HOW DO WE PROVE WE’RE ‘GOOD ENOUGH’?

‘"We shouldn't have to prove we're good at our jobs by the number of hours we put in or how much we can push ourselves to the breaking point.”’ Elizabeth Rosenberg

‘… But in his role, he saw that every new person was trying to outwork the other person at his company. "Once one person started building that kind of workplace culture, another person would follow suit because they didn't want to be left behind. Everyone was trying to impress their respective bosses to try to get a raise or get that promotion.”’ Vincent Chan

Sound familiar? If you’ve been employed in North America, particularly by a bigger corporation, it probably does. It’s our ‘work ethic’.?

What began as a good thing i.e. wanting to deliver great products and excellent customer service, quicker than expected, and outshine our competitors because of it, has become a Frankenstein monster that seems intent on squeezing the life out of us.?

Unfortunately, this evolution has been fully supported by us, the workforce. It’s not entirely our fault, though. The American Dream has also evolved from the belief that we should strive for a free, happy and prosperous life (and by ‘prosperous’ I mean more than money alone,) to one where we see all this achieved by having titles, big paychecks and the ability to bask in luxury all around us. For this privilege we’ve committed ourselves to a life spent acquiring all this - at any cost.

But, is the cost too high? Can we afford it? Do we want to afford it?

As the article I linked above, with the quotes from people who’ve left their high-paying corporate jobs to walk their own road, points out, many are deciding that the cost is far too high. These are the fortunate ones who have the skills and experience to launch out on their own - and perhaps the funds, or lack of commitments, that make it easier. But what about those with the unglamorous jobs, the ones without the fancy titles, big paychecks, bright prospects and ‘golden handcuffs’?? The ones who have little financial backup and big responsibilities. Those who feel they cannot just ditch a paying job no matter how much it’s costing them.?

This isn’t an easy question to answer. Nor do I pretend to have the answer.?

The point I’m making is that I don’t think that this is the way it is supposed to be. To refer back to Elizabeth Rosenberg’s words, no, we shouldn’t have to prove that we’re good at our jobs by the number of hours worked, or how close to breakdown we can push ourselves. That’s not how humans are designed to function. That’s why I don’t believe that this is how it’s supposed to be.?

In case you think I’m being ‘pie-in-the-sky’ unrealistic, let me give you just one real-life example of several I’ve seen lately.

I’d like to introduce you to Chad Gono of Regal Plastics Supply Company Inc.? A leader who is proving that this is not how it has to be either. His tagline is “Work Doesn’t Have to Suck!” If you’re not connected with him, or following him on LinkedIn, I’d encourage you to do so. He’s pretty inspiring.

Here are links to just a couple of his posts that you might want to read:

“Since 2017, we have added $30,000,000 in top line revenue organically to our 52 year old company. But how we did it was surprising…. ”

And this one:?

“I heard a story about a company that would track the # of minutes sales employees spent on the phone. ”

I think that when we really investigate, we’ll find that there are dozens of leaders today who think the same way.?

Leaders who are proving that “Work Doesn’t Have to Suck!” But, these leaders are probably not being showcased in Forbes, or Inc., or Business Insider, or any of the other big name business publications, yet.?

You know why? They’re not all about themselves. They’re all about their people. Those are the kinds of leaders we should aspire to be. Our organizations should be inspirations to other leaders and attractive to both employees and customers because of how we do business and how we treat people.?

I know that there are those leaders who’d like to be like that, but feel that it’s unrealistic. Perhaps the old ‘command and control’ culture is too deeply ingrained. But, if you take a look at Chad’s situation, his company is 52 years old and he only took over as CEO in 2017.

When you think about it, there's a lot to be said for his approach. Like how many people we can positively impact. What it will do for us personally - because, let’s face it, doing good makes us feel good too! Not to mention, that doing good also means we can be comfortable knowing that we’ve maintained our integrity and self-respect.?

Why don’t we take a lesson from Marketing? ?

In Marketing, when times are tough, those who increase marketing efforts more gain more market share, and accelerate growth, and end up way ahead of competitors when times improve.

In the current business environment, there’s a great dissatisfaction with the status quo as far as working conditions are concerned. So when times are ‘bad’ - think the #GreatResignation - organizations who treat people well are beacons of hope. They're able to attract great employees who are tired of being ‘cogs in the wheel of business’. These organizations end up stronger, more stable, more innovative, and in a far better position than their competitors, even when times are tough, and especially when times improve.

Something to think about!

It’s something Optevo can help you with, by ensuring that your, and your employees, work lives don’t become your life’s work. So you have more time for life. Because, as Chad points out in many of his posts, “Measure and reward results, not hours worked.”

What do you think? If you’re a leader, are you following Chad’s example? If you’re an employee, are your leaders following it?? If not, what would it take to do so??

#Engagement #LoveWhatYouDo