When Culture Works Against a Customer

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There is a very humorous story of an employee who not only misplaced his cell phone once, but twice within the same day. True to form, he was able to continue his business trip.*  His story relates how he had the courage to recognize  – because of his own actions – his buttons were pushed and what he was capable of – it may be called:

Unresolved anger, rushing without focus, lack of self-management or a learning experience to depend on someone who is much younger than you are.

Yesterday on my way home, I stopped at the grocery store and found myself in a somewhat similar situation – a reversal of the above-story. The small electronic scanner, at the check-out counter failed.   After scanning my card, the screen did not link to the next page.   The moment I pressed the screen, it reverted to the welcome screen.  After at least five attempts, the Check-out Clerk announced, “She doesn’t know what she’s doing, call a Supervisor.”  She refused to hear how I explained the screen was malfunctioning.

The Supervisor arrived, attempted a fix, but the electronic scanner continued to fail. The Supervisor worked earnestly, while the Check-out Clerk mumbled for all to hear,  “She still doesn’t know what she’s doing.”   Finally, I asked if there was an ATM machine in the store.  I was told there was and had no trouble getting cash to pay for my groceries – which is what I attempted to do at the exit counter.  When I arrived back at the exit counter, both the Supervisor and the Bagger had their heads down in apology, while the Check-out Clerk, did not.  She only displayed an indignant face.

One definition of Culture in a workplace is, “It’s how we do things around here.”    I will probably visit this store again because there were other employees who had a friendly service attitude. Outbursts do occur, for a variety of reasons.   It’s How You Choose Who You Want to be Known As in the situation that matters to those around you and what you learned about yourself.   Have a great week in your career!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

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* http://fortune.com/tag/stanley-bing .   “A Tale of Terror in which my true status in the universe is revealed to me.” September 22, 2014 print edition of Fortune Magazine.

“History’s Values in Today’s Workplace”

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Earlier this afternoon, I published this post on the social media platform, LinkedIn – Enjoy your career week!: “During this past weekend, I visited the Prairie Avenue Historic District of Chicago.  I joined other Alumni for a tour of the … Continue reading

Time, Timed and Timely

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The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.

Albert Einstein

It’s the first day of the Autumn Season and I hope you feel the energy of this day, i.e., a new beginning. Here in the Midwest, a few trees and low shrubbery are beginning to show their Fall colors of gold, orange and red. So I wonder, do you have time for yourself, have your timed out of a deadline or are you timely in submitting your project update. Whatever today’s timetable/calendar holds for you to accomplish, I’d like to share a news article with you.

Early this morning, I read an article about Albert Einstein and his prediction, known as the “Time Dilation.” (While there are a few definitions of the word Dilation, it is often referred to as the swelling of your iris, during an eye-exam.) The article is entitled, “Einstein’s ‘Time Dilation’ Prediction Verified.” Scientists have conclusively verified, “That time moves slower for a moving clock than a stationary one.” In other words, motion speed slows down our aging process if we travel in a speed rocket.

Since many of us will not have the opportunity to travel via a speed rocket, we are able to consider how often we recognize, when we are busy, time flies by.  If we become stationary, we have a different sense of how we manage our time. Rushing to finish a task at work doesn’t necessarily mean it will be done well. Yet we may actually feel time moving much more quickly because we are in motion. Perhaps Einstein’s Theory also helps us understand why we feel it takes less time to come home from an event than it took to reach the event.

I must govern the clock, not be governed

by it.  Golda Meir

As you Choose Who You Want to be Known as this week, I hope you manage your time, are timely and won’t be timed out of a deadline. Have a great week!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

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Note: “Einstein’s ‘Time Dilation’ Prediction Verified at http://www.scientific american.com/article/einsteins-time-dilation-prediction-verified/   This article was published on 09/22/14.

2030#NOW

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This brief blog was posted this afternoon on the social medial platform LinkedIn.  Please join the conversation.

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Social Responsibility, giving back to society and sharing your experience with others are all examples of Servant Leadership. We do what we can with our own resources of time, energy, effort, kindness, creativity and goodness to change our own world.

I recently moved to Chicago and can attest seeing examples of servant leadership on the Chicago Transit system given to others who either have or are perceived to have a disability. Bus Drivers and passengers alike demonstrate these examples of servant leadership. It’s a cultural way of life – treating folks like folks.

This week, the Social Media platform of LinkedIn has undertaken a global social
conversation of how you either change or improve the world at 2030#NOW. Please join
the conversation and share how your own resources of time, energy, effort, kindness,
creativity and goodness change your world.

Thank you.

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

Blog: careermanagementcoaching.me Twitter: @Coach_Jo_Ann

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“Hear, Heard and Hearing”

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            I published a Post on LinkedIn.com this morning, and hope you find value in it’s message:  http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140811163252-32215190-hear-heard-and-hearing   “Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

“Sameness in our Relationships”

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I published this post on another media this afternoon on LinkedIn.com.  Enjoy your week as you Choose Who You Want to be Known As. “As questions arise about Ethics and its place in our society, it’s not something people discuss … Continue reading

July 4th 2014

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  4 times a year we celebrate a Patriotic Holiday. Traffic going and coming everywhere  Hurrying to enjoy a great day     Of celebrating our freedom   From tyranny, oppression and terrorists.     Jars of ketchup, mustard and hot sauce on the table, Unforgettable … Continue reading

Belief, Believed, Believing…

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A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed.  Henrik Ibsen

 

Recently, I heard a statement made by former President Bill Clinton that made me stop what I was doing because I chose to believe what he said.  (http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-transcript-june-29-2014-n143826).  I was reminded how often we believe what we hear because it may make sense to us, yet it doesn’t meet the reality of facts.  What leads us to believe something is true or not?   Belief, Believed, Believing  may come into play with our answer.

We say, I can’t believe it” — when we hear good news about someone we know and we say, “I can’t believe it” when we hear very sad news about a tragedy.  On the other hand, we choose to believe our impressions of someone we just met, because we have a belief our judgment is correct.  Our birth and business cultures strongly influence us as to our Beliefs, what we Believed and are Believing.  Our experiences and schooling surely play out in our Beliefs as well.  As we are approaching the remembrance of the founding of our country in a few days, why do we believe so strongly in America and its values?

What we regard as true is a belief.  Frequently in our careers, we may be asked to describe what we do for a living and how we would describe what we do in a few words. We want our answers believed.

As we Choose Who We Want to be Known As – We Believe in ourselves and what we do.  Have a great Holiday Week!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

Notes: http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-transcript-june-29-2014-n143826.

The description of the word “belief”, Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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One Up, One Down and What’s You?

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Dancing is just part of the discovery, discovery, discovery. Martha Graham

 

During your career, have you danced in the dance of   “One Up, One Down and What’s You?”  It’s been happening frequently in the Midwest this Spring.  The dance begins when you meet someone and you start a conversation.  The What’s You dance occurs when the sincerity of both people leads the dance and each person dances away from an engaging business conversation.
The One Up dance starts shortly after the conversation begins and one person keeps circling around the other, demonstrating a perceived betterment, for whatever reason.  This dance usually ends as each party has opposite views and a sense of connectedness was lacking in the dance.
The One Down dance takes more time.  Patience, Humility, Curiosity or Discovery of self,  or the other,  is flowing through the conversational dance.  Both people feel they have left the dance with a takeaway to be used or considered in the future.
While I just described three dances, I know you can name many others.  What type of career dance have you participated in this Spring?  What did you discover about yourself and has it helped you in your career?  What should have happened that didn’t?  What first step are you able to take, to move closer to the conversation dance that you want? 
Summer officially begins during the latter part of this week.  I hope this Summer Season in your career brings you closer to the dance where YOU Choose Who You Want to be Known As.  Have a great week!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent
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Chance Encounters…

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Don’t look down on people unless you’re trying to pull them up.  Anonymous
 
Early Friday evening she heard
That’s her – and she was called a b_ t_h.
He continued in bad form a few  minutes later.
It’s always surprising how often you need to
Control your reactions
So the situation is diffused and not reactive.©
 
 
Entering the store, she immediately felt uneasy,
     although she was
 Told the preceding evening to come to the store.
Having reached the counter, she was quizzed
     as to why she was in the store. 
It became clear her words were not believed.  She 
Carefully reached for her phone and 
Showed the call details.  Workplace public
     treatment of customers can discount good
     behavior of other employees.© 
As you CHOOSE WHO YOU WANT to be BE KNOWN AS this consider how you handle your close encounters.
Enjoy your week!
 
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Agent and Change Agent
 
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