Cheat Sheet for the Working World: Insights and Experiences of an Operations Manager

By Odette Murat

Cheat Sheet for the Working World is an account of the dos and donts associated with life on the job. It prepares you to deal with the work environment and its challenges.

The book uses a global perspective to alert readers, provoking thoughts and reactions to the realities of the work environment from relationship with peers, subordinates, bosses and others, to workplace politics and discrimination, gender issues, work habits and ethics, the grapevine and other unexpected experiences. It analyses the job of an Operations Manager in both national and multi-cultural settings, outlining goals and responsibilities, potential problems encountered and possible solutions, thereby giving readers advanced knowledge for faster decision making, and more effective course of action throughout their career.

Throughout the book, case stories and concrete life experiences are illustrated in an effort to emphasize awareness. Cartoon illustrations are used to bring facts to life with humor.

Most books on personnel management do not cover cultural issues to any great extent. Cheat Sheet for the Working Worlds broad coverage makes it an excellent source for in-service training program, a must-read for University-level Business classes and employees the world over. It also provides tips, advices and information that will help the decision-making process. These attributes will contribute to shorten the learning curve and help people become more informed and mature professionally.

Anyone interested in the happenings of the real world of work will find this book a fascinating read. Its a great gift incentive to employees and students.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 30, 2007
• ISBN: 9781469119335

Odette Murat

Odette Murat arrived in the U.S. from her small hometown in Haiti in 1971. Her experience since then has included firmly grasping the English language, earning an Accounting and Business Administration degree from Baruch College, and eventually securing a position at an accredited international organization resulting in a career spanning 28 years, a decade of which she assumed the role of Chief of Operations. This impressive journey has given her a deep understanding of the do’s-and-don’ts on the job, and has resulted in a candid account of how things truly work in the working world.

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Copyright © 2007 by Odette Murat.

Library of Congress Control Number:      2007900553

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Contents

Dedication

TRIBUTE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

FINAL REFLECTIONS

USEFUL TIPS

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all members of the working world—past, present and future—and particularly to all those who have chosen or will choose to work in the field of Operations Management. It is intended to provide insight into the types of situations and people one is bound to encounter over the course of this career path, and to complement the guidelines found in textbooks, and in the rules and regulations of various entities.

TRIBUTE

This book pays tribute to all colleagues who have gone through the experience of being an Operations Manager and, insofar as possible, managed to do the righS for colleagues whose self-confidence has allowed them to value every member of their team without fear of being overshadowed and without presumptions.

The thoughts set down here are also in tribute to all senior team members who have made a difference by being fair and objective: those who have given their unqualified support; those whose egos have been more than matched by their intelligence and competence; and those who have never feared their subordinates nor considered them as competitors, giving them a place at the table and valuing their contributions when they could advance the goals of the company.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Over the years, many efforts have been made to run businesses in a democratic way, involving all individuals as part of an entity and giving everyone the right to make constructive criticisms to improve work processes and relationships among colleagues. Yet people are still not prepared to take chance voicing their opinions, for fear of reprisals. In many cases this fear is justified: the working world still largely involves in beating a drum while marching to the tune of another.

In light of this fact, I extend sincere gratitude and thanks to those who contributed material for this book, most of whom stated that they did not want their names or firms identified. I will nevertheless mention first names or initials as I feel the need to thank the many who have come forward with information and experiences endured or witnessed during their careers, in various capacities and in different working environments. Thanks to their inputs I have been able to give an informed overview of what goes on in the working world.

Special thanks are due to those who answered the survey I sent out when I first thought of comparing notes among entities as well as those who took time to answer my questions especially: Andy, Don, Audrey, Henry, Russ, Micheline, Yusef, Tim, Weiner, Jean, Henry, Raymond, April, Judy, Rachel, Margalie, Genevieve, Anne, Francois. My deep appreciation also goes to those who were so candid in reporting their own experiences and those of colleagues, witnessed closely: April, Israel, Emile, Peter, Mrs. Ly, François TK, S. S., Patricia I.M, Maude P.M., Lydie, Anne Marie, Juliette, Sara, Divendra, Mona, Françoise E, Mathieu S., Micheline P.A. I am also most grateful to the many more who shared their grief, anger, disillusionment and other feelings with me. Their stories not only strengthened the book’s content, but confirmed my reasons for doing it.

In particular, I want to thank Lisa, whose encouragement and contributions in doing a first edit of my initial chapters and giving the book a format made me realize that this volume could indeed become a reality. Her push was just what I needed to concentrate on putting my thoughts in writing and pursuing the book to completion. I also want to thank Mary Lynn wholeheartedly for the fantastic job she did editing the book for presentation to publishers, and her support and help in pursuing the project to completion.

Finally, I especially want to thank my children for their technical support and for constantly reminding me that this was a valuable undertaking and that I should take the time to do it and, last but not least, my dear husband for his valuable support.

INTRODUCTION

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One person forewarned is worth two!

Think of the millions of people who have come and gone through the workforce ever since work became an engine with mechanisms to structure both humans and machines, and a means for obtaining specific and desired results. Think of the many kinds of establishments that have evolved to become society’s backbone. Observe the impact of human behavior on the shaping of these various establishments and their relationships with one another. Sooner or later, the individuals who make up the workforce either witness or become involved in unexpected situations. Sometimes, they are not even able to comprehend the state of affairs before them, much less react to it in an acceptable manner.

If one could package within a single volume all possible situations with which one might have to deal within the course of a career, that tome would be the greatest answer book ever written. It would also be the best possible gift to prospective members of the workforce the world over. Employees and managers alike would start off well advised and capable of focusing on how to deal with situations eventually to be encountered. Think of what we could avoid! There would be less stress and heartache, as well as less likelihood of ruining relationships with peers, bosses, supervisors, partners, clients and all those with whom we must interact within the course of implementing the many tasks of our various assignments. Better yet, we could foresee and ward off undesirable situations or minimize their impact. How nice it would be to avoid wasting time on internal quarrels and use those hours to find ways to beat the competition. Managing the workplace would be so much easier and we could actually achieve those bottom-line objectives!

Unfortunately, that great answer book is not yet available. We continue to work in team environments, fending for ourselves, learning as we move ahead. Generations before us have come and gone, often taking their experiences with them and leaving no tracks for us to follow. While we await the arrival of that all-encompassing answer book, it is our hope that this volume will begin to fill the gap by sharing insights and concrete experiences that commonly occur in the working world.

During our careers we may have opportunities to witness and learn from situations experienced by colleagues or friends. Their pain or success may teach us lessons. But we still need to prepare ourselves for unforeseen occurrences and those that we cannot possibly even imagine. These unexpected events can easily turn us into heroes or heroines (or just as easily into failures), depending on how well prepared we are to face realities.

People with certain portfolios gain a wider view of the complexities of the working environment. They are in pivotal positions that force them to deal with people on both sides of the fence, from many angles, and to interact with colleagues at all levels. One such position is that of Chief of Operations, sometimes titled Operations Manager, Administrative Officer etc. In the context of this book, these titles refer to the person responsible for achieving results in the areas of Human Resources Management, Finance and General Administration. Holding such a position for many years, I found it to be rewarding for the wealth of experience offered and its opportunity for exposure to people at all levels of the hierarchy and aspects of the working world.

Employees in the field of administration get to experience a variety of situations that can help them analyze staff attitudes and reactions, contribute to the improvement of policies and become better prepared to deal with similar situations if and when they arise.

Throughout the book, case studies based on real incidents I have experienced and collected from peers are reported to illustrate observations made. These samples will be familiar to some, surprising to most and enlightening to all. They are intended to increase the alertness of new arrivals in the operations management arena, as well as that of others likely to experience a working environment in which such happenings commonly occur.

As for perpetrators, it is hoped that they too will be interested in the subjects covered. Perhaps reading these lines will put them on guard and even deter them from further misdeeds, for fear of being detected if not for reasons of common human decency.

Working in team environments that bring unexpected challenges on an almost daily basis, Operations Managers are exposed to situations, having prior knowledge of which could facilitate decision-making. They also observe colleagues at all levels trying to deal with circumstances for which they are obviously unprepared. Various experiences and events reported to me by colleagues, acquaintances and friends in different lines of business have helped increase my awareness of what one faces in the working world. I thought of sharing my learning with current and prospective members of the workforce, as well as with others wishing to increase their knowledge of it.

The following chapters provide snapshots of experiences and situations that can have an impact on an employee’s life. The issues addressed are those that emerge from common day-to-day routines—for the most part, issues that we do not think about until we have to deal with them. It is my hope that readers will identify with the individuals and the situations they face, and that these vignettes will be useful to them in generating thought and developing shock absorbers.

CHAPTER 1

RECRUITMENT

Recruitment happens in a variety of ways in addition to the regular process of advertising a job to find candidates. The old adage, It’s not what you know, but who you know did not come about by accident. It is almost a fulltime undertaking to keep oneself connected and remain visible within the sphere of those who can make things happen. Some people are very good at doing just that. They do it so well that the quality of their network counts for more than the results they are able to produce, not because they lack competence, but because they spend so much time trying to position themselves for their next assignment. This approach works very well indeed for those who are masters of making a good impression on the strategic actors. This section describes a few cases of recruitment observed, starting with the hiring of a Chief of Operations.

Hiring of a Chief of Operations

For a long time you’ve been thinking about a career change. You have done almost everything you’re qualified do to in your current position and you have been in your present division for a good number of years. Up to now, you’ve felt so comfortable in your current job that you haven’t really gotten around to concentrating on finding another one. You pay attention to vacancies, but you have not yet made a serious effort to make a move. In essence you have not really seen a position advertised that attracted you to the point of going for it, or if you have, the grapevine has informed you that it was earmarked for someone else. In addition, you know that it is very difficult for anyone to get a desired position without some kind of a boost from an influential person—a godfather or godmother as the case may be. You have no one of that sort, though you have always done your best at your job and gotten good reviews from every supervisor you’ve ever had. You also have good relationships with quite a few persons in authority as a result of being on their teams in various staff forums. But that does not mean that you are able to ask them to put in a word in for you; you simply cannot ask for favors for yourself.

However, an opportunity does arise. At a farewell party for a retiring colleague, while you are chatting with a group of people, one member of your team from an ad hoc panel asks whether you are still interested in moving to other functions. This person knows about your wish to change jobs because you discussed the matter with her on many occasions while waiting for meetings to start. She addresses you in a private manner, trying not to let others hear what she is saying. You answer with enthusiasm, enquiring about what she has to offer. She tells you about an imminent vacancy to replace someone who has just announced that he is resigning. You continue probing to learn about the level and title of the position and when you hear Chief of Operations you immediately become very interested; this is one of the positions that you would consider moving into if you had the chance. You cannot stop asking questions about the job. You want to know to whom the incumbent reports, in which division it is located, who previously occupied the position etc. But soon you come back to the realities of which you are well aware and comment that you might not even get a chance as you know that good positions are always coveted and given to people with good backing.

In your excitement, you do not realize that Mr. Burghese, a very high-ranking staff member, has been paying attention to your conversation. He hears you say that you will not set your hopes too high on getting this post and joins the conversation to ask why you sound so pessimistic. You reiterate the facts, concluding that this is the system; unless you are really lucky, you cannot expect to get this position.

Mr. Burghese has chaired various ad hoc panels on which you served and he always appreciated your input in the discussions. He says that he thinks you would be a good candidate for the position, based on his experience with your work, and that he would not hesitate to recommend you.

You feel good that night. One person other than you yourself thought you could do the job and even went so far as to say he would recommend you for it. That’s great! You already feel that you could actually get the position. The next morning you start making more enquiries about the job, trying to find out who knows the person who is leaving, what the details are of his departure, the name of the individual to whom he directly reports etc. You then decide to take a chance; you send in your application.

As you learn more about the position, you realize that it is more powerful than you realized. You are scared, and proud; scared because of the magnitude of the responsibilities, as you would be in charge of all the operations of the