ERIC ED357182: Job Savvy: How To Be a Success at Work [and] Instructor's Guide.

289 Pages·1992·5.4 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 357 182
CE 063 560
AUTHOR
Ludden, LaVerne; Ludden, Marsha
TITLE
Job Savvy: How To Be a Success at Work [and]
Instructor's Guide.
INSTITUTION
JIST Works, Inc., Indianapolis, IN.
REPORT NO
ISBN-0-942784-79-0; I5BN-0-942784-80-4
PUB DATE
92
NOTE
289p.
AVAILABLE FROM
JIST Works, Inc., 720 North Park Avenue,
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3431
(workbook--ISBN-0-942784-79-0, $10.95; instructor's
guide--ISBN-0-942784-80-4, $12.95).
PUB TYPE
Classroom Use
Guides
Instructional Materials (For
Learner) (051)
Classroom Use
Guides
Teaching
Guides (For Teacher) (052)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC12 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Case Studies; Employee Absenteeism; Employee
Attitudes; *Employer Employee Relationship;
*Employment Potential; Ethics; Fringe Benefits;
Hygiene; Instructional Materials; Interpersonal
Competence; Job Satisfaction; *Job Skills; Learning
Activities; Problem Solving; Productivity; Promotion
(Occupational); *Self Concept; *Success; Teaching
Guides; Teamwork; Work Attitudes; *Work Ethic
ABSTRACT
Designed for a working person or one who soon plans
to enter the world of work, this handbook and its companion
instructor's guide are about keeping a job and getting ahead. Based
on research into what employers actually look for in the people who
succeed or fail, this handbook is designed to develop critical job
survival skills, increase productivity, and improve job satisfaction
and success. Using a workbc)k approach, many activities are provided
to reinforce key points and develop new job survival skills and
plans. The narrative uses graphics, many examples, checklists, case
studies, and section summaries. Eleven chapters cover the following
topics in the workbook as well as the instructor's guide:
understanding the employment relationship; first day on the job;
making a good impression; punctuality and attendance; learning to do
the job; knowing oneself; getting along with the supervisor; getting
along with other workers; problem-solving skills; ethics and doing
the right thing; and getting ahead on the job. In addition to these
topics the instructor's guide has information on the problem solving
approach and how to deal with problem students. Detailed material on
planning and contains ideas for both classroom and workshop
instruction and suggestions for many additional activities. One-page
worksheets suitable for reproduction are included. (YLB)
**********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
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JOB SAVVY
HOW TO BE
A SUCCESS AT WORK
LaVerne Ludden, Ed. D.
Publisher: J. Michael Farr
Project Director: Spring Dawn Reader
Editor: Sara Hall
Cover Design: Dean Johnson Design Group
Interior Design: Spring Dawn Reader
JOB SAVVYHOW TO BE A SUCCESS AT WORK
©1992, JIST Works, Inc., Indianapolis, IN
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, or stored
in a data base or retrieval system, without prior permission of the publisher except in case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Printed in the United States.
Ordering Information: An order form has been provided at the end of this book containing other
related materials.
JIST Works, Inc.
720 North Park Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3431
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
ISBN: 0-942784-79-0
ABOUT THIS BOOK
This is a book about keeping a job and getting ahead. Based on research into what
employers actually look for in the people who succeed or fail, Job Savvy is designed
to develop critical job survival skills, increase productivity, and improve job satisfac-
tion and success. Using a workbook approach, many in-the-book activities are pro-
vided to reinforce key points and develop new job survival skills and plans. The
narrative is easy to read and informative using good graphic design, many examples,
checklists, ca3e studies, and section summaries.
Why People Need to Improve Their Basic Job Skills
The years ahead are projected to be a time of labor market opportunity and
challenge for most workers. Some of these trends include:
Many new and existing jobs will require higher levels of technical skills.
The amount of education and training required for jobs will increase.
Employers will expect their employees to be more productive and obtain
better results in more complex jobs.
More job and career changes are anticipated for the average worker.
All of these changes will require a person who is better prepared than most
workers have been in the past. The biggest need, according to most employers and
labor market experts, is for workers to have good "basic" skills. These include having
basic academic skills, the ability to communicate, to adapt to new situations, and to
solve problems. While these and other related skills are not technical skills in the
traditional sense, they have everything to do with long-term success on the job. And
this is what this book is about.
A Different Point of View
You will find numerous references in Job Savvy to the studies and research of
psychologists, sociologists and other labor market professionals. Yet this is NOT an
academic book. Instead, this information has been used to form the basis for a practical
and useful handbook for a working person
or one who soon plans to enter the
world of work. Many employers have asked for such a book to give them a tool to
encourage their new workers to succeed on the job. And because the author has been
both an employer and a trainer of new employees, he brings a unique and helpful
point of view that will bridge the gap between an employer's and an employee's
expectations. The result of this is increased job savvy where, we believe, both will win.
A Parable
An explorer was once asked what he most disliked about the wilderness. "Is it the
wolves?" "No," he replied, "it's the mosquitoes." In a similar way, many people fail
on
the job as a result of the little problems, not the big ones. This book will help
you identify
and avoid both, so you can be the best employee you can be.
AM.
Indianapolis, Indiana
©1992, JIST Works, Inc.
CONTENTS
TABLE
OF
CHAPTER ONEUnderstanding the Employment Relationship:
Great Expectations
1
Reasons for Working
What Does My Employer Want
10
Anyway,
Understanding Your Rights
2
11
Laws and Regulations in the
Workplace Basics
2
Workplace
Employer Expectations
12
6
Resolving Employee Rights Issues
Business Basics
.15
6
Summary
Employee Skills
17
7
What Should You Expect?
9
CHAPTER TWOYour First Day on the Job:
Avoiding Those New Job Blues
19
Selecting Benefits and Deductions
Reporting to Work
32
20
.
Other Employer-Provided Benefits
Dress Appropriately
33
20
.
Introduction to the Job
35
Dress Checklist
21
Work Instructions
35
Starting the Day
22
Supplies and Equipment
Orientation
35
22
Telephone System
35
Personnel Information
23
Breaks
Payroll Information and Enrollment 25
36
Off to a Good Start
36
Fringe Benefits
29
Tips for Adjustment to the New job
Paid Time Of
36
30
Summary
Required Benefits
38
31
Voluntary Deductions
Employee Services
32
CHAPTER THREEMaking a Good Impression:
I Haven't A Thing To Wear
41
Wearing the Right Clothes
Special Personal Considerations
42
.49
Special Safety Equipment
Mannerisms
43
50
Postive Grooming
Summary
47
51
Good Grooming Habits
48
Special Hygiene Concerns
49
CHAPTER FOURPunctuality and Attendance:
Organizations Need Dependable People
53
Problems Caused by Absenteeism
Planning to Get to Work
58
and Tardiness
Notifying Your Super visor
54
63
What's Your Excuse?
Getting to Work on Time
55
64
How Lifestyle Affects Your Work
Summary
56
65
Your Lifestyle and Stress
58
`,.
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
©1992, JIST Works, Inc.
t.1
CHAPTER FIVELearning to Do Your Job:
What's It All About?
67
Education for Life
72
Thinking About Learning
68
Steps to Learning
73
Learning How to Do Your Job
69
. .
Personal Learning Project
74
Where to Find Information About
Summary
77
Your Job
69
Continuing the Learning Process
72
.
CHAPTER SIXKnowing Yourself:
Your Self-Concept
79
Your Job and Your Self-Concept
How Your Self-Image Affects Your
86
.
Identifying Your Skills
Work Relationships
86
80
Self-Management Skills
Other Influences on Your Self-
86
Transferable Skills
Concept
88
80
Job-Related Skills
Learn to Believe in Yourself
92
82
. .
. .
A Review of Your Skills
93
How You Look at Life
83
Summary
95
You Can Teach Yourself To View Life
Positively
84
Selling Yourself on You
84
CHAPTER SEVENGetting Along
with Your Supervisor:
Supervising Is a Job
97
Communicating About Job
Your Supervisor Is the Team Leader
Performance
in the Business World
104
98
Meeting a Supervisor's
What Does a Supervisor Do?
98
It's Not as Easy as It Looks
Expectations
100
106
. .
.
Communicating with Your
Resolving Problems with Your
Supervisor
Supervisor
100
111
Rely on Your Senses When
Conflict Resolution
111
Following Instructions
Grievance Procedures
101
112
Asking Questions
102
Disciplinary Action
112
Reporting the Results
103
Summary
113
Taking Messages
103
CHAPTER EIGHTGetting Along
with Other Workers:
Team Concept
115
Individual Diversity
Get to Know Your Co-workers
122
116
.
How You Fit In
Basic Human Relations
116
122
The Value of Difference
Special Problems with Co-Workers 127
119
Values
Sexual Harassment
127
119
Racial Harassment
Effective Work Teams Blend Values 120
127
Temperaments
Dating
120
127
Summary
How to Deal with Differences
128
121
. .
.
Indianapolis, Indiana
©1992, JIST Works, Inc.
1.1
vi
CHAPTER NINEProblem-Solving Skills:
Problem-Solving Skills Are Important
131
The Problem-Solving Process
133
Management Through Team Work
. . .
Creative Thinking
136
and Employee Involvement
.132
. .
.
Summary
138
Problem Solving
133
Basic Problem-Solving
Assumptions
133
CHAPTER TENEthics: Doing the Right Thing:
What Are Ethics?
141
Common Ethical Problems
148
What Is Ethical Behavior?
142
.
. .
.
Summary
152
Ethical Decision-Making Problems 142
Guidelines for Making Ethical
Decisions
144
CHAPTER ELEVENGetting Ahead on the Job:
What Concerns a New Worker
155
Leaving a Job
Getting a Raise
165
156
Summary
Getting Promoted
167
159
When Promotions Occur
160
Conclusion
168
Career Development
164
Pritamanameinans=====as
Indianapolis, Indiana
©1992, JIST Works, Inc.
Chapter
One
Understanding the
Employment Relationship
GMAT EXPECTATIONS
Whenever you start a new adventure, you have expectations about
what will happen. Starting a new job is one such adventure. You may
expect the job to provide you with opportunities for a highly successful
career or you may just expect it to help pay for a new car. Research
shows that the more realistic your expectations are about the job, the
more likely it is that you will enjoy it.' This chapter tells you what
employers expect from you as an employee and what you should expect
from your employer.
Indianapolis, Indiana
©1992, JIST Works, Inc.
2 Understanding the Employment Relationship
What Does My Employer Want Anyway?
To understand what employers expect from the people they hire, put yourself in
their place. Suppose that you own a business like a hardware store or a restaurant,
or
imagine that you are a supply supervisor for a large hospital. Now answer the
following questions.
1. What are some important things that your organization must do to run
productively and efficiently?
2. What skills would you want your employees to have?
Compare your answers to question 2 with those found in the "Workplace Basics"
study described below.
Workplace Basics
The "Workplace Basics" study was conducted by the American Society for
Training
and Development (ASTD) to find out what basic skills employers think
are needed by
employees. The study found that most employers want their employees
to possess what
are termed the "workplace basics."' The seven basic skills are:
1. Knowing How to Learn. The concept of lifelong learning is
now in common
use among business people. Employers spend approximately $30 billion
dollars annually for employee training. Another $180 billion is
invested in
informal or on-the-job training. Employees who do not know how
to learn will
be unable to take advantage of this investment and will
soon find themselves
obsolete.
©1992, JIST Works, Inc.
Indianapolis, Indiana