A good person is not a profession. But it’s a huge plus if a good person is also a highly qualified specialist, a professional. We bring to your attention methodological materials for conducting a thematic lesson ( class hour) “A good person is not a profession?”
Lesson option [PDF ] [DOCX ]
Presentation [PDF ] [PPTX ]
Student assignments (worksheet) PDF ] [DOCX ]
Target: formation of moral consciousness based on the assimilation of universal human values.
Tasks:
- to form the need for the assimilation of moral values;
- encourage students to self-development and self-education;
- develop the ability to consciously choose good.
Task No. 1.
The topic of today’s lesson is “A good person is not a profession?”
1. Think about what you think the meaning of this expression is.
2. Think about whether there is some kind of contradiction in it.
3. In what situations is it used?
4. Express your opinion, who is a good person? Who can we call a good person? Who do we call a good person? Give reasons for your answer.
Task No. 2.
Work in groups.
1. Fill out the table. Write down the main qualities:
1st group– a good person;
2nd group– a good specialist (professional).
2. Compare the qualities of a good person and a good specialist. Is there anything common that these two concepts have in common?
3. Are the concepts of “good person” and “good specialist” identical?
4. Think about what is more important: being a good person or a good specialist?
Task No. 3.
Read the parable.
One day, in one of the English factories, a steam generator broke down. No matter how many specialists the manufacturer invited, no one could fix it. And then one day he came stranger and said he could fix the generator. The manufacturer was surprised, but decided to give the master a chance.
Carefully and methodically, he began tapping various areas of the car, carefully listening to the sounds that the metal surface made. In ten minutes, he tapped pressure sensors, thermostats, bearings and connections where he suspected the damage was located. Then he walked up to one of the elbow joints and struck it lightly with a hammer. The effect was immediate. Something moved and the steam generator started working.
The manufacturer thanked the foreman for a long time and asked him to send an invoice detailing all types of work. This is what was written on the bill: for ten minutes of tapping - 1 pound. Knowing where to hit costs £9,999. Total: £10,000.
Now you will agree that professionalism is not just the ability to hit, but the ability to hit exactly where it is needed.
1. Express your opinion whether it is important for a good specialist (professional) to be a good person.
2. How to become a good specialist?
Task No. 4.
1. Answer the master’s question that he asked the employee.
2. Formulate the professional and personal qualities of the first employee and Ivan.
Task No. 5.
Read the parable.
Once there was a forest cutting championship. The Canadian and Norwegian reached the final. They had several hours to determine the strongest, according to the principle “whoever chops the most wood is the winner.”
It's time to start. The lumberjacks began to work. As the first hour came to an end, the Canadian was surprised to realize that the Norwegian had stopped. The Norwegian did not cut down trees for 10 minutes, but the Canadian worked non-stop. And this happened every hour. The Norwegian stopped for 10 minutes all the time. When the competition time expired, the Canadian was absolutely confident of his victory. After all, he worked without breaks, and his opponent wasted so much time in vain!
How surprised he was when it turned out that the Norwegian had done more.
“Wait, how can this be…” said the Canadian. - I worked without stopping. How did this happen?”
“At the end of every hour, while you continued to cut down trees, I sharpened my ax.”
1. Think about the meaning of this parable.
2. How would you title this parable? Give reasons for your answer.
Task No. 6.
1. Think about what the great Russian teacher K.D. Ushinsky meant when he said: “If you successfully choose work and put your whole soul into it, then happiness will find you on its own”? Maxim Gorky: “When work is pleasure, life is good! When work is a duty, life is slavery.”
2. What do you need to know and consider when choosing a profession?
3. Think about how the chosen profession can affect a person’s personal qualities. Give examples.
4. Does the chosen profession leave an imprint on the person? Give examples.
Task No. 7.
Let's return to the topic of the class hour: “A good person is not a profession?” Express your opinion on the meaning of this expression.
Work in groups. Prepare a presentation on one of the topics.
1st group. A good leader is...
2nd group. A good employee is...
PROFESSION - GOOD PERSON
Class hour dedicated to the problem of moral self-determination when choosing a profession
Work frees us from three great evils: boredom, vice and want.
Voltaire
With development market economy scientists note the degradation of human resources in our country. This has been confirmed by many sociological surveys since the early 1990s. Thus, only 7% of the adult population believed that earnings depended on personal efforts, the rest associated success with money, connections, speculation, and fraud. “According to his value system, a typical Russian beganXXIV. “is even more a “typical American” than a resident of the United States itself.”(Research “Tomsk Initiative”, 2002-2003). Scientists emphasize that the basis of professionalism is morality. Only a moral person can be effective. And only on this moral foundation can we build an effective economy and restore normal human relations.
Key concepts of the proposed class hour: effective personality, self-development, independent thinking, good person.
Goals: give children an idea of the moral basis of professional choice; to form a positive assessment of such character qualities as responsibility, honesty, conscientiousness, to cultivate a negative attitude towards careerism, the pursuit of profit, and hack work; encourage self-education, self-development, self-education.
Design:
Write assignments on the board for group work:
Unfinished proposals:
1. The ideal employee should...
An ideal leader should...
The ideal job should...
Signs of an effective personality:
Effective Personality:
1. This is a moral person.
This is a self-developing personality.
This is an independent thinking person.
Class plan
Interactive conversation.
Unfinished proposals(Work in groups).
Working with the concept of “effective personality”.
Discussion on the topic “A good person is not a profession?”
Final word.
VI. Summing up.
Class progress
I . Interactive conversation
Homeroom teacher . Today we will talk about choosing a profession. Raise your hands, who has already chosen a profession? Who hasn't decided yet? Who is not yet interested in this question?
There are tens of thousands of professions in the world. Which one to choose? How to choose? What should you consider when choosing a profession?(Children's answers.)
Well, okay, I decided, I chose, I entered, I received a diploma. But this does not mean that you will work in this profession. According to statistics, up to 80% of people work not in the specialty indicated in the diploma. Over the past 15 years, more than half of Russian residents have changed their profession. Why is this happening? Is this good or bad?
Is it possible to choose a profession for life?
Should you be afraid that you will have to change your profession?
(Children's statements.)
The situation on the labor market is constantly changing, new professions are appearing, and old ones are becoming unnecessary. Enterprises are closing and laying off workers. How to adapt to these changes so as not to suffer?
Sample answers from children:
You need to get 2-3 educations.
You need to master related specialties.
You need to master a very rare profession that is not taught anywhere.
Become a highly qualified specialist so that you have no competitors.
II . Unfinished proposals
Homeroom teacher . What qualities do leaders value most? Which leaders do employees value most? What kind of job can be considered ideal? I suggest discussing these questions in groups and coming up with an ending for the sentence.
1 group. You are the managers of a large company. Formulate the requirements for an ideal employee and complete the sentence(reads from the board).
2nd group. You are employees of this company. How do you imagine an ideal director? Complete the sentence(reads from the board).
3rd group. You are 9th grade graduates. Dreaming about the future. What does your ideal job look like? Complete the sentence(reads from the board).
(Children think about their answers for 5 minutes.)
Time is up. We listen to your suggestions. What does an ideal leader, an ideal employee and an ideal job look like?
(Representatives of the groups speak.)
Both the manager, the owner, and the employees of the company want the company to prosper, because their well-being depends on it.
III . Working with the concept of “effective personality”
Homeroom teacher . Nowadays the phrase “effective personality” has become very fashionable.
Effective means effective, successful, happy. An effective personality has these characteristics(reads from the board). Uncover the meaning of these concepts by working in groups.
(For 5 minutes, children discuss the meaning of concepts.)
So, we reveal the meaning of the concept of “effective personality”. Three characteristics. Representatives of the groups speak.
What does “moral personality” mean?
Self-developing personality?
An independent thinker?
(Children give answers from their seats, complement and clarify.)
Now let's try to identify the signs of an ineffective personality. Let each group choose antonyms for their characteristics. No preparation.
(The representatives, complementing each other, give characteristics of an ineffective personality.)
Sample answers:
Ineffective personality...
Immoral, works for money, career, subordinates everything to personal gain, etc.
Doesn’t want to work on himself, seeks peace, comfort, wants to relax, etc.
Imitates others, lives according to a template (advertising), uncritically follows the generally accepted way of life (values, style, pace, image, things, etc.).
Homeroom teacher . And now questions for everyone.
Who in our class can be called an effective person?
Do you consider yourself an effective person?
Do you want to be an effective person?(Children answer.)
Some scientists suggest that if Russia could raise several generations of effective people, it would become one of the highly developed countries of the world.
IV . Discussion on the topic “A good person is not a profession?”
Homeroom teacher . We talked about how morality is the most important sign of an effective personality. In other words: a good employee must be a good person. But what about the saying “A good person is not a profession”? Maybe the saying is wrong, or maybe the words “good person” mean something else. Let's have a discussion on this topic. A debate is a discussion of a controversial issue. Let's discuss this issue. How and when could such a saying appear among us?(It appeared from the time when semi-literate specialists came to production who could not even read and write)
What is the meaning of this saying? In what situations is it used?(When they talk about a bad, illiterate, incompetent, lazy worker, who is tolerated only because he does not quarrel with anyone, is polite, kind, but is of little use, etc.)
Why does the phrase “good man” sound ironic in this phrase?(Because it implies that you need to be able to do something else.)
Who exactly is a “good person”?(One who has honor and conscience. He will never take on a job for which he does not have the education, ability, or desire. For him, the main thing is not self-interest, but the benefit of the business.)
Does this saying apply to him?(Children's statements.)
Is being a bad person a profession? Is it possible to entrust a case to a bad person, even if he is very smart, educated, and disruptive?(If he has no honor, no conscience, no responsibility for the matter, if he works only for profit, he can do a lot of harm, even commit a crime.)
Responsibility, conscience, honesty - how are these character traits related to skill and qualifications?(You need to delve into everything, get to the bottom of everything, don’t skip anything, study everything conscientiously, then you will become a master of your craft.)
Can an unscrupulous, dishonest, irresponsible person be a good specialist?(It is unlikely that he will be slack in everything, looking only for his own benefit, even to the detriment of the cause.)
Can such a person occupy a high position, receive orders and awards?(This happens very often.)
Which of you considers yourself a good person? How does this manifest itself?(Children answer.)
Who do you consider a good person? Do you respect him?(Children's statements.)
What example could you give to prove that the skill of a specialist does not depend on how much money he demands for his work?(Children answer.)
Our discussion is over. What conclusion can be drawn about this proverb?
Sample answers from children:
The expression “good person” is used here with irony, meaning “good” only by external signs, and not by internal qualities. A good person will never take on a job that is beyond his capabilities.
A good person is, indeed, not a profession. But this is the basis of professionalism.
V . Final word
Homeroom teacher . What is required of us? be normal people. Reliable and loyal people you can rely on. Then any profession will become interesting to us. And the great Russian teacher K. Ushinsky spoke about an effective personality: “Only the inner spiritual, life-giving power of labor serves as a source of human dignity, and at the same time morality and happiness.”
VI . Summing up
Homeroom teacher . Kindness, honesty, responsibility - will this be useful to you when choosing a profession? Do you need to know what an effective personality is?
I argue with my husband all the time Which employee is better: a real pro and a complete g...o as a person; or a decent person, but a solid average worker? As of today, no consensus has been reached! We continue to argue.
First opinion: “A good person is not a profession? »
Everyone has heard this phrase. As a rule, we call a good person an employee who is flexible, non-conflict, polite, ready to listen to others and sympathize with them. Certainly, good people There are different types - there are also outright slackers, but this is not about them! Just when the asset has not only professional skills, but also human capital, this is a huge plus.
A truly good person is, first of all, an honest person. Therefore, he treats any business in good faith. He never cheats either in front of his work colleagues or to employers. He is not disingenuous, although the timely truth expressed in front of the latter sometimes greatly affects his career. Paradoxically, “complimenters” are loved more than those who can tell the truth - the uterus. A good person will never agree to take a position for which he lacks education, abilities, or health. or elementary desire to work. He will always strive to perform his duties most effectively, even if by virtue of their own disabilities . For a good person, the most important thing is not self-interest, but the benefit of the cause. If he feels that the work he is doing is really important, he is ready to work for minimal remuneration. Quality, which, unfortunately, they love us exploit dishonest employers by organizing work according to the principle “Whoever drives is driven”, and whoever sits quietly gets paid. Therefore, if a good person takes on some business, then you can be calm - everything will be fine. You will receive the expected “product”. “Expected” - in the sense of what this person is maximally capable of.
For example, there are many “brilliant” lawyers, but just a decent lawyer, go and find a detective!
Second opinion: “A professional is not always a “good person”
P o really bad, d even talented in his profession man is capable not only perform brilliantly, but also “brilliantly” fail any case that is assigned to him. Even if he is smart, educated, energetic, purposeful, but he has no conscience and responsibility, he will be useless and even harmful in any job. And the more talented he is in his profession, the more effectively he can do harm. A bad person will always think first of all about his personal interests, about how to do less and get more. He will strive for his professional duties beg under any pretext additional remuneration for “additional services”. Such a person is not a cat who becomes attached to his home and owner. He is constantly looking for something better, more convenient and satisfying. And he betrays old employers as easily as he promises “paradise” to new ones.
What is the conclusion from this?
A good person and a high professional at the same time - this is certainly a treasure! But for some reason, practice shows that there are catastrophically few such people. Here, as in the joke about the monkey - either smart or beautiful.
Why decency and professionalism are so incompatible is a separate question. It can be solved endlessly. And workers are needed! And not “once upon a time”, but more often - “yesterday”.
Therefore, we have to make difficult choices.
From the book “Good and Evil in Our Life. Questions and answers»
At first glance, it seems that the phrase “A good person is not a profession” is an absolute banality, that it is primitive and elementary. Indeed, if we want a person to perform certain professional duties, then his personal qualities are not too important to us, what is more important is the level of professionalism.
But if this phrase were just a commonplace, it would not have become so famous, it would not have been repeated so often. This means that it contains some kind of paradox, some kind of internal contradiction, which allows it to lay claim to some kind of wisdom. And this paradox becomes obvious if you think a little.
So, it is argued that there is something more important than the most important assessment of a person. A good person, as it turns out, can sometimes, in some situations, turn out to be far from being the most useful, or even simply harmful. But a bad person in these same cases can be much more useful than a good one. That is, the choice between good and evil, between good and bad does not have an all-encompassing, universal meaning, sometimes it even harms a person, society, and the world. This is the paradox and the secret of the success of this phrase.
Let's now try to figure out where the logical error is.
The most important thing is that the term “good person” has several different meanings.
In a global sense, a good person is an active servant of good, renouncing evil in any form. This phrase has nothing to do with such people.
But in the local, everyday sense, we sometimes call a good person someone who is flexible, non-conflicting, polite, and ready to listen to others and sympathize with them. He does not actively serve evil - and for this alone we are ready to recognize him as good. And it is precisely in relation to such “good” people that the phrase in question often turns out to be absolutely correct, albeit banal. Such “good” people may well be insufficiently smart, poorly educated, inept, lazy, which interferes with any business. Such people may even be hidden, passive servants of evil, so calling them “good” is generally incorrect.
A truly good person is, first of all, an honest person. Therefore, he treats any business in good faith. He never deceives his partners, his work colleagues, or those for whom he works. A good person will never agree to take a position for which he lacks education, abilities, character traits, health, or desire to work. A good person will always strive to perform his duties most effectively. For a good person, the most important thing is not self-interest, but the benefit of the cause. If he feels that the work he is doing is really important, he is ready to work for minimal remuneration (and how we like to use this quality!). Therefore, if a good person takes on some business, then you can be calm - everything will be fine.
But a truly bad person is capable of failing any task that is entrusted to him. Even if he is smart, educated, energetic, purposeful, but he has no honor, conscience, responsibility, he will be useless and even harmful in any job. A bad person will always think first of all about his personal interests, about how to do less and get more. He will strive to receive additional remuneration for his professional duties in the form of an increase in salary, bribes, theft, and tax evasion. He will constantly try to change his place of work to a more profitable, warm, profitable one, even if it requires regular violations of the law.
May be, this issue and it would not be worth paying so much attention if completely incorrect conclusions were not drawn more and more often from the phrase in question.
For example, many already quite seriously believe that only a scoundrel can work well.
They say that only those who quickly enrich themselves through bribes and embezzlement of public funds will work well as an official. That is, only those who steal well work well. And whoever steals badly, works poorly. No fool will work honestly for a salary. Therefore, we must turn a blind eye to the quick enrichment of officials; under no circumstances should we find out where they got their money from, much less confiscate their property. Otherwise, no one will go to work as an official.
In the same way, only one who works dishonestly can be a good businessman: he evades taxes, pays his employees low wages, sells low-quality goods, gives bribes to officials, and profits from violence and human vices. Such an energetic, inventive, greedy and unscrupulous person can really achieve success. Moreover, the benefit from his business is an insignificant by-product from his personal enrichment. Therefore, in no case should you establish fair laws in business and strictly monitor their strict observance. This can scare away the most dishonest, that is, the most successful, from business, and great damage will be done to the country.
But betting on evil and its servants never brings real, long-term benefit. The temporary benefit from this will eventually result in a massive decline in morality and economic collapse.
E– executive continues to publish chapters from the book by management technologist and business coach Fedora Nesterova « » . In order not to be limited to a simple publication, the correspondent interviewed the author based on materials from one of the chapters.
E– executive: In your book there is a section “Employees: Operating Instructions”, and in it a chapter “Why employees are not just people, and what is the difference between one and the other.” Tell me, is it generally acceptable to use flowery titles in serious books?
Fedor Nesterov: When writing a book on a subject as complex and difficult to understand as management, any author always faces a dilemma.
– On the one hand, the subject requires that the presentation be clear, structured, organized, etc. I’m just drawn to comprehensive conclusions, academic formulations, theorems and proofs...
“On the other hand, if you want to write a practical book, then it should be exciting enough to hold the attention of a busy executive for at least a few hours. After all, he has so little free time and so many competitors for this free time (family, television, Internet, parties, and much more). The book is easy to buy, but difficult to read. And you need to make sure that the manager not only reads the book, but also remembers its contents, and then wants to try all this in practice.
Everyone solves this problem in their own way. I follow the path of highlighting the main thing and searching for vivid, memorable images. The task is to make sure that, many years after reading, the reader still remembers these images and can use them. This is not always possible, but if you constantly strive for this, then real pearls appear from time to time.
E– executive: Can you give an example of a successful image?
F.N.: As good example You can give the right image of a leader.
If you want to become a good leader, you must first understand what a good leader looks like and how he behaves. You need to imagine what his correct image is.
In the media, literature and cinema, the leader is very often presented in the image of a person who goes ahead of everyone and carries everyone along with him by personal example. Like the commander who, before the attack, was the first to crawl out of the trench under bullets and shouting “Hurray! Forward! Follow me! ran forward, hoping that his subordinates would also crawl out under the bullets and run after him.
I have to disappoint you - this is the wrong image of a leader. It's just that most writers and screenwriters have never been good leaders, so they don't know what he really looks like.
If you want to better remember this incorrect image so as not to get caught, imagine it in the form of a “barge hauler on the Volga.” Remember, there is such a picture - “Barge Haulers on the Volga” - a huge barge, the only driving force of which is the exhausted human barge haulers, who with the last of their strength pull this barge forward with a rope? A leader who carries everyone along with him is a barge hauler. And his company is a barge, which he alone pulls behind him.
All negative consequences This behavior is obvious:
- The strength of one person is limited, so his energy may simply not be enough to move the company forward.
- While you are working hard, you are holding back the energy of your subordinates; they are bored, waiting for a chance to prove themselves. As soon as the barge hauler, that is, you, stops, the forward movement will stop...
The correct image of a leader is completely different - subordinates rush forward, and he only directs their movement and regulates speed
The correct image is a coachman on a cart (high-speed carriage). The cart is harnessed to horses (subordinates), who rush forward, and the coachman (leader) only directs and regulates their movement. He pulls on the reins when he wants to turn. With his voice, and if necessary, with a whip, he spurs on the horses and makes them run as quickly as he needs. By pulling on the reins, he restrains the movement, even to a complete stop, if he considers it necessary.
This behavior gives the manager significant advantages:
- The speed of the cart is determined by the number and agility of the horses, and not by the energy of the coachman.
- The coachman’s task is not to move the cart, but to determine where to go.
- If the coachman gets tired or gets drunk, in general, for any reason he breaks down and falls into the cart, then the well-trained horses themselves will take him home...
A good leader, first of all, focuses on creating and training a good team of subordinates: energetic, professional, manageable, united by a common goal.
Once such a team is created, the leader focuses on defining the strategy - where to go - and organizing the ongoing management of the team. So as not to overload subordinates with detailed instructions (in managerial jargon this is called “putting your feet up”). But, on the contrary, set more general tasks for subordinates, giving them complete freedom in working out small parts. This frees the manager from minor hassles and gives subordinates the opportunity for self-realization.
Only after this will the company car quickly run in the direction desired by the manager, without requiring petty control on his part. And as a reward, he himself will have the opportunity to do personally what he considers important and necessary (for example, throw down the reins, fall into the cart and look at the sky).
A few years after the first use of these images, I conducted a survey of managers who participated in the program, and it turned out that absolutely all those surveyed remembered these characteristic images. And many have subsequently claimed that these images were a key influence in reshaping the way they worked, because they gave them a clear vision of where they were going and how different it was from where they were now.
Therefore, now I can cite them as a good example.
E– executive: It’s clear with the images, but now tell us about why employees are not just people.
F.N.: As usual, everything is hidden in plain sight and therefore not noticeable.
In accordance with the provisions of socionics (a science that studies the characteristics of communication between people), there are four levels of communicative space: physical, psychological, social and intellectual.
- Physical is the level of the human body, processes in it and its interaction with environment. At this level we sleep, eat, hug, clean the room, etc.
- Psychological is a close distance in communication and there are no strict formal restrictions. As a rule, this is communication in small groups of people who are well known to our person: family, circle of close acquaintances, communication in interest groups.
- Social is communication at a long psychological distance. There are norms developed in society: these are either written laws or unwritten ones, i.e. traditions, customs, etc.
- Intellectual is the level of mental activity. At the intellectual level, a person communicates with all the information that has been accumulated by people before him.
We often repeat the well-known statement “A good person is not a profession,” but we do not always realize its deep meaning: the separation of the concept of “person” (psychological level of communication) and the concept of “employee” (social level of communication). Problems at work always arise from the fact that people confuse these concepts.
WITH Otrudnik is not just a person, he is a person who performs certain work for remuneration
The concept of reward can be interpreted in the broadest sense of the word: material reward, status, job satisfaction and much more. Therefore, this formula applies to any employees, including employees of non-profit organizations, who formally do not receive monetary compensation for their work.
From this seemingly obvious statement it follows that the need for an employee arises when there is a need for the results of the work he performs, and disappears when this need disappears. In other words, the company needs an employee only as long as it needs the work he does. (In the same way, an employee needs a company as long as it satisfies his needs: material, working conditions, opportunity for self-realization, etc. This is what we often observe in the typical behavior of employees).
This sounds very unusual and even cynical. But this does not change the essence of the matter. There is a clear cause and effect relationship:
Reason: The company is created to achieve a specific goal.
- Corollary 1: To achieve a company's goals, its employees need to do some work.
- Corollary 2: To perform a certain job, employees with certain knowledge and skills are needed.
Everything in this chain is interconnected: as soon as the cause changes, the consequences immediately change. As the market situation changes, the company's needs to perform certain work change and its needs for employees change. Some employees will now be missing, and some may become redundant and useless for the company, just as physically or morally obsolete equipment becomes redundant and useless.
As in any commodity-money relations, in addition to the concept of “quality”, there is also the concept of “cost”. So even when an employee's utility to the company does not change, the employee's relative value to the company may change. It may go up or down depending on the labor market and other factors. Therefore, it always makes sense to evaluate the usefulness of an employee in terms of price/quality ratio.
What follows from this?
The obvious fact is The organizational structure of a particular division and the company as a whole is a variable value and must constantly change depending on the needs of the company at a given time.
This seems banal and obvious, but practice shows that in any organization that has existed for more than five years, there are already at least several employees who were useful to the company once upon a time, but now they are no longer useful and are just wasting resources company (including such a valuable resource as the attention and time of the manager). And in old and large organizations there are a lot of such employees.
In our training programs, managers taking this course conduct an analysis of their departments in order to identify similar employees and rid the organization of them. It is rare that an organization passes this test without identifying redundant employees.
By the way, you can also get rid of excess employees in different ways: if an employee who once brought a lot of benefit is seen off with honors and severance pay, then this usually has a very good effect on both the one who leaves and those who remain. It also works well to quickly get rid of employees who weren't adding much value.
E– executive: Tell me, is it possible to use this principle to understand such a delicate problem as collaboration with friends and relatives?
F.N.: You are right, combining friendship and work very often turns out to be impossible due to the fact that they also exist at different levels of communication. Therefore, when mixing friendship and business, a contradiction arises: business requires formal communication at a long psychological distance, and friendship requires informal communication at a short distance. Sooner or later this contradiction will manifest itself.
Besides this, there is another problem that can be called « mismatch of expectations ». Each party expects concessions from the other party in its favor.
Example of mismatched expectations:
Let's assume that the boss hired a friend-subordinate.
The boss expects that his friend, in the name of their friendship, will support him as a boss by becoming the best subordinate - an example for others: he will work better, come to work on time, not ask for benefits and allowances, etc. In general, he is the best and most selfless hero. Otherwise, what joy is there in a friend-subordinate?
The subordinate also expects that his friend-boss will treat him “in a friendly way”: give more concessions, benefits, distinguish him from other subordinates, turn a blind eye to shortcomings, etc. In general, he will be a philanthropist and patron. Otherwise, what joy is it to have a boss friend?
As a result, both expect completely opposite behavior from each other, which sooner or later will create tension and lead to a crisis either in work or in relationships.
E– executive: Is it even possible to somehow combine friendship and work?
F.N.: There is, although it is quite troublesome to organize: friends who are forced to work together must develop several different models of behavior for themselves in work and non-work situations. Such as “formal setting”, “informal setting”, “in the presence of subordinates”, “at a reception with superiors”, and strictly adhere to these models, warning each other about which model they are currently in.
A reflection of this behavior in folk art is the saying “Friendship is friendship, but tobacco is apart.”
Example of a formal behavior model:
- Call each other as is customary in this company for employees occupying the corresponding positions. For example - only “You” and by first name and patronymic.
- Strictly adhere to the superior-subordinate relationship while we are talking about business, etc.
Switching from one model to another should occur according to previously agreed upon procedures. For example, a boss, having finished a formal discussion of a business issue, may move on to a model of friendly conversation, uttering the phrase “Now I want to hear your opinion as a friend.” Having finished the discussion, he can return to the formal model with the phrase “now let’s get back to work.”
If friends can use different models behavior and easily switch between them, then they can combine friendship and work. If not, then one of them is better off moving to another job or ending the friendship.
E– executive: You mentioned executive education programs. Tell us about them in more detail.
F.N.: We currently offer two programs distance learning leaders, which begins in September and lasts three months. Both programs are based on the materials presented in the book, are practical and are aimed at the participant achieving a specific result in relation to his position or his business.
This program provides a basic set of leadership skills:
- How to achieve results from the work of your department.
- Establishing a leader's mindset.
- The place of my department in the company hierarchy.
- Employees: operating instructions.
- How to build relationships with other managers.
- How to build a relationship with your immediate boss.
It is mainly intended for functional managers (from department head and above) who want to make a career within the company. Although experience shows that this is universal knowledge necessary for all managers. Therefore, the course can also be used as an elective basic course for managers at any level.
This course contains a set of knowledge necessary primarily for small business owners:
- Employees: how to stop doing everything yourself and start living.
- The mindset of a business owner.
- What stage of development is your company at and what is the easiest way to take the next step.
- Building relationships with other companies, authorities and society.
- Building your management team.
- Why do you need partners in business and how to choose them.
E– executive: It’s clear with line managers, but why do you single out small business owners separately?
F.N.: Because the job of a small business owner is very difficult and has many features. Ignorance of which gives rise to such a high mortality rate among small businesses. 1
For example, everyone knows that in a small business the owner is usually forced to combine several roles: owner, director, chief salesperson, or something else. He spends some time in each of these roles. Each role requires different skills and a different way of thinking.
The trick is that human psychology is such that the role in which a person spends the most time becomes dominant. And her way of thinking becomes dominant. The owner usually spends most of his time as a director or even a salesperson. And he plays the role of owner very rarely - usually when he counts profits or losses. And so he stops thinking like an owner and starts thinking like a director or even a functional employee.
It might seem like a small thing, but it often leads to the small business owner drowning in the hustle and bustle and not performing his functions as an owner at all - such as developing his business and building a team. Sometimes he doesn't even know about them at all.
In addition, small businesses usually have a lack of or limited resources (compared to larger businesses). And this requires higher management efficiency to compensate. That is, you need to know all these nuances and be able to use them. Then from a small business it will be possible to grow into a medium and then a large one.
E– executive: Well, all that remains is to wish you good luck and find out if there is special conditions participation in your programs for Community members.
F.N.: The portal administration has already agreed on this - all Community members who apply for participation through the “Portal Events” section will receive a 10% discount and additional bonuses, for example, access to video recordings of other training programs.
1 – According to version Deputy Minister of Support and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, Consumer Market and Services of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Vladimir Seleznev:« According to world statistics, out of 100 created enterprises, only 10 survive, and three to five become successful. Today, statistics in Russia look better compared to other countries. Apparently, in Russian business“People with a spark of passion work, with life experience and knowledge, so out of 100 enterprises in Russia, not 10, but about 20 become successful. But we are gradually approaching Western standards.”
Interviewed Arina Rodionova, especially forE-executive
Copyright Fedir Nesterov 2011