This morning I went to work for a full day sans children. That is a topic for another posting. This posting begins when I was walking in the front door of the MPS on this drizzly Monday morning. One of the facilities personnel was picking up a bundle of the prestigious
Daily Universe that had been carelessly tossed on the wet sidewalk. In my current state of mind I was prompted to say, "Whatever happened to caring about your job?" Honestly, couldn't they have found some piece of paper or a plastic bag to wrap the papers in? O.K. so the paper is free. So, it really doesn't contain much solid journalism. So the delivery person was just doing his "campus job" to help him pay for the education that will get him his "real job." It's the principle of the thing I'm tryin' to get at here. We all know the phrase "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." I think there's a general lazy attitude in the work place, particularly in minimum wage type jobs. (That is a generalization, because I have actually had some excellent service by someone who seems to really be enjoying his job at the KFC by the Albertson's where
CJane finally acquired her pumpkin pie.) You get what you pay for, you may say. But what about the phrase I've also read: "If it's not worth doing right, is it worth doing?" If you're going to do a job, do it right.
If you're not going to do it right, get out of the way and let someone else do it. I think Americans have become very spoiled and unappreciative of a job. "Maybe we need another depression to make people take pride in work again."
And that is what I said as I began my day at work.
4 comments:
The way I look at it is the lack of pride in one's work or complacency, results from the ease at which we live our lives. Almost everything comes to us without effort.
Children are given most everything they want. Chores around the house that are done, are hardly ever done for "pride of ownership", but usually for reward, mainly money. I remember asking my dad once about being paid when he was teaching me how to mow the lawn. He told me that he would not pay me and that I lived there too and I should help with the upkeep to be able to take pride in where we lived. I have tried to teach the same principle to my girls. I have never believed in allowance, yet my chibs always had the money to go and do the things they wanted.
People have become accustom to the government providing most everything to maintain life and in some cases undeservingly so.
Another saying that I have heard that I believe is true, "It is easier to vote yourself a living than it is to earn one". This too plays a part in the degradation of our country's ethics.
Most of us have not lived through hard times and therefore have very little appreciation for what we have. We live in an immediate gratification, play first work later, disposable society. Is it any wonder that our children are growing up to expect this and more as their birthright?
I am saddened to think at some point the piper will have to be paid.
Hillary,
Thanks so much for posting that picture of the guy at the drive thru.
I would take pride in my job if I were you because you my friend, have a fancy job (casting director) which is a job that I covet. Very much.
And your other job I covet EVEN MORE that of mother.
Lucky you.
I concur with the commentors ahead of me, but I would also like to add something I observed during my yearly evaluation here at the college. My supervisor made a full copy of my most recent evaluation, by this I mean that she left her instructions-on-rating-employees sheet attached. (Not hers, the school's general instructions...)
My boss is not very big on compliments, so I have always thought that my so-so evaluations, even though I put my heart and soul into my job most of the time, were just her way doing things. I was shocked to find that she has been rocking the boat where I am concerned! We are rated 1=poor, 2=fair, 3=average, 4=above average, and 5=excellent. I have received mostly 3s since I got here. According to the instruction sheet "employees are to receive 2s." Yes, you read that right, TWOs!!! FAIR...not even AVERAGE!!! If any supervisor rates an employee with anything else, they have to provide an explanation!!! I understand writing something for giving someone a 1 or a 5. Those are exeptional marks, but having to explain why an employee is AVERAGE????
After reading that I am only expected to work at a FAIR level, what incentive do I have to do better? All employees are given the same percentage raise (when the legislature decides there is money for it) no matter what kind of job they do, or how they do it. We'll only be given 2s, even if we do something wonderful. The system is dumbing us down.
Yes, as humans, because some of us DO think people notice when we take pride in our work...even if it is "only" the public we serve, we will do a better than "fair" job. However, it would be nice to have goals to reach for rather than be told, "We don't expect much of you." Maybe that is because they don't want anyone to expect much out of them!?! Hmmm...
Profound and frightening.
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