"Working With Minimal Supervision"

Hello, hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend. I have an interesting story to tell you.

Recently, a friend talked to me about one of his work experiences. He said he was at work, helping to carry things around. When he was attaching things to a cart, his boss came up to him and said "What did you just do?" At first, he was confused. He then said he just attached things to a cart. She said "That's fine" and went on to say that he should be able to do certain things when not being told to. His boss later said that Americans aren't able to work productively without supervision. Her background is Japanese and the way they work is very different from the American work style. She told my friend that he will go really far in his career if he's able to work with minimal supervision.

My friend told me he was bothered when he heard all that. I mean, it was really sudden. However, he quickly grasped the message and understood why she said that. In this day and age, how many of us can say that we can work with "minimal supervision"? We always need someone to tell us what to do to get ahead. Supervisors don't always give clear hints.

I noticed that most jobs these days require the ability to work without getting extensive orders. In an age where everyone's cutting back, you have to make yourself important. Go the extra mile. Put more effort. Think one step ahead. Plan ahead. If your instinct is telling you that you should do it, then maybe you should. Companies are looking for people that have GOOD instincts along with the skills & experience.

Of course, your supervisor may sometimes know better. Don't be afraid to show that you care, but at the same time, show some restraint. What you think might be good may not always be good for the company.

I like to know your thoughts. In any case, I believe that you can forge ahead if you're able to do things without being told to 90% of the time.