22 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

No real judgements here.... can understand varying answers depending on where you are in life, overall job satisfaction, etc...  just curious... 

 

How would you rate you work ethic?

 

Are you a grinder?

 

Do you coast?

 

It boggles my mind how many people in leadership positions of companies (maybe because they worked to get to those spots) just do the absolute bare minimum. 

[You Play to Win the Game]

I'm somewhere in between. I don't like to get punished for efficiency. I'm in a leadership role, and have been doing what I do for several years so I can easily knock out work that takes people 40 hours in 15-20. I don't feel guilty about that. I also always make myself available to jump in and help with things on the fly and coach and counsel. I don't, however, see the point in grinding just to grind. That is where too much of our identities get wrapped up in our careers, which isn't healthy or particularly productive.

One thing I always advise grinders who are up and coming into leadership roles, is never forget how you felt seeing your manager do so little, and be the change you want to see. That goes both ways, too. So if you get to take a liberty or two because of efficiency and efficacy, make sure you're affording your people the same luxury, turn it into a motivational tool. We have a great session on that during my leadership training program that I built and facilitate.

[Old Man]

One thing that I learned over the years as a manager. Lead by example.

 

Know the damn job you are managing your people for and show them, you do know how to do the job by jumping in and getting things done. They will respect you for it.

 

Nothing wrong with hard work, but nothing wrong with looking at your process and figuring out a better way of doing things, either.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I'm somewhere in between. I don't like to get punished for efficiency. I'm in a leadership role, and have been doing what I do for several years so I can easily knock out work that takes people 40 hours in 15-20. I don't feel guilty about that. I also always make myself available to jump in and help with things on the fly and coach and counsel. I don't, however, see the point in grinding just to grind. That is where too much of our identities get wrapped up in our careers, which isn't healthy or particularly productive.

One thing I always advise grinders who are up and coming into leadership roles, is never forget how you felt seeing your manager do so little, and be the change you want to see. That goes both ways, too. So if you get to take a liberty or two because of efficiency and efficacy, make sure you're affording your people the same luxury, turn it into a motivational tool. We have a great session on that during my leadership training program that I built and facilitate.

Efficiency is more attractive to me that unnecessary grinding.  But that conversation is a little different. 

If you can be efficient and productive and work less.... more power to you, that's great and ideal. 

 

But there are awful lot of people who are A) Inefficient, B) Unproductive, C) Just Lazy

 

Re: Identity tied to work / careers...  depends on what you want and value I think.  Probably should always be a component, and not all encompassing, but if people find enjoyment / satisfaction from their jobs... no problem with them pouring as much as they can into it. 

Last paragraph is great. Yes, be the change you want.  Treat people how you'd like to be treated.  

[BSLChrisStoner]

One thing that I learned over the years as a manager. Lead by example.

 

Know the damn job you are managing your people for and show them, you do know how to do the job by jumping in and getting things done. They will respect you for it.

 

Nothing wrong with hard work, but nothing wrong with looking at your process and figuring out a better way of doing things, either.

Yep, lead by example.  Definitely. 

And it's amazing how many leaders (as defined by title, not actions) are unaware of what their subordinates do. 

[Old Man]

Yep, lead by example.  Definitely. 

And it's amazing how many leaders (as defined by title, not actions) are unaware of what their subordinates do. 

Its back to the old philosophy, promote the people who cant do anything to the manager spot.

 

Sometimes the manager has lofty ambitions and their nose is so far up their boss's butt crack, they are not doing the job they were put in place to do.

 

You also have to be fair and equal across the board, you cant have pet favorites, held accountable to a diff set of standards.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Its back to the old philosophy, promote the people who cant do anything to the manager spot.

 

Sometimes the manager has lofty ambitions and their nose is so far up their boss's butt crack, they are not doing the job they were put in place to do.

 

You also have to be fair and equal across the board, you cant have pet favorites, held accountable to a diff set of standards.

That's the worst, when "leaders" only do quality work in the "this is what the executives will see" category, but don't ever actually DO much of anything. It's an easy game to play, most executives are too busy or caught up in their own crap to see it when it's being played. But the worker bees see it, and it's hard to repair that type of thing. 

[Mike B]

No real judgements here.... can understand varying answers depending on where you are in life, overall job satisfaction, etc...  just curious... 

 

How would you rate you work ethic?

 

Are you a grinder?

 

Do you coast?

 

It boggles my mind how many people in leadership positions of companies (maybe because they worked to get to those spots) just do the absolute bare minimum. 

I used to work for a company, and a good one, who got into trouble.because their upper management seemed to think the definition of Vice president was to get promoted and get rid of your work load.  It took the company down.  

I have run a company for the last 11 years, and I have always tried to keep my hands in to the daily work.  I like to think I am a grinder and am proud of that term.

 

My Dad came out of the war in 1945, and missed one work day in 38 years.  (6 days a week, 10-12 hours a day).

I have worked 40 years and missed 3 days.  

[Mike in STL]

I think I’m a product of my environment. When I was in the FD the guys on my shift and the two officers in my house were go getters. We would train often. We did the things you are supposed to do daily. We worked pretty hard during normal work hours and would get our rest if the time permitted at night in between taking emergency calls.

I’ve also done a few shift swaps if I needed a certain day off, or was detailed to work at a different house once in a while, and have been on a shift where it’s breakfast at 7. Coffee and newspaper from 8-noon. Lunch. Nap from 1-4. Talk about dinner. Dinner at 6. Sleep til shift change. Take calls when necessary. I’m not one to ruffle feathers, I’m damn sure not going to be the only person with a broom in my hand cleaning around everyone chilling, so I sat around the kitchen and relaxed as well.

Not sure if being a product of your environment is a good thing, other than it makes you a team player and easy to get along with cause you go with the flow, whatever the flow is.

Now I do find that in school every class has a group project (which I hate) and being 35 I’m usually the only adult in the group. I feel out my group members, but I’m always the one taking the reigns at some point and having to delegate specific things to people or else it’ll get done half assed at 11:59 if its due at 12.

[SBTarheel]

I think I have a strong work ethic, I've worked 7 Days a week for the last 24 years, except when there was a global pandemic and there were no sports for 4 months. 

 

It helps that I have always liked my job, and love sports. 

[The Epic]

I grind, but I don't expect others to, or penalize them if they don't.

 

My grandfather and a couple of other people I look up to always said that making myself available is the easiest way to get a leg up on people. Don't spread yourself thin, but if you need something from someone in Japan, end your day early and then sign back on at 11pm to get what you need. Do the crap nobody wants to do, and let them know you did it. At my job, we literally stopped outsourcing things because I said, "crap, I can do that"...and it turns into more money for me, and I'm less dispensable. I'm winning both ways. 

 

It's worked for me for quite some time, especially working as a Black man in a Big Corporation. Gotta set yourself apart somehow, and you want to set yourself apart from the "minority hire" stigma that so many people have.

 

My grandfather was the first black foreman at Bethlehem Steel (I think I may have told this story) and worked insane hours for decades for a pension that...unfortunately never came. But the goal was there, and that work ethic is contagious. 

[Mike in STL]

I think I have a strong work ethic, I've worked 7 Days a week for the last 24 years, except when there was a global pandemic and there were no sports for 4 months.

It helps that I have always liked my job, and love sports.

If you love your job it’s not work. I hope to be in that position one day.

[Russ]

I work 60 hours a week and I work hard and effectively.   I pick up slack, I get the things done that nobody wants to do or that have fell through the cracks and I am really good at my primary job.  And no BS, the best thing I bring to work and the work environment is a positive attitude.  Not that I think I'm in any kind of jeopardy, but it's a lot easier to get rid of someone who is no fun being around.

[The Epic]

If you love your job it’s not work. I hope to be in that position one day.

 

I've always felt the opposite, although I know I'm on an island here. 

 

I -love- sports, but if I made it my job, I think I'd love it less. And then my primary escape would be gone as well. Seth is absolutely built different and I respect that, but if I had that job it would be a -lot- harder for me to sit back with a cigar and listen to a one-off game. 

 

(Delete this if it's too much, but...) It's like people who work in "those types of movies" for a career. I'd think that it would be harder to...do it without the cameras...purely as some sort of stress relief. Wouldn't it feel like taking work home with you?

[SBTarheel]

If you love your job it’s not work. I hope to be in that position one day.

To be fair, it's not like I'm digging ditches, I'm talking about sports and gambling all day!! 

[SBTarheel]

I've always felt the opposite, although I know I'm on an island here. 

 

I -love- sports, but if I made it my job, I think I'd love it less. And then my primary escape would be gone as well. Seth is absolutely built different and I respect that, but if I had that job it would be a -lot- harder for me to sit back with a cigar and listen to a one-off game. 

 

(Delete this if it's too much, but...) It's like people who work in "those types of movies" for a career. I'd think that it would be harder to...do it without the cameras...purely as some sort of stress relief. Wouldn't it feel like taking work home with you?

Doing what I do definitely has made me less of a fan of any particular Football team, that's for sure. I never was super into it anyway, but literally every Saturday and Sunday from September-February I root for a different set of teams. So this makes a ton of sense actually. 

[BSLRoseKatz]

I can't give an answer for my work ethic for a fulltime job yet, but by the start of junior year for college I'd always go to the library if I felt I needed to productive, no temptations of playing the PS4/chatting with roomates/etc. Made a difference to me mentally telling myself "you left your apartment to do work, now start doing work" 

[BobPhelan]

I work hard when I’m working but my wife will tell you I can be lazy at home. She’s not wrong, I like to relax, but when I do something I take pride in doing a good job at it.

[Mike in STL]

I've always felt the opposite, although I know I'm on an island here. 

 

I -love- sports, but if I made it my job, I think I'd love it less. And then my primary escape would be gone as well. Seth is absolutely built different and I respect that, but if I had that job it would be a -lot- harder for me to sit back with a cigar and listen to a one-off game. 

 

(Delete this if it's too much, but...) It's like people who work in "those types of movies" for a career. I'd think that it would be harder to...do it without the cameras...purely as some sort of stress relief. Wouldn't it feel like taking work home with you?

I get that. Like I highly doubt on a random Tuesday, Tiger Woods is teeing off with some old friends, drinking some Bud Lights, waiting patiently for them to three putt for triple bogey every other hole.  "Sorry fellas. I've played 4 times this week. The wife says I got chores to do."

[Pedro Cerrano]

I do what is asked of me extremely efficiently. If that means that I have a decent amount of free time “on the clock” so be it