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career tips

Periodically, we offer tips we have written to help you succeed in your career. Our newest tip appears below. But scroll down to see others we have published in the past.


When Rules Fail You
By Graciela Kenig--©2008

When Mario’s boss asked him to present the results of a project to the company’s leadership, he felt quite honored. But he also felt insecure. While the project was successful, and Mario had presented effectively in the past, he had not had many opportunities to interact with upper management. So Mario’s boss suggested he follow the guidelines set forth by the company’s training department. They contained suggested timeframes and ways in which concepts should be introduced for optimal results.

Although Mario followed all the rules, his presentation did not go well. He failed to excite the audience, to get their buy-in, in part because he was too worried about doing things “the right way.” Had he followed his own instincts--those things that had made him succeed in the past--he might have done the “right things” instead.

Mario’s story is not exceptional--especially among new hires and diverse employees. Rules are comforting, after all, particularly when learning new procedures or tasks. But following them strictly can lead to unexpected failure.

Here’s why:

• People who create rules can rarely anticipate all the instances in which they do not apply—or when they can actually be counterproductive.
• Inevitably, and no matter how extensively the rules are tested, different circumstances require different or additional steps, which may not have been envisioned. 
• If the rules involve people—as in how to serve customers, please audiences, or work with others at different stages of a project—reactions and interactions will likely affect the implementation of each step.

 

The next time you are given a set of rules, use them only as guidelines.  That will allow you to be more creative and use your own judgment when things don’t develop according to plan.  In most instances, the end result is more important than the steps you take to get there.  That certainly would have been much better for Mario and his boss.

Click on the links below to read other Career Tips we have published in the past

• Are You a Risk Taker at Work?
• Asking for Help When It Counts
• Eight Ways to Develop Your Leadership Potential

Write to us at info@careersforlatinos.com with ideas for -- or questions about – your career issues.