Is work ethic shrinking or is it just me?
Hi readers. I hope you enjoyed my series on business planning. For this week I have chosen a topic that is something I am very passionate about and am looking to get some interaction from you on. It has to do with the younger generation of workers in the world and work ethic. By younger generation, I mean people working between the ages of 18 and 35.
As a young executive and entrepreneur, I have strong ethics about work performance, behavior and attitudes. I believe that to make it in business you have got to start from the bottom and work your way up. Sometimes working your way up means taking a job you may not like in a business but you know that if you do your job with excellence you will move up. I believe that the work day is meant for working, not chatting with your friends, shopping online or instant messaging. I believe that a raise must be earned - that a raise is based upon what you have produced, not what you think you might produce or what you might produce some day. As a college graduate, I believe education is so important; however, in business, an education does not guarantee you a six figure salary upon graduation, let alone a high salary if you have zero experience in the field you are going into.
In college, I worked in the student union where I answered phones and gave people directions. This was an all together boring job, but I had to work. Before I completed my degree, I worked as an intern at BusinessCoach.com doing a lot of miscellaneous work. I sacrificed to take the pay in college units instead of money for the first 3 months. While my friends were shopping, traveling and playing, I was building my career. I worked late when I needed to. I came in on weekends if that's what it took. I did not go to the President and tell him I needed a raise. Instead, I worked my butt off. The President came to me and said I deserved a raise. I didn't mess around on the internet or make calls to my family/friends. 5 years later I am part owner and a top executive here because I have done what it takes.
I have stated all of this to ask a question that has been on my mind for some time: what has happened to the work ethic of younger business people? Now I am not in any way saying that ALL young business people do not have a strong work ethic. I know many young people who do whatever it takes. However, I seem to hear more and more concerns on radio and TV programs, in articles and from business leaders about the work ethic of younger business people. What is the deal?
Thanks,
On another note: From here on out you will continue to see some unique changes to the blog for businesses. Starting June 7, 2006, Joe Pursch will become a regular contributor to our blog. We are very excited for this opportunity and hope that you enjoy what he has to offer.
Comments
I know that you have to work hard in order to be successful or get what you want. I belief every person can put extra effort into their work if the work they do excites them. Unfortunately not all for us can do the work which we feel passionate about.
Let's face it. Who wants to spend 8+ hours per day sitting in front of the computer, listening to directions from your supervisors, doing monotonous work, day in and day out, with little satisfaction of what the heck you're doing ???
Work is repetitive no matter how you look at it, and being a human being, and being alive, I don't think we should be doing the same thing everyday, that's the job of a robot.
I blame society for the lack of motivation of (most) young people today, times are changing. We will not wait until we retire to enjoy life !!! Personally I would like to do the things I like while I'm young and mobile, I don't want to spend 50+ years working, but to know later that I have some kind of incurable disese and that I only have 2 months to live or whatever.
I think whoever designed the 5 days work week is very clever, just when an employee is emotional and physically drained from 5 days of work, they have 2 days to catch a breath, just enough to drag yourself back to the hell hole of the working environment.
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