[nabs-l] Efficiency and Productivity

[Steve Jacobson]

I would like to urge some caution when considering the role of one's output
on the job.  While it is true that one's personal value consists of more
than one's efficiency and output, those are part of one's personal value.
An employer is not going to be happy with you if you consistently miss
deadlines.  Some employers might cut you some slack if they see improvement,
and certainly nobody is as efficient when they start a job than they will
become later, blind or sighted.  There is a balance between being so hard on
yourself for not being able to do things as efficiently as a sighted
co-worker and ignoring efficiency completely.  The phrase "Working at your
own pace" can mean different things to different people.  Believe me,
sighted people in today's jobs feel pressure to work faster than they are
comfortable working, too.  I see my sighted co-workers working evenings very
often.  If one sees an area in which one just can't gain the efficiency one
might like, one has to look for other areas where one can offset that lack
of efficiency, or sometimes being willing to work longer hours.  

I don't claim there are magic answers, and I certainly do not claim that I
am as efficient in every area as my sighted co-workers because I know I am
not.  What I am trying to convey is that one also can't just work at one's
own pace thinking that the attitude is enough, either, one has to think
about one's efficiency and how it can be improved most effectively.  Also,
there are jobs where output is most of the measure of one's value,
particularly in call center jobs, whether we like it or not.  One has to be
aware of the importance of efficiency and output in their particular
situation.  We can't assume in the long run that the ADA will guarantee us
the same pay if we are actually doing less.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson


-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Carly Mihalakis
via nabs-l
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2016 10:49 PM
To: Derek Manners <dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu>; National Association of
Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>; Rahul Bajaj
<rahul.bajaj1038 at gmail.com>; National Association of Blind Students mailing
list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Efficiency and Productivity

Evening, everyone,

Want to echo what Derek said, One's personal value ought not be 
defined by how fast, or how much output he produces on the job.
Car128/22/2014, Derek Manners via nabs-l wrote:
>Hello, I can definitely understand how you feel. I think there are 
>three things I'd keep in mind.
>
>1. Any new job takes time to get in a rhythm where you are getting 
>things done quickly.
>2. Practice makes perfect, just as any job takes time to learn, so 
>does using assistive tech.
>3. It's perfectly fine work at your own pace. Your goal should be to 
>do the best you can under the circumstances and just look for ways 
>to do better.  I work faster/hard than some of my sighted colleagues 
>and I work slower/less hard than others.  The main thing employers 
>want to see is improvement and a good attitude.
>
>Best
>Derek
>
>Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Aug 22, 2014, at 3:19 PM, Rahul Bajaj via nabs-l 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I often find it hard to maintain the same level of productivity 
> as my sighted colleagues. I guess this can primarily be attributed 
> to the fact that I have so far been merely a casual user of 
> assistive technology which is perhaps why I am not able to use it 
> as expeditiously as I should be able to in a professional setting.
> > That being said, my uniform experience has taught me that jaws is 
> often unresponsive and unreliable. This makes it virtually 
> impossible to work with the same level of efficiency as a sighted person.
> > Most blind students get double the time that their sighted 
> counterparts get for writing exams. However, this is not really a 
> feasible option in the private sector where you are not only 
> required to do your work well but are also expected to complete 
> your tasks expeditiously.
> > My inability to meet the latter requirement has often been a 
> source of frustration for me during my internships. My employers 
> have never raised any objections about my inability to complete the 
> same amount of work as my sighted counterparts within a given time 
> period. I guess this is reflective of the low expectations that 
> society has from blind people.
> > Be that as it may, this has greatly reduced my job satisfaction 
> and has been a major cause of concern.
> > I'd like to know what you guys think about this. Has anyone here 
> had a similar experience?
> > What strategies would you recommend for effectively grappling 
> with this challenge?
> >
> > Best,
> > Rahul
> >
> >
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
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