Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Living Well

One good thing about starting a new job, moving to a different work site or having a change in our job description is the opportunity it gives us to become the person - and the employee - we really want to be.

This can be a time for reviewing the skills and attitudes that have worked for - or against - us in the past. It is a chance to pull together and demonstrate, in a different setting, the best of what we've learned and observed along the way.

Dr. Herbert G. Lingren, Extension family life scientist at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, gives some suggestions if you find yourself in a situation where you can "roll out the new you."

Consider the inevitable. See change that takes place in your job as an opportunity for growth. View your workplace as a collection of learning resources. Challenge yourself to find and use as many of these resources as possible.

Develop the ability to move forward. Try new ways, seek new solutions, find new angles and come up with ideas of how to do your job better and more efficiently. Try not to tie yourself too closely to a particular set of tasks and skills. Be aware that even "big pictures" can and do change in a fast-paced society like ours.

Learn more about the people you're working with. Become more aware of their value systems, ethics, and 'comfort zones.' When you can appreciate the contributions of others, you can be a more effective member of any workplace team. Think about teamwork and the various parts and roles you can play as a member of a team.

Watch those stereotypes. Leadership skills are not based on gender or cultural background. Both women and men can be creative and energetic as well as tough and sensitive. And having kids is not a prerequisite for understanding the needs and circumstances of working parents.

Watch how you speak. Present positive images. Make your messages - about yourself and your work-clear, succinct and appealing. Avoid slang and vulgarities. Remember that good manners still count.

Work on your listening skills. This requires a basic receptiveness to new ideas and messages. Listen when you usually talk. Talk when you really have something to contribute. Be aware that people become less defensive if they feel they're being understood.

Master the art of inquiry. Ask questions to gather information and knowledge, not to show people how much you already know. Do not allow your questions to sound like arguments or judgements.

Learn as much as possible on your own. Chances are, your supervisor and co-workers are relying on you to help ease their workload, not increase it by having to take on the extra job of being your teacher. Try to avoid frequent references to how you did things in the past.

Invest more of your time figuring out how to get something done than thinking up reasons why it can't be done.

Don't jump to conclusions. When you get yourself out on a limb, climbing back can be awkward. Try to keep yourself neutral until you learn more of the facts. Accept ambiguity. You can still make progress without having every piece of the puzzle in place.

Don't be shy about your accomplishments. Take an active role in creating a positive image of yourself. The alternative is for others to create an image for you.

Seek out real and authentic feedback from supervisors, peers, clients, customers and subordinates.

Find a collaborator. Seek out a mentor or someone to mentor, informally or through a formal program within your company.

Make the most of networking opportunities. Don't just hang out with the people you know. Join a new group of people. Attend special events at work. Initiate follow up with people you've just met.

Give yourself a few minutes each day for meditation and reflection.

Make this a time for mental, not physical activity, a time to step back and think about thinking.

Eric Hoffer once said: In time of drastic change, it is learners who inherit the future. Those who have finished learning find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.