Week of 18 September 2017: Be careful how you define your team, part 2
Jim Thompson
Email Jim at jthompson@taii.com Listen to this column in your favorite format Last week we talked about exactly who is defined as part of your team. This was done from the stance of making sure you don't, due to naïve generosity, take on work outside your scope and in the end, do everything poorly. At the same time, you must ward off the outside work without building silos or fortresses that seed discontent. **** Save the date! The Pulp and Paper Industry Reliability and Maintenance conference, sponsored by IDCON and Andritz, will be held March 19-22, 2018 in Raleigh, North Carolina. **** The other scenario I want to protect you from is the initial act of dumping something on you. The first rule when someone outside your defined team tries to dump something on you is: STALL. Say, "Let me take this up with (our defined team) and see what they say. Then your team discusses it and takes one of the following courses of action: (a) drop it--make the requestor call you back first, or (b) tell them (whether they force a call or you voluntarily call them): "We would like to help you, but we are concerned that taking this on will affect the quality of work demanded in our core mission." Be prepared to define your core mission succinctly and in a way that completely excludes this new work. **** Souhegan Wood Products' two core plugs feature superior crush strength, helping paper companies reduce loss claims for pennies per roll. **** The third scenario is that the person who wants to give you work does an end run and goes to your boss. In this case you tell your boss you will have to think about it--don't just take it on because your boss says so. Tell her that you want to think about it and will get back to her. Then really think about it and depending on the circumstances--you'll have to judge these-- you either go back to her or stall, waiting for her to call again. In the meantime, get your arguments ready to fend off this new work (unless it is something you think will enhance your career with your boss). The two things that will almost always work in these arguments is to bring up the quality and schedule of your current workload. If you can succinctly argue that this new work will affect either of these, you have a chance of fending it off, even with your boss. **** Jim Thompson is back again...with a new book on a taboo subject: the personalities in the pulp & paper industry. Jim has written in the past on many subjects based on his four plus decades in the worldwide pulp and paper industry. This new book is packed full of information valuable to the senior member of the industry as well as the recent entrant. A must for every pulp and paper library. **** Nip Impressions has been honored for Editorial Excellence by winning a Tabbie Award! ________ Other interesting stories:
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