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 I've always considered work to be a deeply moral exercise.  MT "gets it".  I'm very grateful both for the ethics which permeate everything you do and for the fact you offer so much for free.

That said there is a small issue that's been bothering me.  I sometimes find myself thinking (good-naturedly) - "When do you people work?"

How much of the MT advise can legitimately be followed during working hours?  Is my employer paying me to keep my network warm?  To update my career document?  What about RSS feeds?  Or writing thank you cards?

Not intended to be a criticism - I just want to get it right.

 

Thank you

NFL
 

pucciot's picture
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 NFL,

Ultimately, you are paid to be effective for the organization.

Does keeping your network warm around the Org and within the industry help you be effective in your current role ?

Does writing thank you notes maintain good working relationships within the Org ?

Does keeping your own paperwork and your own career documents keep you in order - generally - keep you focused on being effective ?

Some of this may be indirect - but overall, the combination of these things should result in effectiveness. 

If the answer is, Yes, these things make a professional more effective - then the answer is , Yes, that is what you are paid for.

Your ethics - and mine - are to be focused on answering this question - especially if we feel that we are doing these things on company time - such as writing an answer to a Forum Post . . . 

..... opps gotta go

 

TJPuccio

GlennR's picture

 Well said, TJ.

NLewis's picture

 Thank you so much for your response!  "Keeping you focused on being as effective as possible" is exactly the sort of answer I was looking for.

Manager Tools is such a blessing and I try to implement as many of their suggestions as possible.  Every once in a while I find myself wondering "Is this for you?"  If it was strictly for me I didn't feel right doing it during company time.  The answer I suppose is it's okay but don't overdo it.  

So it's time for me to go too...  

 

Kevin1's picture

 I think it depends on who is benefitting.  Some things are going to be clearly just for you - such as updating your career accomplishments document; some are going to be great for the organisation - such as O3s and coaching; and others may cross both to varying degrees - such as maintaining your network.

When it is almost entirely for your benefit, do it on your own time, such as lunch breaks, and after hours.  If the company is a major beneficiary, them it is ok to schedule it in if it is a priority, and to do it when filling in the scaps of time between priorities that would otherwise be wasted and ineffective time.

When there is a partial benefit to the org, then you have to make a judgement call.  I would personally do it on my own time as I wouldn't want to drop a ball important to the company while having done a number of other things on their time.  I'm being paid to deliver the results determined by the company first and any thing else is beyond expectation but can never take the place of expectations.

Kev

 

vjlyons's picture

I keep my career accomplishments  document close and do update it semi regularly, sometimes at work and sometimes at home.  I use the document to review my accomplishments for the company as part of my annual self-evaluation and also quarterly so that my director can report up on the projects my team is managing for his Ops Reviews.  There is often a Friday afternoon after 3 where the work seems to ebb and this is the perfect time to update the document, refill the stapler and the printer and make sure the papers in my inbox don't belong in the recycle bin.