I get it. Work is a hassle and the boss is a pain. But that first day of hunting season, visions of that twelve point crossing your cross hairs a half hour into the wait…heck, you get to the tree early.

Lets assume that you work for a pretty decent company. This means that you are recognized for your efforts, receive above average pay and benefits, tools, equipment and vehicles are in above average shape, have a multitude of educational opportunities and very few of your coworkers are slackers. The problem seems to be in your manager. It seems as if he’s always picking on you, that he’s got it in for you.

Now your manager is a very busy person. But he has been punctual with your annual performance review. And you’ve followed The Technician Shop protocol by requesting and getting additional time to discuss your education, professional development and performance issues throughout the year.

Your manager knows the problem, you know the problem: you are always late. You put forth a little effort and get to work on time, but you always slip back to your old ways. The problem with being late all the time is not your only problem. Your tardiness jades your performance. This means that you are not going to get the benefit of doubt when it comes to performance and behavioral issues with your manager. If, in the eyes of your manager, you are borderline between average and below average in a certain category, you’re more than likely to receive the below average mark.

Showing up for work on time is a mindset. You realize that it’s the right thing to do. You realize that you are going to cut down on work related hassles. You realize that your work related life is going to get a whole lot easier and you’ll notice how better your manager is treating you.

All you have to do is to be on time, just like getting to that tree stand or getting to that softball game or getting to the start of the fishing tournament on time.

Matt Michel, author of Comanche Marketing and CEO of the Service Roundtable, pens an article titled “Creating Positive Imprints on the Self-Image.” Matt tells a story about how Lanny Bassham, an Olympic athlete created positive imprints on his self-image and went from a silver to gold medal performance.

We’ve spoken quite a bit here about how important our physical image is. Matt provides a different perspective on image, one which is every bit as important. Place yourself into Matt’s story. Think about the action and process you will take to produce an enhancement in your own game, the game of the professional technician.

Lenny’s company is called Mental Management Systems. Check it out when you have a chance.

Also, keep this story in the back of your mind. In the future I am going to write about ideas to help you along in the process of making that desired self-image come true.

But Davo, dude, I’m a technician man, I’m not a writer or a consultant.

Fair enough. Instead of writing about the stories that you hear to help others, use the stories to help yourself. You probably won’t hear as many stories pertaining to exactly what you do for a living as you will hear other types of stories. This is where you need to dial in your own personal radar. To begin with, be open to stories you hear from your son’s kindergarten teacher to your boss to Joan the bartender. Then, as the story works its way into your skull, allow yourself to think about your own life. What is relevant? What reminds you of something else? Who reminds you of someone else? How would you do that in your job? How could you learn to do that? How does that pertain to something you do for a living? The questions that you can ask are endless and the more you ask, the more will surface.

You see, stories that are not specifically about you, can be like running a reverse or mis-direction play in football. The flow is going one way and then BAM! it goes in the opposite direction. Suddenly there is daylight, less tacklers, less noise. Suddenly you are able to think with more freedom. Suddenly a very relevant thought appears from where there was none. Lessons learned from these types of stories have a tendency to dig their heels into your brain’s turf and will not easily slip away.

For more conventional stories that will entertain and teach you, drop by Mark’s bookstore.

We’re going to send you to a site that not only explains the Hyanide, it explains just about anything you can think of – How Stuff Works.

We know you’re real serious about your profession as a technician. You’ve been spending a lot of time on your education. Sometimes however, you gotta take your foot off the accelerator and briefly explore other areas of interest. Hunting, fishing and RC cars can’t be done briefly. You’ll always have your hobbies. We’re talking about exercising your mind on non work related topics. A great place to start is How Stuff Works. Just remember though, take this stuff in small, bite sized portions. Maybe an article a week.

Go here to How Stuff Works and info on the Hyanide.

Tough question, isn’t it?

Relax, you stick with the Novocaine and I’ll stick with the management journals. The beauty part is you get the lesson – without the pain.

Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt is the fastest sprinter who has ever lived. In an article addressed to managers, John Weeks, a business professor, draws a parallel between Bolt’s hard road to be a world class athlete, and a manager’s quest to be on top of his game. Every single thing Weeks talks about is relevant to our world and to you the technician.

Strengths – Earlier in Bolt’s career he was advised to stick to the 400 meter race. But he had enough self-knowledge to know his strength was in the 100 meter race. How well did he know his strength? Bolt holds the world record at 100 meters.

Here’s what Weeks says about strengths:

Often the things we are bad at are the things we don’t really want to do. A recipe for success is to do fewer of the things you don’t like and concentrate on what you’re good at. Are you playing to your strengths? You need confidence in yourself and, unless you’re the chief executive officer, you need an organization that will support you.

Think about that quote and what we’ve recently said about your strengths. Here and here. Neat eh?

Lightning bolt

Rough road – Bolt suffered through a series of setbacks that could have derailed an average Joe. The lesson here per Weeks is that successful people have to deal with setbacks. They however, take a positive outlook on the setbacks by learning and drawing motivation from them. You could do that, right?

Eye on the big picture – Bolt had to rehabilitate in ways that he didn’t like. But he kept his eye on the end result and got through it. It’s the same for you. No job is perfect. There will be things you don’t like. By keeping your eye on the end result and approaching your challenges in small, bite-sized chunks you’ll get through it. You will.

Go here to read John’s article.

Isn’t the concept of adding value just about the most overused saying in the Universe? And what does it mean anyway? Does it mean that the value you were providing in the first place isn’t good enough. And how can you even get your mind around it without thinking about an extra large Coke and fries? Okay, lets let the corporate types keep the value phrase and sayings and try to get our minds around something that makes sense: to be of use.

Here is a simple way to determine if you are of use to your company. If you had to miss a couple of weeks, would your manager miss you? And herein lies the secret. You want your manager to consider you of such use, that if you were to miss that much work, he would  wail like a banshee, gnash his teeth like a maimed-monster and vomit violently.

It doesn’t matter what role you fill either. You could be a top technician or a parts truck driver. The key is to do your job so well you will be of use.

Forget the fries, forget the Coke (We haven’t spoken about nutrition around here, have we? We will), think in terms of to be of use, and you will.

Today, I’m recommending the whole darn book. Living in More Than One World by Bruce Rosenstein. Bruce’s book is based upon the teachings of perhaps the greatest management teacher of all time, Peter Drucker. Living in More Than One World is all about you, not your manager (though it would be to him in his own sense).

Bruce’s book is centralized around what he calls a total life, which consists of family, friends, work, education, associates and affiliation groups. What caught my eye is how this philosophy parallels what I described in It’s All About You.

In an interview with Bruce, Peter Drucker described people who were satisfied and content as those who lived in more than one world. A quick view of the book’s chapters will provide more clarity:

• Designing your total life
• Developing your core competencies
• Creating your future
• Exercising your generosity
• Teaching and learning
• Launching your journey

Early on in the book you will note that Bruce writes this book for knowledge workers, a term that Drucker coined back in the 1950′s. Here is his definition:

People who work with what they know and can learn and who thus own and control their own means of production. Their knowledge is portable and not dependent on any particular employer or industry.

You might have heard that knowledge workers are white collar workers. They are, but technicians who are frequently described as blue collar workers, also fall into this class. Maybe even more so, as continuing education is almost mandatory for technicians who must engage their minds before they can engage their hands.

Living in More Than One World is an excellent, MUST read book! By the way, Bruce’s book is hot off the press. Recommend a copy to your coworkers and manager.

*I have read extensively on marketing, writing, design, management, personal branding and leadership and would be happy to recommend books, learn your point of view or trade information away from this forum if you’re interested.

Image by NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center

If you have the least amount of inkling to improve your lot in life, your career, your work and education, it starts with inner excellene. If you desire to be better than you are now, it will start with inner excellence. Here are a few examples:

You just finished up a job and cleaned up the work site. You’re about to leave the area when you notice a pile of dirt a few feet away. Due to its location, no one would ever equate this dirt with your work. You decide to clean it up anyway. This is inner excellence.

You worked on new technology today. You went home that night and spent fifteen minutes on the Internet looking it up and reading more about it. This is inner excellence.

You have decided to be a go to technician and outlined a small plan that will take less than twenty minutes a day to get there. This is inner excellence.

Once you begin to pay attention to inner excellence you’ll notice it taking on a life of its own. Its voice will get stronger. It will simply not let you walk by that pile of dirt, it will encourage you to develop and to be the best you can possibly be.

For you to experience satisfaction, you’ll need to break down what it is that you love and see if there are other types of work in your company where it will apply.  This will require a focused discussion with your manager.  If you are not experienced, you’ll need to put a concentrated effort into building the experience and education to eventually work on it.

Along the way, most technicians have had some sort of discussion with their manager as to what they love to do.  Problems arise when:

• the technician doesn’t get to do anything close to what he loves
• work assignments start off in this direction but fall by the wayside
• the technician doesn’t maintain communication with his manager to stay on track with desired assignments
• the manager doesn’t communicate with others to keep (or try) the technician focused on work he loves
• the manager is indifferent and does not take the technician’s desires seriously

Be Realistic

If you love to work on a certain piece of equipment and your company services two of them, it’s not realistic to expect your company to suddenly bring on a hundred more pieces just because it wants to help you with work you love.  When equating passion with work, it’s best to look at it through a broad lens.  You like to work with your hands, you like work that is challenging, you like to work with customers etc.  Do you get to do this or not?

The key to going down this road is to identify what you love and to go in that direction with your manager’s help.  It’s your responsibility to keep it on track.  Make sure you place yourself in a position to do the work in the first place and maintain vigilant communication with your manager to keep you moving in the right direction.

Do you think Bob is valuable to your manager and company?  And if someone is valuable to you, would you take extra special care of him?  I am thinking you’d pay attention to this person’s needs.  Is he getting:

• the proper education
• the right tools
• a decent amount of time off
• proper wages and benefits
•  your (the manager’s) cooperation
• important resources
• help with relationships
• access to inside company or industry goings-on 

So, doesn’t it make sense to get into a position like Bob’s?

You don’t have to be a senior technician to be a go-to guy.  Your manager needs go-to people at every level.  Your manager needs someone who he can depend  on and someone who cares enough to do the job the right way.  A key to filling this position is to be continually improving.  Always try to make yourself better.

You need resources, education, tools etc., to develop and grow.  Your manager needs someone who he can depend on and get the job done right.  Isn’t this all about finding out what the other needs and then trying to give it to them?  You bet!

So, when they gonna call you?