This blog is somewhat
a continuation of my last blog. So the story begins: When I was growing
up my first work experience was with my Dad. My mother and he proudly
owned their own consulting forestry business for 35 years. I still go out
to work with dad on occasion, but when I was 10 or 12 years old I'd go out with
dad to tracts of land, and while at that early age I was riding 4 wheelers and
playing more than I was working, I did begin to pick up on a few things that
were my parents cornerstones in their business world. While I can't say
this verbatim in their words, these are things I learned by observing them and
have now developed into my own work ethics.
Work hard or go home: This is rule number one. Never do anything, excuse my French, half-ass. My dad always says, if you do it right the FIRST time you won't have to worry about it ever again. If you are going to work half-heartedly you might as well go home, because if you aren't working to your full potential you're most likely shorting your client who paid good money for you to complete your job. Show up to work to give it your all. Sweat on your brow and dirt on your pants never killed anyone, or in the case of my dad's business, sweat on your brow and paint, tree resin, leaves, dirt, ash, nor grease on your pants ever killed you. You never know, your hard work may be what differentiates you from your competitor. People notice a diligent worker and will tend to refer them to other people.
Communication: This is key not only between you and your customers, but also between you, your employees, and your employer (if you don’t own your own business). Always make sure the customer understands the full scope of your services and how much each service will cost. There's nothing worse than having an unexpected cost, because people don't like bad surprises. You should account for mistakes, or unexpected needs, in your budget. If you end up not needing X amount of dollars that you budgeted, then it goes back into the customer's wallet making for a happy customer. People will remember if you try to pinch them out of a dime. Make your expectations and game plan known to the customer. The more they know about what you're doing the more comfortable they will be. Try to give a time frame and notify them ASAP if there's a miscue.
As an employer, your goals and expectations need to be as clear as possible. Growing and developing employees to your liking is on you and no one else. Preach what you teach and show what you know. Open the forum for questions, allow your employees to shadow and learn from you, help them to help you. Always make yourself available, always be supportive, and be a leader that someone can look up to and will want to strive to become. As a employee, don't be afraid to ask questions or admit you don't know something. If your employer is unresponsive to this, then you most likely don't want to work for that person. Lastly, don't forget work should be fun. Yes, you are out to accomplish a goal and that's serious stuff, but cracking a smile and sharing a laugh always makes the job much better, which leads to my next and final rule.
Attitude is everything: If you go into work knowing you are going to have
a bad day, guess what, you are! If you know that your day is going to be
long and drawn out, guess what, it is! If you go into work dreading some
duty you have to complete, guess what, it will be dreadful! On the other
hand, if you believe in yourself, know there isn't anything you can't overcome
(even if you need guidance to do so), know that, despite having to complete
that dreadful task, if you get on the ball and get it over with you can get it
behind you, then you will. The people who go into work with a smile tend
to leave work with a smile. Sure, not every day will go according to
plan, there will be hiccups, and, "oh-no's!", but sometimes
improvisation equates to new ideas, not to mention keeps you on your
toes. Don't be afraid to step up and be that shining light or go-to
person for an employer. Every business has its go-getter and, guess what,
they're the person who will go places in this world. The bottom line
being, if you know the world can't knock you down then it won't, even if it does
you'll get back up, dust your pants off and mentally flip it the bird (or at
least stick out your tongue).
Work hard or go home: This is rule number one. Never do anything, excuse my French, half-ass. My dad always says, if you do it right the FIRST time you won't have to worry about it ever again. If you are going to work half-heartedly you might as well go home, because if you aren't working to your full potential you're most likely shorting your client who paid good money for you to complete your job. Show up to work to give it your all. Sweat on your brow and dirt on your pants never killed anyone, or in the case of my dad's business, sweat on your brow and paint, tree resin, leaves, dirt, ash, nor grease on your pants ever killed you. You never know, your hard work may be what differentiates you from your competitor. People notice a diligent worker and will tend to refer them to other people.
Honesty: This is the most important rule. Never promise anything you can't deliver and never fabricate a story to cover your own butt. If a job is going to take you two weeks and will cost X amount of dollars, your customer needs to know that. Don't set expectations for a customer that you can't uphold or that will cause your work to be hastily completed, because haste can often result in a sloppy job. If you make a mistake, yes, it is a set back or may cost someone money, and, yes, it is hard to admit, but admitting your mistake is the right thing to do. The customer may never use you again and that's tough, but you did the right thing by admitting your mistake, and your reputation as an honest worker is upheld. The last thing you want is a bad reputation. Reputations can spread like wild fire and always seem to stick around or, as they say, precede you. Also, never let someone pressure you into doing something with which you don’t ethically feel ok. Standing up for your beliefs and saying, no, should never cause you shame. Honesty is your most important asset.
Communication: This is key not only between you and your customers, but also between you, your employees, and your employer (if you don’t own your own business). Always make sure the customer understands the full scope of your services and how much each service will cost. There's nothing worse than having an unexpected cost, because people don't like bad surprises. You should account for mistakes, or unexpected needs, in your budget. If you end up not needing X amount of dollars that you budgeted, then it goes back into the customer's wallet making for a happy customer. People will remember if you try to pinch them out of a dime. Make your expectations and game plan known to the customer. The more they know about what you're doing the more comfortable they will be. Try to give a time frame and notify them ASAP if there's a miscue.
As an employer, your goals and expectations need to be as clear as possible. Growing and developing employees to your liking is on you and no one else. Preach what you teach and show what you know. Open the forum for questions, allow your employees to shadow and learn from you, help them to help you. Always make yourself available, always be supportive, and be a leader that someone can look up to and will want to strive to become. As a employee, don't be afraid to ask questions or admit you don't know something. If your employer is unresponsive to this, then you most likely don't want to work for that person. Lastly, don't forget work should be fun. Yes, you are out to accomplish a goal and that's serious stuff, but cracking a smile and sharing a laugh always makes the job much better, which leads to my next and final rule.
As always thank you
for reading. Below is my poem. It’s a bit darker than what I’ve been
posting. I was reading an article on
abortion recently and these words flew off my pen. It depicts the turmoil a mother must feel
after she’s had an abortion, or even if she is merely considering one. I hope you enjoy it, or it touches you in
some way.
She stands atop a mountain but can’t see the sky
A thick fog smothers her eyes leaving her asking why
Tears drop down escaping the prison from which they are
bound
Life crashing toward demise without a single murmur or sound
The beginning of one story leads to the end of another
She stands taking in the new breath when most run for cover
Hoping it will disguise the truth of what she’s drastically
become
Finds comfort in the shadows when people ask her where she’s
from
It’s easier to hide the truth from those that are blind
That’s why she stays on the move with no destination in mind
Still feels wrapped and bound down by a continuous coil
Like that of a plant being grounded by its roots in the soil
But the sun doesn’t shine often in these parts
Gloom is the tale of the soulless with their empty hearts
Those that have no face who can’t find their one meaning
Back and forth she staggers and can’t stop from careening
She finds the heart of a man but won’t feel his touch
God has forsaken her with fear that strangles her with its
clutch
She use to pray for new hope and for a while that helped her
cope
Then her knees became bumped and broken causing her to leave
his house ablaze and smokin’
The brick and mortar collapse showing no token of God’s
presence but the ignorant continue hoping
Lost her conscious long ago, she knows of no hope with her
broken wings
Rain pouring down to the point it causes pain and a bitter
but welcomed sting
Angels flee from her essence when they use to grace her with
their presence and sing
This ache is taking the life out of her causing her vision
to become a blur
No longer sure her decision was right which leaves her soul
in the balance of a wicked fight
Two youths lost in a single motion is the reason for all her
confusion and internal commotion
Left with a void except for the plaguing emotion that
leaves her riveted with one hanging devotion
The loss of one is the loss of another who was not ready to
be a mother
