TOW#474 — Are you an average employee?
Employees can be divided into average and results-oriented. Of course, there are a million other ways to group them, but this is the main one. So, if you were to ask someone, and also ask yourself — Which of these two are you? — what would they/you answer? I’m sure each of us would say that we’re someone for whom results are important, but is it really true?
I’d like to share with you a few traits of the average employee that I’ve noticed during my working life, as well as ones I’ve read about and agree with. Average people:
- Live in their comfort zone — the most beautiful zone in which most people live and work, and that’s why it’s in first place!;
- Adapt to the workplace very quickly and don’t contribute to changes — they sit quietly (this doesn’t mean that they should be noisy to be the opposite), and if they’re new they quickly acclimatise to the environment, but often to unpleasant things, without seeking to correct them, because that way of working suits them, so why change?;
- Are lead by fear — precisely because of the fear of losing their job, or making a mistake, or getting in trouble, they end up being average and don’t give more of themselves, which is normal (“fear safeguards the vineyard”, as we say in our parts);
- You can set your watch to them: they come to work and leave at precisely the same time every day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that others don’t do the same, but for these people one thing is a particular feature: when it’s time to go they drop everything (unfinished) and leave. As in, I’ve done all I can today!;
- They do only the thing they’re entrusted with, and that’s it — you won’t get any more than that or some idea on how to improve the task or how to do it better in future. They simply don’t show any initiative for improving things;
- Social media — they waste lots of time (unnecessarily) on social media. They’re always checking what’s ‘new’, and they do this both when they have time and when they don’t…
- Attention — they very easily get distracted or lose concentration, i.e. they need lots of time to return to what they’re supposed to be working on;
- Chitchat — they spend too much time chatting and gossiping. They have something to say about every topic, and they always have to say it;
- Notes — they forget that they have a limited capacity for memorising things and so they easily forget them. They rarely, if ever, bring a notebook with them to meetings to jot down things that are important for them and their work;
- Time — they don’t conceive of time very well and as a result the passing of time is boring for them. That’s why they don’t know what they spend most of their time doing. Time is something of a non-renewable resource and that’s why it’s important to spend it as efficiently as possible, but they usually spend it on:
o TV
o Phone
o Games;
- Critical thinking — because they’re engaged very little with their work and never or very rarely ask questions, one shouldn’t expect them to think critically about things or make suggestions to improve them.
Now then, having seen the features listed above, can you see yourself in any of them? If YES, then change as soon as possible! Don’t be like the rest, be different and take the initiative.
Wishing you success with the changes to come,
@kalinbabusku
“Tip of the Week” Team member
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