Awareness People!! Or Lack Thereof

[TSJHD1]

I'd like to get others' thoughts on this...

I’m particular. I’m very quality-minded in general, and I strive to do whatever I do well. I imagine I’m in similar company on this forum.

I don’t think I take things too far, however. My father’s words echo in my mind: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”, so I try to apply that dadism to just about everything I do, whether it’s a chore, or some task at work, or anything in between.
So this attitude also spills over into how much I expect from others. I wonder how many of you relate.

For example, do you find yourself asking the guy making your BMT at Subway to spread the Jalapeño peppers out more evenly? I mean, the guy had a clump of ‘em all on one part of the sub, and none at all right next to them! He spread out the ham and salami evenly, so I knew he could...

Do people just not give a damn, or not notice these things, or is it just me? I mean, I’ve had to point out these types of details to employees, so I guess people don’t just instinctively know-tice when a sub-floor adhesive glue bead is too small, too big, or just right. I'll concede that if I want an equal number of blueberries in each muffin, I will have to tell you, as opposed to assuming you will automatically just do it. Ok, I get that. But do I really need to point out that having 4 in one muffin, and twenty 4 in another is not acceptable???

Caring enough to want to do a good job comes naturally to me, and I’m thankful for that. But it appears to me that so many people hardly seem to even care. Why is that?

Tom

[James Eggert]

One huge portion of that answer is "Attitude"! Too many people just don't have it as it relates to everyday quality, they only have it when it behooves them to show it, otherwise it's too much work to actually do something in an expected manner.

For example, do the teenagers who saunter across the street against the light have it? No, but they sure think they're cool as they glare at you, and go ahead, hit me!! Of course every time you hit the gas and make them jump they still think they're right but they want to bang on your hood(only do this with an old car) :-(

One other part of the equation is repetition. Any repetitious task can get boring, like making the sub with the peppers. The incentive to do something well in a repetitive manner is only as good as the response they get for doing it right. Some like a verbal atta-boy, others want to be recognized in front of others, some want monetary rewards....

I tend to keep my expectations in relation to the task, therefore, I try not to expect more than the minimum from the lower wage servers.

[rogerg]

It's called unrealistic expectations.
No matter how good you think you are, there are people out there who think you are a disaster on two feet.
No one has it ALL together.

roger

[jimAKAblue]

It's called unrealistic expectations.
No matter how good you think you are, there are people out there who think you are a disaster on two feet.
No one has it ALL together.

roger

I agree. It's best to pick your battles, roll with the punches and learn to laugh it all off a lot more each day.

[TSJHD1]

That's true Roger... and don't need to have it all together; Just have it together more than most. That's not so hard to do actually.

It's just like the 2 campers talking about being able to outrun a bear, and the one says, "I don't have to outrun the bear; I just have to outrun YOU!"

Tom

[parkwest]

How do you spell OCPD?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessi...ality_disorder

[Kent Brobeck]

Tom, your expectations are probably to high for the subway crowd. As for our work....well I'm very detail oriented. I was raised to do the job right. It's fits my personality though. I'd rather do it right and walk away knowing I'll have no rework. There is no cash in rework, very costly actually. Either employees have it or they don't. The most important thing is giving a $hit, take pride and responsibility for your work is so important. It's also very gratifying once you understand the difference.

Now if I can just find a framer that thinks like that....:D~

[parkwest]

Tom, your expectations are probably to high for the subway crowd. As for our work....well I'm very detail oriented. I was raised to do the job right. It's fits my personality though. I'd rather do it right and walk away knowing I'll have no rework. There is no cash in rework, very costly actually. Either employees have it or they don't. The most important thing is giving a $hit, take pride and responsibility for your work is so important. It's also very gratifying once you understand the difference.

Now if I can just find a framer that thinks like that....:D~

If you could find a framer with that "attitude" he would be a finish carpenter already. LOL

[dgbldr]

Yes. You're missing a fundamental concept in business.

Subway could hire more competent (i.e. more expensive) help. Is that a good business decision? Maybe, maybe not. I'm not in that business.

Pulte should NOT hire the same caliber carpenters as Allan does. They would not be competitive and go bankrupt. "Quality" must be taken in context. If I don't like the way the Subway guy does my peppers, I can open the sub and rearrange. Not sure if I'd be willing to pay $1 more per sandwich for perfectly arranged peppers.

Look at it in a positive way. If everybody on Earth was as neat, skillful and caring as you and I, we'd both be unemployed :)

[MarkMc]

Yes. You're missing a fundamental concept in business.


Look at it in a positive way. If everybody on Earth was as neat, skillful and caring as you and I, we'd both be unemployed :)

Why? Wouldn't the magic of markets mean you just raised the floor from 8 buck Chuck to 30 dollar Danny? Maybe higher even since 'everybody' may have even less time to make a sandwich, unclog the throne or put that addition on.

[Dancing Dan]

I like all my jalapeños at one end. Gives me something to look forward to.

[tjbnwi]

For me doing it correctly the first time comes down to my own laziness. I'm to lazy to do it twice.

Tom

[Ted S.]

I think a lot of it is just a matter of perspective.

If you at the owner of the business you're going to care a heck of a lot more the the guy just trying to get through the day.

The trick is to continuously incentivize the employee. I think.

Anyways Tom, I wouldn't be too hard on them or you might get something worse then a wad of hots.

[m beezo]

For me doing it correctly the first time comes down to my own laziness. I'm to lazy to do it twice.

Tom

I like that. Too often I find myself needing to do something over and hate to do that. Sometimes for me it is unavoidable.

[johnny watt]

When I was four, my dad took me to work and I was bored out of my mind. I eventually took the hammer and nails he had set me up with and fastened 2x4 legs to a piece of plywood to make a coffee table. We brought it home that evening and he handed me a gallon of white paint and a brush and had me paint it. I won the argument about painting the bottom of the table that he said no one would see, but he would not let me paint the bottom of the feet. It bothered me that I could not paint the bottom of the feet and I am not over it yet.

Occasionally my perfectionism interferes with me getting a job done but fortunately my business partner always gives me a nudge when I need it. I justify my behavior with Allans tag line.

Sometimes I get wrapped up in the most minute details such mortar color nuances and flemish courses. With other things I am completely oblivious…or I should say I have not enough interest to pay an ordinary amount of attention. I could not tell you who played in a Super Bowl since 1976 when I was in sixth grade. I didn’t know who Joe Paterno was until this year.

I don’t mind doing things twice and kind of enjoy it. I didn’t pay much attention to the amount of glue on the sub floor until I lived in a new house with a squeaky floor. Now I pay it much attention. I didn't pay much attention to how to pour concrete until I saw too many jobs come out poorly.

Last year I replaced a retaining wall that I paid someone else to put in 18 years ago. When I replaced it, I did it with much more perfection than the original, but only because the first one failed. I got satisfaction out of doing that job the second time.

I have a morbidly obese employee who over the years has managed to implode a toilet before, as well as knock several others lose from the floor. I repaired one by anchoring it to the 16” TJI’s below using threaded rod and unistrut. That toilet has held up well and I get some satisfaction out of solving a problem even though it was the second time I installed that particular toilet.