sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,578
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
|
Post by sharlag on Jul 2, 2014 14:49:27 GMT
have the philosophy that some people just are NOT detail oriented, when they don't do a thorough, accurate job at a task?
Is it because they're strengths lie elsewhere, or just that they aren't careful/don't give a shit?
|
|
|
Post by disneypal on Jul 2, 2014 14:51:05 GMT
Even if you are not detail-oriented, that is not an excuse for doing a poor job, so yes, I think saying that you did a bad job because you are not detail-oriented is a cop out.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 20, 2024 4:12:26 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2014 14:52:09 GMT
I think there are certainly different skill levels and beliefs in what "detail" really means, but yes, for the most part I think anyone capable of performing a job should be capable of doing it properly - and that means taking care of whatever details are necessary to do it well.
|
|
grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
|
Post by grinningcat on Jul 2, 2014 14:57:14 GMT
I am a detail oriented person, so people who don't pay attention to details drive me crazy. Seriously, half the time I'm wondering how some people can miss details. Particularly the ones that practically leap out and smack you in the face. I've noticed that some people just don't care to do things right, paying attention to all the details that need to be addressed.
Not being detail oriented is not an excuse for doing a poor job. Either do it right or don't do it at all. I get so frustrated with people who think that the details don't matter and that they can just half ass everything. Have some bloody ownership in your work and do it right. The first time.
|
|
gloryjoy
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,332
Jun 26, 2014 12:35:32 GMT
|
Post by gloryjoy on Jul 2, 2014 14:58:19 GMT
If you're talking about my kids or husband then I'll go with the "don't give a crap".
Otherwise I think for some people they just don't think that way.
|
|
|
Post by *christine* on Jul 2, 2014 15:00:12 GMT
I think people definitely have different strengths and weaknesses. Some people would never be able to pull off a large scale event because they don't have that focus on the details, yet they have the creativity to set up and plan the bigger picture...theme, etc. I can execute, but I can't come up with ideas to save my life.
|
|
|
Post by ferblover on Jul 2, 2014 15:01:53 GMT
AGGGHHHHHHHH! This is timely for me! My husband uses that excuse ALL. OF.THE. DAMN.TIME when it comes to multi-tasking and details. I get to be the mean mom because he can't see the kids getting up from the table and not eating because he is too busy eating and you know, he can't multi task. WHAT? Last night I am the one making them going to bed and yelling about how late it is, but does he bother to get up and help? Nope, because you know, he is eating a popsicle.Outside watering the plants last night and the kids are screaming. Does he hear? Nope, too busy watering to hear them, can't multi task. I went away for a weekend and he sends me a picture of the kids. I write back, do you know our DD has her clothes on backwards? How was he supposed to know a detail like the tag on the dress!! He had to supervise 2 kids getting dressed you know. Sorry, didn't mean to vent on your thread, it was a bad night, So, in answer to your question I believe it is a cop out and an easy excuse that people use to get out of "trouble" and it has worked eel for them in the past.
|
|
msliz
Drama Llama
The Procrastinator
Posts: 6,419
Jun 26, 2014 21:32:34 GMT
|
Post by msliz on Jul 2, 2014 15:03:42 GMT
DH and I are opposites this way. He gives 100% to each task, but he does so at the exclusion of everything else.
I rarely have the luxury of time to devote myself like that to any project. I juggle everything he can afford to ignore in order to manage our lives. And quite often things have to be done half-assed. There are good and bad aspects to both of these approaches.
It's a matter of prioritizing. Some things are just more important than others, and they deserve more attention, more detail, whether a person describes as "detail oriented" or not. So, yes, "not detail oriented" is a cop-out.
|
|
back to *pea*ality
Pearl Clutcher
Not my circus, not my monkeys ~refugee pea #59
Posts: 3,149
Jun 25, 2014 19:51:11 GMT
|
Post by back to *pea*ality on Jul 2, 2014 15:06:28 GMT
I am a detailed oriented person - just wired that way. I work in a profession where that quality is expected.
I expect that as a consumer but it is so lacking in customer service today. You can bank on the fact that an issue will not be resolved with the first phone call. Trying to reach a human being in the United States is almost impossible.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 20, 2024 4:12:26 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2014 15:07:17 GMT
It really depends, both on the person and on the kind of work.
My strengths are much more in the "big picture" realm. Being detail oriented is something I *can* be, but I don't particularly enjoy and it's not my strongest suit. If I have to do detail work on a tight timeframe, chances are good that it won't be as thorough as someone who is more inclined to be detail-oriented. It's not because I don't give a shit, it's because it takes me longer to get through something with that kind of focus, because it's not as natural for me. If I'm not allowed the time I need, my end result won't be the best it could be, but not for lack of effort. I very literally may not even notice something that is obvious to someone with different skills, because I am trying to meet a too-short-for-me deadline.
I've come to realize over the years that naturally detail-oriented people don't understand that at all. They often assume that if I don't see/catch/do something, it's because I didn't try. Not true. And I'm sure there are things they don't understand about the way I work.
Now, all that is very different from being cavalier about it - like being detail-oriented just don't matter. That's not cool. I know it matters and I care about the quality of my work, so I always try to have enough time to do a good job on something that requires a lot of detail. Or, I delegate something if I know someone else will do it better.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 20, 2024 4:12:26 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2014 15:07:54 GMT
This thread reminds me of a saying from the lab my DH did his graduate work in: If a job isn't worth doing, it's not worth doing properly.
|
|
lindas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,267
Jun 26, 2014 5:46:37 GMT
|
Post by lindas on Jul 2, 2014 15:08:57 GMT
I think it's more about not having an interest or not being important to them. I'm pretty good about details but if I'm doing something that I have no interest in the amount of detail I put into it is diminished.
|
|
|
Post by giatocj on Jul 2, 2014 15:10:57 GMT
Different people have different strengths, but that doesn't give them a free pass to do substandard work in an area that they are "not good at". So yeah, I would say it's a cop out to use that as an excuse.
|
|
|
Post by scrapsuzy on Jul 2, 2014 15:15:39 GMT
I think it is a cop-out, because I think any person who says they aren't "detail oriented" is, if it is something they care about. For instance, my dh is very detail-oriented in just about everything he does. But when he cleans the house, the house looks clean, but the details that I care about may have been overlooked. (In that case, though, I never complain, because he does the housework, I don't, and the details I care about are not that important in the big scheme of things like... he is doing the housework!) I really have never pointed it out to him. The only time it even really matters to me is when we have people coming over.
|
|
huskergal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,215
Jun 25, 2014 20:22:13 GMT
|
Post by huskergal on Jul 2, 2014 15:25:40 GMT
Like others, I think everyone has different strengths; however, if you are expected to complete a task, you have to overcome the weakness and get it done correctly. I am also not a planner. The detail part of events do not concern me. When I planned my wedding, I didn't care about what went on tables and decorations and all that. Place, date and dress were the only major details that concerned me. The next level would be bridesmaids/dresses, groomsmen/tuxes, music, flowers. The other stuff was a chore and a headache, and I really didn't care.
|
|
miyooper2b
Full Member
Posts: 331
Location: Central Indiana
Jun 27, 2014 15:38:05 GMT
|
Post by miyooper2b on Jul 2, 2014 15:32:49 GMT
I work with my MIL. Love her to death but she drives me crazy because she does sloppy work. She's been here three years and she still screws up the simplest tasks. When I gently point it out she always says she double checks her work (yea, right) or that "it's so confusing". Really? Everyone else gets it but you.
I think her strength lies in other places and it's not in this office. (Why she is here is a long story that probably needs its own thread).
Some days I think she could do a better job and she just does not care. But after three years I am beginning to think she just is incapably of understanding our processes. If she weren't my MIL I would have let her go long ago.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 20, 2024 4:12:26 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2014 15:51:52 GMT
I think some people just don't think that way. Others don't care and use it as a cop-out. I notice things all the time. DH cruises through life without even noticing that our neighbor had a baby, but he pays attention to every little thing on his plans that he designs for work.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 20, 2024 4:12:26 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2014 16:04:04 GMT
have the philosophy that some people just are NOT detail oriented, when they don't do a thorough, accurate job at a task? Is it because they're strengths lie elsewhere, or just that they aren't careful/don't give a shit? I think there are detail people and big-picture people. People who are detailed generally get so wrapped up in the details they don't see their own weakness at missing the big picture. It takes both kinds of people to keep things moving forward. It also takes knowing your personal strenghts. If you aren't detailed oriented don't take a job that requires you to be so. I also believe people assign the need to be detailed oriented to positions that aren't detail oriented. Customer service doesn't require a high degree of being detail oriented but it does require a high degree of people oriented skills. A person can be detail oriented but lack people skills necessery to effectively communicate what they see about the details particularly when the customer isn't going to like the outcome. If they can't do an accurate job they are in the wrong job. period. But I don't think it is a cop-out. It is just one of those traits that being detail oriented gets glorified over being a visionary. Much like being extroverted gets glorified over being an introvert even though both should have a place in society.
|
|
|
Post by anonrefugee on Jul 2, 2014 16:07:30 GMT
I can't wait to read responses and gain insight.
I am very detail oriented, but believe all situations are not equal. For example, my MB posts are often rambling and I let autofill alter my texts. Casual circumstances merit casual action, as long as point is clear.
This drives DH nuts, because he knows I've worked as an editor.
|
|
garcia5050
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,763
Location: So. Calif.
Jun 25, 2014 23:22:29 GMT
|
Post by garcia5050 on Jul 2, 2014 16:22:36 GMT
Yes, it's a cop out. I'm talking more about work-related stuff. If you are in a job where the details matter, then the employee needs to figure out a way to deal with those details. Otherwise, they need to be reprimanded. There should be no excuses. If the job isn't for you, then leave. We've had a few employees leave because they couldn't handle volumes or our process. I respect someone who volunteers to leave because they realize they are in the wrong job. Now at home, I don't care about dust, and it just kills my husband. But everything is in its proper place. Just don't look too close.
|
|
back to *pea*ality
Pearl Clutcher
Not my circus, not my monkeys ~refugee pea #59
Posts: 3,149
Jun 25, 2014 19:51:11 GMT
|
Post by back to *pea*ality on Jul 2, 2014 16:31:25 GMT
Being detailed oriented does not mean you are unable to take a big picture approach - they are not mutually exclusive.
Moving up the ladder and with it having more responsibilities and direct reports requires more organization and attention to details are important at a higher level. Having direct reports who are proficient with the smaller details is important because at the end of the day, if someone screws up it is still on you. Alt least that is the way it used to be in corporate America. Glad to be semi-retired, with a job I enjoy without any staff.
|
|
|
Post by heartland on Jul 2, 2014 16:50:43 GMT
Nodding my head along with so many points brought up here already. I am a detail oriented person, and I know it serves me very well in my job - which is accounting related. Believe me, working with all those numbers you better be able to sort them out and nit-pick, or you're just gonna have a big old mess lol. However I tend to get very frustrated sometimes because I am usually the last stop so to speak, and it is my find those nit-picky little details, or "proof things out". I mean it's my job to do that, but sometimes I would have a lot less work to do if other people did their jobs properly to begin with, kwim?
|
|
|
Post by compwalla on Jul 2, 2014 17:24:56 GMT
I don't know if 'detail-oriented' even means anything. What is it? Paying attention to the smallest things until they are correct? Isn't that perfectionism? Does it mean not being sloppy? Like checking your grammar before you send the email? Shouldn't everyone at work already being doing this? Not doing it doesn't mean you're not detail-oriented; it just means you're unprofessional.
|
|
|
Post by mollycoddle on Jul 2, 2014 18:33:11 GMT
It really depends, both on the person and on the kind of work. My strengths are much more in the "big picture" realm. Being detail oriented is something I *can* be, but I don't particularly enjoy and it's not my strongest suit. If I have to do detail work on a tight timeframe, chances are good that it won't be as thorough as someone who is more inclined to be detail-oriented. It's not because I don't give a shit, it's because it takes me longer to get through something with that kind of focus, because it's not as natural for me. If I'm not allowed the time I need, my end result won't be the best it could be, but not for lack of effort. I very literally may not even notice something that is obvious to someone with different skills, because I am trying to meet a too-short-for-me deadline. I've come to realize over the years that naturally detail-oriented people don't understand that at all. They often assume that if I don't see/catch/do something, it's because I didn't try. Not true. And I'm sure there are things they don't understand about the way I work. Now, all that is very different from being cavalier about it - like being detail-oriented just don't matter. That's not cool. I know it matters and I care about the quality of my work, so I always try to have enough time to do a good job on something that requires a lot of detail. Or, I delegate something if I know someone else will do it better. ^^^^this. I am a big picture, "I have an idea"person. I can focus on details for awhile, but it is stressful. I am lucky enough to work with people who are detail oriented, and that partnership works very well.
|
|
|
Post by birukitty on Jul 2, 2014 19:04:38 GMT
I'm very detail oriented. But I don't think it's a cop out if you aren't. I think people have strength's lie in different areas. I was lucky enough to choose my career field (wedding photography 20 years ago) in a field where being detail orientated was a huge advantage. Can you imagine the opposite for a photographer who isn't and can't remember the details on a day where things are moving at such a hectic pace-you have to get the shot or it's gone. Someone who is fumbling with details would be a disaster.
As I said, I think people have strengths in different areas. A wise person chooses a career which matches her strengths and passions.
Debbie in MD.
|
|
|
Post by anonrefugee on Jul 3, 2014 11:25:11 GMT
I don't know if 'detail-oriented' even means anything. What is it? Paying attention to the smallest things until they are correct? Isn't that perfectionism? Does it mean not being sloppy? Like checking your grammar before you send the email? Shouldn't everyone at work already being doing this? Not doing it doesn't mean you're not detail-oriented; it just means you're unprofessional. Agreed! There's a difference between detailed-oriented tasks and baseline activities. Like Heartland's example, people downstream need to do their jobs.
|
|
|
Post by fkawitchypea on Jul 3, 2014 11:28:29 GMT
This is me. I definitely complete the job, but I hate doing it. Thank goodness there are people who work for me who take care of these things and I can focus on big picture items.
|
|
|
Post by Scrapbrat on Jul 3, 2014 12:04:58 GMT
Sure, I think to some extent it's a cop out. Many things requiire a level of attention to detail and even if it isn't your strength, you need to find a way to get it done. Stuff at work is a good example. You can't just do a half assed job and plead that you aren't detail oriented.
I think people saying they have no filter is somewhat similar. A lot of times, it's just an excuse to be rude. I get that some people are naturally inclined to blurt things out, but as adults, we need to figure out when it's important to put on that filter and follow social conventions.
|
|
Rainbow
Pearl Clutcher
Where salt is in the air and sand is at my feet...
Posts: 4,103
Jun 26, 2014 5:57:41 GMT
|
Post by Rainbow on Jul 3, 2014 12:45:35 GMT
I don't necessarily agree with most of this thread, LOL. Some people have difficulty with the details because their brain may work differently than yours. I recently found out that I have ADHD, and details escape me a lot. Even when I try very hard. Just a thought.
|
|
JustTricia
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,842
Location: Indianapolis
Jul 2, 2014 17:12:39 GMT
|
Post by JustTricia on Jul 3, 2014 12:50:54 GMT
Just because something jumps off the page to you doesn't mean it jumps off the page to me. Everyone is different, and everyone sees things differently. I will read an article that is work related and what jumps out to me is the incorrect grammar or syntax, and the person next to me won't notice that at all, but will notice the incorrect information in it, which I hadn't noticed. It's the way we are wired.
Now, I also workED with a guy (notice that's past tense) who tripled my work because he was "too busy" to fill out applications fully (easy, same questions on each). What I should have had for less than an hour would go back and forth for two weeks because he refused to take the time. That "too busy" and "I don't get them" was a cop out.
|
|