This week we had Margaret, a Senior Principle UX Designer share her experience at Amazon. She discussed Amazon’s 16 leadership principles and how they can be good guides to follow but at the same time contradictory.
The first principle I want to talk about is “learn and be curious” I think I have not only demonstrated this in my previous jobs, but I think this has been my mindset for a majority of my life. For instance, when I was working evening shift as a scientist, I wanted to learn more because I know that different shifts are responsible for different tasks. I ended up moving to night shift for six months and during that time I learned not only new skills in troubleshooting and quality control, but also learning how to be independent when there is less staffing on graveyard shift. I am constantly on the lookout to expand my knowledge.
Next is “think big” and “insist on the highest standards” because I think they both go hand-in-hand. I work at a hospital, specifically in a lab. Often, it’s easy to forget who is on the other side of things because we have no patient contact and really no contact with nurses or doctors face to face (besides phone calls). Working in such a setting, it’s important to remember the bigger picture and to remind ourselves that these lab results do impact patient care and their lives. Leading to the next point—providing the highest quality care possible. I acknowledge when I do make mistakes because we are all human, but when these situations do occur, it’s important to act accordingly to make sure no patient harm was done, learn how this could have been prevented, and take a moment to reflect. Mistakes are learning opportunities and a time to possibly raise suggestions on how our system is already built to perhaps modify when needed to prevent further occurrences.
Lastly, “earning trust” is something I’ve slowly been gaining from my colleagues. I’m not the most outspoken person (especially when initially meeting someone), but my actions speak louder than words. My coworkers can depend on me when most needed because I am always there for questions, an extra-hand, or a listening ear. I try my best to always deliver the best care and it shows because of my attention to detail.
The principle that I think is the hardest for me to adopt is “frugality.” First off, we never think about being frugal, especially working in a hospital or lab, because we do not want to find something cheaper and compromise patient care. Additionally, that would be a very limiting factor, not just in the healthcare field—and I want the tools needed even if it may be more expensive. I do understand the idea and it is something I am working towards—especially if it does impact the environment in a positive way. Less is more and there are creative solutions to be resourceful!