Coaching secrets, becoming a better coach

What are your strategies for becoming a more effective coach?

Your Rant: I’ve got an employee who has a lot of potential. How can I help her to do a better job? 

911 Repair:

Did you hear about the German man who woke up very early one morning, stark naked, in the middle of the street? He wasn’t an exhibitionist, he was a sleepwalker. A rather cold sleepwalker at that. The Buchen police picked him up and drove him back to his house.

Unfortunately, many coaches are like that man in Buchen. No, they’re not naked, they just go about the coaching experience sleepwalking and not necessarily tailoring their coaching to the person and the specific challenges that he or she is grappling with. I’ve listed some tips below to help you be a more effective coach. For more, check out “Coaching for Leadership” (Jossey-Bass, 2000).

What process do the most effective coaches use? There are five stages that “Coaching For Leadership” recommends. First, assess the current skills of the “coachee.” Second, clarify the coachee’s expectations. Then, work together to establish the priorities for your time together. Next, develop a plan outlining what you hope to accomplish. Finally, watch the coachee’s performance improve. It is important to remember that coaching is different from teaching, which can often be a one-way street; coaching needs to be more of a dialogue. There are four main areas of coaching, and I’ve outlined each below:

Are you coaching for skill? The emphasis here should be on a specific task that the person needs to learn how to do. Coaching for skill tends to happen over a short timeframe and be very specific. The key to success is having a laser beam focus on the specific skill and to not get distracted by other issues.

Are you coaching for performance in their current job? The emphasis here is broader than just a task or a series of tasks. Improving effectiveness in a job usually involves identifying core competencies and then developing a strategy for improving them. Because this is more involved, it usually lasts for a longer period of time. Because the range of coaching opportunities can be large, it is important to prioritize on the best opportunities for improvement.

Are you coaching to prepare them for a future job? If coaching for performance involves improving performance in your current job, coaching for development involves positioning yourself to do a job that is somewhere off on the horizon. This requires a lot of creativity to envision what may lie ahead for a specific person and to create learning opportunities that would prepare the person to tackle a future challenge.

Are you coaching an executive? Coaching at the executive level usually requires not only addressing the personal issues of the coachee, but also a host of organizational issues. This usually ads a level of complexity and therefore usually requires a longer time frame.

Use these tips and you won’t get undressed in your next coaching session, you’ll help your coachee’s career take off.

911 Pulse:

Have you ever used a mentor or a coach to improve your performance?

• Many times, 38.4 percent
• Once or twice, 26.9 percent
• Never. I’ve done it all on my own, 34.6 percent

User strategy:

Get to know the coachee — Do they want to just do a good job? How important is their performance at work to them? Watch the coachee in action for a while — I look for one thing they can work on which will change more than one outcome. Then I let them know what my observations were, and together we discuss ways they can use that knowledge to get to their goals. Careful goal setting — Early in the learning curve I don’t like to give numeric goals, as people progress through their learning some want those goals. I’m always there to pick them up when they fall — It’s important for your employees to know you’re there ‘for better and for worse.’ They won’t want to let you down so you won’t often see the ‘for worse.’ I see other managers in my field who try to push people who aren’t ready to be pushed and they resist and then do not thrive.

A day late and a dollar short, coping with a stressful job

What are your strategies for coping with a stressful job

Your Rant: The stress at work is really starting to get to me. Any advice on how to just survive today’s workplace?

911 Repair:

Just when you thought the workplace was overstressed, comes word from Microsoft that it’s going to get worse. Microsoft’s British division announced an Internet-ready portable outhouse with a computer and a plasma screen. Initially Microsoft said it was a hoax, but later Microsoft U.K. admitted that it had been working to debut this product at British festivals.

This story reminded me that in the future the workplace is only going to get faster, more complex and more stressful. So when it comes to stress, these are the good old days. I’ve listed a series of stress-busting strategies below. For more, check out Wolf Rinker’s book, “Don’t Oil the Squeaky Wheel” (McGraw Hill, 2004).

Do you change the changeable? Let me give you a small example. When I would write this column each week I would get frustrated at having to go to a bunch of pulldown menus in my word processing program to find things that I needed. One day I realized that I could put all the stuff I used each week on the menu bar so they were only one click away. How many issues are like this at work? Where we can eliminate our headaches if we only know what they are and do a bit of digging to explore all of our options?

Do you seek to accept the unchangeable? I get a lot of e-mails every week from people who complain that they would have the perfect job if it wasn’t for [fill in the blank with boss, co-workers, customers -- or whatever ails you]. The question that I always ask, is your headache worth leaving your job over? They seldom are. That’s why we often need to learn how to accept, turn our back on or to get as far away from certain stressors at work.

Do you remove the unacceptable? If the unchangeable is starting to really bug you, then sometimes you have to take drastic action, like quitting your job. Yes, sometimes the ultimate removing the unacceptable is to take yourself out of the equation. There are other times where you need to fire an employee, quit a committee or otherwise take yourself out of harm’s way.

Do you look for opportunities to simplify? Recently I’ve moved into a small apartment after living in houses for many years. I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it is to simplify your lifestyle. Its amazing how often we get stuck supporting hobbies, habits, behaviors, etc. that just aren’t necessary.

Do you focus on the positive? The best stress reliever I know is to always surround yourself with people with positive attitudes.

Normally, I try to finish my column with a pun based on the opening story. But given this week’s topic, I thought I’d take some of the stress off me this week and just say goodbye.

911 Pulse:

How would you describe your stress level at work?

Laid back, 17.4 percent

Stressed, 52.1 percent

A heart attack waiting to happen, 30.3 percent

User strategy:

Our winning strategy for dealing with stress comes from LW in Newton, N.C.: “I use what our grandparents and parents used to tell us when we were in elementary school and days seemed to drag by: “Just wait till you’re older. Time will fly.” I recently practiced this at the doctor’s office, and it applies at work. Why stress over what’s going on or coming? In a few minutes, it will be next week. It worked!”

Apologizing by email

What is your strategy for apologizing by email?

Your Rant: I screwed up with a co-worker who works in an office in another state. I prefer to apologize to someone face-to-face, but I very seldom get to see this guy. What can I do?

911 Repair,

Your email reminded me of “Teen Buzz,” an invention that was created by Howard Stapleton. It’s a cell phone ring tone that is audible to most young people but not by most adults. It turns out that as we age, we lose the ability to hear certain sounds. Think of this as invisible ink for the technology age.

Teen Buzz reminded me of the problem with most apologies, they’re not audible to the person actually being apologized to. Below I’ve listed three “do’s” and one “don’t” for apologizing to someone you can’t meet with face-to-face in a way that they’ll actually hear what you say. For more, check out “Send” by Shipley and Schwaube (Knopf, 2007).

DO-put “apology” in subject line. Remember the last time that you were upset with someone? When they emailed you did you immediately open their email? Chances are that you let it sit for a few days. That’s why it’s so important to put the word “sorry” or “apology” in the subject line. Let them know your intentions for writing to them and chances are it will increase the odds that they’ll actually open up your email and read what you wrote.

DO-email to set up a time to talk. Today, most of us live our lives through email and text messages. But remember there is an alternative, you can phone them. Remember phone calls? But since the person is probably already upset with you, the last thing you want to do is ambush them out of the blue with an apology call. I’d email them in advance asking to set up a time for you to call with your apology.

DO-apologize quickly. Most of us stall when it comes to sending out an apology. Whether we’re trying to phrase it perfectly, or just trying to avoid having to apologize in the first place, apologies often can spend a lifetime on your back burner. Unfortunately, while you delay, the person you should be apologizing to is probably feeling burned. That’s why it’s important to always apologize sooner rather than later.

DON’T-CC without permission. Apologies really need to be done one-on-one. CC:ing a bunch of other people makes it appear that you are more interesting in grandstanding and politicking rather than actually in expressing your remorse for what happened. Yes, there may be other people that you need to communicate with on this matter, but wait to contact them until you’ve actually apologized with the person you’ve done wrong. Anything else will just be pouring salt water in already inflamed wounds.

Use these techniques to apologize long distance and the odds will increase that the buzz about you back at the office will be positive, even with the person you done wrong.

Thought for the Week

“A stiff apology is a second insult. The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt.”
G. K. Chesterton

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.

Strategic planning about strategic plans

What is your strategy for creating a strategic plan?

Your Rant: I’ve never been part of a strategic planning process. What can you do to come up with a well thought out plan?

911 Repair,

Have you ever woken up during a road trip only to find your surroundings looking very similar to the scenery you passed hours ago? I once was driving with a friend to Florida and woke up to discover that my driving buddy had made a wrong turn and we had spent hours driving in the wrong direction. When I pointed out we were driving in the wrong direction he said, “At least we made great time.”

Sound similar to the last strategic planning session that you were involved with? You made progress, but much of it in the wrong direction? Or maybe you’ve just always wanted to be part of the decision making process for your company. I’ve listed three do’s and one don’t to help you exert the maximum influence over the direction that your company takes in the future. For more, check out Erica Olson’s book, “Strategic Planning for Dummies” (Wiley, 2007).

DO-Ask tough questions. One way to ensure that your strategic plan is pointed in the correct direction is to ask tough questions. What would happen if we lost our biggest customer? What if a new competitor entered our market? What could we do if the bottom dropped out of our industry? Start by taking off your rose-colored glassed and challenging every assumption out there about your industry, customers and business. And avoid the temptation of just mimicking what others in your industry are doing and tailor your plan to your company’s specific strengths and weaknesses.

DO-Look for leverage. Most of us focus on the “planning” part of strategic planning at the expense of the “strategic” part. What is unique about your company? What do your customers like about working with you? What don’t they like about working with you? The overused phrase here is “competitive advantage.” What do you do better than anyone else in the market and how can you leverage that? Or what are you doing that you shouldn’t be doing?

DO-Get everyone involved. Many organizations restrict participation in planning to the corner office crowd. Unfortunately, many of the breakthrough ideas come from the front lines, from the people actually interacting with customers and suppliers. Look for ways to get all the stakeholders involved in the process-focus groups, surveys, town-hall style meetings. I’m not suggestion chaos, but a process that includes a wide range of perspectives and opinions.

DON’T-Seek to control the process. Corporations hate surprises. Strategic planning processes should be full of surprises, because they are looking into the future. Be careful to not stifle brainstorming or dissent. The more reality that gets into the process, the better your company will be position to handle the reality it faces in the future.

Follow these tips and your planning process will make great progress, in the correct direction.

Thought for the Week

“Plans are nothing, planning is everything.” President Dwight Eisenhower

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.

Responding to a taboo topic at work

 What is your strategy for dealing with a taboo topic at work?

Your Rant: My boss has a way of always managing to embarrass me in front of my coworkers. I’ve tried everything to avoid getting sucked into one of his taboo conversations that I don’t want any part of. But he’s still my boss. Any suggestions?

911 Repair,

A woman emailed me a great strategy for responding to an illegal question in a job interview. Asked if she had kids, a job interview no-no, she thought about answering “four” because she really wanted the job. Or announcing that she was refusing to answer an illegal question, and probably falling off the short list of top candidates. Instead she paused, smiled and asked, “Do you need kids to do this job?” The interviewer immediately changed the subject. She was offered the job, but turned it down.

Humor is just one way to deal with a taboo topic at work. I’ve listed three do’s and one don’t below with more strategies for handling a hot potato at work, even if it comes from your boss. For more, check out Barbara Pachter’s book, “New Rules of Work” (Prentice Hall, 2006).

DO-ask a question. One trick I’ve learned from dating is that if you ask a question that a woman doesn’t want to answer she’ll often pause and immediately ask you a question. Most guys are so full of themselves that they’ll dive right into her question and totally forget the question that she’d left unanswered. Ah, testosterone. Try this with your boss by immediately asking a work-related question that he’ll feel compelled to answer and you might suddenly find the conversation switching to a more acceptable topic.

DO-change the subject. This doesn’t have to be subtle. Wait a moment or two and say, “I’ve been meaning to tell you about my latest conversation with our largest client.” Then just launch into your description of the call and why it’s important. Many of you will think this is rude, but if it gently moves your boss off the taboo topic without a direct confrontation, I’d say go for it.

DO-use humor. Humor is not for everyone, but it can be a great tool for a situation like a taboo topic. For example, just get a big smile on your face and ask, “Do we really want to go there?” Or, if your boss has a sense of humor, ask if you’ll get immunity from prosecution, in writing.

DON’T-get sucked in. Most of us feel compelled to dive right into a conversation with our boss. We can’t respond with a neutral response like an “ahh,” “hmm” or a simple nodding of the head. I’m not talking about a sarcastic look and a dismissive and disrespectful grunt. Nope, something absolutely bland and forgettable. Remember you’re not making a statement here, you’re just trying to get out of the conversation alive.

Your sense of humor is often one of your best tools at work. Don’t leave home without it.

Thought for the Week

“We live together as rational human beings or we die together as fools.” Martin Luther King

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.

Working yourself to death, literally

What is your strategy for not working yourself to death?

911 Repair: It’s time to look back on the year to identify the workplace911 person of the year. We search worldwide for nominees, and some years it can be a very tough call. But not this year.

Meet our person of the year, Kenichi Uchino. Unfortunately Mr. Uchino can’t accept the award because he died five years ago. But the result of his death changed the dialogue about work throughout Japan and in many other countries.

If you’ve ever seen a World War II movie, chances are that you’ve heard of Hari-Kari and Kamikaze. You’ve probably not heard of “karoshi,” which is the Japanese term for death from overwork.

We’re not quoting Mr. Uchino’s personal physician or union. No, this case of karoshi was acknowledged by a court in Central Japan. They awarded his widow worker’s compensation benefits. Furthermore, the Japanese government admits 147 cases of death from overwork last year, with some experts placing the number in the thousands.

The Japanese workers are some of the hardest working in the world, totaling 1,842 hours a year. That’s the equivalent of sitting through 3,684 episodes of Barney or 921 corporate safety lectures.

Mr. Uchino routinely put in 80 hours of overtime per month for at least six months before his death. He was a middle manager in charge of quality control when he collapsed and died at work at age 30. My heart goes out to his young family for their loss.

But the Japanese are slackers compared to another industrialized nation-it’s us, as in the U.S.A. If you thought the Japanese worked longer hours, you are so last decade. In the mid-1990s we passed them to become the hardest working country on the planet.

We worked 1,979 hours. That is three and a half more weeks than the Japanese. We’re talking almost a month more of work each year. Almost a year more at work each decade.

The sheer number of hours worked doesn’t capture the problem. Stress, heart attacks, strokes and infertility. Yes, infertility. The problem has gotten so bad in Japan that the government is considering decreasing working hours for public servants in order to coax workers into having more babies. Overwork costs all of us.

In the U.S. we have terms for working long hours-burned out, slammed and overwhelmed. We also have federal and state departments of labor, Human Resources departments and lawyers for workplace injuries. Thousands and thousands of employment lawyers ready to lunge on those claims like a hungry dog on a piece of raw meat.

But we haven’t reached the place where U.S. courts have declared karoshi and put their money where there decision was. Yet.

But the clues were always right under our noses. Have you ever thought about how much of the language about work revolves around death-deadline, dying to get a job, killing time, drop dead date, etc. The time is right for a revolt against ridiculous overwork. Hopefully Mr. Uchino’s death will bring to live a movement toward more reasonable hours at work.

Thought for the Week

“A wise man knows everything, a shrewd one everybody.” Anonymous

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.

Writing your job objective for your resume

What is your strategy for writing a job objective statement on your resume?

Your Rant: A friend says that a resume should contain an objectives statement, stating what your goal is for a new job. Is that true? And what goes into a good objective statement?

911 Repair,

If you are a travel junkie like me, you’ve probably seen the, “Have you seen Nepal?” Royal Nepal Airlines posters. They’re full of photos of amazing mountain temples clinging to steep slopes. In short, just the kind of remarkable destination that you’re dying to visit. There is only one problem with the campaign, the photos used by Royal Nepal Airlines are actually of Machu Picchu in Peru. The airline offered an apology and fired the manager responsible.

Unfortunately most of us do the same thing with our objective statement on our resume as Royal Nepal Airlines did with those ads-we steal it. Instead of coming up with a description of specifically what we want, we take it from a resume book or friend’s resume. I’ve included below three Do’s and one Don’t for coming up with a personalized objective statement that will get you the right job for your specific interests. For more, check out “The Complete Idiots Guide to the Perfect Resume” by Susan Ireland (Alpha, 2006).

DO-Put it in your own words. Recently someone sent me a resume that contained the following: “To provide a valuable service to my employer by applying my strong diverse business knowledge, recent education, and team professional work ethics.” Have you ever heard anyone talk like that? “Team professional work ethics,” it almost sounds like a parody. Only include an objectives statement that you would actually say in an interview.

DO-Keep it concise. Short isn’t important-it’s essential. I saw a study that said that the people reading resumes spend, on average, thirty seconds with a resume. The objective statement should be one place where you make them want to read more.

DO-Make it memorable. Chances are that the person you’re wanting to impress already has a huge stack of resumes on their desk. The objective statement is a great place where you can distinguish yourself from the crowd. “I’m looking for a company where I can make their computer network fire on all cylinders.” Make it interesting, memorable and show that you really know the job inside and out.

DON’T-Have only one objective statement. Most of us come up with one statement that we use for all jobs that we apply for. At the same time, most of us apply for a range of different jobs. Do you see the problem here? Take the time to tailor each objective statement to each job. You can’t even use the fact that you don’t have your own computer as an excuse for sending out generic resumes, because you can always use a friend’s, or library, computer to customize your resume for each job that you apply for.

Use these tips and your career will land in the right place, not someone else’s destination.

Thought for the Week

“Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.” Napoleon Bonaparte

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.

Making Human Resources a strategic asset

 What is your strategy for making Human Resources more strategic?

Your Rant: After years of complaining about HR, I was recently transferred into the belly of the beast. Any advice?

911 Repair,

The Commodore Hotel was a popular place for journalists to stay during the Beirut Civil War. However, checking in to this hotel in a war zone was different than hotels in the United States. Because the clerk didn’t ask smoking or nonsmoking room, no in Beirut they’d always began by asking, “Shelling side or sniper side?”

Human Resources is a lot like the Commodore hotel. You often get shelled by top executives and regularly sniped by employees. Brokering the relationship between bosses and employees is one of the most dangerous, and important jobs today. And this isn’t just for HR professionals, anyone who wants to get ahead at work needs to have an HR game plan. I’ve included three Do’s and one Don’t for an effective HR department below. For more insight, check out Max Messmer’s book, “Human Resources Kit for Dummies” (Wiley, 2007).

DO-Lead by example. Ever notice how the US Congress often passes laws about the workplace then exempts itself from having to follow these same laws? HR needs to be the anti-Congress, the place that leads the organization by always being the home for new pilot programs. I’m not just talking about upbeat and positive programs like increasing pay and vacation time. HR also needs to be the testing ground for the difficult stuff too, layoffs, benefit cuts, etc.

DO-Be proactive. HR has a long history of focusing on compliance to laws, court cases and regulations. In fact, if you look in the dictionary under the word “reactive” today, chances are you’ll find a picture of a HR director. But a strategic HR department needs to be on the cutting edge for the wide range of change facing your organization, change coming from demographics, customers, competitors, blah, blah, blah. HR directors need to always be scanning the horizon for changes to the status quo.

DO-Market, market, market. I’m amazed at how the most sophisticated marketing driven businesses turn around and use blunt objects with their employees when trying to sell a program internally. Focus groups, interactive surveys, multimedia sales campaigns should all be part of the tool kit for HR today. In fact, the first meeting that I’d schedule as a newly minted HR director would be with your company’s internal marketing department to learn what tools already exist within the organization.

DON’T-Go just go with the latest fad. I can’t tell you how many HR directors have complained to me about how their CEO reads the latest pop business book and then wants to do the same thing within their company. In fact, some people have told me that this happens to them almost monthly. Seek out the programs that have a track record of success and stick with them over a long period of time.

Follow these tips and you won’t have to worry about people taking pot shots at HR any longer.
Thought for the Week

“There are incalculable resources in the human spirit, once it has been set free.” Hubert H. Humphrey

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.

Six Simga and organizational change

 What is your strategy for using six sigma at work?

Your Rant: I thought I’d successfully dodged the whole Six Sigma fad. Then last week my boss announced that we were introducing a Six Sigma program. Can you give me the Cliff Notes version?

911 Repair,

Your question reminded me of a guy I recently read about who tried to take a short cut around a traffic jam on Interstate 10. He was in a hurry because he’d just stolen $60 of gas, without paying for it, and he wanted to make a quick getaway. His attempt to cut corners turned out to be a fatal mistake when he crashed into another car.

Unfortunately, many of us make the same mistake when we get involved in corporate change programs. We focus on cutting corners and taking short cuts and then we wonder why the effort crashes and burns. Six Sigma takes a lot of work and planning, but the results are often worth it, even if you are Greek or math phobic. I’ve listed three Do’s and one Don’t for implementing a program, below. For more information, check out “Six Sigma for Dummies” (Wiley, 2005).

DO-Dramatically reduce defects. The pot at the end of the Six Sigma rainbow is a reduction in defects or errors. The process is very methodical, but that’s the cost for dramatic change. And weighing in at 3.4 defects per million opportunities, qualifies for dramatic change in my book. This kind of methodical analysis has been around manufacturing for quite a while, but now it’s also making inroads in service industries.

DO-Y = f(X) + E. Okay, I was showing off with that equation. But it is at the heart of Six Sigma and chances are that by dropping it in a meeting you should be able to impress your boss. The equation reflects that any process contains a set of inputs that are transformed by a function or process into an output. The challenge is to reduce the variation in the process so that the company gets the outcome, product or service with the smallest possible number of defects. Not bad a summary considering the guy who wrote it barely passed his high school math class.

DO-Use a variety of tools. There are a variety of tools commonly used in Six Sigma: SIPOC (suppliers, inputs, process, outputs and customers), CT tree (displaying parts of the process according to its critical importance), modeling (defining processes, work flows, etc.), simulations, cause and effect matrix, fishbone diagram (breaking out each contributor to a process), FMEA (failure mode effects analysis), capability and complexity analysis and plans (determining how processes will be controlled and audited).

DON’T-See it as a quick fix. Six Sigma is the tortoise to the usual rabbit approach practiced by most businesses. On second thought it’s more like a glacier, but one that can make your company more efficient.

If anything is the antithesis of a short cut it would be-Y = f(X) + E. But for lasting change, the long way is often a better way.

Thought for the Week

“Why Six Sigma? The sigma scale is a universal measure of how well a critical characteristic performs compared to its requirements. The higher the sigma scale, the more capable the characteristic. (To qualify as six sigma, the defect rate would be 3.4 or below)”

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.

Advice for someone just starting their career

 What is your strategy for someone just starting their career?
Your Rant: I’m 21 and graduating from college in the spring. What business advice would you give to someone just starting out?

911 Repair,

Twenty years ago I asked my mentor, Charlie, the same question. He was CEO of a big company and I thought he was the smartest person I’d ever met. He looked at me with a proud and knowing smile and said, “Bob, the world is divided into sense and nonsense. Your job is to spend your time with things that make sense.” For half a second his words rang like an immortal truth. Then I closed my pad and changed the subject. I’d wanted something more than a Hallmark moment.

In the interest of giving you something more than greeting card nonsense, I’ve adapted some points from an insightful book called We Are All Self-Employed, by Cliff Hakim (Berrett Koehler, 1994). Hakim’s main point is that if you want to be gratified by work, you need to proactively manage your career: you need to decide your next steps, acquire the necessary skills, and actively pursue your choices. Your employers won’t do this for you. As a friend once observed, “it’s a corporation you work for-not your mother.”

Along the way these tips may help:

Expect discomfort. As Scott Peck noted in The Road Less Traveled, “life is difficult.” Well, so is work!-even a job you love. The lucky workers are the ones who can see past the irritations and remember (as they say about marriage) why they fell in love in the first place.

Keep learning. The years I learned the least were the years I spent getting my MBA. On the other hand, this last year I learned how to how to design a web site, how to do TV stand-ups, and how to sail. The best way to keep your career in shape is to keep your learning muscles buffed. My strategies: read a book every month that will give you new skills or insight, and hang out with smart people who really love what they do.

Love the one you’re with. Some folks are incredibly lucky: they can make a career out of something they already love. For most of us, though, the challenge is a little tougher. We need to find a way to love the thing we’re doing. Remarkably, that isn’t so hard. Instead of just taking the jobs that companies hand you, stretch your jobs, make them your own. Instead of just fulfilling each job’s requirements, turn the job into something that fulfills you. When you’ve eeked out all the growth and learning, move on.

Recently I asked a venture capitalist the most important thing he looks for when investing in a business. His reply? “Passion.” It’s equally important for you. Find the passion in every job, don’t let discomfort extinguish it, and stoke your passion with learning. You’ll be making a sound investment in your career. I hope this makes sense!

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.