| In today’s politically-correct setting, there
are many words that we [should] feel guilty
to utter. So, how do we get around that?
Simple...we just use the first letter and add
“word” after it as in “F-word” and, incredibly,
everyone from the local clergyman to the youngest
school student knows what it means. That fact in
itself is a sad commentary on today’s society. As a
matter of fact, it seems that our [American] English
language is being changed right in front of our eyes.
How many times have you seen misspelled words/
incorrect grammar usage in articles by supposedly
educated journalists and people don’t seem to be
concerned. “I know what it means”...“who cares
if ‘I’ comes before ‘e’ except...” Discounting an old
detergent, should “does” be spelled as “Duz”, for
example? But enough about that as this isn’t a piece
on today’s society or good grammar.
Let’s look at some “_ -words”. What about the
C -word?
Communication!
This is typically cited
as the number one problem in organizations.
The ability to get one’s point across, to express
one’s self both orally and written are absolutely
essential to any civilization right on down
to every day interaction. What if your boss
instructed you to repair a certain machine
by “replacing the thing-ama-jig”? What if he
told you that it was green and you cannot find
anything on the machine that is green? What if
you or he did not know the “definition” of
green? Think about communication when you’re
instructing your employees. One does not have
to be a pseudo-intellectual and use “five-dollar
words” to get the point across without ambiguity...
just say what you mean! |
How many of you qualify for the L-word? This
L-word is made up of six “words”, i.e.
L=Learn.
Learn all you can about your
responsibilities, your employees, your
company’s policies.
E = Earn.
You have to earn the respect of
your employees and peers. It can’t be bought
or demanded.
A = Absorb.
Absorb as much technical knowledge
about your facility and its equipment as you can.
D = Delegate.
Don’t be afraid to give someone
else a chance to excel.
E = Earnest.
Don’t be phony when dealing with
people...be yourself. Deal with them as you’d
want to be dealth with.
R = Recognize.
Everyone likes a pat on the
back as long as it is sincere. Celebrate success of
your people.
Personally, I think a lot of leaders, and people
in general, are afraid of the F-word! You might be
saying to yourself that that doesn’t make sense...
why would I be afraid of THAT word?!
The F-word I’m thinking of is
Failure
. I once
knew a maintenance supervisor who was out of
his element (trade). He knew very little about
electrical, HVAC, pipefitting, machinery, etc. He
was a builder. Consequently, whenever there was
an emergency breakdown, he chose to stay at his
desk rather than respond to the site because he
was afraid that someone would look to him for
answers that he could not give. He would have
gained more respect had he responded with his
men, took charge, delegated but admitted when
he didn’t have an answer.
We have many great L-Word people in AFE
who can serve as mentors to the rest of us. Take
advantage of that resource! Improve your C-Word
skills and don’t be afraid of the F-Word! Have a
great S-Word! |