tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post398317250544605817..comments2023-06-15T09:13:45.467-04:00Comments on Liberty's Torch: Just How Good Are You?Francis W. Porrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05862584203772592282noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-38326649161070648242015-04-06T14:19:28.527-04:002015-04-06T14:19:28.527-04:00I should not be the one to answer this. Talk to my...<i>I should not be the one to answer this. Talk to my customers.</i><br /><br />(semi)serious question. Isn't that a subtle form of boasting?<br /><br />When you work directly for your customers, your ability to get paid, obtain future work and important future references depends entirely on getting the job and making the customer happy they engaged you over everyone else.<br /><br />If you're good at what you do, your customers and the continuing employment of you by your customers will be boasting enough.pdwalkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05943525787137905313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-70546967761809081672015-03-30T08:59:09.919-04:002015-03-30T08:59:09.919-04:00Reg T at 421
Same thing happens for us.
Usuall...Reg T at 421<br /><br />Same thing happens for us. <br /><br />Usually the comment is "He/She is a great asset to the team. My go to person for issues." yada yada.<br /><br />We generally have 10 objectives to meet. Management creates 5-6 team objectives and we have to create the remainder of the them and decide the measurements to obtain. <br /><br />I still Loathe the process. I stress more over this than any other part of my job.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-2018743185749924162015-03-29T17:28:28.695-04:002015-03-29T17:28:28.695-04:00Anon at 1025,
At the VA, we figured the reason fo...Anon at 1025,<br /><br />At the VA, we figured the reason for having the employee write it up was because it saved the supervisor from having to do it her/himself. They could then simply "yea or nay" what was written, adding a comment or two, and be done.<br /><br /> If they liked you, they used one or two positive adjectives or adverbs; otherwise it was one or two negative ones, and badda-bing, they were finished. Reg Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14099612693763932005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-62549730072133753992015-03-29T16:21:50.544-04:002015-03-29T16:21:50.544-04:00I work for myself, as a number of the responders h...I work for myself, as a number of the responders here seem to. My clients call me back, and I have many long-term repeat customers. In my estimation, to be above-average at what one does requires only a few things. It of course requires competence...a tall order for some. Beyond competence, if we're talking about "work" versus "competition" (in the sporting sense, e.g. the Fiber Channel Olympics), the most important attributes one can have are adaptability, thoroughness, and geniality.<br /><br />Adaptability allows one to apply their skills in novel situations. Thoroughness ensures that the job is complete, including the details, and not simply "good enough". And finally, geniality, which is more important for an independent. Clients return to contractors who are good AND likeable. This doesn't mean one needs to be obsequious, or a yes-man, just that they be somewhat cheerful and polite in the course of dealings with clients. Degrees of gruffness are even tolerable, as long as a streak of geniality remains.<br /><br />Many people are competent, they can essentially get the job done. Getting the job done, even when it's a challenge, tending to the details, and doing it with a smile, THESE are the things that set one out from the crowd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-10499444021922710832015-03-29T10:25:28.148-04:002015-03-29T10:25:28.148-04:00I have been working for a large prominent hospital...I have been working for a large prominent hospital since 2000. From 2000 to 2007 I worked in the emergency room and my annual reviews were performed by my manager and were fairly painless. The manager evaluated my performance on how I was observed to have done, did I meet required goals, peer and customer feedback.<br /><br />In 2007 I was asked to join the informatics team to be a part of the electronic medical record project for the hospital. I was one of four representing the emergency center. I remain in a support position today.<br /><br />In 2008 the hospital institued a "PMP" process of evaluation that required the employee to be in integral part of the evaluation. It involves this feel good, "toot your horn" method. I loath this process and this is actually the only part of my job I put sub optimal effort into. I have even asked to opt out of it in lieu of not being considered for performance raises. <br /><br />It is generally my belief that this process only exists to justify the positions of the managers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-36744892523789094212015-03-29T02:16:43.010-04:002015-03-29T02:16:43.010-04:00At the VA, we nurses (as well as other employees, ...At the VA, we nurses (as well as other employees, I'm told) had to write up our own "Gold Star Essays" for our performance appraisals. It _really_ sucked, especially if you were the least bit modest.<br /><br />"Inasmuch as most persons in a supervisory position don’t enjoy feeling incompetent or idiotic, I got no more grief about it after that."<br /><br />I did. I caused the Director of our VA Medical Center to be caught in telling a lie. Afterwards, he had the gall to tell me I could either tender my resignation or he would put a letter into my personnel file that would ensure I would never get hired again at any VA. <br /><br />He also advised me that anyone who was discovered to have given me a good evaluation when contacted would find themselves working under the most unpleasant conditions he could manage to arrange for them. Knowing I would not risk having that happen to my co-workers (part of the reason he and I locked horns in the first place), I refrained from doing so.<br /><br />About two years after I quit there to travel around the country, I chose to settle down in Montana. One attempt at a job at another VA in Bozeman, MT proved that - for once, at least - he was a man of his word.<br /><br />Fortunately, I didn't need the job, just wanted to go back to helping my fellow veterans. So, I stayed retired. <br /><br />Reg Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14099612693763932005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-410480649768747092015-03-29T00:27:11.926-04:002015-03-29T00:27:11.926-04:00I've spent much of the last 40 years in new pr...I've spent much of the last 40 years in new product design. Original designs of things from construction equipment to prison locks and door operators to sewing accessories and often the tooling to produce them. I like to think I'm fairly good at it but have asked that same question, "how do I know?" A number of my designs have seen production. A couple continue in production after 10 and 20 years. A series of products I manufacture myself receive kind praise from customers and slowly growing sales volume. I guess that means in my little world I'm fairly good at what I do. The REAL tell is that with all that and $2.50 I can get a cup of coffee at my local cafe.<br />The one thing I DO know, the older I get the better I was ;^)Ownerushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04573850463919590210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-14821382560582408162015-03-29T00:13:56.948-04:002015-03-29T00:13:56.948-04:00How you feel about your abilities and errors is a ...How you feel about your abilities and errors is a good indicator of your skill. A highly competent person understands his errors and has empathy for other people who have had to endure them. This motivates him to learn more and not repeat mistakes or near misses. He understands that professions and tasks outside his field involve skill and experience which he doesn't have.<br /><br />A person of average competence sees errors as unavoidable and nothing to worry about. He sees things as not his fault, because everyone is imperfect. He believes that he knows enough, and thinks that he can do everything as well as people who specialize in a subject. He wonders why most problems in life haven't been solved already. (Obama is an example.)<br /><br /><a href="http://easyopinions.blogspot.com/2009/02/solution-is-simple.html#dunning" rel="nofollow"><b>The Solution Is Simple</b></a><br /><br />Dunning-Kruger effect: The hubris of the incompetent.<br />Motto: I could do that better than you, if I wanted to.<br />=== ===<br />Wikipedia [edited]: The Dunning–Kruger effect is a bias in thinking. People may make bad choices and be incompetent to realize it.<br /><br />The unskilled overrate their own ability as above average. The highly-skilled underrate their abilities, often below the self-rating of the unskilled.<br />=== ===Andrew_M_Garlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02855052302054611917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-72635037584379626462015-03-28T21:23:44.367-04:002015-03-28T21:23:44.367-04:00Customers being happy is a very good measure (the ...Customers being happy is a very good measure (the best) except that in many fields there are no real "customers" except the guys at the next stage of the development. I know that I am good by the patents on my wall, and by the systems I have designed and built which went head-to-head against the best in the world and beat them by large amounts. In one case, I made an expensive, two-week-long multishift inspection process (think airplane manufacture) into a simple afternoon operation, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars per product. If you don't have "customers", all you have left is to measure yourself against the competition.<br /><br />I always strove to be somewhere in the top ten globally. In my somewhat abstruse areas of expertise, it happened that the total number of people who could even discuss them was somewhere under a hundred, so that wasn't <i>too</i> tough!<br /><br />Whatever you try to do, just try to be the best there is. I can't think of a better work ethic in any field. Just always remember that the entire reason you have work to do is because there is a need, and if that need goes away because you're a jerk then you'll be figuring out these EBT card thingeys...Malatropenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-61306393453883190762015-03-28T12:42:28.108-04:002015-03-28T12:42:28.108-04:00I've done a variety of things for a living,spe...I've done a variety of things for a living,spent the longest in two totally different fields.<br />The first was 20 years-or so,as a professional chef.<br />In that particular field,it used to be that there was very little of the boasting bullshit going on-the food that came out of the kitchen you were in charge of was the way in which it was determined how good you were at your chosen trade.<br />Now we have talentless idiots with their own "cooking" shows.<br />My wife watches a lot of such shows,and I've yet to see a person who could survive running the kitchen at a private country club,or a 4 star hotel. There's maybe 3 who would have a slight chance-the rest are nothing more than hacks who tweak recipes they've found in cookbooks and claimed them as their own "original" creations.<br />The other field I had a career in is the building trades,mostly framing,drywalling,siding,installing windows and doors,and to a lesser extent-mostly because I suck at it-installing interior wood trim in new homes new homes.<br />Used to be you were judged by the quality of the homes you built.<br />Now any idiot an have a TV show,and claim to be a carpenter-there are exactly 3 who I would consider carpenters-Norm Abrams of This Old House and New Yankee Workshop,Tom Silva,also from this old house,and Mike Holmes,from Holmes on Homes-he's Canadian-but he does shit right.<br />The rest of them are unskilled hacks,especially those on all the shows about flipping houses.<br /><br />You have it exactly right when you say-"talk to my customers".<br /><br />For the past few years,I've mainly been doing repairs and maintenance for a couple of condo complexes,plus any other jobs I can fit in my schedule.<br /><br /> I have old customers calling constantly 4 just this week,two of those four were from 7-8 years ago-and of all the guys in the greater Cleveland Ohio area they have to choose from-gotta be over 500-they called me-again.<br /><br />I would say that means my work is good,my customers are happy.<br />So I'm as good as most,better than some.<br />That's how I look at,because no matter the trade-there's always people better at it than you are.<br />GamegetterIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963151027331481180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-298172640587106412015-03-28T08:01:51.438-04:002015-03-28T08:01:51.438-04:00Thank you. You've said what I've been thin...Thank you. You've said what I've been thinking for a long time. I want the Medal of Honor winner you never heard of as my hero, not some boasting athlete.<br /><br />In re evaluations:<br /><br />I work for myself (as a CPA, and even this time of year I ALWAYS take a moment to read your thoughts here each day). And since it is just me, my income is determined by the customers/clients.<br /><br /> The evaluation of how well I do is done by the clients. If they say I'm doing a good job, they do it by coming back again, and spread the word to others. I make a decent living without spending a dollar on advertising. My clients provide the performance review. Brucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531009878166988406noreply@blogger.com