The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens s1

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey

Developing Desirable Traits many people she knew came into the store and An employer, in return for salary or wages bought bicycles. Of course, this made Leslie’s and fringe benefits paid to employees, expects employer very happy. employees to develop certain desirable traits that will Trustworthiness help them to perform their jobs well. Some of these There are many cases when an employer or traits include: (1) competence, (2) loyalty, (3) supervisor is able to place an employee in a position trustworthiness, (4) honesty), (5) responsibleness, of trust. When an employer trusts an employee, it and (6) industriousness. often means that the employer can ask the employee Competence to do something beyond the call of duty and expect An employer expects employees to be the employee to accomplish it. The special task could competent. This means that employees are expected be closing up a business at the end of the day. It to know what they are supposed to do and how they might involve taking the company car to another city should perform their jobs. It is assumed, of course, to pick up a business associate. Each of these that employees have had training or preparation for situations requires that the employer trust the the jobs they were hired to perform. Many would-be- employee to carry out the task. When the employee employees begin to develop competence when they completes the task, he or she earns the employer’s or enroll in vocational education classes while still at supervisor’s trust. This trust contributes to good school. As a rule, competent employees get along human relations between employers and employees. well with their employers. Honesty Loyalty Another trait closely allied to One owner of a company used to say to trustworthiness is honesty. This is a trait that gets a employees, “If there is something you don’t like lot of attention in many books. Establishing a about our company, please tell us. And if there is reputation for honesty is important in developing a something you like about us, please tell others.” This good relationship with an employer, especially employer was really saying that, in return for salary because one of businesses’ greatest problems is and benefits, the firm expected loyalty from its dishonest employees. employees. To be an honest employee means several Loyalty to a company means going to your things. It means, of course, never to take any money supervisor with any problem or complaint that may or goods that don’t belong to you. It means never to arise. Part of your supervisor’s job is to handle say you worked longer than you actually did. It employee problems. Employers prefer to solve their means never to cheat a customer, another employee, own problems. They do not want dissatisfied or your employer in any way. It can also mean telling employees to complain about their work to outsiders. your employer and others the truth when you are In the same manner, employers do not want their questioned. If you can prove to be an honest employees to criticize the goods or services sold by employee, you will be well on your way to the company to others outside the company. acceptability and good human relations in any Loyalty to a company also means telling business. outsiders about the fine products or services that your Responsibleness company sells. For example, let us take the case of Responsibleness is like trustworthiness. A Leslie, a high school student and part-time employee responsible employee is one who agrees to carry out in a bicycle sales and service shop. One of the a task under agreed-upon procedures. benefits of working for ACE Bicycle Company was Employees are often put in positions where the privilege of buying a bicycle for 50 percent off they are responsible for money, for other people’s the selling price. After saving enough money, Leslie safety, for other people’s production, for bought a gleaming ACE ten-speed. It was everything merchandise, for customers’ goodwill, for company one could want in a new bike. Leslie was very proud equipment, and so on. Employers are quick to see of it. She spent a lot of time telling her friends and which employees can handle positions and situations others what excellent products ACE sold. As a result, of responsibility and which cannot. Needless to say, Name______Class Period ______employers like to have employees who are possibly more. An industrious person does not loaf, responsible persons. daydream, or otherwise spend large amounts of Usually employers begin by asking nonproductive time. Industrious employees try to employees to be responsible for less important things. accomplish their assigned work within the prescribed Then they gradually make employees responsible for time. They keep themselves productively occupied more important matters. This gradual buildup of during work hours. responsibility leads to rewards and good relationships It has been said by some people that hard between employers and employees. work is its own reward. That is, the satisfied feeling Let us look at the case of Valery, a new one gets when a good day’s work is finished or when employee of Pete’s Flower Shop. Soon after she was a task is completed is a rewarding experience. hired, Valery was asked to drive the store van to the Furthermore, hard work by an employee is soon airport to pick up a small shipment of flowers from rewarded by an employer. Employers are quick to Hawaii. She made it to the airport all right. But on the note which of their employees are hardworking and way back to the store, Valery stopped by a friend’s productive and which are “goofing off.” The house, turned off the van’s engine, and talked awhile. industrious workers are usually rewarded with better While the engine was stopped, the van’s air pay, promotions, and special privileges. conditioner was not keeping the flowers cool. They In summary, when a company hires a were all ruined from the heat. In this case, Valery did person, it expects that person to contribute to the not prove herself to be a responsible employee. Her success and growth of the company. Employees can employer would naturally hesitate to give her a task contribute to their employer’s success and growth by that involves a greater responsibility in the future. developing competence, loyalty, trustworthiness, Industriousness honesty, responsibleness, and industriousness. An Industriousness means hard work. It does employee who possesses these desirable traits will not necessarily mean physically tiring labor. Rather, enjoy a very good working relationship with any industriousness means being diligent about one’s employer. duties at work. It is doing what one is paid to do, and

Revised 12-06 Bus TA II Week 7