These are challenging times. Prices on most everything have increased, there is job and career insecurity for many people, and the world’s problems continue to cause us great concern. What can we do to manage these times?
When things are outside of our control, and all of the above-mentioned problems are, our best response is to manage our own behavior. People who are confident, competent, and committed will be more successful in navigating through these times. This is much easier to talk about and write about than to do. But it is the best insurance we have for the challenges facing us.
The order of these three behaviors is intentional. First of all, we need to be and remain confident. We need to portray confidence even, or especially when all around us is shifting. We need to portray confidence, not arrogance. Others need to see and feel that we are able to deal effectively with the ambiguity of changing times.
What does confidence look like? People who display confidence are assertive, energetic, and poised. People who are perceived as assertive communicate well with others. They use direct language yet are not directive with others. They have good posture. They make good eye contact. They display an energy level that is fast-paced, but not frenzied. They greet others well and shake hands if appropriate. (Covid concerns have changed some of the “rules” about touching others, including the appropriateness of shaking hands.)
What is Competence? Competence certainly includes having the technical and professional knowledge and skills needed for particular jobs. It also includes having the human skills to get along well with many different types of people. “Human skills” is a better descriptive term than the term often used for these, which is “soft skills.” If one has great technical and professional skills yet lacks human skills, that deficit in human skills will overshadow the technical and professional skills. Competence is an expectation.
What is commitment? What does it look like? People who are committed do what the job requires, even when it isn’t convenient. People who are committed are not clock watchers, although it is not expected that they will give so much time to their jobs that their personal priorities are neglected. People who are committed represent the company well at all times, even at office parties where alcohol flows. Commitment is not the same as loyalty, although they are related. Loyalty is not as common as it used to be (a boomer talking!) but commitment is still expected.
Many people are committed, yet sometimes they are more committed to their own wants and needs than what the company or job needs from them. I will be so bold as to propose that this is a greater problem with those workers in the younger age groups than people in older age groups. And while this is not all bad, the person who puts their own wants and needs above those of the job or company will not be perceived as committed.
While Covid taught us that work can be done remotely and productivity does not necessarily suffer, and may even improve, remote work should be determined by the needs of the company and the job in concert with the employees’ needs or wants. Management and employees need to be flexible in this regard, doing their best to meet the needs of the employees as well as the company. But when push comes to shove, and it sometimes does, committed employees must meet the needs of the job and company, and if they can’t, they need to move on so someone who can and will have the opportunity.
What do you think? Do confidence, competence, and commitment help us navigate the demands of a changing world? When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Are you confident, competent, and committed?
It's In The Sauce! 
Staying In Our Own Lane!
This blog was initially to be a call to action for managers. The reason for this is that I have heard too many stories lately of intimidating managers making inappropriate comments to staff. Comments that belittle staff and place them in uncomfortable positions. I will write a longer blog on exactly that at some point, but I decided to shift the focus in this blog somewhat and speak to all of us, for we can make inappropriate comments without even meaning to. Some of those comments are not just inappropriate, they are hurtful. We should all be careful about how we say what we say and stay in our own lane. You might ask, “What exactly does staying in our own lane mean?”
Staying in our own lane first of all means to mind our own business. I know you have heard what is often said, “If you aren’t involved, stay out of it.” Also, “If you aren’t part of the solution, don’t be part of the problem.” One of the problems with this is that some people love to meddle, and keep things stirred up. Others can try to drag us into things that we have no business getting into. We need to be smarter and better than getting caught up in that.
One way for us to stay out of trouble is to remember our role. For example, as a Nana who loves her grandchildren, I sometimes forget my role! If I am not careful, I put my opinion in where it is not wanted or needed with my adult children. (Well, even if I think my opinion is needed, if I forget that I am the grandparent and not the parent, I can cause unnecessary conflict!) Our adult children often need our approval, never our criticism. If we remember how hard it is to balance kids and their schedules, meals, work, and other priorities, we will help where we can, praise as often as we can, and avoid any behavior or words that can be hurtful.
With friends, we should remember that our appropriate role is usually one of support, not Director. Sometimes we get hooked thinking our friends want our opinion when they really just want to vent and want our approval, and they do not want us to tell them what to do. The same can be true for our spouse.
There is a caveat to all of this. If we think others we care about are struggling and need our help, we may need to intervene, but how we do that is so important. Certainly, if someone’s behavior is problematic to the point of potential or actual abuse, we need to get involved. But that is not usually the case when we get into trouble with others. We often get into trouble with others when we let our personalities dominate and fail to factor in the other person’s personality and communication style.
We all have opinions, and some of us are good about how we voice those opinions to others. Some of us need to improve in this area. Some of us need to work on staying in our own lane.
How successful are you at staying in your own lane? I need to work on this. Once again, I am writing what I need to learn.