Job Satisfaction and Performance - what are some questions you need to know the answers to so you can be a super star?

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Questions From Readers
For HiZen
Part 5
(Job Satisfaction and Performance)

March 23, 2012

Dear HiZen,

Thanks for your help on the Self-discovery letter; I really found it useful. I just got a job, after staying home for 18 months, as a personal assistant to the CEO of a firm.

Please, I need to know how to use Fast(in) in the following areas:

1. Understanding my workplace culture, environment and office politics
( if any )

2. Making an unforgettable impact in the organization, within a space of 6 months

3. I want my boss ( being a woman ) to be fond of me.

Can this be possible using Fast(in) ? If yes, how can I use it?

Thanks for your help; I really appreciate it.

God bless you.

Answer:

Hello Friend,

Congratulations on your job as a personal assistant to the CEO of a major company. You will be introduced into a new world of people, events, situations and mostly rules. The best step for you to take in this new world is to try and understand all that this new world has to offer.

So, you must understand:

1. Your Colleagues

2. Your Boss

3. The Company Culture

This task will require a lot of observing and asking of questions from those who have been in that environment before you and longer than you. This area falls under Matilda's Culture Matrix Guide, mostly the Letter I in the Fast(in) acronym:

Inquire, expect, prepare, move
( Define the Game and know its Rules, if you wish to play it )

Your new workplace has a game with rules, thus, since you wish to work there, you must know the rules ( Culture ). So, here are some questions you can use when you want find out what the game and rules are in your new work place.

FACTS NOT OPINIONS

1. Why does the organization/department/role exist?

2. What needs does this organization/ department/role satisfy?
( Internal and external )

3. What Business is this organization in?

4. Who are the customers that benefit from this organization/department/ job role ? ( Internal and external )

5. How do the customers benefit from the organization/department/ job role? ( Internal and external )

Lessons to live by

6. When is this organization's/department/ Job role services needed by the customer? ( Internal and external )

7. Define the need of the customer.

8. Define the objective of the organization/department/ job role.

9. State all the DIRECT activities that need to be carried out by the organization/department/ job role to meet the objective. WHAT MUST / WILL WE ALL BE DOING?

10. State all the INDIRECT activities involved that can affect the outcome of the organization/department/role objective, example: purchases, supplies, partnerships, acquisitions, mergers etc.

Have you noticed that each question is broken down into 3 areas: organization/department/job role? Each one is distinct, so you must find the answers to each of them, they will reveal a lot to you; however, I would need you to take note of some things:

1. Answering these questions will not occur overnight, so please don't rush it.

2. Not everyone you ask will initially have the answers to these questions, so please don't be surprised.

3. What you need to do is to think over these questions and try to find people within the organization who can answer them.

4. Look for answers that resemble each other and note answers that are completely different.

I am sure by the time you begin to get the answers, a lot about the company culture, people and your boss will be revealed to you.

You can adjust the format of the questions to fit into the category you want, either for people, company and/or your boss.

Be patient, all will be revealed soon.

Remember, your culture is everything.

Love,

HiZen

P.S. If you have any questions on business, life and school, kindly send it and let me use Fast(in) as guide to find the answers you seek.

--- Copyright © 2012 HiZen-3 Ltd
This story is a series of letters written by Segun Cadmus, Manager, HiZen-3 Ltd, a company created to be the Ultimate guide in Culture Management at work and life. Please visit us at: http://www.hizenworld.com for more information about what we do.