The Importance of FollowersWritten by Virginia Reeves
In his July 1997 Toastmaster magazine article called "How to Be a Great Follower", Richard G. Ensman, Jr. stated several qualities he believed are important for this role. He wrote: "Whatever your career or position in life, you'll often find yourself serving as a follower: as a subordinate, a member of a committee, or a participant in a work team. As you strive to fill that role, remember vocabulary of great followership." The following traits are among those mentioned in article.* Complementary - understanding strengths and limitations of leader and filling in where needed * Loyalty and Commitment to leader and their work. * Understanding and articulating vision and integrating it. * Candor - speaking one's mind clearly, crisply, and convincingly (in private if necessary). * Listening attentively and observing subtle nuances of what leader is saying. * Predictability as a good trait because stability is needed within a group. * Helpfulness which is demonstrated when unexpected needs, questions and details arise. * Efficiency which means doing task quickly and with little cost or aggravation. * Insightful - asking probing questions and fostering new perspectives. * Creativity in striving to develop ability to bring novel solutions to problems. * Honesty as good followers can be trusted with resources and acting with high standards of integrity. * Persistence in problem solving. * Practicality which leads to thoughtful, positive suggestions. * Communicative with progress reports and developments. * Cheerfulness maintained by an even-tempered disposition and smile - whatever circumstances In this writer/publisher's opinion, these qualities are important no matter what your position! These traits are important for whatever role you are performing. Incorporating them into your daily life will benefit you and those around you regardless of whether you are currently leader or follower.
| | Professional Net WorthWritten by Virginia Reeves
I was going through my files and found an article written by Jim Cathcart and published in October 1986 issue of The Toastmaster (put out by organization which I recommend highly to anyone wanting to increase their skills in speaking, writing, listening, and evaluating). Mr. Cathcart is a full-time professional author and speaker I have admired for years. In this article, author states that Effort times Equity (the degree of ownership you have acquired in your career, i.e., your professional net worth) equals Result. People can increase effort or equity and have a positive influence on results. But there is a limit to this formula. There are three other skill areas vital to a career: (1) technical knowledge and skills; (2) interpersonal skills; and (3) self-management skills. Let's take a closer look at these.For better or worse, many people place a lot of emphasis on credentials earned: education and professional degrees, honor, and designation. While these can certainly be important, practical job experience, knowledge and skills are attributes that really prove what you are capable of. Your documents, provable track record of what you've actually accomplished speaks for your credibility and usefulness. Being able to communicate what you know through clear, fluent speech and displaying effective listening skills are also important factors in displaying your breadth and depth of information. Be open-minded enough to explore avenues outside your normal range of work related material an normal interests. I've discovered some great new interests by "stepping outside box" that benefit me and have also encouraged others to learn more. Building relationships is important. Having contacts with a variety of people in different firms and industries, technical and social organizations, and co-workers (no matter their position in company) helps add to your stature and believability. Your reputation: what people think you have done and what people think of you does count. This absolutely reflects your overall image within your own group as well as overall marketplace. Word spread s- especially when it's not flattering. The quickest way to kill a business relationship is to display a lack of ethics or to compromise your beliefs. It's sad to say, but you are also judged by who you keep company with. I've found at times that I had to choose my integrity over a promotion or business association. It's something to keep in mind, depending on your goals and situation.
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