|
Home::Management
Impressions
Author : Nan S. Russell
Even now, months after it happened, it surprises me when I think about it. No phone call. No heads up. No discussion. As I opened the email from a business associate, checking my messages from an airport lounge, I expected a routine update. Instead, I read a message severing our relationship.
What startled me wasn't that this person decided it best to change a business situation. These things happen. It was how she informed me of her decision that brought the pain. You see, it's not just what you do that matters, it's how you do it.
I discovered more about her in that instant than I had in the months we worked together. I learned she took the easy way over the right way; lacked relationship courage; and retreated from difficult encounters. Her intention was to severe the current working relationship, but in the process she also severed my respect. You see, how you do what you do speaks volumes about who you are and what you value. It's a telling impression that leaves an imprint on those you touch.
Sure it's easier to use email to terminate relationships, deliver bad news or launch print-grenades. Just like it's easier to give advice when you don't have to live with the results; give orders you don't have to follow; and point out flaws you don't have to fix. And it's easier to be reactive instead of proactive, trade long-term sustained results for short-term gains and tell your boss what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to know.
All these things are easier. But easier isn't better, and easier won't get you winning at working results. Choosing the right way will. But that means finding the courage to pick up the phone and have the unpleasant conversation, terminate a relationship that's not working or deal with conflict in honest ways. It means confronting issues, being hands-on as needed and letting your life's actions speak to who you are.
I've found in my twenty years in management, people who are winning at working don't take the easy way, even when the right way is difficult or fear producing. How they do their work is as important to them as what they do. And while we all slip at how we do our work at times, out of anger or frustration, people who are winning at working know when they've slipped and keep striving to do better.
You see, the impressions we make by how we go about our work, last. Bad impressions can destroy trust, eliminate respect and derail careers. But good impressions can create trust, earn respect and build your career. Sometimes you may not like the decision, but you still respect how someone executed it. That's a good impression. Want to be winning at working? Choose the right way to do what you need to do, not the easy way.
(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, and speaker. Visit www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com
Spam emails More free articles Related articles
|
More related feeds |
N4G.com : TGR: Killzone 2 Beta Impressions
TGR: Killzone 2 Beta Impressions. 82. According to the writer, Stew Shearer: "Having spent some time with the game, I can affirm that indeed, it is rather solid. (At least the portion I got to play.) But sadly, that is probably the ...Mosby’s Confederacy: Release Impressions | Rock, Paper, Shotgun
The latest in Tilted Mill's attempt to release forty-two games this month continued with the release of Mosby's Confederacy their skirmish-level Civil-War. Burton Snowboards Community - Supreme boots- first impressions
Supreme boots- first impressions. Last post 2 hours, 30 minutes ago by midget mafiosa. 3 replies. Burton Snowboards Community » Public » Women's ... Joined on 08-02-2006; triple steak burrito. Re: Supreme boots- first impressions ... A French Infantryman’s Impressions of the Americans He Serves With ...
A French Infantryman’s Impressions of the Americans He Serves With. Jean-Marc Liotier has posted a piece written by a French OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liaison Teams) infantry man in Afghanistan, about the Americans soldiers with whom ... t-mobile g1 impressions: what we love, what we don't
let's take a look at what's working so far, and what might need some more time in the oven:. continue reading t-mobile g1 impressions: what we love, what we don't. permalink | email this | comments. Temmehkan: Left 4 Dead Impressions (Pc)
Left 4 Dead Impressions (Pc). Posted by Julian. Left 4 Dead is a cooperative shooter by Valve which is a new take on the zombie game genre. Story Based on the demo there isn't a narrative in the game. You simply play as 1 of 4 survivors ... Impressions -- Bob Dylan and His Band - United Palace Theater
"God wanted you to have a Cadillac?" asked Mr. Reagan. "No," the Reverend Ike corrected. "A Rolls-Royce." -- from an interview with the Reverend Ike on Ron Reagan's tv show ... -:: Horny Dog Tech ::-: Further Impressions of The T-Mobile G1
Further Impressions of The T-Mobile G1. Having used the G1 for some days now, although not as extensively as I would have liked because there are still other "new-ish" gadgets which I have been neglecting, let me share the following ... 2010 Mazda3 First Impressions | Auto News 5
Certain phenomenons in life are fascinating. The Mazda3, for example, is unique in its genre. More than 5 years after its official launch, not only is this little car still successful, but its sales figures are progressing, ... Outside Perspective: Impressions of the Bruckner Symphony No. 4 ...
The second movement of the Bruckner was my favorite. You hear the raw power of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra strings, each member acting in unison, pushing the romantic uplifting theme, reverberating deep into my body and soul.
|
|
|
