Work Ethic part one
So it's been a while since my last post, and I've been thinking, a lot, about work ethic and jobs vs careers. So, here's my thoughts on all that.
I currently work in customer service, and there are plenty of times when I wonder if I'm the only one I work with that has more than an ounce of work ethic. I mean, I can see what needs to be done and make time in my shift to actually get it done. But most people are smarter than I am....they can see what needs to be done, figure out how to do it half-assed, so they know that no one will ask them to do it again. If they do it wrong enough times, they know that no one will ask them to do it. They know that someone else will eventually break down and do it for them. We all know what needs to be done, and no one does it.
When did it become normal to spend more time trying to figure out ways to get out of doing the work, instead of actually just going and doing the work?
When did it become normal to pass the buck on things and just assume someone else will do it?
I was raised to actually behave better in public than I do at home. And these people.....they would rather stand in one place for 8 hours and complain about their feet hurting, than actually moving around and doing their job description! If you don't do laundry, you don't have clean clothes, right? You don't have a laundry fairy that comes in at midnight and magically washes all your clothes and folds and puts it all away. (I know we all wish we did!) The same goes for work...if you don't clean the counters, there isn't a cleaning fairy that comes in and does it for you. (Unless I work with you, then it's usually me picking up after everyone, customers and co-workers alike)
Most of the time it doesn't bother me, because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I hate standing still with nothing to do. So I try to find something to do, wiping counters, making coffee, stocking shelves, something. Anything. But why am I the only one who does it? Why can't anyone else see that there's garbage on the floor and pick it up? Why must they leave it there for 8 hours and then act offended when someone says "Go pick that up! You can't see that?!"
When did it become the usual for people to do the bare minimum and still expect to get raises and move up within the company? I bust my ass for the pay I get, and most days, I seriously consider quitting at least 3 or 4 times in my shift. Because I'm the one who runs around doing everything while everyone else stands still and wonders why I look so hot and tired and crabby by the time I go home.
I'm not the type of person who just leaves it be. I see that something needs to be done, and I go do it. Now, don't get me wrong....I spent plenty of years of my life doing what most people are doing now. Just sitting around and being lazy at work, doing the minimum to stay off the boss's bad side and off the radar. But something happened about 2 years ago....I don't know what, exactly. I can't put my finger on it. But it is almost like someone flipped a switch and I woke up with a work ethic.
I spent a lot of my childhood being told that I didn't need to do anything because I was a girl and there would always be someone there to do it for me. Well, that's not the case at all. I'm sure there are some girls out there that can use their feminine wiles to get people to do things for them, but I can't. I've tried and believe me, it doesn't work. I don't know how to make it work. I'm not the type of girl who can just bat her eyes and men fall at her feet. I"m not pretty enough or smart enough or something enough. Besides, I don't need a man to do things for me. Except kill spiders and open glass jars.
I currently work in customer service, and there are plenty of times when I wonder if I'm the only one I work with that has more than an ounce of work ethic. I mean, I can see what needs to be done and make time in my shift to actually get it done. But most people are smarter than I am....they can see what needs to be done, figure out how to do it half-assed, so they know that no one will ask them to do it again. If they do it wrong enough times, they know that no one will ask them to do it. They know that someone else will eventually break down and do it for them. We all know what needs to be done, and no one does it.
When did it become normal to spend more time trying to figure out ways to get out of doing the work, instead of actually just going and doing the work?
When did it become normal to pass the buck on things and just assume someone else will do it?
I was raised to actually behave better in public than I do at home. And these people.....they would rather stand in one place for 8 hours and complain about their feet hurting, than actually moving around and doing their job description! If you don't do laundry, you don't have clean clothes, right? You don't have a laundry fairy that comes in at midnight and magically washes all your clothes and folds and puts it all away. (I know we all wish we did!) The same goes for work...if you don't clean the counters, there isn't a cleaning fairy that comes in and does it for you. (Unless I work with you, then it's usually me picking up after everyone, customers and co-workers alike)
Most of the time it doesn't bother me, because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I hate standing still with nothing to do. So I try to find something to do, wiping counters, making coffee, stocking shelves, something. Anything. But why am I the only one who does it? Why can't anyone else see that there's garbage on the floor and pick it up? Why must they leave it there for 8 hours and then act offended when someone says "Go pick that up! You can't see that?!"
When did it become the usual for people to do the bare minimum and still expect to get raises and move up within the company? I bust my ass for the pay I get, and most days, I seriously consider quitting at least 3 or 4 times in my shift. Because I'm the one who runs around doing everything while everyone else stands still and wonders why I look so hot and tired and crabby by the time I go home.
I'm not the type of person who just leaves it be. I see that something needs to be done, and I go do it. Now, don't get me wrong....I spent plenty of years of my life doing what most people are doing now. Just sitting around and being lazy at work, doing the minimum to stay off the boss's bad side and off the radar. But something happened about 2 years ago....I don't know what, exactly. I can't put my finger on it. But it is almost like someone flipped a switch and I woke up with a work ethic.
I spent a lot of my childhood being told that I didn't need to do anything because I was a girl and there would always be someone there to do it for me. Well, that's not the case at all. I'm sure there are some girls out there that can use their feminine wiles to get people to do things for them, but I can't. I've tried and believe me, it doesn't work. I don't know how to make it work. I'm not the type of girl who can just bat her eyes and men fall at her feet. I"m not pretty enough or smart enough or something enough. Besides, I don't need a man to do things for me. Except kill spiders and open glass jars.
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