Productivity
Follow Safety Practices
An important part of work ethics is following established safety practices. At our
technical institute, each classroom or lab has safety procedures. You should also
exercise safety precautions as a student when using your computer such as
proper wiring, computer maintenance, and a work safe environment. The same
will be true on the job. Each department in each company will have a set of
safety guidelines to which employees should adhere.
These rules are not designed to punish the student or employee, but rather to
protect them. Safety is always important and is everyone’s responsibility. The
failure to follow safety rules can result in a lost-time accident or even death.
When a company experiences a "lost-time accident" due to the minor injury of an
employee, everyone is affected. Efficiency and profits will go down with each
minute lost. Co-workers will see an immediate effect if they are paid on a group
incentive plan and a team member is injured. The effect may not always be as
direct and may not always be as evident, but the fact remains that everyone
suffers with injury.
Following safety rules will not totally eliminate "lost-time accidents," but their
numbers will be cut down.
Conserves Material
It’s not your money that is going down the drain if you make a mistake and have
to scrap part of the materials, is it? Think again—in the long term it may actually
be your money or at least the continuation of your current paycheck.
One might say, "How will my employer ever miss the 500 sheets of paper and
100 staples that I wasted by duplicating the wrong information? That's not a lot of
materials when you consider what we use every day!" Well, what would happen
if your company has 100 employees and each one made a similar mistake? Or,
what if we were talking about expensive chemicals instead of paper and staples?
Always use only the materials necessary to adequately complete your task. Treat
the materials as if you were paying for them yourself. One of the best ways to cut
down on scrap is to do the job right the first time and to always be conscientious.
Scrap costs your company or your school money and decreases the profit
margin. A decreased profit margin has a direct effect on employees because
with less to go around, less will be given back to the employees.
Keeps Work Area Neat and Clean
As mentioned above, safety is everyone’s job. So is housekeeping. Most
technical institutes and employers employ a custodian or maintenance worker
that will handle
the heavy cleaning. However, each student and each
employee is responsible for maintaining his or her own workspace. You may
initially feel that with your busy schedule you do not have time to straighten up
every day, but the fact is that you don’t have time not to.
It only takes a few minutes each day if done correctly. We should not leave our
workspace until our work areas are clear, all trash has been discarded, and our
chairs and equipment are properly put away. Since you can never be sure who
will walk into your work area, it is necessary to always keep it presentable.
Part of housekeeping is organizing and filing. If your information is filed in an
orderly manner, you will not have to waste your valuable time looking for things
that you misplace and will therefore be more productive and efficient in the long
run.
Follows Directions/Procedures
It is important to read directions and procedures carefully before beginning a new
task. It is equally important to consistently follow established procedures for the
routine, mundane tasks that we perform each day.
The failure to follow directions can be disastrous. It can mean getting a bad mark
on a test or it can mean the loss of a job.
Directions are developed by experts and are designed for our safety and
expedience of work. Don’t ever feel that you don’t have to adhere to the
prescribed steps and that you can do things your way.
Attitude
Demonstrate a Positive Attitude
We should never underestimate the power of the proper attitude. Our attitude
determines how successful we will be as students and as employees and how
well we get along with our classmates and co-workers.
We often fail to remember that our attitude determines our altitude and that we
determine our own fate by controlling our attitudes. Our attitudes become selffulfilling prophecies. If we have a good attitude about something, we typically
have good results. If, on the other hand, we have a negative attitude or feel that
something will turn out bad, it usually does.
We should start to improve our attitude toward ourselves by doing our best at
everything we do. Doing our best results in pride, and pride creates selfconfidence. Doing our best also catches the eye of our instructor or our
supervisor. Typically, we will be rewarded for being the best that we can be.
Rewards also lead to increased pride and self-confidence. It is easy to see how
the domino effect of a positive attitude can lead to the reaching of our full
potential, and the maximizing of our learning or working experience.
The flip side of this parable is also true. A negative attitude, or even one of
indifference, will cause us not to feel so good about ourselves. Others will notice
our attitude and comment on it. When our flaws are pointed out to us, it is often
like pouring fuel on a fire. Our attitudes are bound to get worse and our chances
for success will diminish.
A negative attitude is often compared to the flu, because it is highly contagious
and because it can get much worse if left untreated. A bad attitude, being
contagious, will "rub off" on others. Have you ever noticed that when you are
around a group of complainers, you too begin to feel dissatisfied? However, this
works both ways: if we have a negative attitude, the moods of our classmates or
co-workers may be dampened. A bad attitude will not literally make us sick, as
the flu can, but it can certainly weaken our chances to succeed.
A positive attitude has been compared to electricity because of its “shocking”
importance and because it, too, is not always recognized or appreciated until it is
absent. A positive attitude is not always verbally rewarded; However, there's no
question that having a positive attitude will increase our chances of success.
Appear Self-confident
A proper degree of self-confidence is prerequisite to a successful and rewarding
career. One must always be willing to learn new skills, and to take opportunities
to grow, in order to develop and maintain self-confidence.
Those who lack in self-confidence are the ones in the class, or in the workforce,
who are timid and shy. These people don’t feel that they are important and do
not feel worthy to make a contribution. They doubt their value; therefore, they
don't take opportunities to show what they can do. These people have a low selfesteem.
Those who have too much self-confidence appear conceited. These are the
ones who have an inflated sense of their self-worth. They tend to believe that
they are the smartest, the best looking, and the overall most able in the group.
They feel that their opinion or answer is always the correct one and that
everyone looks up to them and respects them. They don't really grow because
they are busy "coasting" on their perceived "importance."
The people who are fortunate enough to possess and display the proper degree
of self-confidence are the ones that realize that they are no better or no worse
than their peers are. These people are poised and confident. They hold their
head up in a crowd. They earn respect from their peers and leaders by their wise
decisions and helpfulness.
Have Realistic Expectations of Self
We all have our own set of limitations and our different capabilities. Realizing
what our limits are is an important part of becoming the best that we can be.
To be successful, we should set goals for ourselves. Our goals must be
challenging, but obtainable, and they should be realistic and based on our
individual set of limitations and capabilities.
If we expect too little of ourselves, we will become bored and will never achieve
our full potential. If we expect too much of ourselves, we will never be quite able
to reach our goals, and we will become frustrated.
Setting realistic goals, and working to achieve them, helps us to continually grow
and develop.
Appearance
One’s appearance is directly related to the career field in which they work. True
or false? Let’s see – would you expect your female automobile mechanic to
have grease under her nails and smell of gasoline or diesel fuel? Of course.
Would you expect the female teller at the bank you use to have grease under her
nails and smell of gasoline or diesel fuel? Probably not. Would you expect your
female automobile mechanic to work in high heels and a dress? Not likely. In
an automobile service department, the smell of gasoline, diesel fuel, and oil are
accepted odors that most of us expect and would not find offensive in that
setting. You would expect the mechanic to be dressed safely for work which
would not include heels that she could trip in or a dress which could expose her
skin to harsh and/or hot chemicals. However, in a bank you would not expect the
person that is greeting the public and handling money to have a strong odor or
dirty nails; you very well might find her offensive. What’s the difference?
Depending on the career field, acceptable appearances may vary, as in the
example above. However, regardless of your job, there is no excuse for not
being groomed, being neat, practicing good personal hygiene, or using correct
and polite behavior. A lack of attention on your part in any of these areas can
affect your job and/or your business.
A person who is groomed and neat in appearance has cleaned and combed hair
that is styled appropriately for the job or class. Clothes are pressed, shirttails
tucked in, shoelaces tied, and so on. Stockings are run-free, and shoe heels are
appropriate for the job or class. Make-up and cologne are tastefully applied
without being overbearing. Nails are clean and manicured and are an
appropriate length for the classroom or lab.
The practice of good personal hygiene is a must. Daily bathing, especially in our
region of the country, is a necessity. Body perspiration causes odors that can be
very offensive to others. The heat and humidity we experience in the South
compounds this problem. The use of a deodorant and antiperspirant is only
effective as long as the body is clean and free of dirt and sweat. Likewise, good
oral hygiene and brushing and flossing daily aid in the prevention of bad breath,
cavities, and gum disease. Be sensitive to others around you by taking care of
yourself and your body’s needs.
Correct and polite behavior is the acceptable conduct for class or a job. It shows
respect for oneself as well as others. Acceptable behavior may include:
•
•
•
•
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Not interrupting others while they are talking;
Not carrying on side conversations while someone is talking;
Considering other’s feelings and concerns when making decisions or
comments;
Being respectful of the instructor and classmates;
Avoiding arguments and disagreements;
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Providing assistance when asked;
Using terms such as “please” and “thank you.”
Email Etiquette
1. Why do you need email etiquette?
A company needs to implement etiquette rules for the following three reasons:
•
Professionalism: by using proper email language your company will
convey a professional image.
•
Efficiency: emails that get to the point are much more effective than poorly
worded emails.
•
Protection from liability: employee awareness of email risks will protect
your company from costly law suits.
2. What are the email etiquette rules?
There are many etiquette guides and many different etiquette rules. Some rules
will differ according to the nature of your business and the corporate culture.
Below we list what we consider as the 31 most important email etiquette rules
that apply to nearly all companies.
32 most important email etiquette tips:
1.
Be concise and to the point
2.
Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions
3.
Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation
4.
Make it personal
5.
Use templates for frequently used responses
6.
Answer swiftly
7.
Do not attach unnecessary files
8.
Use proper structure & layout
9.
Do not overuse the high priority option
10.
Do not write in CAPITALS
11.
Don't leave out the message thread
12.
Add disclaimers to your emails
13.
Read the email before you send it
14.
Do not overuse Reply to All
15.
Mailings > use the bcc: field or do a mail merge
16.
Take care with abbreviations and emoticons
17.
Be careful with formatting
18.
Take care with rich text and HTML messages
19.
Do not forward chain letters
20.
Do not ask to recall a message.
21.
Do not copy a message or attachment without permission
22.
Do not use email to discuss confidential information
23.
Use a meaningful subject
24.
Use active instead of passive
25.
Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT
26.
Avoid long sentences
27.
Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory,
offensive, racist or obscene remarks
28.
Don't forward virus hoaxes and chain letters
29.
Keep your language gender neutral
30.
Don't reply to spam
31.
Use cc: field sparingly
32.
Do not request delivery and read receipts
Teamwork
Respect the Rights of Others
It is often easy for us as individuals to get caught up in our own problems and
isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Although this tendency seems to be
virtually harmless (even if a bit selfish), it can actually be detrimental to our
success as students or employers.
Each person possesses his or her own set of beliefs and values. Many of these
values are a direct result of the individual’s upbringing, while others have been
tainted or colored by the individual’s experiences. Because no two people have
the same upbringing and experiences, no two people will have an identical set of
beliefs and values. This diversity creates conflict among classmates or coworkers. This is compounded in today’s environments due to the cultural
diversity that makes up our classrooms and workplaces.
In order to maximize our learning/working experience, we must be aware of how
we differ from our classmates and co-workers. However, being aware of these
differences is not enough! We must take these variances into consideration
when making a decision that will affect others.
Once we get into the habit of taking others’ value systems into play, we actually
begin to establish better relationships with others. Oftentimes, we are prejudiced
against others without even realizing it; but by making a conscious effort to
respect every person as a human being with valid values and beliefs, we begin
to see the benefit of diversity and begin to learn from others. The synergy that
results from a good working relationship with our classmates and co-workers is
well worth the initial sacrifice in time that it takes to begin the process of
understanding and appreciating others.
Be a Team Worker
Teamwork has become the buzzword in the last few years. You may have heard
of it in the form of group presentations, study teams, quality circles, self-directed
work teams, or many of the other guides used. Despite the different names used
to express the idea, the concept is the same. We must all learn to function in
teams and work together toward a common goal or to solve a common problem.
The synergy that results from working together leads to a better solution than
any of the members could have developed alone.
In the ideal organization, co-workers are more empowered than they were a
decade ago. That is, each employee’s opinion is taken into consideration and
they have more of an input about the direction of the company. Employees today
are not typically given instructions to follow without their having provided input
into the process development. This new respect and responsibility is a great
opportunity for the employees of today, but only if they posses the necessary
team interaction skills!
To be a team player, an individual must possess a team spirit and a willingness
to work with others. He or she must be tolerant of the ideas and viewpoints of
others and assertive enough to offer his/her own opinions. Team members must
be careful not to criticize their teammates. They must also be willing to share the
spotlight or glory of success with their fellow team members.
The team will undoubtedly be comprised of individuals with different
personalities, beliefs, and levels of experience. Again, we must strive to work
together and maximize our working or learning experience by respecting and
learning from each other.
Be Cooperative
A cooperative attitude is always a must. Each person, including students and
employees, is always judged on his/her willingness to cooperate with and get
along with others. Cooperation often calls for the compromising of certain values
or ideas. Although the solution reached from such a compromise will not be your
original solution, it will be the optimal solution because you have worked together
to solve a problem.
Cooperation also involves a willingness to learn from others and to bend your
beliefs. It also requires a willingness to work together.
Displaying a cooperative attitude encourages others to be cooperative. This
creates a win/win situation and a positive environment for all people involved. In
such an environment, employees are happier and more productive, and the
outcomes reached are greater than they would have been with the absence of a
cooperative spirit.
Be Assertive
Another desirable workplace behavior is assertiveness. Assertiveness is
speaking your mind or making your opinions known without being brash or
pushy. Being assertive is speaking boldly and with self-confidence. One
assertive person will promote candor in the classroom and/or work environment.
This candor will encourage others to voice their opinions. The benefit of having
each person’s input is invaluable. First of all, if each person feels that he/she has
contributed to the solution, he/she will be more committed to its implementation.
Second, the voicing of one’s opinion tends to stimulate development of opinion
from others.
Assertiveness can also lead to increased awareness and respect for an
individual. Those employees who speak up for themselves and voice their
opinions earn respect from their peers and their superiors. The old saying that
the squeaky wheel gets the oil is a prime example of the benefit of
assertiveness. After all, who is more likely to receive the outcome he/she desires
—the person who is brave enough to express concern or to ask for particular
treatment or the one who sits back and does not utter a word?
Displays a Customer Service Attitude
A customer service attitude is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of an
individual’s attitude. This applies even to students in a typical classroom and to
employees who have little or no direct contact with the external customer.
Customer service is more than knowing that the customer is always right.
Customer service is knowing who your customers are and how to treat them.
Customers take the form of classmates, instructors, co-workers, supervisors,
subordinates, and the traditional external customers.
Customers can be anyone whom we serve or who may potentially benefit from
the work that we do. Customers should be treated carefully and respectfully
because if they do not feel that they have been treated so, they will no longer be
our customers. Too many people provide the same service that we do for a
customer to choose to remain dissatisfied for very long!
Seek Opportunities for Continuous Learning
The person who coined this phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,”
obviously did not have to function as a student or an employee in today’s
competitive market. Today all “dogs” must constantly be on the lookout for
learning new and improved ways for performing the “tricks” that they already
know as well as learning as many new tricks as possible.
We have to face the facts that lifelong learning is the key to retaining success
over a long period of time. We cannot afford the luxury of being complacent in
today’s rapidly changing world. Technology forces us to constantly re-learn how
to perform a task. Those of us who realize the value of continuous learning and
take advantage of the increasing opportunities for obtaining new skills or
improving old ones are the ones who will remain successful for the long haul.
Those who do not recognize the value of continuous self-improvement or fail to
seize opportunities to learn will be bypassed by those who do. Perhaps the old
cliché, “Get on board the train or get out of its path”, says it best!
Demonstrate Mannerly Behavior
Manners may seem old fashioned and not a requirement for today’s students
and employees, but nothing could be further from the truth. The display of
manners is becoming more important each day.
Manners are more than saying “Yes, Sir” and “No, Sir” to your elders. Manners
are about treating others the way you would like to be treated—in other words,
they are what "The Golden Rule" is all about. Displaying manners is about
respecting the views and beliefs of others.
Respect Confidentiality
Proprietary information must always be kept in the strictest of confidence. In the
working environment, the degree of exposure to such information varies greatly
among industries and also among positions within a company. There are not as
many opportunities to test the respect of confidentiality in the classroom as there
are in the typical job, but it is still very important.
The leaking of confidential information can lead to severe problems on many
levels. If the information is of a personal nature, such as the salary of one
employee, morale could deteriorate and conflict among co-workers or
classmates could arise. If the information is of a financial nature and is leaked to
the wrong person (such as the price of an item if price varies by customer), it
could lead to the dissatisfaction or loss of a customer. The loss of a customer
may even lead to the downfall or bankruptcy of the company.
The examples given above are the obvious results of breach of confidentiality.
Sometimes the infraction may appear to be harmless, but it may lead to the loss
of a customer. It is best to always keep information that is of a private nature
confidential.
If we do become privy to such information, we often fail to keep it confidential
because we like to feel important and we like for others to see us as someone
who is “in the know.” What we don’t realize is that divulging private information
does not make us appear informed, but rather as the person that nobody can
trust and as the leader of the rumor mill.
An employer expects employees to work together toward achieving the
objectives of the company. The wise employee who is interested in having a
good relationship with an employer will try to help the employer achieve success.
An employer, in return for salary or wages and fringe benefits paid to employees,
expects employees to develop certain desirable traits that will help them to
perform their jobs well so that the company can succeed. Some of these traits
include the following:
Loyalty
Honesty
Trustworthiness
Dependability
Reliability
Initiative
Self-discipline
Self-responsibility
Loyalty
An owner of a company might say, “If you don’t like something about our
company, tell me. If there is something you really like about us, please tell
others.” In other words, in return for salary and benefits, the firm does expect
loyalty from its employees.
Loyalty to a company means going to your supervisor with any problem or
complaint that may arise. Part of a supervisor’s job is to handle employee
problems. Employers prefer to solve their own internal problems. They do not
want dissatisfied employees complaining about their work to outsiders. In the
same manner, employers do not want their employees to criticize the company’s
goods or services to others outside the company. In fact, all employees should
remember that they are goodwill ambassadors and salespeople for their
company.
Another aspect of loyalty concerns keeping company “secrets” (or strategies)
within the company. Always keep in mind that if the company can succeed, you
will be more likely to succeed also.
With loyalty comes a sense of pride. You should be proud of the work your
company does and the work you do for the company. If conditions are such that
you cannot feel faithfulness and allegiance to your company, you should seek a
job elsewhere.
Honesty
Establishing a reputation for honesty is important in developing a good
relationship with employers and co-workers. An honest employee is extremely
valuable to businesses because one of their biggest problems is dishonest
employees.
Employers are looking for honest employees—employees that will not steal
anything from them, not even office supplies. You may be asking yourself, “How
does taking a couple of $1 pens home with me damage my company? A $7
stapler? $2 out of the petty cash fund for a coke and some crackers? A $5 tool?
My company can afford these little things, can’t it?” Think about this: If you
actually did take these items—which is really stealing—you would have taken
around $14 from your company. Let’s assume that your company has at least
30 other employees and that each of them pilfered the same amount. The
company would lose $420 just from these small items. If this kind of thievery
goes on every week, the company would be losing the equivalent of one
employee’s salary to theft! If the company is not making money because of
employee theft, the company may not have the extra money to give you the new
equipment you need, to hire the new employee that is needed, or to give you the
upcoming raise.
Honesty is not only defined by the actual act of stealing objects from your
company.
If you are scheduled to work 8 hours a day with two 15-minute
breaks and a 1-hour lunch break, you need to work 8 hours a day. However,
many people will not stay on task, will arrive to work late, and will take extra
breaks during the day. They might bring their breakfast to work with them and
eat on the job. They might extend break or lunch times or spend too much time
socializing with co-workers or with personal callers. These kinds of behaviors
are theft also—time theft. People who engage in these behaviors are taking the
company’s money to sit around while the company is paying them to work.
Therefore, stay on task!
Another honesty issue involves phone abuse. If you make personal long
distance calls on your company phone, you're actually stealing money from the
company. You should always charge these calls on your calling card or to your
home telephone. Again, the more money you lose for your company, the more
money you will lose. In fact, you might not only lose money but also lose your
job completely!
Honesty involves telling the truth in all work matters. You would never lie on your
job application, timesheets, or expense statements. You would never cheat a
customer, another employee, or your employer in any way. You would always
tell your employer and others the truth when you are questioned.
If you can prove to be an honest employee, you will be well on your way to
acceptability and good human relations in any business.
Trustworthiness
Many cases exist when an employer or supervisor needs to be able to place an
employee in a position of trust. When the employer trusts an employee, it often
means that the employer can ask the employee to do something beyond the call
of duty and expect the employee to accomplish it. The special task could be
closing up a business at the end of the day. It might involve supervising others.
An employer would want someone who handles the company’s cash or keeps a
tool room or supply room to be trustworthy. Each of these situations requires
that the employer trust the employee to carry out the task. When the employee
completes the task, he or she earns the employer’s trust.
Dependability and Reliability
Dependability and reliability are related to trustworthiness. A responsible,
dependable employee is one who agrees to carry out a task under agreed-upon
procedures.
Employees are often put in positions in which they are responsible for money, for
other people’s safety, for other people’s production, for merchandise, for
customers’ goodwill, for company equipment, and so on. Employers are quick
to see which employees can handle positions and situations of responsibility and
which cannot. When you are careful to make sure that any job you are given is
done well and completed on time, you will build up your reputation for being
dependable and reliable. Such work ethics are valuable to any employer.
Initiative
When employees have initiative, they are willing to take the first step in seeing
that work gets done.
People with initiative are motivated to do well and are enthusiastic about their
jobs. They are industrious, which means they are hard workers. In other words,
they are diligent about completing their work responsibilities. People who display
initiative make sure they do what they are paid to do, and then more. They see
a job or a task that needs to be done, and they do it without being asked to.
They go beyond the call of duty. Suppose that you have caught up on your work
for a short time. Rather than sit and wait for someone to tell you what to do next,
take the initiative to find another task: take inventory of tools, reorganize the
supply cabinet, clean, and so on.
Although you may be hired for a specific type of work or job, situations arise in
most companies that require helping out beyond one’s immediate responsibility.
For instance, employees become ill or have emergencies in their families that
require their absence, but their work still has to be done. Or perhaps you see a
co-worker who has
an unforeseen overload and really needs a hand to get a project completed. If
you show a willingness to pitch in and help out in such cases, you are displaying
initiative. Although union contracts or licensing may limit what employees are
allowed to do outside their own jobs, an overall attitude of helpfulness makes the
organization run more smoothly and improves everyone’s work situation.
Self-Discipline and Self-Responsibility
Everything in life is choice—even being alive. You don’t have to work, go to
school, eat, or even get up in the morning. You decide to do things because
they are profitable to you and the best choice among the alternatives available to
help you along toward your goals. Thus, you accept responsibility for yourself
when you are motivated to accomplish your goals.
Being self-disciplined is a part of accepting responsibility for your own actions.
We are the only ones from whom we can steal time, talent, and accomplishment.
Self-discipline requires that you structure your time so that you can cultivate and
use your talents and abilities for the betterment of your company and you.
Self-discipline also requires that you learn to handle your emotions. Emotional,
childish outbursts and unreasonable displays of anger cause others to question
your maturity. Avoid the irrational assumption that you have to express all your
feelings. You are in control of your feelings; they are not in control of you. Your
anger and irritation can be changed without compromising your personal
integrity.
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