Success Consists Of...

Fringe Benefits

12 August 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

Fringe benefits are rewards in addition to the base pay. In today’s times, fringe benefits run from twenty-five to thirty percent of the base pay. Fringe benefits include insurance, retirement provisions, coffee breaks, parking privileges, uniforms, seminars and workshops, and educational allowances. Fringe benefits have expanded over the last twenty years.

Questions for Reflection:
What are your fringe benefits? Can you name all of them
Do some math. How much are those benefits worth?
How does a poor job market affect employee fringe benefits?

#57

Knowing Your Supervisor

29 July 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

A supervisor is a person who has been put in charge of a shift, section, department, etc. and who is responsible to higher authority for its operation. He directs and evaluates the actions of the workers assigned to his section, etc.; makes certain that they have materials and tools with which to work, and that they produce as required for the successof the company. A supervisor can be a lead man, foreman, office manager, etc.; anyone who has been given the job of directing the activities of other people.
Questions for Reflection:

Who is your supervisor?
What kind of relationship do you have to this person?
What do you supervise? Who would you like to supervise?

#56

Your Job Description

15 July 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

A job description is a written statement that tells what your job is, who you report to, what your range of responsibilities is, what the title of the job is. A job description may be informal or formal. An informal job description is simply stated in several words or several statements. A formal job description is a detailed analysis of what the job covers. This is done in a spell-out manner. In some cases the job description may run several paragraphs.

Because jobs change from time to time, job descriptions become inaccurate after a time and must be up-dated and revised. Many times you may be hired to do one type of job and after a period of time, the job has changed so the duties, the responsibilities and the skills also have changed.

The person interested in advancement should be aware of these changes. Many times he should alert management to these changes especially at the time of the annual personal review. It is also wise to be aware of the expanded responsibilities that have been included in the job. These should be kept in mind when discussing wage increases.
Questions for Reflection:

Have you looked at your job description recently?
Does what you do day-to-day match up to your job description?
If you could change yours and others, what would you add? Subtract?

#55

Fulfilling Your Obligations

01 July 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

An obligation is the moral and conscientious duty to do your job to the best of your ability at all times. This is the course of action you promised when you accepted employment or promotion and which you renew each day you come to work and with each paycheck you take. The penality for non-fulfillment of this obligation is to be reprimanded, demoted, or let go.Questions for Reflection:

What are your obligations?
Do your coworkers fulfill their obligations?
What happens when you or others don’t?

#54

Never Being Late

10 June 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

“Late” is not being at your work station as scheduled. It is not filling an order when the customer needs it. It is not turning in reports when management needs them.

Being late shows a lack of consideration of your company and fellow workers. When you are late, somebody or something must wait for you. Being late costs everybody, but it can cost you the most, either in penalties, such as docked pay, or, if you are habitually late, it will cost you your job.

Questions for Reflection:

Be honest. How often are you late?
Besides being late for work, how else does your punctuality help or harm others?
What does being late say about maturity level and responsibility?

#53

Assembling a Team

27 May 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

When two or more people are assembled for a common purpose, they are said to be a team. How well each member of the team does his or her job will determine how successful that team will be.

Proper teamwork is everyone pulling together, doing more than his share, helping the other guy if he stumbles. Individual records and accomplishments must be secondary to the importance and success of the team.

When the team succeeds, every member of the team benefits. When the team fails, every member loses.

Questions for Reflection:
How would you evaluate your team?
What can you improve, to make sure your team works optimally?
Does your team have a leader? Who is it?

#52

Advancement

13 May 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

Advancement is progress that you make in your job.

Advancement comes in many ways: in an increase of pay, or an increase of responsibility, or an increase in fringe benefits, or in various types of other rewards, recognition, or titles.

Questions for Reflection:
How can you advance in your job and career?
What kind of advancement does your company encourage?
How can this help you become a more valuable employee?

#51

Knowing Company Policy

29 April 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

Company policy is the “way things are done around here.”

This means the rules and regulations employees follow in doing their day-to-day tasks. Company policy can be stated or implied. Formal company policies mean that specific items of policy are spelled out in a company manual. Informal company policy is handled by case or problem situation. Stated policies are policies that are either written out or policies that have been spelled out verbally some time in the past.

Implied policies mean that a specific policy has never been stated but everyone knows that when a particular problem arises, it is going to be handled in a certain way. Company policies must be reviewed and updated at least once or twice a year. Company policies aid the employee in knowing what course of action is expected of him under specific conditions. They also allow all the employees to interpret a problem or matter in the same way. Company policies avoid confusion and favoritism, and spell out the various rights and responsibilities of individuals.

Questions for Reflection:
Do you know your company policies?
Is there a company policy that should be in effect, but is not?
How can you help your company draft a new, needed policy? How does this help you become a more valuable employee?

#50

Knowing Your Anniversary Date

15 April 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

The anniversary date is the date on which you were hired. On your Anniversary Date a review and evaluation is made on you and your job, and on the progress and pay increases you deserve.

An anniversary date is also a good date to mark in your calendar to appraise where you are in your career. Have you met any pre-set goals? What difference have you made at the company so far? What do you want to make sure you do over the next 12 months?

Questions for Reflection:
What do you plan to have done by your next anniversary date?
How do you think your boss will evaluate you for your last year?
What kind of evaluation do you want? How can you make that happen?

#49

Giving and Attending Seminars

01 April 2014 by Laddie F. Hutar

A seminar is a group of business persons with mutual interests and/or problems meeting for a lecture or series of lectures, usually focusing on some specific subject or problem, such as employee motivation, sales forecasting, how to cope with inflation, etc.

The lecturers are recognized experts in the subject matter they cover and the knowledge they give is of every day use to the selected attendees.

Questions for Reflection:
What seminars have you attended recently? What is available around you?
How can attending some local seminars increase your value?
What seminars could you provide to others? How might this help you network?

#48