This topic is close to my heart because I feel that the level of service in our country has deteriorated a lot in recent years. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I call at a company/shop to spend my hard-earned cash, only to receive poor service. It probably also does not bode well for the country as an investment destination, when levels of service are too low. It is us, you and me – the people working in the economy, who raise the levels of service in our institutions/workplaces.
Related links:
Discipline: https://wowza.blog/?p=233&preview=true
Diversity: https://wowza.blog/?p=218&preview=true
Ideally, ideally
Ideally, if we all individually gave the best service we can – the level of service everywhere would increase. It would be a joy to do business with any entity within the country. Everybody would feel a sense of accomplishment after a fulfilling day’s work. Companies would have good relationships with their customers. Generally a case of a rising tide that lifts all boats.
More than knowledge ‘n Skill
Service is not just about one’s level of skill or knowledge. Service is a combination of skill, know-how, and attitude. If, despite your skills and knowledge, you perform sub-standard work – then your service is poor. If you do your work very well, but with a bad attitude – again the level of service will be sub-standard.
Skepticism
It can be difficult, in the corporate space, to be and to give your best. The corporate space often has a culture of skepticism. Whether you are new or experienced, you need to continuously prove yourself. If new, you need to make a good impression and quickly! If not new, you need to constantly be visible for the right reasons – and you need to be consistently impressive. At least if you want to build a career of some longevity. This skepticism, if it works well, should keep you on your toes, and keep you competitive. Or it might cause you to get despondent and to stop focusing on service.
Competitive workplace
Oftentimes, even when you are doing well, competitive others will deliberately diminish your efforts and sabotage your credibility. Your competitors may also steal your ideas and pass them off as their own. Sometimes someone will try to steal the credit for your work and pass it off as their own work. Competition can dampen your spirits and your drive, depending on your emotional intelligence.
Invisible excellence
Other times, you could be doing everything right. You are giving your best and it shows. You are applying your skills and your smarts and you have a good attitude. But nobody can see it because you are “invisible”. You work quietly in the background, outside the ‘line of vision’ within your organization. Your efforts seem to be ignored, even when your efforts are clearly above par. This can make you despondent. Especially when people who put in much less effort, are getting recognized and rewarded.
Keep slayin’
My take is that we should do it anyway, even if it is hard. Do it for our own growth. For our own sense of accomplishment. Do it for one day when we get our just rewards. Do it to hone our skills and talents. Do it to give excellent service to our customers and our community. Do it because it is our job, and we are getting paid a decent salary to do it. Do it because we are people of integrity.
Self-Care
The challenges of doing your best in an extremely competitive environment can be demoralizing. An unfriendly environment can take its toll on your mental health, leading to issues such as depression, low self-esteem, and chronic negativity. You could also develop physical problems like heart failure. To this end, you need to practice self-care whenever you can, in your downtime. Eat as well as you can and take enough rest during your downtime. Nurture your family relationships, so that you have people who believe in you and appreciate your gifts and your talents. It would be good to nurture good friendships as well, with positive people outside of work. This will balance out any lack of support you may be experiencing at work. Even at work, it would be wise to find people who believe in you and lift you up, publicly (sponsors) and privately (mentors).
Find things you enjoy doing in your downtime, and do them. Hopefully drinking too much will not be one of the things you enjoy in your downtime. Alcoholism will eventually eat away at your talents and then, at your very soul!
Overwork
It often happens that corporations downsize during bad economic times. (Incidentally, we are in bad economic times, even as I write). This they do to cut costs, while keeping productivity high. If you are not retrenched and are one of the lucky ones to keep the job – you may find yourself given way more work than you can manage during normal office hours. There will often be overtime work and weekend work. Sometimes for weeks and months on end. Your body feel the strain of spending long hours on the job.
Meanwhile your personal life still also needs your attention, as you spend too much time at work and have too little free time. With that level of pressure and exhaustion, you may be hard-pressed to give good service, since you are not operating at your best. You will nonetheless have to excel at your work and thus provide good service.
If you rise to the challenge, it will be worth it. Decision-makers will at some point notice your efforts and take you under their wing. – since you would be a valuable contributor to their mission. This would mean advancement for you and hopefully a better salary, in time. More importantly, our companies will remain competitive, and therefore able to survive and grow.
Service Hones Talent
Finally, there is a demand for talent the world over. With the world having become a global marketplace. With recent developments including the internet – the sky is the limit for those who hone their talents. If you are continuously giving good service, continually learning, and have enthusiasm about your work, you will eventually emerge as one of the best in your industry. Once that happens, you will be marketable the world over. Which is good for your own accomplishment as a person.