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Dealing with the informational overload to change or not to change ...

This surely has been a week with overwhelming information and changes.  If anyone would have told me what has happened this weekend months ago, that I would be in the circumstances I am presently experiencing, I would not have thought that it did happen.  I am glad that it has, but as always there needs to be some changes involved.

I had a rather informative visit from my boss' boss on Thursday and Friday.  I received some directions about what I need to commit my time in the next few weeks to set myself up for success I am positioned into the restaurant that will be my home.  A lot of times it's a challenge just to make the right decision to know what to do next to get the greatest impact.  As I mentioned before, the lessons I have learned working with other companies has helped.  Next week, I'm scheduled to leave to the corporate headquarters for my five days of classroom training.  After that, I may get placed at my home restaurant sooner than planned.  I will personally contact you all when it's official.

I will definitely tell you that starting a new job is a real informational overload!  I hope that this will be the last time that I start at another restaurant concept.  I have to learn a whole new culture, people, and food products, what they are and how to use each product to mix into a meal or dish.  I realized through the thick skull of mine that the challenge for anyone will be how to process the overwhelming information that we all have, and to prioritize the information so that it aligns with the values we have to make meaningful deeds toward other people, or carry out missions we have in life.

Of course, it might be different for the entertainment value when I have many entertainment options.  It's because it's most of the time the urgent stuff, not the important.  I was enjoying another Sunday off from work, the few ones I do have off!  I watched the NASCAR race at Martinsville.  I am utilizing all the technology as I can.  I have the television on with no sound, my wireless phone turned into the race's radio broadcast, and my laptop on command on the RaceView from NASCAR.com.  There is nothing like a race at Martinsville, as the race demonstrated during the race, the cautions, and the results. 

As I mentioned before, I attended the 5 Choices complementary workshop last month.  It was helpful, but there must be some sort of action, not just good plans.  As I am writing this, this is a lesson for me, more so than anything else.  Here are some of the general ideas in a nutshell.

The 5 Choices from Franklin Covey are as follows:

1. Act on the Important | Don't react to the Urgent

     We need to be proactive, not reactive.  That way we accomplish more actionable tasks toward our goals.     

2. Go for Extraordinary | Don't settle for Ordinary

     Example: Ordinary-Play the Game ---> Extraordinary-Change the Game

3. Schedule the Big Rocks | Don't sort Gravel

     Plan your week and day to fill your limited glass jar with BIG rocks than the Gravel.

4. Rule your Technology | Don't let it rule you

     The Moment of Choice of the Core 4: Is it something to Act upon for an 1) appointment; 2) task; or to be filed upon for a 3) Contact; or 4) Note/Document.

5. Fuel your Fire | Don't burn out

     Exercise, Diet, Sleep, Relaxation and build Human Connections.

I want to act toward changes that will have the greatest impact.  I don't want to be buried in an avalanche of information that means nothing at all!

Working week 7 at company #10

It's been six weeks of working at a whole new restaurant setting.  Yesterday, I started the seventh week.  Let me say that it's been an upbeat and informational overload of terms, procedures and open-ended resources.  Communication in this organization seems more effective than many in my past concepts.  Of course, it could just be the location that I am training at right now.

Let me say that overall it's been a very good journey, good first pages of the new chapter of my life.  The people working has been very professional, and the physical work hasn't been as intense as in previous jobs.  The use of technology is really effective, and overall up-to-date.  As a whole, the people has been very professional and willing to follow instructions.  

There are a lot of over forty projects, along with learning all the different positions in the restaurant that I must complete.  How I complete the projects and activities for my training lies with me.  There is no doubt that if I succeed, it's because I planned out all the skills that I need to learn worked out well, and the projects that I completed has proven to be worthy of understanding the financial and personnel dynamics of the professional business.  I have an overall training outline, but filling in the details of the tasks is my responsibility.  Isn't that how it is with leading a business, also?

I am really looking forward to my classroom training in Orlando, Florida, the corporate headquarters of company #10 early next month. 

One thing I can say that has made my training easier is everything that I have learned in my past companies, with which I have worked.  Some of the important ones things that I have learned.

• Be flexible for anything that can happen.
• As important as the task is, the people who you work with is more important.
• Have some grasp of the subject matter in each department of the business.

I pray that for however long I am to work at this company, I will be a blessing for those around.  It's about being a servant, serving the Lord Jesus who has showed me His grace and mercy over and over again on a daily basis.

The comments above are of the author alone.  It does not represent present or past companies which I have worked in any capacity.

Ending perceived favoritism ... Speaking up for hard workers!

Let me admit something: I admit to mistakes that I made. If everyone expect me to make the "right" decision everytime, don't hold your breath to have me make the decision that favors you the best, or what's best for the most of the people involved.

From what a select few who have communicated to me, I have some redeeming qualities. I really hope that those qualities overshadow the mistakes that I've made. I realize that there is so much more competencies (the more advance word) to learn, behaviors to improve on a regular basis.

No matter how any company professes to say that they don't believe in favoritism, which is because we are human when it's only one leader's decision involved. If not outright, there may be the possibility of the perception of favoritism. I applaud companies who uses peer groups to help make decisions about disputes, because that does take the favoritism out of the decision equation. This will provide a check and balance for what any one leader makes.

I thought about favoritism what I've observed throughout my career. I will believe in coaching, developing and being patient with those who are not performing, and I will continue to do so. But I would like to stand up for the team members who need more chances to meet their obligations. However, what about the team member who always comes to work on time, helps others when called upon, and follow the managements' directions? Someone needs to be the voice of them, because they need to be valued.  I will be there right alongside of them motivating them on!

This is how you can really get the support of any leader, and really eliminate any favoritism. In the long run, any favoritism offered by leaders, will be discovered, and your hard work will pay off in eternity. Here are some of the tasks that if you put your mind into demonstrating on an ongoing basis.

• Always keep your integrity intact. Don't have anyone question it, because nothing is worth losing it. Once lost, it cannot be gain back in anyone's eyes.
• Arrive to work on time, and be ready to work in full uniform, if applicable, at that time.
• Keep on learning the job at hand in all areas, and be an assistance to the leaders of your operation. Have a passion to do the best job that you can no matter what you are doing! If you don't have the passion, learn the skills or knowledge to commit your time to during something else. By being in a position that you don't want to be, you are not helping yourself, the peers and/or colleagues around you.
• When making a mistake, and being coached about a different approach, don't assign blame or find excuses, but focus on solutions and results. Everyone likes to work with someone with solutions than people who look for others who look for others to blame.

Commit to these things and you will have a good start of being successful in anything that you are doing.

The comments made on this blog are the sole opinion of the author.  It does not represent any corporate entity.