Preparation for the Job
The first two chapters were a review of leadership theories and an exposure to followership theory. Keep in mind that we also looked at the characteristics of leaders and the characteristics of good followers. As a result of this unique perspective of leadership and followership, you are coming to the important part of this book. The rest of the book deals with how to be an exemplary follower and, therefore, an extraordinary leader. Keep in mind as you read the remainder of this book Euclid’s common notion one—CN-1: Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another.1 First, we need to discuss just what is your job?
What Is Your Job?
Whether you are a new hire, or you have been on the job for quite some time, it is important for you to know what your job is. What were you hired to do for the organization that hired you? What is your job?
I submit to you that your job is to make your boss’s job easy. Rachelle J. Canter, author of Make the Right Career Move, suggests that you become invaluable to the boss so that you are the default go-to-person. If you are competent in your job, if you do the best you can on each assignment, you make your boss’s job easy; because, they do not have to accomplish the task themselves, they can count on you to do it correctly.
“Anticipate (the boss’) needs” Canter says, “The difference between good employees and excellent employees is that the latter do not just comply with requests well, they anticipate needs of their bosses and deliver above and beyond what the boss expects.”2 Once again, you are making the boss’s job easy as you think ahead and anticipate what might be coming next.
To get to that point, you need to be direct, and that means being prepared to ask the right questions. Canter recommends, “When you do something, check in with the boss to ensure that you helped him or her out—don’t assume you did.”3 Ask the boss for feedback about how the project you completed turned out. Did it provide the necessary answers? Did it help prepare for the presentation?
“You are not the boss, but you are a reflection of your boss, and it behooves you both to project a positive image,” says Elizabeth Freedman.4 “It is like the old Vidal Sassoon commercial—if you do not look good, your boss does not look good,” she says. And that idea extends beyond having your shirt tucked in, and your pants ironed. “Make sure anything that represents the team—whether it is an e-mail or voice mail coming from you—also reflects you and the boss in a professional, polished way.”5 Remember that what you do and how you do it reflects on your boss.
Competency
You must, at least, be competent in your profession. To be competent means: having suitable or sufficient skill, knowledge, experience, and so forth for some purpose; suitably qualified.6 How do you become competent? That will depend upon your profession; you may need extra schooling or specialized training. Whatever the case, you need to know as much as you can about the techniques, processes, and policies involved in your job. Frontline managers, though, instinctively feel that competence is something more than a list of attributes. They sense that a person’s way of seeing work is just as important; competent workers have a particular vision of what their work is and why it is that way.7 You will need to develop a clear vision of what you want in your career in future. Without a vision you’ll run around in circles; waste your precious time, energy, and other resources; and be subject to disappointment and failure.8
Motivation
For our purposes, we will take a look at work motivation and achievement motivation. Work motivation “is a set of energetic forces that originate both within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration.”9 Achievement motivation can be broken down into three types:
• Achievement—seeks position advancement, feedback, and a sense of accomplishment
• Authority—need to lead, make an impact, and be heard by others
• Affiliation—need for friendly social interactions and to be liked.
Because most individuals have a combination of these three types (in various proportions), an understanding of these achievement motivation characteristics can be a useful assistance to management in job placement, recruitment, and so forth.10 The need for achievement theory is in many ways similar to the need for mastery and self-actualization in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and growth in the Existence, Relatedness, and Growth (ERG) theory. By applying this theory, we can see that individuals strive to achieve their goals and grow within the organization.11 These employees tend to be dedicated to their work and strive hard to succeed; they also demonstrate a strong desire for increasing their knowledge and for feedback on their performance, often in the form of performance appraisal.
Here are a few things I would recommend you do.
1. Learn what information your boss likes to see and get it to him or her before it is requested.12 Never make your boss chase data that you can proactively provide.
• When employees know the boss is looking for certain information, many times, instead of proactively providing the data, they merely wait until their boss contacts them multiple times. The boss is asking for the same data week after week, and you obediently gather the data and provide it to the boss. There is an easy way to simplify life for your boss and separate yourself from your peers. Just do it without waiting to be told.
2. Learn how your boss likes to see reports, metrics, and so forth.13
• What format does your boss use when providing updates to his superior? PDF docs, digital power points, excel spreadsheets, and so forth. If you use the same form, you can simplify your boss’s life by speeding up the process of using your data in his or her reports.
• Does your boss favor one graph over another? I can tell you from experience, the higher up your boss is, the more particular he will be.
• Does your boss favor summary reports and only look at the details as a last resort or does your boss always dig into the details? This makes a big difference in how you should package and deliver your information. Any time you present to another person or group, you should always know your audience and structure your presentation to their liking. This is even more important when your boss is in the room.
3. Be proactive in your management style.14
• Your boss should not have to identify mistakes in your organization and push you to resolve them. You should always be looking further ahead than your boss. If your boss wants a report once a week, create your own report and schedule it to run every day or two. Then make sure you are addressing any issue before hand. (You should be doing this on your own but, at a minimum, make sure you are always ahead of the needs of your boss.)
4. When it comes to meetings, you need to make an effort and do the work.15
• Never make your boss manage your schedule. Make an effort to schedule the meetings if you can.
• Never double book your boss’s calendar without speaking to him.
• If you have to schedule a meeting at short notice, follow up with your boss and make sure the time works for him. You should always assume your boss is busier than you are. It does not matter if your boss plays solitaire all day. The boss is the boss, and until you get promoted above him, your boss needs to be treated as the boss.
• What is the best time to present reports to your boss? Is your boss a morning person or does your boss hate the world before 10 a.m.? You should pay attention to this. It will make a difference. If your boss is happiest in the morning, that is the time to schedule your budget meeting.
5. Try to settle issues between coworkers directly. Don’t turn your boss into a “work parent” breaking up fights between two children.16
6. Whatever you do, make sure it makes your boss look good to his boss.17 Unless you are just looking for a fight to take your boss’s job, your best bet for promotion and raise is making sure your work reflects well on your boss. Few people want to promote someone who just backstabbed the last guy. They are looking for someone who will be dedicated to them, and your past actions say more about you than any interview will.
I cannot stress enough the last point. You prepare for your next promotion by making sure you are doing all that you can to get your boss promoted. Now this does not mean you should spend your entire career kissing your boss’s back side? No, there is a big difference in doing your job efficiently, so it makes your boss’s life and job easier and spending your days telling your boss how good he looks in his new car.18
Here is an exercise to help you pinpoint the origins of your motivation. The following is reprinted with permission from Motivating Yourself for Achievement by Arthur Bell and Dale Smith.19
Directions: Read each question carefully. Select the answer that matches your feelings. (In some cases, neither answer will fit your feelings precisely. In those cases, choose the answer that comes closer than the other answer to your feelings.) When you have completed the assessment, transfer your answers to the answer sheet at the end of the assessment. There you will also find an interpretation of your scores.
1. You have a major exam coming up as part of your college study or work life. Which would be more effective in motivating you to study?
a. Encouragement from your professor or boss
b. Your ambition
2. A new job has opened up in your company. You are deciding whether or not to apply for it. Which would be more effective in motivating you to apply?
a. Information from the company assuring you that all applicants have a fair chance.
b. Your own ideas about where this new job could lead you on your upward career path.
3. You are trying to decide whether to rent an attractive apartment at a rental rate that is significantly higher than you are now paying. Which would be more effective in motivating you to rent an apartment?
a. Your confidence in yourself and your financial future.
b. Moral support from friends and relatives who would like to see you living in a nicer place.
4. You are working on a project along with four other people. A looming deadline requires that you work on Saturday without additional compensation. Which would be more effective in motivating you to work on the Saturday?
a. Your ideas that the boss will take note of this extra effort and reward you in some way in the future.
b. The fact that the other four people on the project have agreed to work on Saturday.
5. You are contemplating a change in careers. Which would be more effective in motivating you to make a change?
a. Advice from those who know you and your abilities best, including a favorite college professor.
b. Your belief that a career change would make work more interesting and rewarding for you.
6. Three people in your work group received a raise this year, and three did not. You were one of the ones who did not. You are deciding whether or not to talk with your boss about this situation. Which would be more effective in motivating you to talk with your boss?
a. The rumor that your performance appraisal was just as good as those of the people who received the raise.
b. Your idea that making the boss aware of your negative feelings about the situation will encourage him to give you a raise sooner rather than later.
7. Your company’s sports team wants you to join. You do not feel that you are a particularly good player. Which would be more effective in motivating you to join the team?
a. Your willingness to accept new challenges and try new experiences.
b. Friendly invitations and encouragement from several members of the team who really want you to join.
8. You are shopping for a new car. A sales person has stated a price, and you are deciding whether or not to buy. Which would be more effective in motivating you to buy the car?
a. Your expectation that you could not find the car cheaper elsewhere.
b. Your knowledge that two of your friends bought the same car model for the same price within the last few weeks.
9. Your boss tells you that you have been asked to speak for the company at an upcoming convention. Which would be more effective in motivating you to accept this speaking invitation?
a. Your boss’s statement that you could be making a big contribution to the company as a speaker.
b. Your confidence that you could represent the company well as a speaker.
10. Economic conditions have forced your company to consider pay cutbacks for all workers. Which would be more effective in motivating you to accept a pay cut?
a. The knowledge that all workers are receiving the same percentage of cut in their pay.
b. Your belief that your company will appreciate your willingness to accept a pay cut and will reward you when better times return.
11. You are trying to decide where to go on vacation. Which would be more effective in motivating you to select a particular location?
a. Your long-term desire to see that part of the world.
b. Reports from friends who have returned recently from that region.
12. One of your friends complains to you that she is not getting ahead in her job as quickly as she would like. Which one of these approaches would you use in motivating her to talk to her employer about the problem?
a. You urge her to assemble proof that other workers in her group with less skill and experience have been moved ahead more quickly that she has.
b. You urge her to put together work materials to show how valuable she can be to the company in a more advanced position.
13. Due to circumstances beyond your control, you have to turn in a term paper late. You are worried the professor will not accept the paper. Which would be more effective in motivating you to talk with the professor about the problem?
a. Advice from another classmate who had the same professor last term.
b. Your belief that the professor will be reasonable in understanding the circumstances.
14. Parking spots are hard to find at your workplace. An assigned parking place close to the building is highly prized. You have waited for such a place for more than two years. However, when a prime spot becomes available, it was given to an employee who had not been with the company as long as you had. You are deciding whether or not to complain to senior management. Which would be more effective in motivating you to complain about the problem?
a. The lack of fairness involved in passing you over for a more junior employee.
b. The influence this slight will have on your morale and productivity in the company in the future.
15. You are deciding whether or not to join a community college class to learn a foreign language. Which would be more effective in motivating you to join the class?
a. Your desire to learn the language.
b. The fact that two of your friends are already in the class and like it very much.
16. You have just graduated from college and have no particular job prospects. Which would be more effective in motivating you to search the job ads in the newspaper?
a. Your hope of finding a position that interests you.
b. Your idea that not finding a position would be a waste of the effort and expense you put into college.
17. You are trying to read in the library. Two librarians are talking loudly a short distance from you. Which would be more effective in motivating you to ask the librarians to talk more quietly?
a. The sign posted near the library door: “Please maintain QUIET in the library.”
b. Your growing irritation at being unable to concentrate on your reading due to the librarians’ chatter.
18. Your elderly parents are drawing up their wills, with financial provisions for you and your younger brother. Your parents ask you in private whether you would like to inherit their life insurance (a fixed amount) or their stocks, which could rise or fall in value in the period prior to their deaths. What motivates us to select the stocks?
a. If you do receive substantially more that your brother (who will receive the life insurance), you can point out that you took the risk that the stocks could have gone down.
b. The stocks have a chance of becoming much more valuable than they are at present.
19. You must decide whether to spend money for new clothes for an upcoming business trip. Which is more effective in motivating your decision?
a. It’s been a while since you bought new clothes, and you feel you deserve them.
b. Several work associates who will accompany you on the trip already have told you about their plans to buy new clothes.
20. Contrary to the usual policy of allowing managers to use company cars for entertaining clients, the new policy prohibits the use of company cars in this way for all employees below the vice president level. You are not yet a vice president. Which would you be motivated to do?
a. Accept the new policy without complaint because you hope you will soon be named vice president of the company.
b. Accept the new policy without complaint because it applies equally to everyone at your level.
21. A good friend has recently lost her job. Which approach would you tend to use in encouraging the friend to seek another job?
a. Gather the help-wanted ads that might be suitable for your friend.
b. Tell your friend how valuable her talents are.
22. Membership at the company gym is determined by drawing because many more employees sought membership than the gym could accommodate. Which would be more effective in motivating you to enter your name in the drawing?
a. The idea that all employees have the same chance, assuming the drawing is fair.
b. Your expectation that you might get lucky and be drawn as a new gym member.
23. The grass around your home desperately needs to be mowed. Which would be more effective in motivating you to do the job yourself?
a. You know you have the strength and equipment to do the job.
b. You have seen many of your neighbors mowing their own grass.
24. At the circus, you are deciding whether or not to pay a dollar for a chance to knock down three milk bottles with a softball and win a prize. You end up deciding not to do so. Which is more effective in determining your decision?
a. You are not sure you throw a softball well enough to hit the bottle.
b. You suspect the milk bottles have been weighted so they will not fall easily.
25. You have the opportunity to buy stock in a promising new company. Which would be more effective in determining your decision?
a. The optimistic attitudes of two of your friends who also are investing in the company.
b. Your ability to take reasonable risks, for better or for worse.
26. You have tickets to attend the theater. However, you are disappointed when a famous actor scheduled to play the lead role fails to show up. His understudy takes over, and the show goes on. Which is the main source of your disappointment?
a. On other evenings, theatergoers paid the same price for tickets and saw the famous actor, not the understudy.
b. You had looked forward to seeing the famous actor perform.
27. You are trying to decide whether or not to return to college to earn an additional degree. Which would be more effective in motivating you to do so?
a. Your desire to learn more, and your confidence in your abilities.
b. Stories from your friends about how much they enjoyed returning to college
28. You have worked hard and well for the company for more than a year—but so far without a raise. Which would be more likely to motivate you to expect a raise in the near future?
a. The boss knows you have been expecting a raise and you aren’t willing to wait much longer without quitting.
b. The company has a history of rewarding good performance sooner or later.
29. You are shopping for a ring. Which would be more effective in motivating you to buy one?
a. The jeweler’s assurance that you are buying a quality ring at a deeply discounted price.
b. Your own good shopping sense if you find the right ring.
30. After five years with the company, you and nine other workers each receive a small pin at a luncheon in your honor. Which would be your likely reaction?
a. Satisfaction, because all workers who had worked for the company for five years received the same pin.
b. Dissatisfaction, because you were an outstanding worker, and you expected the company to present you with something more substantial than a pin after five years.
Place checks for your a or b choices in the following columns:
Total the checks in each column and place the number in the space provided.
Interpretation
The higher your score in any column, the dominant that tendency is in your approach to self-motivation.
O-outside motivators. If your score is higher in the O column than in the I column, you tend to pay more attention to what others say and feel as a motivational influence. On the positive side, your knowledge of this tendency can make you aware of the advice, comments, feedback, and guidance provided by others. You tend to, after all, find this information crucial to your motivation and decision making. Know it accurately and extensively can help you find powerful motivators. On the other hand, you might want to guard against too complete a reliance on the opinions of others to the exclusion of knowing your own mind and heart. A high-tendency score in the column also could be your warning to think hard about what you think, want, feel, and need.
I-inside motivators. If your score is higher in the I column than in the O column, you tend to find your motivation more in your own thought and feelings than in what others think and feel. Your high score can indicate the positive influence of knowing who you are and what you want. You are able on most occasions to shut out the distracting and conflicting opinions and advice of the outside world so you can hear your own authentic intentions and perspective. On the other hand, a tendency to shut out the world can be hazardous if practiced too rigidly. A high score in this column might alert you to a tendency to discount all opinions other than your own. You might want to listen not only to your own inner voice but also to the outside voices that you respect.
F-fairness. If you score higher in the F column than in the E column, you tend to be motivated more by a sense of fairness than by your expectation for what might occur. A high score in this column indicates that you are moved (i.e., motivated) by equity in human affairs. When you feel you or someone else has been treated unjustly, you are energized to action. In the great scheme of things, this sensitivity to fairness is no doubt admirable. However, if you focus only on the fairness of a notoriously unfair world, you might find yourself enmeshed within endless efforts to make things right instead of making things move forward. For example, your aversion to instances of unfairness in a large corporation could involve all your energies in an effort to correct the situation. Although such a crusade is undoubtedly noble, it often might take the place of other worthwhile goals you could be pursuing.
E-expectations. If your score is higher in the E column than in the F column, you tend to be motivated more by what you expect or hope will happen rather than by what you feel is fair or deserved. A high score in the column indicates that you tend to be motivated by blue sky, that is, the endless possibilities for the future. This optimism for what lies ahead is a wonderful quality, and your friends probably admire you for it. The downside of motivation by expectancy, however, is that many of our fondest dreams for tomorrow never materialize. That reality can leave us embittered or, just as often, ceaselessly chasing pots of gold at the end of rainbows, invisible to ourselves. If your score is high in this column, you might want to reflect on the value of tempering expectation-based motivation with other, more immediate goals and rewards.
What should all of this mean to you and your career? In a nutshell, it means you should be performing at a level that will reflect favorably upon your boss. If your boss does not get promoted how can you expect to one-day get promoted into their job? Perhaps coming to an understanding of what motivates you to excel will be beneficial as you prepare for the next job you seek. As you prepare for your next promotion you will need to consider what is required of you in that position.