Last week I wasn’t really able to post. I was busy. Specifically, I was busy doing a job I have already hired 2 people to do. This week, I will also spend a lot of time at what should be somebody else’s desk doing what should be somebody else’s job. If you think I find this frustrating, you are correct!
So please allow me, as an employer who has personally created jobs this year, to give you a few handy tips on remaining employed:
Show up! I’m not one of those people who subscribes to the theory that some percent of life is showing up. Rather, showing up is a pre-resquisite. You can’t do a job you aren’t there to do. The job wouldn’t exist if it didn’t need to be done. So show up. Be on time. Don’t cut out early. Reasonable bosses understand that sometimes things like sickness and emergencies and accidents happen. Reasonable bosses also have a finite amount of patience. This is particularly true in small offices where one person represents a double-digit percentage of the workforce.
Just do it! Your job, that is. Another non-shocker. Your number one priority at work — well, after safety — is getting the job done. For each task, Do it once; Do it right. If there’s something you can’t do, figure out why not and what to do about it.
Do what needs to be done. Want to never get a promotion again? Or want to be the first person laid off? Just use these magic words: “That’s not my job.” If the boss asks you to do something, do it. This is of course assuming that you are able to do it and that it’s legal. If a co-worker needs your help, there’s nothing wrong with lending a hand within limits of your time and ability. I am not saying to do his/her job; be reasonable. By extension, you can get a reputation as a go-getter by seeing something that needs to be done and just handling it. You might want to toss in “Oh, by the way, I took care of the XYZ.” Credit where it’s due, you know.
Be willing to solve problems. It’s okay to have problems, but it’s better to fix them. I can’t solve problems I don’t know about, so it’s important to share; however, I always prefer to hear “This is an issue” followed by “and this is what we can do about it.”
Adjust your attitude. I don’t expect boot-kissing, but I won’t tolerate a ‘tude either. There’s no such thing as job security, not even among professional types. Very, very few people have anything approaching “tenure” these days. Chances are you are not one of them.
I hope you find this helpful. Now, I must get back to work until such time as I can find someone else to staff this position.
In closing: A horrifying view of how we are turning poor children into zombies while claiming to educate them. Do we really need a standardized college curriculum? One Thousand Million Dollars missing from Iraq’s defense ministry, that would sure buy a lot of ammo. For that matter that would sure go a long time towards infrastructure. How we’ll all end up paying for Katrina. A follow-up on local disaster planning. And finally, FBI seeks recruits for Porn Squad, since we all know boobs are more dangerous than bombs in the wrong hands.