Not that I never took my work seriously before; but lately been feeling a real sense of pride in my work and have honestly been enjoying my job. So much so that I feel willing to take on more responsibility and rise through the ranks when I can. To aide me in this endeavor I’ve composed a list of “behavior” rules that I am going to be holding myself accountable to. I think that spelling out exactly how you want to be (not how you are), and taking steps in that direction is a good idea.
So after some research on the net (Dumb Little Man is a great resource for this type of thinking) and some business behavior observations at my own place of employment, these are what I’ve come up with as my personal guide lines:
# I will work and think as if I were the manager of my IT group. This will include how I interact in meetings, with co-workers in the hall, etc. This will train me for the future.
# If I ever decide I don’t like the agency I work for, I will still act like the manager because that is the position I want. I will not become a complaining, gossiping troll because my reputation will follow me.
# I will look for and take note of areas where my group fails. One day I will fix these.
# I will be the guy to speak out with new ideas in meetings. If it’s going to reduce development time or improve product quality, I will never be out of line.
# I will lead others and show my strengths because someday I may want these people to work for me.
# I will finish everything I start. I will no longer mentally bail on a projects.
# I will shut up and listen when I don’t know what I’m talking about 110% through.
# I will keep my finger on the pulse of the industry and study new trends so I am the guy with the good idea.
# Regardless of what my boss says, I will review myself each month and then ask for help where and when I need it.
# If they ask for 132 TPS reports, I will do them. One day I may ask an employee of mine for similar reports.
# I will grow one of these and speak my mind in the face of rejection when I am confident that my idea is the best solution.
# I will know how other agencies/organizations do things so I can suggest better solutions.
# I will not bend to process bureaucracy. If the end user needs it, I’ll figure it out.
# I will learn as much as possible about the roles people play in my organization.
# I will learn as much as possible about the roles technology plays in my organization.
# Resume builders are nice but I am pushing for seminars / on the job training that will actually teach me new abilities and sharpen my skills.
# I will be informed of the subject matter of meets before hand when I can. I will not willing walk into any situation blind for lack of action on my part.
May 27, 2009
Thoughts