveal itself, eventually. Just because you see it, intangible, in your mind, doesn't mean it won't manifest itself in due course.

That's my thought for the day! Happy 2010!

- Buck Moore

Is My Job Important? Part 1 - The Man Who Swept the Floor

I like this story and thought I would post it:

"Bernie was a talented young man, in his early twenties, who had his mind set on success. He swept the floor of his workplace daily, after doing his job, and contemplated what success meant to him. He sometimes seemed frustrated that he was sweeping the floor and not doing his dream-job, but those looks of frustration were merely a result of his intense thoughts. He thought about one day running his own business.

After Bernie did what he was supposed to for the day, he filled the rest of the time not only by sweeping, but by cleaning washrooms and taking out garbage. He was constantly reminded by his co-workers that he didn't have to do those things but Bernie just smiled and carried on. Sometimes he did his regular work so fast that he ended up with more time for sweeping and cleaning.

To the average worker, it appeared as though Bernie was sucking up to management and trying to make them look bad, but they were wrong. It is true that Bernie was promoted a couple of times over those with more seniority, but that wasn't on his agenda and even though he was eventually further ahead and getting raises, he still swept floors. He even re-swept the floor after another disrespectful co-worker spit on it and he 'let it go' without incident.

Eventually, Bernie started a service business part time and was very good at what he did. He had studied in his spare time to learn a trade and it eventually paid off. He still does well and continues to move forward.

So, why did Bernie sweep and clean in his spare time when he clearly could have relaxed without any pressure to over-work himself? There were several reasons:

1) He kept moving to keep himself in good shape.
2) He made notes of almost every aspect of the business because he could travel into all departments and learn about them while networking with other co-workers he got along with.
3) He learned that always being busy made him untouchable at work and he would be the least likely candidate to be laid off should there be a slump in business.
4) Most importantly, he could do the one thing that pleased him the most: 'think'. He thought about starting businesses, he thought about what kind of staff members were most beneficial to a company, he thought about how to be a good manager by taking cues from both good and bad, he thought about lyrics for songs, he thought about his future and everything else he wanted to think about - and nobody could stop him!

They could not stop him and they would not stop him, and Bernie knew that. If he was busy all the time with seemingly menial tasks, he could get a lot of work done in his head and at the same time, the business never looked so clean! Because it was a retail store, cleanliness was important for the customers.

Where's Bernie now? Running his service business and continuing to educate himself and grow. In short, he is doing exactly what he wants to be doing.

Sweeping the floor may seem like a menial task requiring little skill, but not everybody is good at it...and not everybody can see the opportunities in it!"

- Anonymous

Phone Call Etiquette for Busy Salespeople

Salespeople will get called when working - that's a fact! What becomes important is how a busy situation with customers both present and on the phone should be handled.

If the person taking the call sees that the sales person is busy, they should take a message for the salesperson. If the salesperson in question is involved in a big, complicated sale, the person who took the call should call the customer back and let them know that they haven't been forgotten about.

If the salesperson takes a call, they should have already mentioned the possibility of taking quick calls and have a pre-planned script ready for different situations. They should also practice getting off the phone quickly, then remember to follow up with the caller as soon as possible after dealing with the customer who is present.

Whenever I pick up the phone during busy times, no matter who is calling, I generally warn them about call-waiting or having to answer the door (I've even warned people about my cordless phone possibly dying in the middle of a conversation). It softens the blow when I must get off the phone in a hurry and I even tell them to expect an email or text message if I'm not able to call them back.

In my retail experience, I've heard managers tell staff that they should convince callers to come down to the store and deal with the ones who are already there. That makes sense, but nobody was shopping online at the time. Still, nothing is better than a tangible product to get somebody excited and people will still show up in person after they've decided where to shop - or should I say: "Who to give their money to"?

It's all in the way you say it!
If you get comfortable because it's been a good week, you might not care as much about a lost sale and you might sound like you don't care to a caller. Since your voice is the only thing they are exposed to, you have to be sure to always be 'on' when taking a call.

It helps to pause a second, take a deep breath then pick up the phone. If you have a great experience with a caller, they are more likely to come down in person and they'll probably want to meet you - so, you have to look like you're in control all the time as well as sound like it.

A salesperson is the director of a phone call and people call in because they need help with something.

- Buck Moore

New Favourite Quotes

I am currently reading; "The Ape in the Corner Office - How to Make Friends, Win Fights and Work Smarter by Understanding Human Nature", by Richard Conniff and one section that got my attention, about dominance contests on the job, mentions how the 'winner effect' may spread from effective leaders to subordinates.

The paragraph ends with this: "Leaders who blame and belittle their subordinates or otherwise make their social dominance too explicit, may thus risk producing an organization of trained losers."

I came across another good leadership quote that reads: “The best leader is the one who has the sense to surround himself with outstanding people and self-restraint not to meddle with how they do their jobs.” - Author Unknown

And finally, one that serves as a fundamental guiding principle throughout the whole scope of thinkWORKnotJOB: “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” - Ralph Nader

So, why do we have to be exposed to quotes like these? Isn't the core idea obvious enough? Well, to answer the latter, 'no!' We need constant reminders in the workplace and dealing with people in general, so that we can keep ourselves in check and have the advantage over our human nature. If we can think ahead and rationalize, is it not safe to say we have the capability to mostly avoid treating people like dirt and be more efficient at what we do for a living?

When a person find themselves in charge of a situation, they have the power to do what is most efficient and what is the best use of time, while extinguishing the fires of animosity and clearing the air of any lingering resentment.

- Buck Moore