I was actually with Scott when he told her this.  When I heard those two questions, the little guy in white who sits on my shoulder practically kicked me in the ear:  David!  Technicians need to ask their managers these questions!

The point is learning moments in one area of life often pertain to learning opportunities in another.  The key is to pay attention and keep your radar up at all times.  Do this a little bit and you’ll want to do it alot.

The little guy in white has a cousin whose name is Curiosity.  Curiosity lives in his neighborhood.  Curiosity thinks you are the coolest and will hang out with you all day long - if you pay attention to him.

Curiosity can juice your work and jack your career.  Like the little guys, Curiosity talks to you.  He’s always asking you, why did it do that?  Or, how does that work?  Or, what would happen if it did that?  Sometimes you listen to him and sometimes you don’t.  You know you always feel good, when after listening to him, you dig in and find the answer to his questions.  You know you feel pretty crappy when you let the little guy dressed in black talk you out of digging for those answers…you know you do.

A key towards your professional development is to let Curiousity ride along next to you in your pack (it goes without saying the little guy in white is already riding point – right?)  Curiousity will need a little guidance and direction from time to time, but he is one of the most powerful friends you’ll ever have.

Questions is a category designed to help technicians who are already working in the field figure out if their place of employment is getting it done for them.

Note: some companies use both a supervisor and a manager.  The manager is sometimes referred to as the service manager, the operations manager, the installation manager or the general manager.  Sometimes this person owns the company.  We’ll discuss the supervisor position in the future.

Has your manager communicated in clear and concise language what he expects from you in regards to?

• personal hygeine, image and dress
• education
• safety
• your vehicle
• customers
• coworkers
• work related responsibilities
• performance
• being punctual

Has your manager communicated in clear and concise language what you can expect from him?

Does your manager (or a person whom he designates), make sure you have the necessary tools and equipment to do your job?

Does your manager make sure you have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday?

Does your manager praise you for doing good work?

Do you feel appreciated by your manager?

Do you think the job you do matters to your manager?

How would he felt if you quit?

Does your manager offer recognition for your effort in front of your coworkers?

Does your manager seem to care about you as a person?

Does your manager know your wife’s name?  Your children’s?

Do you know your manager’s spouses’ name?  His children’s?

Does your manager know what your hobbies are?

Has he ever tried to incorporate them in your job?

Does your manager encourage your personal and professional development?

Does your opinion seem to count to your manager?

Does your manager listen to your concerns?

Does your manager have an overly inflated ego?

Does your manager lie?

How many times per year does your manager meet with you to discuss your performance?

Does he offer advice for how to improve your performance?

Is there anytime in which performance is discussed when your pay is not discussed?

Is your manager aware of your strengths?

Is your manager aware of your weaknesses?

Would you say your manager concentrates more on your strengths or more on your weaknesses?

Does your manager seem so wrapped up in whatever he is doing that he doesn’t have time for you?

Do you feel comfortable approaching your manager with a problem?

How does your manager feel about feedback on his performance?

Has your manager ever been recognized within your industry for anything?

How does your manager feel about trade associations?

Does he consider them as a resource or a waste of time?

Has your manager ever told you to do something that was not safe?

Did you feel your job would be in jeopardy if you didn’t do it?

Can you describe how your manager attempts to develop as a professional?

Has anyone ever quit your company because of your manager?

Could you describe your manager’s personal organization system?

How does your manager feel about online learning?

Does he belong to any online communities?

Does your manager use e-mail to communicate with you?

Does your manager usually keep his vehicle neat and clean?

Is his office neat, clean and organized?

Would you describe his appearance as professional?

Have you ever smelled alcohol on your manager during a workday?

Does your manage use swear words?

If your manager is a male, is he respectful to women?

Is your manager respectful to folks who are considered minorities?

Does your manager keep coworkers on board when they clearly are incapable of doing their job?

Does your manager keep you informed on what is going on within your company?

Does your manager keep you informed on what is going on within your industry?

Does your manager help you assemble resources?

How does your manager feel about industry certifications?

Has your manager ever had discussions with you related to your career?

Has he discussed career paths within your company?

Is there anyone in your company who has journeyed down an interesteing career path within your company?

Was your manager part of it in anyway?

Does your manager care about how you treat your customers?

Has your manager ever told you his vision of a great company?  Of how great your company could be?

Did you feel as if he were blowing smoke?  Or do you think it’s possible?

When you’re on a job and you call your manager for help, does he just tell you what to do or does he try to teach you at the same time?

Questions is a category designed to help technicians who are already working in the field figure out if their place of employment is getting it done for them.

Is your company known to pay below average, average or above average wages?

Is your company known to offer below average, average or above average benefits?

Does your company have written job descriptions?

Does your company offer a minimum of 80 hours of paid education per year (company meeting where policy and procedures are discussed do not count)?

Does your company have an educational classroom?

Does your company have a safety program?

Are members of the office staff required to attend?

Does your company offer spiffs for any product or service that you sell?

Do you think your employer cares about your health?

Is yours a drug free workplace?

Does your company have a drug policy?

Are you or any of your coworkers involved in the hiring of new coworker process?

Does your company perform personality assessments prior to hiring an individual?

Does your company perform criminal background checks prior to hiring an individual?

Does your company offer a tool replacement program?

Does your company help you to finance new tools?

Do you have full time work year round?

Does your company have a uniform policy?

Is it enforced?

Does your company provide a company identification badge?

Does your company provide emergency service for its customers?

Would you consider the method in which it schedules you and your coworkers for emergency service, fair?

Are you offered extra compensation for being on call?

Are company vehicles kept in good repair?

Are you proud to drive a company vehicle?

Are company vehicles maintained regularly?

Does your company provide instructions for parking your vehicle at a customer’s house?

Does your company have any other company’s name labeled on their trucks (like Trane, Carrier or Lennox)?

Does your company provide customer feedback forms (either online or included to the customer with your workorder)?”

Does your company follow up service to customers with phone calls?

Would you say your company is big on service agreements?

Does your company have a posted organizational chart?

Is your customer at the top of this chart or is it the company owner-manager?

Are you familiar with what people who do not work for your company have to say about your company?

Are their comments mostly positive or negative?

Has your company ever appeared on TV or in the newspapers?

Was it for something good?

Does your company employ people who are considered a minority?

Are there any female technicians working at your company?

Would you consider your employer’s office a professional place of business?

Would you be proud for your parents, spouse, children, family or friends to stop by and tour the office?

Would you refer to your company as a family business?

Does your employer have a corporate headquarters somewhere else?

Would you describe the folks who sell your company’s product or service as professionals?

Would you describe your company as being fairly current with business technology?

Does your company use electronic devices like UPS uses to generate work orders?

Does your company have a Web site?

Does it appear as though the owner’s brother-in-law designed it?

Do you think your company cares about you as an individual?

Have you ever heard a coworker say?  “I really love working here!”

If so, why do they say that?

Has anyone said? “It’s fun to work here or work is fun?

Does your company have coworker / family get-togethers?

Would you say your company is sensitive to your family’s needs?

How long has the most senior coworker been employed at your company?

Has a coworker ever recommended someone to your company and that person was hired?

Would you consider it hard to get a job at your company?

Does the owner or manager ever talk about what is important to the company, like honesty, integrity etc?

Are you and your coworkers recognized for good work?

Is it in front of your coworkers?

Has your company received any awards from within your industry?

Has your company been written about in your industry’s trade journals?

Questions is a category designed to help technicians who are already working in the field figure out if their place of employment is getting it done for them.

Do customers appreciate your work?

Have at least four customers called your office this week to commend your work?

Do your coworkers appreciate your work?

How do you know?

Does your manager appreciate your work?

How do you know?

Does your manager’s manager appreciate your work?

How do you know?

Does your manager tell his manager about your work?

How often have you been recognized this week by your manager for your efforts?

If you left your place of employment today, would anyone care?

How many times this week have you been thanked by your coworkers for your efforts?

How many times has your manager thanked you this week?

Do you know what your manager expects out of you at work?

Do you have the tools and equipment that you need to do your job?

Do you have the opportunity at work to do what you do best every day?

Does your manager seem to care about you as a person?

Is there anyone at work who encourages your development?

Is your company committed to quality to work?

Have you ever heard on the street about how high your company’s pricing is?

Do you have a good relationship with your dispatcher, manager, owner, salesmen, fellow technicians?

Do others in your company have confidence in you?

Has anyone told you this past week what a great attitude that you have?

Are you a go-to technician?

Are you an expert in at least one aspect of your profession?

Are other companies in your area trying to recruit you to work for them?

Why not?

Is there high coworker turnover at your company?

How does your manager feel about business change?

How does the company owner feel about business change?

Has the company owner ever painted a picture to you of how he would like his company to look in the future?

How does he describe you and your coworkers involvement in this painting?

Has your manager ever painted such a picture?

Are you learning new things everyday at work?

Are you satisfied with your present wages and benefits?

Do you look forward to going in to work everyday?

Is your family grateful for your job?

Has anyone told you how neat and organized your truck is this week?

Has anyone complimented you on your jobsite organization this week?

Have you been recognized this week for producing above average margin work?

Has anyone complimented you on your paperwork this week?

Has anyone in management complimented on your appearance this week?

Has any customers complimented you on your appearance this week?

Do you feel that you are in control of your career, work, education and life?

Are you in pursuit of any certifications, licenses or credentials related to your profession?

Are you recognized by anyone in your industry outside of your own company for anything?

Do you have any industry acquaintances outside of your company?

Has anyone complimented you on your creativity or innovation this week?

How many times have you been complimented this week for leaving a job site cleaner than when you got there?

Does anyone at your company know how active you are in the trade outside of your company?

Is your manager aware of your hobbies?

Does your manager know you wife / girlfriend / kids’ names?

Does he know their birthdays?

Is your manager aware of your non-trade related talents?

Does he try to incorporate them within the course of your workday?

Does your manager know the real reason that you do not turn in more leads to the office?

How do you find out about the latest tools, meters and equipment in your industry?

Is it through your manager?

Does your company have a spiff program for turning in leads or selling products / service?

Do your opinions seem to count at work?

Can you describe your company’s safety program?

Are you familiar with the term incident rate in relation to safety in your company?

Questions is a category designed to help technicians who are already working in the field figure out if their place of employment is getting it done for them.

What does the term career mean to you?

Have you considered whether or not you would be working alone?

Is working along side of others important to you?

Did your vo-tech teachers discuss the various aspects of a career?

Have any of these aspects matched up to what you’ve experienced?

Did you consciously choose the career you are in?  (as opposed to a buddy getting you a job – and you never leaving)

Does your manager have a technician career philosophy?

Does the owner of your company have one?

Did anyone ever give you career advice prior to working for your present employer?

Did you follow it?

Was it of help?

Is there someone whose career you really admire?

Is it in the same field as yours?

If it is, have you asked them what they like and dislike about their career?

Do you have a career plan?

Do you have one for the following career-year intervals: 3, 5, 10, 20?

Did you develop it without the help of your present employer?

Did your present employer help you develop a career plan?

In planning your career did you take into account your talents, skills and passion?

Do you know what talents and skills are important to have for your position?

How about the position that you will have in five years?

Did you take into account your strengths and weaknesses?

Did you take into account what types of environments (working conditions) you would enjoy working in?

How do you feel about working in extreme weather conditions?

Are you aware of where you can progress within this career?

Is it possible to do so with your present employer?

Are there  coworkers who are satisfied with their career progression?

Have you asked them why?

Are there coworkers who are not satisfied with their career progression?

Have you asked them why?

Are you aware of how much people can earn who have followed the career plan that you are on?

Are you familiar with various trade associations related to your profession?

Do they offer career advice?

Are you familiar with the various employment recruiters in your industry?

Do they offer career advice?

Are you familiar with any books that offer career advice?

Did you ever check out a library book on career advice?

Are you familiar with any trade or business maganzines that offer career advice?

How about Web sites?

Are there any consultants in your industry that offer career advice?

Have you contacted any?

Are you familiar with what an informational interview is?

Have you conducted any informational interviews?

Are you familiar with how people are supposed to dress in your career of choice?

Are you comfortable with that?

Is continuing education important in your career of choice?

Have you investigated whether or not people in your industry are subjected to stress?

How do they cope with this type of stress?

Are you capable of coping in this manner?

What sort of communication skills are necessary in your industry?

Are you capable of these?

What are the physical demands in your industry?

Can you fulfill them?

Are you familiar with the time demands of your particular profession?

How do you feel about performing emergency service (typically between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., including weekends)?

How would you balance your work hours with your kids’ extracurricular activities?

Do you need credentials and or licenses to work in your industry?

Do you need to be certified?

Will that require continuing education?

Do employers in your industry typically finance employee education?

Are you prepared to finance a part of your own education?

Will your career of choice be able to finance your retirement?

Have you spoken to any individuals who have retired from your profession of choice?

How do you feel about the postive and negative aspects of what they discussed?

Pretend you are retired. Looking back over your career, what did you enjoy the most about it?

What did you enjoy the least?

Questions is a category designed to help technicians who are already working in the field figure out if their place of employment is getting it done for them.

How does your family feel about your continued education…or lack of one?

Do you have a degree in your field?

Does your company offer educational programs on the technical, non-technical aspects and safety related aspects of your work?

Does your company offer any incentives for completing educational programs?

Does your company offer help in creating an educational plan for you?

Does your company have a dedicated classroom for teaching?

Is there a time line related to this plan?

How do you see your education developing over the next three, five, ten and twenty years?

If your manager is not involved in your educational program, is there anyone else who holds you accountable?

Can one of your coworkers who has been at your company longer than you, describe the journey he has taken to date through your company’s educational program?

Is it a positive one?

How many times per year do you meet with your manager to discuss your educational plan?

How many times during the year do you drop your manager a note updating him on your educational progress?

Can you describe your manager’s educational philosophy?

What do you wish your manager’s educational philosophy was?

Can you describe the educational philosophy of the owner of your company?

Do you have a personal educational plan?

Does your educational plan include the care of your health, your finances, your home, your family, your relationships, your spirit and things you do for recreation?

Do you have your educational material organized at home?

Do you have educational material organized in your truck?

Do you keep a learning notebook?

What is your first, second and third best learning styles?

Is your manager aware of these?

Does your company pay for educational programs?

Is there a dedicated director of education at your company?

Do you pay for your own educational programs, taken on your own time?

Does your company cover your labor while you participate in educational programs?

How many hours per year does your company pay for education? (meetings where your manager talks about policies and procedures do not count) Is this total somewhere between 80 and 120 hours?

Do you subscribe to any trade journals (online or in print)?  Does your manager?

Do you read them?

Do you know where to precisely go online for education in the various aspects of your work?

Do you have educational program schedules from the leading vendors in your town?

Does anyone from your company participate with local vocational technology schools?

Do you have educational program schedules from the various industry manufacturers?

Is your manager aware of these schedules?

Can you name the coaches, teachers or consultants in your industry, who are at the top of their game in their various fields of expertise?

Can you name the folks who are teaching legends in your industry?

Is there anyone in your industry who has been through an educational journey who you really admire?

Have you spoken to that person?

Do you belong to any trade associations?

Are there any industry related educational events (like HVAC Comfortech) during the course of the year that are available to you?

Do you attend?

Do you participate in any online field-related communities?

Do you ever have conversations with your coworkers about education related to your profession?

Does your employer offer educational programs that are not directly related to your profession?

Do you attend educational programs that are not directly related to your profession?

Do you have a method for generating ideas?

Do you have a method for increasing your creativity?

While away attending educational programs do make an effort to meet others who participate?

Do you discuss things with these folks related to the various classes and your educational journeys?

Do you stay in touch with these folks?

Is there a coworker at your company who helps you out over the phone when you encounter a problem?

Does this person give you the answer or does he try to teach you through it?

Are your customers aware of your educational accomplishments and intentions?

Do you have an account with your local library?

Questions is a category designed to help technicians who are already working in the field figure out if their place of employment is getting it done for them.

This could be a tough question to answer if you do not know the answer to this question: Of what could this job be?  Or look at it this way: One doesn’t know what one doesn’t know.

Allow us to paint a picture here…

You take care of your customer’s problems.  You know this because there is usually a big smile on their face when you leave.  Some customers even offer to tip you.  You also know that things seem to be working out pretty well because Suzie, your company’s receptionist tells you that on average, four of your customers call each week with positive things to say about you.  Your manager never tells you about these calls.  You don’t think twice about this because that’s the way it’s always been around here.  You figure that Bob the manager figures, you’re just doing your job.  No big deal.  Or is it?

You probably didn’t realize that in other companies people are appreciated and recognized for their efforts.  Some companies thank you, some hand out awards, some give money, some talk about your efforts in team meetings.  Some do all.

Perhaps you are not wired for the need to be appreciated or recognized.  That’s ok, but understand, you are in the minority.  What is important is that you should be appreciated and recognized by your manager.  While you might not need the gratification for a job well done, the failure for management to recognize it is smoke signaling a fire of much greater proportion – namely the diminished opportunity for all within your company to grow, develop and prosper.  The responsibility for you to be appreciated and recognized begins with you.  This statement is the core foundation here at The Technician Shop.  It’s so important that we will say it again:

The responsibility for you to be appreciated and recognized begins with you

Now when you’re performing your work in such a manner that you should be appreciated and recognized and you’re not, well, hopefully we can help you help your manager with that – down the road, but right now this is all about you.  And if you’re like most folks who use both their mind and hands for a living, you could use a little help with you.

Small questions act to program and engage our brain.  Larger questions tend to create fear, inaction and loss of creativity.  Lets say that you need to clean the cab of your truck.  You open the door.  Once you side step the can of tuna fish that is still rolling in the parking lot, you look at a sea of papers, parts, books and something that smells pretty bad.  You say to yourself, “how am I going to clean all of this?”  You shudder, gather up the tuna fish and climb into the truck.  “Too much, I’ll do it another time.”  Instead, try asking yourself, “what one thing can I throw away?”  And then do it.  Ask another small question and do that as well.  Pretty soon you’ll have your task done.

Robert refers to the hippocampus, a part of our brain that decides what information to store and what to retreive.  The hippocampus’ main criterion for storage is repetition.  If we repetively ask ourself a small question like, “what one small step could I take to improve my appearance?” our brain will soon provide an answer – like, “shave every single day Dan.”