The Great Workplace » John David Sidley

Walk it Off!

John David Sidley — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:00:05 +0000

There used to be a philosophy of workplace management – and even a book – called Management By Walking Around. For a short time the acronym MBWA was as well known as WWJD. The point was that managers would know and understand their businesses if they left their offices once in awhile and walked around and talked with people. But then, one day, they stopped walking.

Hmmmm, maybe that’s why so many corporate CEOs are going to jail now. They didn’t walk around enough. Well, they’ll get their exercise now… in the prison yard.

But, that’s not the point. The point is… exercise. One of the best exercises you can get is to walk. Somebody calls you to a meeting; go to his or her office. Walk. You work in building with more than one story? Got stairs? Walk. Eat in the cafeteria? After lunch, go for a walk. Alone or with a group. Just walk. Need to talk with someone who works down the hall? Don’t call. Don’t email. Walk.

The side benefit of walking, of course (and what MBWA also taught) is that people see you and are reminded of something they want to tell you or ask you – or occasionally – thank you for. Tip: Carry a pen and a small notebook. By the time you get back to your office, you might forget what they asked.

The main benefit of walking, though, is that it’s damn good exercise. Whenever you can, wherever you can – in your office, school, hospital, shop, wherever you work – walk.

When you get home, after a half-hour or hour commute, go for walk with your kids or your spouse. Walk to the local library or around the block. It’s a good time to talk. And, again, its damn good exercise.

Well, that’s all the advice I have for today. I’ve been sitting for a while writing this and I think it’s time I got up and… went for a walk.

Say NO to YES!

John David Sidley — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:00:53 +0000

The worst job interview advice I ever got was: ”say, YES to everything”. It was advice I got from my father. Now, my father gave me a lot of advice – and much of it good. But, this was not good. Of course, he was from the Depression Generation. You know, those folks who grew up in America when 1 out of 4 people were out of work, and if somebody asked if you could operate a drill press (whatever that is), you said YES. You needed a job, dammit. So, you said yes.

Well, it’s bad advice. If somebody asks you if you know how to do something and you don’t, be truthful. Just tell him or her you don’t know how. If asked something you haven’t experience with give it a different spin. “No, I’ve never operated a drill press, but I have worked with other equipment in my field, and I’m sure I could learn.”

Because if you do say, ”Yes, I can operate a drill press, come Monday morning you will find yourself standing in front of a drill press, staring at it, and wondering… what is that?”

Then you will either injure yourself, another or get fired.

I’m sure there are folks out there – even a few of them who are still around from the Depression Generation – who will tell you stories of how they bluffed their way through a job interview and got on the job and figured out how to do whatever it was they said “yes” to and really didn’t know how to do at all. While all of these stories are exaggerated, some will actually be true.

The problem is there is no balance with the stories of people who lied on a job interview and then got fired on Monday morning. There are lots more of these stories; it’s just that nobody tells them.

So, here’s my advice. Don’t take my father’s advice – not this time, anyway. Say No if it’s No and Yes only if it’s really, YES!