So, I’m sitting at work yesterday and it dawned on me that since joining this firm over a year ago, I’ve learned a lot about how the real corporate animal operates.
Most of my prior jobs (with the exception of one big one) have been at young companies run by people who created an environment that fostered innovation and team work. I’d like to think that I really thrive in that sort of work place.
But now, it’s difficult being a younger person stuck in a structure governed by a political system that would make the former presidents of Moldova proud. There are a lot of us with good ideas that would benefit the organization. However, I’ve quickly learned to just go with the flow, even if I don’t agree with it. I had to, otherwise I’d never survive. I keep my mouth shut and just do what I’m told to do. It’s difficult, but I’ve gotten used to it. Hey, it could be worse – I could be unemployed.
Anyway, I think I’m going to start a new series on my blog called Stuff I Learned At Work. It will be just random thoughts and observations that I encounter during the work day, but I think it will give me something to reflect back upon should I ever find myself on the verge of opening my mouth and proposing an idea.
So, here’s the first installment of Stuff I Learned At Work.
02/27/09 : Never let the concept of quality stand between you and your due date.
When you write documents for a living and you take pride in your work, you’d think that making sure every i is dotted and every t is crossed would be important. Well, it’s not. There is one thing, and one thing alone, that should always be your driving force towards declaring a document complete – and that is your due date. If your document is done by its due date, or even better before, it will automatically have the perception of quality and you’ll be seen as a good employee, even if every word in it is completely amiss.
Remember, there’s always time to go back and fix things after your due date. So, don’t worry so much about getting all the facts complete and accurate upfront, otherwise you’ll risk missing your due date.
You need to set your goals based on something reportable. When it comes time for quarterly and annual reviews, your manager is not going to have the time or desire to sit there and read every one of your documents to determine if they’re correct. They want to base your performance off something they can view in an Excel spreadsheet. They want something reportable.
That’s why due dates are the favorite. They’re reportable. They can glance at a spreadsheet, see the percentage of time you handed in documents on time and base your review on that, while quality sits quietly in the backseat.
And, if you have to make revisions to your document, all the better. As long as those revisions, regardless of their size or scope, are handed in by their due dates, you’ll almost always shine like the superstar you are come review time.
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