Developing your Skills | April 3, 2013
Terry Thompson, Surrey, BC, CYBF Mentor, tthompson15@verizon.net
Time in the field usually involves spending time (where appropriate) with:
Not all of the above apply to every company (e.g. small, one office companies), or positions (management vs. non-management positions). This article is focused on management positions.
I can, without a doubt, say that some of the highest returns on my time were from time spent in the field, particularly with employees and clients. I would:
There wasn’t one time in the field that I failed to learn something valuable about the client, how we were performing, how our employees felt about the company and management, etc. Further, via sources I viewed as reliable, the vast majority of the people that I spent time with appreciated the fact that a senior manager would take the time to meet with them, ride with them and so on.
So how does time in the field improve a manager’s self-sufficiency? It goes to the heart of improving the managers’ ability to:
These are, I believe, the two key measures of corporate culture. By taking time in the field, the manager is experiencing first-hand what both clients and employees are thinking (rather than relying on feedback from other sources), and just as importantly, putting your face to what was probably only a name to them. Hopefully it is a positive face and leaves both employee and clients with the impression that you have listened to them and care.
Lastly, I have also observed a few rules about time in the field such as:
Should you have any questions or feedback regarding the content of this article please email me at tthompson15@verizon.net ©
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