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Being a manager myself, my biggest goal is to get people to be able to connect the dots on their own.
This reminds me of my physics class back in college. A couple days before the final exam, we had a review session. One guy asked the professor which homework problems we should study for? The professor gave an answer that I will never forget. He said homework problems will not help you on the exam.
Sure enough, on the exam, I did not recognize a single thing from the homework problems. However, if you understood the concepts behind the homework problems, then the exam was very doable. If you just memorized the homework problems, then there was no way in hell you could have gotten a good grade on the exam.
In a very similar way, in any line of work there are simply too many things to remember. You are doomed to fail if you think you can take notes your way up. Instead of trying to take notes and memorize them, you should be trying to understand why things are done certain ways and the effects they have on other processes.
When I train my young engineers, if I see them try to take notes I tell them to stop. I'd rather they listen and understand what I'm explaining.
Well that's what one of the trainers did 3 years ago, she would get a attitude when I wanted to write down what she was saying. And I could not understand why because I thought that is what you do when being trained. Especially if you are in a brand new line of work.
Maybe, the issues experienced by managers regarding an employees lack of problem-solving skills might be related to the recent shift in classrooms towards "group" or "team" approaches to projects & assignments?
I know for a fact I've read threads here on CD from college students complaining that they prefer to work alone but find themselves in a "team" for projects that account for large portions the semesters grade.
In fact, I remember one thread where a student was told "Many workplace enviornments are structured & hire for; team productivity so get used to it".
Many of my twins classes (HS sophmores) do this & it was common in middle school also. Both twins are honor students but have very different experiences & outcomes from this. Individual personality factors heavily:
One of my twins is a social mastermind who's strong points include networking & group facilitation. She does well on these projects. The other one is an "out-of-the-box" thinker & group assignments are frustrating to her because they restrict & hold her back.
Maybe, there are many people entering the workforce that are very used to having a group-consensus on literally everything? Or, have never functioned in an enviornment where they had sole responsibility for the outcome of anything. No individual success & no individual failures ...
I mean; even though there is so much value placed on being a "team player" or being a "good fit" for office personalities by hiring employers, the truth is that in many areas; you make yourself or you break yourself.
Your not always going to have 6 brains to think-tank every little issue. A recent grad will find the "be a self-starter/solver" expectation problematic after years of being successful due to asking questions vs being successful in spite of NOT asking questions.
And OP; I'm not directing this at you at all. I don't know enough about your situation to say this is possible or not. I'm just basing this off of comments from managers on this thread that seem to be frustrated with their employees.
Well that's what one of the trainers did 3 years ago, she would get a attitude when I wanted to write down what she was saying. And I could not understand why because I thought that is what you do when being trained. Especially if you are in a brand new line of work.
A good trainer will give you a lot of slack the first month or so. I tell all my young guys and gals that if they want to ask stupid questions the first month is when they can get them out of their systems.
I have only had 1 young guy who never asked any stupid question and was always on top of everything. It is very rare. In fact, I just recommended him to higher up for a higher position.
Just remember. Understanding the mechanics behind processes is more important than trying to rememeber everything.
Just remember. Understanding the mechanics behind processes is more important than trying to rememeber everything.
No truer words have been spoken!!!
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A good trainer will give you a lot of slack the first month or so. I tell all my young guys and gals that if they want to ask stupid questions the first month is when they can get them out of their systems.
I have only had 1 young guy who never asked any stupid question and was always on top of everything. It is very rare. In fact, I just recommended him to higher up for a higher position.
Just remember. Understanding the mechanics behind processes is more important than trying to rememeber everything.
Also remember you don't always have to know the answer, just where to find the answer. And if that is in a manual go there before you go to your boss.
Also remember you don't always have to know the answer, just where to find the answer. And if that is in a manual go there before you go to your boss.
Sometimes a parent may need childcare in place by Monday morning and it's friday afternoon so going to the manual may not be the best option because we are trying to make sure the parent has childcare in place by Monday morning.
Sometimes a parent may need childcare in place by Monday morning and it's friday afternoon so going to the manual may not be the best option because we are trying to make sure the parent has childcare in place by Monday morning.
Now I understand why the manager needs to send out emails of the most obvious situations. If the manual is there and the person doing the work can read, why would it take days to perform a task?
Now I understand why the manager needs to send out emails of the most obvious situations. If the manual is there and the person doing the work can read, why would it take days to perform a task?
I meant 4:25pm on a Friday afternoon and a parent starts a new job on Monday morning. So a employee may have trouble processing a application in the system and may need assistance immediately since the agency is closing at 5pm. Now if it's 10am then I will agree with you that going to the manual would be the thing to do before going to the manager.
I meant 4:25pm on a Friday afternoon and a parent starts a new job on Monday morning. So a employee may have trouble processing a application in the system and may need assistance immediately since the agency is closing at 5pm. Now if it's 10am then I will agree with you that going to the manual would be the thing to do before going to the manager.
Now I'm really confused. You can follow the manual at 10 but not 425? When you're in a hurry that's when you most need to have the process written down and follow it. Making things up on the fly sends you down the wrong path.
Now I'm really confused. You can follow the manual at 10 but not 425? When you're in a hurry that's when you most need to have the process written down and follow it. Making things up on the fly sends you down the wrong path.
So you are saying someone should search for a answer in a manual 35 mins from closing time??
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