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Enjoying Your Work Richard Brislin |
Both task and social aspects
of management are necessaryThe senior executives of a large computer manufacturing company met to decide on promotions. There was one opening for a division manager, and a number of well-qualified people had applied. One person, Mike Iwamoto, was an "in-house" candidate, having worked in the company for eight years.
Mike's yearly evaluations emphasized that the technical aspects of his programming skills were excellent and that he always delivered his work on time. He wrote good reports about his work so that senior executives knew of his contributions. His written suggestions about marketing to colleges and universities through stores that sold textbooks had resulted in increased sales. People on the promotion committee who knew Mike agreed that the yearly evaluations were accurate and summarized his reputation in the company. Despite these positive aspects of his past work, Mike was passed over for promotion.
One reason for this negative decision is that Mike has not balanced task and social aspects in the workplace. There are many theories concerning what makes a good manager or a good leader, and there are several concepts that are central to all of them. All theories include the necessity that if people want to move up the ladder in an organization, they must combine skills at the technical aspects of their jobs (task) with competence in human relations skills (social). Mike's evaluations emphasized the task aspects of his work: computer programming, meeting deadlines, report writing and insights into potential new markets. But there was nothing mentioned about various social skills. Does Mike work well with others? Is he willing to share his programming expertise with colleagues? Is he a pleasant co-worker who contributes to a positive work environment? Without a reputation for competence in these areas, people are often passed over for promotion despite considerable technical skills.
Some social skills might not be reflected in a yearly performance review, but they are still important in developing and maintaining a positive reputation in one's workplace. People should be willing to stop and chat with others, especially during breaks and lunch hours. They should do their share of oohing and aahing when shown new pictures of a co-worker's grandchildren. They should bring their share of food to company potluck parties. In Hawaii they must give a gift if invited to the high school graduation of a colleague's son or daughter.
Participation in these activities helps a person develop a reputation as "approachable." At coffee breaks and company potlucks, people inevitably "talk shop" and exchange information about projects and developments in their areas of expertise. With knowledge about a person's approachability and technical expertise, others might then contact the person when they need help with an aspect of their work. This willingness to share contributes to the person's reputation as a cooperative colleague, and it keeps the person in the pool of workers who will be considered for promotion.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
The purpose of this column is to increase understanding of human behavior as it has an impact on the workplace. Given the amount of time people spend at work, job satisfaction should ideally be high and it should contribute to general life happiness. Enjoyment can increase as people learn more about workplace psychology, communication, and group influences.
Richard Brislin is a professor in the College of Business Administration, University of Hawaii. He can be reached through the College Relations Office: cro@cba.hawaii.edu
