Learn

How do I excel at work?

Time:Set the timer to 60 minutes for the Learn section.

Read:After we get a good job, we need to keep that job and excel in it. We need to be the best employees we can be.

Read:QUESTION OF THE WEEK—How do I excel on the job and continue to succeed?

ACTION OF THE WEEK—I will (1) excel on the job, (2) prove my value to my employer, and (3) plan my career.

“That’s Not My Problem” (No video? Read page 108.)

Discuss:Why did Joseph, the boss, ask Gloria and Anthony to solve their own problems?

“That Is My Problem” (No video? Read page 109.)

Discuss:By taking responsibility, Gloria and Anthony became more valuable to their employer. Why?

Read:We will excel on the job by continuing to use all the tools we have gained in searching for a job:

1. Making contacts and building our network.

2. Communicating clearly with others and showing a good attitude and appearance.

3. Working hard and proving our value to our employer.

How do I take responsibility to help my employer succeed?

Read:Employers value some employees more than they do others. Valuable employees bring in more money or produce more for the company than they cost the company.

Discuss:How does it help you when you help your employer?

Practice:Think about these three employees as if you were Joseph, the owner of the company. Each of your employees costs you a certain amount for salary, equipment, and other things. And each employee brings in money by making the product, selling, or serving customers.

Benjamin

Brings in: 50000

Costs company: 53000

Profit/Loss: -3000

Gloria

Brings in: 26000

Costs company: 25000

Profit/Loss: 1000

Angela

Brings in: 45000

Costs company: 25000

Profit/Loss: 20000

Move your chair to speak with the person next to you. Together answer these questions:

1. Who is the most valuable employee?

2. Who is least valuable?

3. If you had a bonus of 2000 to give to someone, who would it be?

4. If your least valuable employee doesn’t improve, would you fire that person?

5. If another company tried to hire your best employee and take her away from you, would you give her a raise to keep her?

Talk about your answers with the entire group.

Discuss:As an entire group, discuss how you can become more valuable employees.

Practice:Move your chair to speak with the person next to you. Talk about each question and write down your ideas.

For your current job or for the job you are seeking, how could you:

1. Add new customers to the business?

2. Make current customers happier and more loyal?

3. Get current customers to buy more?

4. Increase product value and price?

5. Help customers to pay faster or even pay in advance?

6. Help the company increase income in some other way?

How do I take responsibility to help my employer cut costs?

Read:As valuable employees, we will also find ways to cut costs.

Discuss:How can you help to cut costs?

Read:In the second video, Anthony had a good idea: put the machine on a maintenance schedule. He was learning to save his employer money. This chart shows the difference. Anthony’s idea would save his employer a lot of money—14500 in five years! When Anthony shows this to his boss, the employer will clearly see Anthony’s value!

	COSTS WITHOUT MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE		COSTS WITH MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
	Repair	Replace	Maintenance	Repair	Replace
Year 1	2000		100	0	0
Year 2	2000		100	500	0
Year 3		10000	100	0	0
Year 4			100	500	0
Year 5	2000		100	0	0
Total Costs	16000		1500

Practice:Move your chair to speak with the person next to you. Take turns. See how many answers you can find!

1. Describe to each other your job or the job you are seeking.

2. For each of your jobs, find all the ideas you can about how to:

   • Save time

   • Improve a process

   • Take better care of machines or products

   • Reduce mistakes

3. Write down good ideas and try to make them happen where you work before our next meeting. If you don’t have the job yet, consider ways you could prepare yourself to implement your ideas when you get the job.

How do I take responsibility for my career?

Read:Together, read the scripture to the right.

“For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.”

2 Nephi 4:4

Discuss:Will your current job (or the job you are seeking) help you become self-reliant? Do you believe that the Lord will help you prepare for better jobs? How will He do that?

“He Is Building a Palace” (No video? Read page 110.)

Discuss:What did you learn from this video? What did you feel?

Practice:Move your chair to speak with another person in the group.

1. Describe your current job or the job you are seeking.

2. Describe the job you want in two to four years. Is it the same job or something else?

3. Discuss what it would be like to have enough money to travel to the temple, serve missions, or help others.

4. Write what you have discussed in these boxes.

WHERE YOU ARE NOW	WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: HOW TO FIND A MENTOR TO HELP ME SUCCEED
(DO NOT DO THIS ACTIVITY DURING THE MEETING.)
If you choose, you may do this activity before our next meeting:
A mentor can help you know the unwritten rules and expectations of the workplace. Study page 111.

What tools will I need to meet my goals?

Read:Now that we have an idea about where we want to go, how do we get there? Let’s read the scripture to the right.

“For ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.”

2 Nephi 31:19

Discuss:Is Christ able to bless you temporally? Does that include helping you get a job, keep the job, and excel in your career?

Read:The Lord will give us experiences in our work to help us gain skills and knowledge. He also expects us to gain knowledge through study and preparation. Many jobs are available only to those with a specific degree or certificate. Education allows us to excel on the job and become more valuable to our employers.

Practice:List the skills and knowledge you need to do your future work. List the ways to obtain these. What are your next steps on your path? (An example is provided.)

POSITIONS YOU WANT	SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED	WAYS TO GAIN THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE	NEXT STEP
Construction Manager	Engineering skills Planning skills Problem-solving skills Communication skills	Classes at vocational or technical school or engineering degree from a college	Join an “Education for Better Work” self-reliance group to plan my next step.