Archive for the ‘values’ Category

A Values Conflict Can Be a Recipe for Disaster

Jan 18th, 12 / 0 Comments

“Could you fire someone?”  That was the first question the Branch Manager asked me at the interview.  Needless to say I was floored by the question.

I stammered something like, “Yes, if I had given the person time to improve and helped him/her to change but nothing worked then yes I could fire someone.”   Somehow that did not satisfy her.  She said she was looking for someone who was tough, who focused on the bottom line and was ready to quickly fire anyone that was not producing.

I didn’t get that job.  She said that our “styles” were too different.  I wanted the job and was really disappointed.

Since I was on the Sales Vice President’s staff in New York City and had been for 4 years I was eager to get back to Boston.  Later that year the Vice President (her boss too) pretty much strong armed her into hiring me for another sales manager’s position.

Taking that job was a huge mistake.  It was clear from the beginning I was not a good fit for the branch and that branch manager.  Today I would say we had a values conflict that did in fact make our styles very different.

She had hired the other sales managers and they were happy working for her.  I was not comfortable with her nor was I comfortable with the other sales managers.  The 2 years I spent in that job were horrible ones for me.  I was definitely not happy at work!

During that time I secretly criticized her for an insensitive approach to move very quickly, eliminate poor performers and get business at any cost.  Today I would say that her values were in conflict with mine.

What made my predicament really difficult at that time was that I was limiting my job search to AT&T and Boston.  At my level there were very few AT&T jobs in Boston and openings were rare.  I had a good salary and benefits at AT&T so I was reluctant to leave the company.  Oh those golden handcuffs!

Two years later I found a new job –still within AT&T and in Boston.  I reconnected with a woman that I had worked with before.  She had been promoted to manager and brought me on to her team.  I knew her to be organized, dependable and focused.  Her team welcomed me and I immediately knew that I fit in.  At last I was happy at work again.

Let me say that both managers were very successful in their jobs.  It was not a question of a bad manager as I thought when I left the first manager’s branch.  It was just that my values were more aligned with those of the second manager and so we worked really well together.

What did I learn from the situation?

  • My values must align with those of the person I work for.   I must know that before I accept the job!
  • Taking a job with a manager whose values conflict with mine is a big mistake.
  • If I wanted to find a job in Boston I needed to look for it both inside and outside of AT&T.
  • Staying connected with former colleagues is worth the effort. (I still hear from the second manager at Christmas and it has been 15 years since I worked for her.)
  •  Having a good work situation is more important than having a high salary. Being happy at work makes life more satisfying and work more meaningful.
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Career Changers, job search, Lawyers, practice management, values

Not Happy at Work? Do You Share the Company’s Values?

Jan 9th, 12 / 0 Comments

Values – principles or beliefs that guide the company.  Knowing the values of the company you work for can help you determine whether you are a good fit.  The values a company says it has may not be the values employees see and feel.  If you never feel comfortable in your work situation, it could be a values mismatch.  Here is a list of 10 pairs of values.  I’ve tried to pair ones that are almost opposite together so that you can see that valuing the first would give you a very different culture than valuing the second.  In my list there are no “bad” values but there may be some that would produce a culture that would be uncomfortable for you.

 

  1. Family friendly versus business comes first – With a company that truly is family friendly you would find people understanding about child care issues, supportive about your leaving to coach a child’s sports team, offering  telecommuting as an option when a family member is ill.  When a company values its own business first you will be rewarded for results that support the company’s business goals.
  2. Customer focused versus bottom line focused – Customer focused companies give employees ability to satisfy the customer complaints even when it means refunding payment.  Those focused on the bottom line would be more apt to try to satisfy the customer in another way without a refund.
  3. Quick changing versus incremental change – A company that values quick change will be in constant change.  You’ll need to be flexible to move with a company like this.  Other companies spend time thinking through change.  You’ll need to be patient to work with that company.
  4. Risk taking versus safe, analytical and reasoned approach – Companies that value risk taking may look to employees to take chances.  They need to also be accepting of failure. (You’ll want to make sure of that!) A company that values a safe, analytical, reasoned approach will move more slowly testing a new idea before moving on it.
  5. Innovative business versus stable business – Businesses that value innovation are always looking for the next upgrade or new idea to develop.  Creative people love to work for this type of business.  Nothing remains the same for long. On the other hand some businesses value their stability.  They have all their processes defined and employees are expected to follow the defined processes.
  6. Fast paced versus deliberate paced – Just as some people like to move quickly and some have a more deliberate and steady pace so do companies.  Depending on your style you’ll be more at home at one or the other.  (The DISC assessment will determine your style.  Ask me about it.)
  7. Team approach versus individual contributor – Some people love working in groups and thrive with a company that values teamwork.  Other people prefer working alone and coming together occasionally to update each other.  There are companies that foster the team approach and others that encourage individual contributions.
  8. External cause (conservation, environment, organic, serving food banks etc.) along with business bottom line versus singular business focus – Many people look for companies with a larger world view and a focus on solving larger issues while at the same time doing their own business.  Companies that do that may be a fit for some of you.  Others may prefer to do that sort of service on their own time.
  9. Fashion forward versus business like appearance at all times – Look at the mode of dress within the organization. Are you comfortable with it?  It might be very buttoned down or it could be jeans and sneakers.  If dress is important to you make sure you look for a place that supports your style.
  10. Have fun while you work versus a serious approach to the customer - During the dot com era many played games at work to relax after working hard.  Foosball was big.  There are still companies that emphasize their playful attitude.  Others are all business. Where do you fit?

Think about what is most important to you in your work situation and look for companies that share your values.

You can find a list of 20 Core Values at this website.

Free Values Tool

Do you know your values?  When you know the principals and beliefs that are most important to you, you can identify potential trouble spots in your job, your relationships and your ability to achieve your goals.  You will be able to easily create your vision of the job or practice that is perfect for you. Now is the time to identify your values whether you are looking for a job, are unhappy in your current job or are thinking about moving on to your next career or job. I offer a free values tool for my newsletter readers.  Just email me at asparker@asparker.com for a copy.  If you would like a more in depth discussion and assessment, call me at 781-598-0388 or email me at asparker@asparker.com.

I wrote another article on company values.  You will find it on my website.

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Career Changers, values

Hire people who share your values

Jan 8th, 12 / 0 Comments

Values – principles or beliefs that guide your practice.     Knowing your values (or your firm’s values if you have several partners) will help you to determine if a candidate shares those values and thus will fit into your firm.  Here is a list of 10 pairs of values.  I’ve tried to pair ones that are almost opposite together so that you can see that valuing the first would give you a very different culture than valuing the second.  In my list there are no “bad” values but there may be some that would produce a culture that would not feel right to you.  In the same way your values may not feel right to someone you are considering hiring.

 

  1. Family friendly versus business comes first – with a company that truly is family friendly you would find more understanding about child care issues, support in leaving to coach a child’s sports team, allowing telecommuting when a family member is ill.  When a company values business comes first the company you will be rewarded for results that support the company’s business goals.
  2. Customer focused versus bottom line focused – Customer focused companies give employees ability to satisfy the customer complaints even if it means refunding payment.  Those focused on the bottom line would be more apt to try to satisfy the customer without a refund.
  3. Quick changing versus incremental change – A company that values quick change will be in constant change.  You’ll need to be flexible to move with a company like this.  Other companies spend time thinking through change.  You’ll need to be patient to work with that company.
  4. Risk taking versus safe, analytical and reasoned approach – Companies that value risk taking may look to employees to take chances and hopefully succeed.  They hopefully are accepting of failure. (You’ll want to ask about that!) A company that values a safe, analytical, reasoned approach will move more slowly testing a new idea before moving.
  5. Innovative business versus stable business – Businesses that value innovation are always looking for the next upgrade or new idea to develop.  Creative people love to work for this type of business.  Nothing remains the same for long. On the other hand some businesses value their stability.  They have all their processes defined and employees follow the defined processes. Someone who appreciates consistency would thrive in this kind of a practice.
  6. Fast paced versus deliberate paced – Just as some people like to move quickly and some have a more deliberate and steady pace so do companies.  Depending on your style you’ll be more at home at one or the other.  (The DISC assessment will determine your style)
  7. Team approach versus individual contributor – Some people love working in groups and thrive with a company that values teamwork.  Other people prefer working alone and coming together occasionally to update each other.  There are companies that foster the team approach and others that encourage individual contributions.
  8. External cause (conservation, environment, organic, serving foodbanks etc) along with business bottom line versus singular business focus – Many people look for companies with a larger world view and a focus on solving larger issues while at the same time doing their own business.  Companies that do that may be a fit for some of you.  Others may prefer to do that sort of service on their own time and believe the business of a law practice is just to practice law.
  9. Fashion forward versus business like appearance at all times   One thing everyone can view is the mode of dress within the practice.  What is important to you?  Is it very buttoned down or   jeans and sneakers.  If dress is important to you make sure you set the standard.
  10. Have fun while you work versus a serious approach to the customer.  During the dot com era many played games at work to relax after working hard.  Foosball was big.  There are still companies that emphasize their playful attitude.  Is your firm known to be playful or serious?

Think about what is most important to you in your work situation and look for people who share your values.

You can find a list of 20 Core Values at this website.

Do you have a clearly written hiring process?  Do you know what you need to do to determine the values and value of a candidate?  Hiring the wrong person is costly, disruptive and unpleasant.    The time to prepare for hiring is before you need to hire.  I have many useful tools and assessments that can help you with hiring new personnel.  Email me for a free values tool. (asparker@asparker.com)  If you would like a more in depth discussion and assessment call me at 781-598-0388 or email me at asparker@asparker.com

I wrote another article on company values.  You will find it here.

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Lawyers, values