How to leverage and action?

[TJ55]

OK so I'm probably gonna look dumb with this but I'm used to it so...

How does someone "Leverage an Action"? Just went over my performance appraisal with my boss and our company has just implemented a Progression Plan that I have to fill out.

The part I'm having trouble with looks like this

Area of Excellence: Customer Care (this area of my work was highlighted on my appraisal)
Actions to Leverage: (This is what I don't understand)
30 days:
September:
December:
March:

I tried to look it up online but kept getting physics stuff. As always, any help is appreciated.

[Relic]

I would think that it means something along the lines of "what you plan to do to improve your performance even more", but I'm not 100% sure. Why not check with your boss? Doesn't hurt to ask?

[TJ55]

I plan too Relic. He's not available until tomorrow though and I am working late tonight (til 7 anyway) so I figured I'd do some recon beforehand. I'm sure you're on the right track and that's what I am thinking too, so thanks.

I'm not worth a **** at this sort of thing. Guess that's why my areas of development section listed "Business Communication". Apparently my casual, informal style is great with the customers but leaves room for improvement with internal communication. Nobody is perfect I guess.

[Funky Ghost]

lev·er·age
   /ˈlɛvərɪdʒ, ˈlivər-/ Show Spelled [lev-er-ij, lee-ver-] Show IPA noun, verb, -aged, -ag·ing.
noun
1.
the action of a lever, a rigid bar that pivots about one point and that is used to move an object at a second point by a force applied at a third.
2.
the mechanical advantage or power gained by using a lever.
3.
power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions, etc.; sway: Being the only industry in town gave the company considerable leverage in its union negotiations. Synonyms: advantage, strength, weight; clout, pull.
4.
the use of a small initial investment, credit, or borrowed funds to gain a very high return in relation to one's investment, to control a much larger investment, or to reduce one's own liability for any loss.
verb (used with object)
5.
to exert power or influence on.
6.
to use (a quality or advantage) to obtain a desired effect or result: She was able to leverage her travel experience and her gift for languages to get a job as a translator.
7.
to provide with leverage: The board of directors plans to leverage two failing branches of the company with an influx of cash.
8.
to invest or arrange (invested funds) using leverage.

It could be a self auditing bullet point. A nice way of saying things you need to work on.

[TJ55]

nice way of saying things you need to work on.


I don't think so Ghost b/c there is a seperate section for "Areas of development". Which, in my case, was formal communication. Especially of the written variety.

I'm thinking it's "how am I going to use what I am already excelling in to further improve my quality of work".

[Balog]

It's a meaningless set of buzzwords used by incompetent oafs to attempt to appear more intelligent than they are. I'd ignore it and just work on serving your customers well.

[Jazz Ad]

Originally Posted by Balog

I'd ignore it and just work on serving your customers well.

This goes against all the rules of corporate work.
You only care about stats and gross income, not customers.
It's not like they were important for business.

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by Balog

It's a meaningless set of buzzwords used by incompetent oafs to attempt to appear more intelligent than they are. I'd ignore it and just work on serving your customers well.

Agreed, mostly. Ever work with someone who is really bad at communicating things? It sucks. Get better at it and tell them how you are going to do it.

lowsound

[Funky Ghost]

You could always do the unthinkable and ask what the hell they mean . . .

[TJ55]

Ignoring it obviously isn't an option. It's not the greatest gig in the world, but it's FAR from the worst. Until I find something else, I kind of need the paycheck.

Also, the task referenced in OP involves working on serving my customers well. "Leveraging an Action" in my Area of Excellence

I'm all set on the part on about Areas of Development. Thanks.

[TJ55]

Originally Posted by Funky Ghost

You could always do the unthinkable and ask what the hell they mean . . .

Today 06:43 PM


TJ55

I plan too Relic. He's not available until tomorrow though and I am working late tonight (til 7 anyway) so I figured I'd do some recon beforehand. I'm sure you're on the right track and that's what I am thinking too, so thanks.

[JohnMCA72]

I bet you'll find it in the Dilbert archive!

[GregC]

That is definitely some of the lame-a** jargon they hand out in MBA courses by the bucketful.

Honestly, I deal with a lot of buzzwords in my job (and "leverage" gets used a lot), but I haven't heard this particular phrase before. Usually, leverage in corporatespeak refers to using something (expertise/skill/knowledge) you've been doing in one area and applying it across a number of other areas. A form of efficiency is how I think of it.

[Balog]

Originally Posted by TJ55

Ignoring it obviously isn't an option. It's not the greatest gig in the world, but it's FAR from the worst. Until I find something else, I kind of need the paycheck.

Also, the task referenced in OP involves working on serving my customers well. "Leveraging an Action" in my Area of Excellence

I'm all set on the part on about Areas of Development. Thanks.

Ignoring it absolutely is an option. Those are words used in a fake, made up context that has no meaning. If your boss told you to Toilet your Flange in order to Excite your Dingo it would hold just as much meaningful content. Asking the moron what he meant is pointless, as he has no idea what those words mean (as evidenced by the fact that he is corrupting their actual definition into some crappy corporate double-speak). Figure out what metric they are evaluating you on, do that well. Trying to decipher the riddle of what your pointy haired doucheboss means is counter productive.

[Chebass88]

The way I understand it is to use one action to influence or assist another.

As an example, pretend the head Quality Control person in the company is visitng your plant to inspect Widget A production. You also know that Widget B has some issues and you want to seek his (her) attention. Asking about Widget B during a trip planned for Widget A is "Leveraging an Action". The action is the visit, and you take advantage of it so you don't have to have 2 separate visits. (Saving the company travel money, blah blah blah)

[MEKer]

Use of language can be so fake sometimes. Its the "oooh, so specially-educated- know-everything-better-than-you-can- comprehend-and-your-asking-what-I meant-proves-my-intellectual-superiority" mindset. It justifies the expense of their education in realms that mean diddly.

Best results come from plain-speak.

[TechJunky]

Wow, a lot of animosity towards business in here. While I find it frustrating on occasion, the "business jargon" a lot of times is worded that way for a reason. There are many instances in my job where I would think something should be worded one way, but it gets worded in a similar manner as to the OP's review, and it's usually because it becomes more of a catch-all and applies to multiple situations/positions/scenarios/whatever. In the end, it allows one form to be used for many people and positions as opposed to having dedicated forms to every position.

Telling the OP that his boss is a moron (even though there's a good chance he didn't write the form, merely gives it to the employees) and that this kind of wording is pointless and designed to make someone feel superior is not in any way useful or helpful. The guy is asking for advice, not a critique on his company or boss. Like he said, he knows to ask his boss for clarification (that's what they're there for), but his unavailable at the moment and the guy's just trying to get a head start on it.

[Balog]

Originally Posted by TechJunky

Wow, a lot of animosity towards business in here. While I find it frustrating on occasion, the "business jargon" a lot of times is worded that way for a reason. There are many instances in my job where I would think something should be worded one way, but it gets worded in a similar manner as to the OP's review, and it's usually because it becomes more of a catch-all and applies to multiple situations/positions/scenarios/whatever. In the end, it allows one form to be used for many people and positions as opposed to having dedicated forms to every position.

Telling the OP that his boss is a moron (even though there's a good chance he didn't write the form, merely gives it to the employees) and that this kind of wording is pointless and designed to make someone feel superior is not in any way useful or helpful. The guy is asking for advice, not a critique on his company or boss. Like he said, he knows to ask his boss for clarification (that's what they're there for), but his unavailable at the moment and the guy's just trying to get a head start on it.

You're a middle manager huh?

[Munjibunga]

It is indeed jargon, but I think it means how to use circumstances to maximize the impact of your actions or performance. How can you get the most effect out of your customer service activities? For example, maybe you can make follow-up communications to customers you have served (email or phone), to check on their satisfaction. Then you can leverage that call into asking if there's anything else you can do for them (or sell them). Sweetwater does this all the time.

You may want to focus your answer on this type of thing; you know, developing relationships with customers so they don't want to go anywhere else. You become their "trusted sales associate," enabling you to upsell them more easily.

Keep in mind that the better the company does, the more likely it is that you will do better, too. An "me vs. them" attitude in the workplace usually leads to an early dismissal. If the company perceives that you have their best interests at heart, you will be treated preferentially. If not, you should go elsewhere.

[Pilgrim]

I would ask what the jargon means. Probably in those words.