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In work, do what you enjoy.
- Lao-tzu
Overview
Patience
Planning
Organizing
Work Environment
Conclusion
About Curt Woolford
References
Related Content
Overview
Being productive on the job requires the blind or visually impaired worker to apply a set of skills that are not needed by the fully sighted. Many tasks are made more complex because of lack of vision. As a visually impaired small business owner, I struggle with productivity issues. Sometimes it takes me twice as long, or more, to do what used to come so easily before my vision loss. I have discovered that I can enhance my productivity through patience, planning and organizing.
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Patience
Patience lies at the foundation of productivity. Without patience, we, as blind and visually impaired workers, become even more impaired. When we embrace patience, we have the capacity to learn how to be productive.
"Patience plays a major role in the trial and error part of the learning process," explains Joe McCloskey, access technology supervisor at the DELCO Blind/Sight Center, Chester, Pa. People who are blind or visually impaired need to be willing to experiment, to discover and to learn new ways of doing things. When I am patient, I can apply strategies to the task at hand, formulate new processes and build best practices. When I am impatient, my ability to respond strategically with creative solutions to the challenge before me is impaired.
How do we avoid the pitfalls of impatience and acquire the productivity-enhancing qualities of patience? There is no easy answer, and each of us must find our own path. At the same time, there are some universal considerations.
Patience, for instance, requires an investment of time. There is no way around the fact that, if we commit to patience, we are committing to taking more time. When I find myself feeling impatient, I am invariably approaching my work in a way that is awkward for me. If I step back for a moment and apply some objectivity to what I am doing, I can regain patience as I approach the task differently. I often have to remind myself that I am not just doing the task before me; I am also learning a new way of working.
Jim Hunt, program director at Montgomery County Association for the Blind, North Wales, Pa., has seen many people struggle to develop patience. "They are the ones who are the most frustrated and have the most difficulty adjusting," he says. "If you want to be productive, you have to develop patience."
As blind and visually impaired workers, we are tempted to think about how things should be and how we want them to be instead of how things actually are. Thoughts such as "I should be able to do this" can contribute to feelings of impatience. Bob Nelson, executive director of the DELCO Blind/Sight Center, Chester, Pa., warns us to beware of "I should" thinking. "As a blind and visually impaired worker, you will be more patient when you are free of this twisted thinking," he explains. "You need to deal with the reality of your vision impairment and accept that there are many things that will take you longer."
If we look deeper for an attribute that sustains patience, we will find, at its very core, peace of mind. When I experience self-acceptance and acceptance of my visual impairment, I gain peace of mind, which, in turn, supports my ability to be patient.
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Planning
Planning requires us to slow down and think ahead about what we are going to do as well as how we are going to do it and when. Planning is an important component of the productivity equation; it helps us to avoid the pitfalls of impatience.
An important skill for any worker, planning is even more critical for those of us who are blind or visually impaired. Without adequate planning, we will not be focused on our goals and will have more difficulty achieving them. We need to plan our time by considering our goals and the tasks we need to complete for reaching them.
As a small business owner with a visual impairment, I have found that the following four planning steps contribute significantly to my productivity:
- Relax and focus. I am a more effective planner when I am relaxed and mentally focused.
- Plan the day. I begin my day by reviewing my objectives, prioritizing my tasks and allocating my time.
- Plan the individual task at hand. I find it's important to plan a strategy for accomplishing each task.
- Repeat the relax-plan process when needed. If I'm feeling stuck, frustrated or impatient, I can get back on track by using this process.
"There is no other way to accomplish your goals," says Hunt. "Planning allows you to follow a process and reaching your goals by accomplishing specific tasks."
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Organizing
Organization also plays a major role in productivity. If we are spending too much time trying to find things, at the expense of accomplishing our goals, we have an organization problem. I have come to realize that I'm more productive when I take the time up front to organize appropriately and efficiently. It often seems that I am spending an inordinate amount of time in the organization phase of every task. However, I have found that this is an illusion. If I do not organize properly the first time, then my productivity is hindered in the future.
- I believe that there is a relationship between internal (mental) and external (environmental) organizing. When I feel mentally organized, this is reflected in my work environment. Conversely, when my environment is organized, this supports a state of mental organization. Based on my experience, I offer this tip:
- When your work area becomes unorganized, it is most efficient to focus first on getting organized mentally. Conversely, when you feel mentally unorganized, it is best to begin by organizing your physical workspace.
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Work Environment
Work environment also plays an additional role in productivity. McCloskey explains that an inappropriate work environment will cause discomfort, which leads to lack of productivity. Furthermore, eye fatigue contributes to inefficiency.
As a small business owner, I have control over my environment. This includes adaptive technology and software, the layout of my workspace, and the type of ambient and task lighting.
Making my work environment accessible has had a significant impact on my productivity. After acquiring the adaptive technology I needed, my work environment was still not accessible. I discovered that there were two key components missing:
- Ease of access to the adaptive technology. This required considerable planning and organizing. I hired a consultant to help design my workspace. We analyzed work flow and assistive device integration and changed the work space to meetmy needs.
- Control of ambient lighting. Being able to control ambient lighting is important for individuals with visual impairments, and I am no exception. After consulting with a lighting specialist, it was clear that I needed variable control of ambient full-spectrum lighting. Installing track lighting with a dimmer switch has improved my productivity by reducing my eyestrain and fatigue.
In developing a work environment that is right for you, patience, planning, and organizing all come into play. Experimentation is essential to determine the environment which best supports your productivity.
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Conclusion
As blind and visually impaired workers, we can barely get off the launch pad of productivity, if we do not first have a foundation of patience. Without patience, we cannot navigate successfully through the maze of trial and error. Without this important step of experimentation, we cannot discover, and then develop, the strategies and skills we need to be productive.
Patience is the foundation upon which we build our strategies to be productive on the job. Planning and organizing do not come into focus without cultivating the quality of patience within ourselves.
Patience may come more easily to some than to others. For me, impatience was a style of work developed over many years in the business world. Impatience and a sense of urgency were rewarded; patience was not. Now I must cultivate new work habits that are in accord with my changes in vision.
Productivity is attainable for those of us who are blind and visually impaired. Patience is the gateway to developing the emotional and professional skills we need to be competitive. "Place yourself in a learning environment whenever you can," urges McCloskey. "Try to learn formally and informally. This will help you build patience and confidence.”
Whatever your unique situation may be, look first to patience for cultivating productivity.
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About Curt Woolford
Curt Woolford is founder and president of The Woolford Group (TWG). His organization provides dynamic communication services to small and medium-sized businesses. Deliverables include marketing communications services, market planning, editorial, and copywriting. TWG also provides general communications support for small businesses.
Woolford has more than 20 years of business experience
with increasing responsibility and achievements in copywriting, editorial, marketing communications, organizational development, training, and project management. He started The Woolford Group with funding from Blindness and Visual Services. He has worked closely with his local Small Business Development Center and SCORE.
For more information about The Woolford Group, visit http://woolfordgroup.com/. (Note: This site is under construction and will be coming spring, 2002).
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References
Individuals interviewed and quoted:
Hunt, Jim, program director, Montgomery County Association for the Blind, North Wales, Pa.
McCloskey, Joe, access technology supervisor, DELCO Blind/Sight Center, Chester, Pa.
Nelson, Bob, executive director, DELCO Blind/Sight Center, Chester, Pa.
Additional references:
Giltinan, Angie, computer access technology instructor assistant, DELCO Blind/Sight Center, Chester, Pa.
Giuliano, Carlo, support desk personnel, ICT Group, Langhorne, Pa.
Maleeff, Lynne, assistant director of the employment program, Montgomery County Association for the Blind, North Wales, Pa.
McGuigan, Ronnie, vocational rehab counselor, Blindness and Visual Services, Philadelphia, Pa.
Yingling, Doug, executive director, Montgomery County Association for the Blind, North Wales, Pa.
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