Challenging from Below

When you work for someone else, that person is the boss and the boss sets the standards. If you are unable or unwilling to meet those standards, it leads to conflict and, eventually, your unemployment.

But what happens when the employee has higher standards than the boss? It can still lead to conflict. For example, an employee risks looking like a slacker (or for an hourly contractor, an invoice-padder) if he or she takes longer to complete a task than the boss thinks is necessary - even if the employee's sole purpose is to complete the task properly, thoroughly, and to ensure customer satisfaction.

When an employee has higher standards than his or her boss, a struggle often ensues between the employee, who pushes for improvements in the business's products, policies, or procedures, and the boss, who pushes back to hold the status quo. Eventually, one of three things happens: the boss gives in to the change; or the employee relents in the fight to bring change, left to gripe and grumble in private to sympathetic coworkers, friends and family; or the employee leaves or is fired.

Many bosses might be more open to change if they were more closely involved with the actual hands-on creation and/or delivery of their product or service; however, most are simply so overwhelmed with their own responsibilities in the business that they can't take the time to view their businesses from that level. That's why they hire employees whom they trust. Part of that trust, though, is granting those employees a certain latitude in serving the customer - even if that means taking a little extra time with the customer and the customer's project...and bending policies and procedures to do so.

Ultimately, it is the customer whose needs must be first and foremost* if a business is to be successful, and a business's policies, procedures, and products must be designed and implemented toward that goal. That's a standard on which both bosses and employees can agree.

PJW

* Of course, certain policies and procedures of a business must truly be first and foremost; otherwise, there will be no business in existence to serve the customer! A successful businessperson must always distinguish a clear difference between going the extra mile for a customer and allowing the customer to dictate how the businessperson's company is run.