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Work is Not a Spectator Sport
A lot has changed in the workforce over the last 30 to 40 years. Not only has what we do
for work changed, but how we do work, where we do work, and who we do work with
also has changed. So much has changed at work that no one told workers that their
mindset and attitudes toward work also had to change.
Sure most of us have successfully adjusted to working with computers, working in
a variety of settings (versus the farms and factories of our fathers), and most
of us have even adjusted to working in a diverse workforce. However, how many of
us still maintain the same mindset and attitudes toward work as our fathers.
Most of our fathers and mothers maintained the following attitudes toward work: A job is
permanent, work does not need to be enjoyable, and a job is a job. Also, hard work
and loyalty are rewarded, you're not paid to think, and the goal of work is to
obtain more money and a promotion.
Our parents maintained the following attitudes during the later part of the
Industrial Age because they worked for the time in which they lived. Attitudes
toward work at that time focused on an established alliance between employer and
employee that were very much similar to the alliance formed in families. Employers
did not hire employees as much as they accepted them into the company family.
Therefore, the mindset that developed towards work was one of "family." The employer
was to treat employees as family members, and in turn employees were to be loyal
family members.
With the dawn of the Information Age, many companies had to reinvent themselves in
order to survive in a changing economy. One reinvention occurred in the area
of employee relations. As a result, many employers changed from viewing employees
as family members to viewing employees as independent and not dependent workers.
When employers started to view employees as being independent of them, many
employees did not adapt to the change. Employees who continued to maintain the
"family" mindset and attitudes of their parents, ended up feeling frustrated and
bitter toward their employers, and in the process hindered their career development.
If employees should not adopt a "family" mindset toward their employer, what type
of mindset should employees maintain? In today's work environment it is far more
useful to adopt a mindset that their employer is a "sports team" versus a
family. A sports team mindset naturally helps employees to develop
attitudes towards work that reflect competition, the fun of sports, and increased
professionalism.
Let me review the change in attitudes toward work that occurs when one changes
their mindset that their employer is a "family" to a mindset that their employer
is a "sports team."
Family: The employee defines himself or herself more by whom they work for instead
of their knowledge and accumulated skills.
Sports Team: Every employee is a "professional employee" for hire. Employees define
themselves by what they know and can do versus whom employs them.
Family: An employer rewards loyalty and hard work.
Sports Team: An employee maintains loyalty to their profession and not to their
employer. It is more valuable to have winning ideas than it is to
work hard. An employer is only a temporary vessel for the professional employee.
Family: Work is not meant to be fun.
Sports Team: If you are not having fun at work--quit! Work and play go together.
Employers need to create work environments that allow for play. Play
at work reduces tension and can increase productivity. If you work hard, you must play hard.
Family: A job is permanent.
Sports Team: Yeah, right! The professional employee invests time and energy
maintaining their skills because they never know when they either will
be laid-off (drafted) or will be picked up by another employer (sports team).
Family: The goal of work is to obtain more money and a promotion.
Sports Team: The goal of work is to build your knowledge and accumulate more skills.
The goal is to become a star employee who can offer his/her services
to the highest bidder. If your present sports team (employer) is not
recognizing your worth, put yourself on the open market (free-agent).
Family: You're not paid to think but to work.
Sports Team: As a knowledge-worker you are paid to think and be creative. In the
Information Age, you are paid to think and you are foolish if you only engage in hard work.
Happy Working,
Gary Vikesland, MA LP CEAP
Employer-Employee.com
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