Facing Disciplinary Action

 Good day. How are you doing?

 Today we will be discussing Facing Disciplinary Action.

If your employer has a complaint about your attitude to work or the quality of your work, they could choose to take disciplinary actions against you. No one prays for such but unfortunately, even believers also face disciplinary action.

So, how does one respond when facing disciplinary action?

1. Try to have an informal session to check out the possibility of resolving the issue.

2. Try to document every related conversations formally and not rely only on verbal evidence.

3. Your employer should have a written procedure on the steps to be taken when facing disciplinary action. Typically, they should arrange a meeting at a reasonable time and place to discuss the problem. Typically, you should have the right to ask someone (a colleague or a trade union representative) to accompany you to the meeting. You should be given the opportunity to defend yourself.

Please share your views and experiences on facing disciplinary action. Scriptural references are welcome.

LEARNING FROM PAST SUCCESSES/MISTAKES

 Good day ladies. How are you doing?

 Today's Tip is - Learn from past successes/mistakes and the successes/mistakes of others...

I had a lengthy discussion with a colleague in the course of the week on this topic. I told him that it is silly to rely solely on one's experiences when making decisions. There is great value in learning from the successes/mistakes of others.

When faced with a new task, I think there is value in checking with someone that has done the task before. Listen carefully to them. Whether you're talking with someone that successfully completed the task or one that did not, the steps they describe will guide you on how to go about YOUR task.

Some may try to discourage you from the task but try to get them to tell you why they think the task is so difficult. Listen to the real obstacles they're talking about and ask the Lord to show you how to deal with that obstacle (once you're sure you're on the path God wants you to go).

Please share your views and experiences

Dealing with difficult clients

Good day. How are you doing?

 I'll like to talk about dealing with difficult customers/clients today.
 

If you own a business, you NEED a steady flow of customers/clients for the business to survive. (Un)fortunately, difficult people are very likely to be part of the mix. As your career progresses, you are also most likely to interact with client representatives, some of whom may prove difficult at some point.

I'll share some tips I picked from an article I found on the Business Know-How website.

 1. Listen, without interrupting, to their concern. When they are done speaking, recap and if necessary, ask questions to help you clarify the real issue.
2. If you are communicating with the difficult customer/client using electronic media, don't respond immediately. Give yourself some time to analyze and understand what is really going on so that you don't send a hasty response that you'll ultimately regret.
3. Instead of reacting emotionally when your work is criticised harshly, use the opportunity to learn areas where you could improve. As I was dealing with a difficult client representative, I realised that a major issue was that I wasn't communicating the way he preferred. I have changed my mode of communication to suit his style and we're having less conflicts.
4. Whenever there are cost implications involved, I think it's best to involve your manager (for those in paid employment). Don't agree to take the loss before discussing with your manager. Leave that decision to your manager, please.
5. If you are self-employed, you need to do a cost-benefit analysis before deciding whether to absorb the cost of rework/scope creep or to ask for more money to address that concern. Taking the right decision in situations like this may very well determine how long you'll stay in business.

 Please share your views and experiences