Many people consider company procedures as just another way for the big corporations to make sure you do exactly what they want. Of course that is true to some extent but at the same time, these procedures help insure a smooth running operation. There are many advantages to having in place some very strict procedures and I shall elaborate on this subject in the paragraphs to come, but what I want to point out is that a very good employee will now to make a difference between a particular case and following the procedures blindly. Company procedures are guidelines that ensure that everybody knows how, when and what to do. Of course, given the fact that these procedures are a general view of things, there are many particularities that are left out, and it’s solving these particularities which make the difference between a good and a great employee. Having said that, I don’t want people to misunderstand and consider that every procedure is debatable. Most are very strict, and very clear, but they will never absolve you from using your own judgment when dealing with a problem. So let’s see what the benefits of respecting company procedures are:

1.    Avoidance of chaos. Probably the most important benefit is the fact that you will manage to avoid chaos. Company procedures are a way through which everything gets done in any business. They need to be very well thought out, because any sort of misinterpretation, or omission in these rules shall be multiplied thousands of times and will lose a lot of money for the business. If these procedures are streamlined, than everybody will always know, by consulting them, what to do and where to get the information they need the quickest.

2.    Respecting a standard is more efficient. Company procedures also offer a standard for how everything should be done. Having something you can relate to will make it much easier for you to determine what the best way of doing things is. Sometimes a procedure is to complex and specific to be provided in these guidelines, but if you understand the mechanisms at work you will be able to figure out the best way to do it. Also having this standard will let you compare it with different ways of doing a procedure that might prove more efficient and thus become the new standard.

3.    Smaller chance for mistakes. If everybody would do everything how they think it should be done, than first of all there would be no sort of communication possible between the different departments, but most importantly, there would be countless mistakes taking place during these procedures. Mistakes are inevitable when you don’t know exactly what you are meant to do, but more importantly, where do you fit in in the bigger scheme of the company. You need to know your exact role, and how your actions influence the whole process and others peoples work in order to not make big mistakes that can be very costly.

4.    Many procedures are based on existing laws. Another thing you should take into consideration is that most of the company procedures in place rely on the laws existent at a present time. These procedures will always cover your back in any situation when talking about the legality of your actions. If you respect procedures than there is no way you will be held responsible for any sort of breaking of the law.

5.    Much easier to monitor activity. Company procedures provide a standard for how things should be done, but at the same time make it very easy to monitor activity. Most procedures require that you always have a log of everything you have done. This way, if something goes wrong, it is an easy job for the manager to trace back and see who is to blame.

6.    Mirrors employee competence. Company procedures offer a manager a great tool for assessing the competence of every employee. You can find out if an employee knows and follows the procedures, but also how they deal with delicate cases where there is no procedure put in place.

7.    Always let you know what to do. One of the biggest problems in most companies is employee idleness. Company procedures help you combat this problem by always showing every employee what their next step should be.

I believe that a very well thought out scheme for company procedures are the key for running a smooth operation. But the opposite is also true, if the company procedures in place are faulty, than you will have a tough time keeping your business afloat. My advice is to always check with your employees, the people who have to deal with these procedures every day, what should be done to improve them. And this consultation should have a permanent character, so that improving the procedures becomes a constant process.          

A problem that I have found with many employees especially in the public relations department is being snappy. For somebody doing that job, this should be the most important thing to avoid, along with being rude, which it is closely related to. Being snappy at work can cause you trouble not only with the clients but with your coworkers as well. You need to learn to be patient, and to avoid getting to stung up, otherwise you risk snapping at the wrong person, like a big client, or your manager, which will get you fired. When dealing with clients, it is very easy to lose your cool when what you are trying to say doesn’t get through to them but you need to remember this simple rule that is true for any business: the customer is always right. You will never be able to escape this simple truth so try to find the best way of explaining everything they require, as many times as they do, preferably with a smile on your face, and keeping your cool, and you will find that this attitude won’t go unnoticed. But let’s focus on what will happen if you aren’t able to keep your cool, and how will this affect your performances and ultimately your career:

1.    Lashing out. Lashing out will eventually happen to you if being snappy is a part of who you are. This can affect you in many ways, especially by the affect it may have on the person you are lashing out. Of course, most of the time lashing out is most likely your problem, and not the person who you are lashing out at. It is a symptom of the fact that you can’t control your nerves, and that you aren’t able to deal with an unexpected mistake very well. You lash out because you want to blow of some steam, and sometimes for no reason, and this in turn will greatly affect the person you are lashing out at, because they will feel like they have been treated unjustly and this will lead to further animosity, and poorer performance as a team, even though your state of mind might have not had anything to do with that person.

2.    Can create animosity between colleagues. Being snappy will eventually lead to a conflict between coworkers. It is inevitable that at some point somebody will find this attitude offensive and will react accordingly. Creating a conflict inside a team will never look good on you, and it will make your chances for any kind of promotion drop considerably.

3.    You can become known as a difficult person. Another big professional disadvantage of being snappy is that you will find that people will start to avoid you. It will become harder and harder for you to find a person to help you with anything, because once you earn the reputation of being snappy, it will be very hard to reverse it.

4.    Can decrease your work performances. Being snappy will probably start to affect your performances after a while. Not only the problems caused by the fact that your co-workers start to distrust and dislike you, but more importantly you will start to become more and more strung up. Plus you will start to analyze your reactions, and beat yourself up for them, and thus you will be unable to focus on your work.

5.    Lose clients. When it comes to the relationship you have with your clients, being snappy can be the worse defect you can have. You can be sure that you will start losing more and more customers if you don’t find a way to control your tongue. And when you start losing customers, there isn’t much more to do than to await getting fired.

6.    Disrupting the work environment. If you’re snappy you won’t just affect the person who you were rude to, but the whole team as well. A person who disrupts everybody else’s work will find his or her self very quickly singled out and in a prime position to lose their job.

7.    Might get misunderstood. There is also a very big possibility that not everybody will understand your point of view if you are constantly snappy. One of the most important qualities of any employee is to be a good communicator, and being snappy will never help you achieve that goal.

As I have shown in the paragraphs above being snappy can be a sure fire way for you to lose your job. There are some cases when it might help, and some people who actually respond well to this attitude, but in general, being snappy will never turn out in your favor. My advice is to try to find a way to control your reactions, and my guess is that you will soon see a positive feedback from your co-workers.      

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