Hello Everyone;
Last week I came head to head with the concept of perfection and the inherent cost of expecting to have everything right.
I work as a supervisor in a small plastics injection molding shop. We are a custom shop, meaning we work for others rather than making things we sell ourselves. Now, in regard to perfectionism, some would say, my boss one of them, that having it all done right is not that difficult and that at my level of work I should have no excuse to not have it all correct. For example, if I have managed to get everyone working, have all the machines making great parts, the material is mixed correctly, the color or mold changes met as they come, and kept the place fairly clean, is it reasonable to have someone come at me for something that I've not been able to get to? Well, that is the environment I've been living under for the last few months, and as a result, I've become tighter and tighter and seeking greater and greater productivity only to find that no matter what I do I will always have left something to drop, handled some problem poorly, have missed some issue somewhere. And, as a result, I've become more and more stressed by the realization that the owner is just a short time from the door and I will inevitably be criticized for something.
That is a level of aggravation and frustration that I just don't know how to vent or overcome so easily. And so, after now being criticized for demanding some things be done the way I want them to be done, what I believe to be the right way, I find myself becoming tyrannical. You see, in a perfect world, a dictator is the best form of government. All things are done correctly, changes are handled quickly, adaptations to problems occur immediately. But, we don't live in a perfect world, and we don't have perfect people working for us, and most importantly, I am not perfect. I have failed to allow people to perform in their own right and sought instead to control more tightly control their performance. I become the ballet director who creates a robot assembly rather than a dance of artists.
So, I now must face the fear of criticism as being my motivation for control and being too tight.
I watched this video, as part of my education and reformation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQJQyeW-tYM "The Perils of Perfectionism" by Stefan Molyneux I plan to watch more of his posts. I'm not sure that he is the best... see, perfectionism.... but I think he has great things to say.
I can't help but to feel anxiety writing this post. It's easy to talk about having done something right, it's easy to talk about the ideals of what we should do, but it is nervy to talk about screwing something up. The only thing I can say is that I'm likely not alone. So, if I am making a mess of this, there is likely someone else out there also making a mess of something similar. So, here is hoping that I am able to help you a bit.
I will talk about this more as I have opportunity. I prefer to write about something that I've gotten fairly well figured out. I'm a babe in the woods on this. But, I'm going to learn, and I'll tell you about what I find as time goes and I'm able to break bad habits, and I hope you out there will offer your own stories and advice. My email is on the top of the blog, if you prefer to comment outside the comment area.
anxious hugs.
Hello Randy. You already know I think you are a top notch boss and your knowledge of the machines and material is superb. The problem I think is in what is expected of you and the short comings of your boss. I see this as a problem as to what your expected to accomplish while not being given the support to accomplish such tasks. Corporate America today has for years expected more out of each worker, for less and less as time has gone on. Reports show we spend more time at work than other countries, are more productive than other countries, and yet have less off time, less benefits, and less support from management. Simply put if you can make five widgets at night, your boss will want 6 widgets, if you mange to make the 6 they will demand 7 and if you can't do it, it is not their fault but yours. If you ask for more help, more materials, more anything, then you are the problem and you are the one made to feel somehow inferior. I think your great, loves and hugs.
ReplyDeleteHi Scottie;
ReplyDeleteThank you. The odd thing is, if the boss was more apt to say "atta boy! Way to get six! Let's go for seven widgits now" I'd love it. Too often, though, his response has been, once we got the six widgits, that we should have had the floor polished. Why wasn't the floor polished. I want to challenge you to polish the floor..... and such. It forces a person to become a control freak to try to make everything right, which in fact creates more problems.
But, as I mentioned to the other owner today in regards to a difficult employee: "That person has been a real challenge, but also a great opportunity to learn a lot".
If I can keep the right outlook, grow with the experience rather than allow it to beat me down, I'll overcome whatever obstacle - even if only to be able to declare "we can only do six widgits effectively" with a confidence that the team has performed to it's best.
hugs!
randy