AMiable Solution #147: The Benefits of Siblings

Siblings are a marketer’s first real coworkers. 

Think about it.  Your first experiences in delegation probably came from a sibling.  Either you were the one passing off a chore or assignment from Mom, or you were the one getting bossed around by your big brother.  Either way, you learned that the quickest way to get a job done well was to enlist the help of someone faster and better than you.

Your first lessons in proper behavior also came from your siblings.  You don’t go around the office giving noogies to the accountants or wrestling your supervisor for the right to run a project.  Oh, you may have managed to pull off such shenanigans with your sibling a time or two when you were young, but Mom and Dad were quick to point out that such actions don’t produce the results you’re looking for.  And they get you grounded. 

No, having siblings shaped your communication skills.  Your siblings taught you how to negotiate.  How to cooperate and work together to achieve a goal, even if it was silencing the dog while you snuck out of the house.  Having siblings taught you how to be fair and kind and expect the same from others.  It taught you how to get along.

And for that, we’re all grateful.

 

AMiable Solution #146: Teachers’ Lasting Lessons

When you think back to your school days, you’re probably grateful to be past #2 pencils, homework assignments, pop quizzes, and seemingly impossible restrictions.  But hidden among the classroom rules for sitting still, keeping your hands to yourself, and raising your hand to speak were other rules that shaped the way you developed and presented your abilities both then and now. 

The next time you visit your hometown or attend a high school reunion, be sure to thank your teachers for these life-long lessons:

Always do your best work.  Sure, you could have gotten by submitting sub-par, late-night, last-minute projects, but your teachers were quick to let you know that you could do better.  They expected more from you, every day, with every assignment.  You do your best now for the same reasons you did then:  that sense of pride you get for giving a job your all and the appreciation you get from others for doing something well.

Write neatly!  Your teachers told you to take your time for a reason.  Mistakes can be avoided and so much miscommunication can be eliminated when you make the effort and write (or type or file or organize your work) neatly.

Show your work.  This was always particularly true for math teachers, who insisted on not just coming up with the right answer, but also for showing the steps you took to reach your conclusion.  Now that you’re a professional, it’s equally important to document your process and your work.  Colleagues, supervisors, and clients may have questions during and after a project, and having the paperwork to backup or justify your actions can help encourage support and cooperation or solve problems that inadvertently arise.

      Well done!

AMiable Solution #145: Dad’s Work Ethic

Mom knows best, but Dad’s no dummy, either. Last week we talked about Mom’s core values and how they taught us to be good people (and subsequently good business people), but now it’s time to give Dad his dues. After all, he taught us how to be good workers. Here’s what Dad showed us:


• Be present. Dad would have never let you get away with simply going to school. He wanted you to be involved. To engage. To invest yourself in your work. Dad did, and he was rewarded at the office because of it. You can’t feel pride or demonstrate your own value unless you actively participate in what you’re doing.



• Be responsible. If you make a mistake, own up to it. You had to do it when you were a kid, even when you knew the consequences could be painful. But Dad taught you the only way to learn from your mistakes was to admit you made them and then work to make them right.



• Respect authority. Dad didn’t always like his boss, but he didn’t let it show. He worked just as hard and gave his supervisor the respect due to the position. His efforts paid off: the supervisor moved on, and Dad didn’t burn any bridges or earn himself a negative reputation.

As kids, many of us feared that we would become our parents. Turns out, that’s not so bad. Thanks, Dad.

AMiable Solution #144: Mom’s Core Values

To have a successful career, business, or organization, we need training, focus, motivation, and strategy.

But if we really want to succeed, we also need to remember the lessons taught by mom.  The simple truths moms teach us create the foundations we use not only as people, but also as professionals:  

·        Honesty is the best policy.  Mom always stressed the importance of telling the truth!  She said lies hurt those who tell them as well as everyone else.  Always strive to meet customer commitments while keeping focused on reality.  Never promise what you know you can’t deliver. 

·        Use your manners.  Being polite and treating others the way you want to be treated makes working with people in any environment more pleasant and productive.  Try to answer or initiate any correspondence with a smile!  Whether it is via the phone, email, or in person, a warm smile always shines through.

·        Do your best.  The only shortcuts Mom allowed were ones that got you home on time.  Doing a good job means giving it your all.  That includes trying to see things from the other person’s point of view and striving to provide products and services that achieve you customer’s goals.

·        Show respect.  Mom always said, if you want to be respected, you must first respect others.  In the business world, that means approaching all solutions with pride and integrity.  If you do, you will gain the trust and respect of your customers.

·        Be thankful.  No matter what you want, always take time to be thankful for what you have.  The best gauge of your organization’s success is accomplishing the initiatives of those you serve.   Be grateful for those opportunities.

Thanks Mom!

AMiable Solution #143: When I Grow Up…

Right now, thousands of local teenagers are celebrating their high school graduation.  At the same time, they’re preparing to take the next step toward answering the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Some adults are working on the answer to that question, too.  Whether they entered the marketing industry by choice or by chance, some are still in search of the “big dream” they began pursuing years ago.

Where are you in your career?  Have you achieved the goals you set for yourself, or did you get sidetracked or distracted?  If you still hope to “become” something more or different than you already are, don’t give up on your plans or dreams.  Go after them.

If you haven’t updated your resume lately, do it.  Think about the projects or responsibilities you’re proudest of.  Would you like to do more of the same, or are you longing for something more challenging, more diverse, or more specialized?  What achievements do you wish you could add to your resume?

Think, too, about your training and your experience.  Did you envision you’d be in management by now?  In a different part of the industry?  Performing a different function entirely?   It’s not too late!  Talk to your manager and human resource department to see what options and opportunities you have where you are, and then talk to others in the business or sector you’d like to be part of to see how you can make your goals happen.

Goals and dreams don’t have to end just because our youth did.  As adults, we know this.  We know that we don’t ever stop growing up.  We just keep growing.