Managing Work Priorities and Professional Development - Case Study Example

Managing Work Priorities and Professional Development James Mzwakhe Mpinga of Facilitator: Mr. Geoff Dodds Synopsis Employees have a number of work priorities that they will generally uphold, and that they wish to achieve a decent sense of professional development in the process. This being the case, the latter sections shall discuss the concepts of work priorities and professional development, with the goal of explaining their importance as things every employee should experience on some level. The principles of managing work priorities and professional development are discussed in this paper. Table of Contents Introduction 3 Work Priorities 6 Professional Development 9 Conclusion and Recommendations 10 References 12 Introduction As a business owner of Jim’s Cleaning, I am expected to give my best possible performance while on the job. In turn, neither can it be disputed that the head of an organisation sets its cultural tone, and is perhaps the single most important force allowing it to achieve success. Just as every cog in a machine is expected to play a part in its continued optimal functioning, so too does an organisation rely on the time management and work prioritisation of its head, to put their best foot forward when it comes to their day-to-day tasks. At the same time, though, I realised that while it is of course important for me to work towards Jim’s Cleaning’s success and prosperity, it is my own professional development that should be foremost to ensure the success of my business venture. No matter how dreary or inane one’s job happens to be, I am still ultimately a human being rather than a glorified automatons and it is therefore inevitable for me to somehow desire my own development and growth. Not only do they want to get paid for their work, it is but natural for employees to desire a sense of fulfillment that cannot simply be obtained through a pay slip. Maslow (1943) himself has made note of this, citing specifically how human beings as a whole seek self-actualization and self-transcendence more than anything else. We as humans seldom find satisfaction in what we are now – that is, we are said to possess an innate desire to become everything we are capable of becoming, even exceeding that if at all possible. Elusive as it may be – only 1% of all individuals are said to achieve self-actualization in the end – it is still something generally deemed worthy of working towards (Maslow, 1996). He goes on to explain that while basic needs such as food, water, clothing and shelter are indeed important to any rational being, these become mere means to a greater end. Even those whose most pressing need is money will inevitably think and wonder, somewhere down the line, if that is all they are meant for – or if they are meant for bigger and better things (Steere, 1988). This is related to the concept of metamotivation, earlier posited by Maslow. Someone said to be metamotivated does not work merely to get by from day to day, but to somehow become a better person tomorrow than he is today (Goble, 1970). This arguably does a lot to explain why there are those who, despite having better options, settle for low-paying jobs – or why those working in lucrative positions are perfectly willing to leave them behind. No matter how much one may insist that the most important things to look for in a particular job opening are the salary and benefits, even these admittedly important considerations become moot if one fails to find fulfillment working under such circumstances. In doing this assignment and focusing on my business Jim’s Cleaning, I have realised that someone who loves what he is doing, and feels that he is actually getting somewhere in his job, will ultimately be more content with the idea of remaining there even with a modest paycheck. For example, it can be argued that the specialist cleaners at Jim’s are generally paid lower than what they should receive. Barring external factors such as skill, experience, tenure or connections, these individuals would arguably be paid a lot more were they to work in other fields, yet decide to stay of their own volition. And while it is true that the culture one is part of has a say in what his work priorities will be, it can at least be assumed that, generally speaking, there are some things that an employee considers as being over and above compensation and benefits in terms of importance (Li, Lam and Fu, 2000). Work Priorities As already noted in the previous pages, money is indeed a powerful motivator behind an employee’s decision to accept or decline job offers, but hardly the only one. Even in the cases wherein one picks the higher-paying job over other choices that may pay less but appeal to him more, the decision rarely comes with ease, or in an instant. Most employees currently working are in it not only because they want to make money, but have other reasons of their own as well. These reasons will no doubt vary depending on the work priorities they uphold, and the goals they strive towards. The importance of the latter especially lies in that they not only help provide a sense of direction and purpose, but also serve to increase one’s own competencies depending on the difficulty of the task (Swezey et al, 1994). This section on work priorities shall discuss about peak time, urgency addiction, and work life balance, within the specific context of Jim’s Cleaning. Jim’s Cleaning operates at its peak during the –ber months, and it is also at this time when my time management techniques are subject to a real test. It is during this period when home and office, carpet, window, pressure, blind, and car cleaning orders are at its peak. In fact, the orders during –ber months are thrice the rate of what we typically receive during any of the other months of the year. To ensure that all commitments to clients are met, I employ certain personal time management techniques. First, I try to get all the tasks as organised as possible, and also appoint a team leader for each account. This increases the accountability of both the team leader and members in delivering what is expected of them. The Australian Institute of Management (2011) states that the breakneck pace at which everyday life seems to go can leave one winded from the pressure, which can take its toll if managed poorly. Not only that, failure to stop and think about what matters most is said to sometimes lead to one missing chances and opportunities that could have been worth it in the end. One can set his priorities straight through changes in attitude and mindset – through learning how to deal with challenges and achieving goals without sacrificing one’s personal life in the process (Australian Institute of Management 2011). An article on MindTools (2011) also agrees with this, making note of the curious tendency of people working hard all day long without even knowing for sure that what they are exerting their effort on is actually worth all the trouble. Additionally, it is also said that one seeking to achieve the best results should know which endeavors are actually worth working on, and which ones are merely time wasters. Especially during peak periods at Jim’s Cleaning, I strive to classify my activities in terms of both urgency and importance, to systematically prioritise them. I would say that Jim’s Cleaning is operating within the zone of effectiveness rather than suffering from urgency addiction. This is so because we are not always in a flurry to finish our tasks but rather have systems and procedures which help us attend to all that we have to do. Moreover, we also attend to responsive low hanging fruit, typically in the form of franchise opportunities. These take time to review and carry out and cannot be rushed. As noted by Stephen Covey (1989), proper time management requires that one can distinguish between urgency and importance in order to plan one’s priorities in advance. It would also help to have a clear understanding of one’s interest, strengths and weaknesses, and exactly what constitutes good performance. From there, he then needs to come up with a list of priorities, in order of importance (short-term to long-term) and based on what he knows of himself and of his tasks, and then adhere to it as much as possible (Morgenstern, 2004). I strongly advocate work life balance, and manage the expectations of my family and others that I come in contact with. Since my post as head of Jim’s Cleaning takes most of my time, I ensure that I have a dedicated time set for my family activities. I consider such time “sacred” and I strive not to be distracted by work-related calls and concerns while spending time with family members. Moreover, to uphold my commitments to Jim’s clients, I make sure that we agree on “who will do what by when” after each conversation or interaction. This way, accountabilities are clearly spelled out and omissions are effectively avoided. Professional Development: Deciding on My Purpose and Career Line After years of introspection, I have realised that my purpose in life is to provide jobs through my cleaning business. For me, success is defined not in terms of the material wealth which I have incurred, but on the number of lives I have made a difference on. Several of my current staff are working students and breadwinners, and I feel fulfilled being instrumental in their personal goal attainment. Through their working stint at Jim’s, they are able to support themselves and their families. Career-wise, I would still have to sharpen myself in being an entrepreneur and leader. This way, I can provide more jobs to yet more people who are in need. One seeking to achieve professional development seeks to attain skills for his own benefit – specifically for his personal development as well as career advancement (Speck and Knipe, 2005). These learning opportunities are generally facilitated by trained professionals, whether they be the training and development program as established by one’s HR department or a course in an undergraduate or graduate program, or otherwise an exclusive mentoring program. Regardless of the form professional development takes, though, it is often a collaborative effort on the part of both the participant and the facilitators (National Professional Development Center on Inclusion, 2008). I thus intend to collaborate with a subject matter expect or guru who can serve as my mentor and who can help me close my soft skill competency gaps, particularly those that have to do with leadership at Jim’s. The most common means of professional development that is available to me are the training and development programs. Such programs are consistent with the general aim of professional development as a whole, and are intended to boost performance of individuals in an organisational context (Harrison, 2005). This is known by a number terms, such as employee development, HR development and learning and development, besides other, now-defunct terms such as employee development, which were abandoned for various reasons. These programs tend to be divided into three phases: training, education and development (Garavan, Costine and Heraty, 1995). Training is the part of the activity which is focused on and evaluated against one’s current job, while education aims to prepare employees for future advancements in their career by giving them a preview of sorts as to what they will be expected to do in the future. Development is similar to this, with the caveat that it is aimed not merely at those tasks an employee is likely to take on in the future, but is a lot more general and vague – and impossible to evaluate as a result (Hoover 2003). Goals I envision myself expanding my business 5 years from now, establishing 10 more branches in the country. This does not include yet those who have applied for franchises, which I target to be about 30 by the year 2016. I would have finished a Masters degree in Business, enriching my knowledge in entrepreneurship and business management. I also would like to pursue development programs related to leadership, and would like to learn more about strategy and business development. Within next year, I want to be guided by a mentor in business, who can help me realise my goals of expanding Jim’s Cleaning. SWOT Analysis Obviously, I realised that I would well to concentrate on his interests and strengths, as these areas are those wherein one would be most inclined to exert the greatest effort – and find to be of the greatest importance. This particular piece of advice becomes even more helpful when one takes into account how one’s talents and interests tend to overlap – that is, I would be more likely to enjoy an activity in which I shows aptitude, and would conversely be more likely to push myself harder at something I enjoy. MindTools (2011) shares that one of the best ways to determine where one’s talents and inclinations lie is through the use of a SWOT (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) analysis, which I have carried out for the purpose of self-assessment. I believe that time management is one of my strengths as the head of Jim’s Cleaning. I personally espouse the use of the quadrant of prioritisation to help my people manage their time, both at the work place and in their personal lives. Just as, if not even more important is pinpointing the most urgent and important things that respectively ought to command one’s immediate attention and utmost efforts. This is made easier through the use of the quadrant of productions, also known as the quadrant of deception which helps one to distinguish urgency from importance. I teach my people that something that is urgent needs to be addressed as soon as possible – something as simple as badly needing to use the toilet can fall under this heading. What is important, meanwhile, does not necessarily need to be attended to right away. However, such a task does require one to devote his utmost efforts to it. There are instances in which urgency and importance can overlap, and it can just as easily happen that something one got himself worked up over is actually not that important after all – in other words, a deception. Meanwhile, tasks that are neither important nor urgent can easily be called a waste of time. In this stage, the trick is to know which is which (Covey, 1989). I advise my people to avoid time wasters and distractions, especially if we have deliverables that need to be attended to right away and with solid focus. Related to the above is the quadrant of quality (Both Eyes Book Blog, 2010), which in turn helps one to distinguish the things he would like to do from the things that simply have to be done. The first quadrant is dedicated to the things one both needs to do and would be perfectly happy to do, while the second is for tasks that would be worthwhile, but toward which one feels a particular disinclination to doing. These include franchise opportunity reviews at Jim’s Cleaning, which most everyone finds tedious to do. However, in the end, this task will allow greater leverage for the company. The third quadrant, meanwhile, is reserved for things that may not be worthwhile, but that one enjoys doing anyway, such as playing games. I teach my people that these activities include picking up the phone, carrying out long conversations over the phone, and taking long breaks among others. Finally, the fourth quadrant contains those tasks that one neither feels inclined to do nor deems worthwhile. Clearly, it can be said that the important thing here is not to confuse the things one absolutely has to do with those that one would merely like to do. I feel that one of my strengths is my balanced sense of task and people orientations, which can be attested to by my staff at Jim’s Cleaning. I am keen about my people’s professional development. Also discussed on MindTools (2011) is how to get better at one’s job. To achieve this, one first needs to have a thorough understanding of what his line of work entails, and of what skills, attitudes and character traits would be most conducive to achieving success. For a start, I ask my staff to write down all that he knows what is expected to him, so that he can then determine how best to achieve or even exceed those expectations. One of my weaknesses is being too detail oriented, which I knew about because of feedback from Jim’s’ Cleaning staff. I have realised that knowing what is absolutely necessary helps one maintain focus, while knowing what resources are available helps one come up with the most workable way to strive towards a goal. Having an idea of what costs would be acceptable should ensure that the risks and gambles one takes are reasonable, while having knowledge of the boundaries in place, what costs are acceptable and what boundaries are in place also go a long way to help give a clearer picture of the limits one needs to operate within. And finally, having an understanding of the bigger picture at hand would allow one to grasp exactly how his work is helping other people. While resource management is among my strengths, I struggle to explain and to appreciate the big picture. Generally speaking, it is an optimal combination of all these factors that results in success. One other weakness that I see from myself is my neglect of my own professional development. As head of Jim’s Cleaning, I should be more conscious about sharpening the saw so that I will be able to mentor my staff more effectively. I have realised that one must take care not to neglect his own professional development – which shall in turn be discussed in the next few paragraphs. I have the opportunity to develop myself in terms of leadership competencies. I think I have to improve further on leadership and conceptual thinking and strategic agility. Developing these will allow me to leverage on the business opportunities that are presented to Jim’s. On threat that I am facing is the possibility of the current processes and practises adopted by Jim’s. To address this, I must always be keen about updating knowledge and best business practises related to the cleaners business to prevent obsolescence of knowledge and process. Conclusion and Recommendations No matter how one looks at it, the issues of personal work priorities and professional development are such that no one can get very far without taking them into account at one point or another. That said, having a clear grasp of these concepts is still hardly enough to guarantee one’s prosperity. However, they definitely go a long way in giving one a sense of direction in his career, and make it much less likely for one to end up doubting himself along the way. This is especially applicable to most of today’s entrepreneurs as well as employees, who will sooner or later question themselves on what they are truly looking for in their job, or otherwise what kind of career they have. Even cogs in a machine are said to have a role to fulfill, and to feel pride in fulfilling it; if this is so, it should be even more applicable to us as human beings. Given this, professionals must continue to hone their skills on time management and undertake career planning sessions to ensure that they can effectively rank their work priorities. Coaching and career counseling may also be considered toward this objective. References Both Eyes Book Blog (2010) Quality Quadrant. 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